Expanded TRICARE coverage for eligible National Guard and Reserve members Published Sept. 27, 2018 TRICARE Communications FALLS CHURCH, Va. -- Are you a member of the National Guard or Reserve? Did you receive 12304b orders for a preplanned mission? If so, you may now be eligible for TRICARE early eligibility and transitional health care benefits, the same as Reserve Component members who are activated in support of a contingency operation receive. Early eligibility gives you expanded, active duty benefits up to 180 days from the orders’ issue date. The Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) offers 180 days of premium-free, transitional TRICARE coverage beginning the day after your active duty TRICARE benefits end. You may now get these benefits not only when you receive active duty orders for more than 30 days in support of a contingency operation, but also when you are ordered to active duty for more than 30 days for a preplanned mission. Whenever your status changes, you’ll receive a notification about any TRICARE coverage changes. Also, families of Reserve Component members activated for more than 30 days may also get their annual deductible waived under TRICARE Select. TRICARE may pay an additional 15 percent for covered services received from a non-network provider. These particular benefits don’t apply to families of Reserve Component members in a full-time, Active Guard or Reserve status. For more information, contact the Reserve Component Regional Commands or your TRICARE regional contractor.