Skip to main content

Military Health System

Utility Navigation Links

TRICARE Policy Manual 6010.60-M, April 1, 2015
Eligibility And Enrollment
Chapter 10
Section 5.1
Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP)
Issue Date:  June 1, 1999
Authority:  32 CFR 199.3; Public Laws 101-510, 102-125, 102-484, 103-337, 108-375, 109-163, 110-317, 110-417, and 115-91
Revision:  C-51, September 11, 2019
1.0  DESCRIPTION
The TAMP establishes TRICARE eligibility for specific categories of beneficiaries. The sponsors and their family members are eligible for continued TRICARE medical benefits including enrollment/re-enrollment in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select, services and supplies provided under the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO), and Military Treatment Facility (MTF)/Enhanced Multi-Service Market (eMSM) care, for a defined period of time as indicated on Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). While the status of these individuals is neither active duty nor retiree/deceased, for the purpose of cost-sharing, the claims for these individuals (including the former active duty member) shall be processed as Active Duty Family Members (ADFMs).
Note:  In this section, references to TRICARE Select coverage are effective for services received on or after January 1, 2018.
2.0  POLICY
2.1  Covered Groups (Section 1145 of Title 10, United States Code (10 USC 1145)). Members, as determined by their Service personnel office and indicated in DEERS, and their eligible family members who meet the criteria below are entitled to medical benefits under TRICARE to the same extent as those available to ADFMs.
2.1.1  A member who is involuntarily separated from active duty as defined in 10 USC 1141.
2.1.1.1  This includes a member who is provided a voluntary separation incentive under 10 USC 1175(j).
2.1.1.2  This includes a member who is separated from active duty and receives voluntary separation pay, and not entitled to retired or retainer pay upon separation, under 10 USC 1175a(e)(2)(A).
2.1.2  A member of a Reserve Component (RC) who is separated from active duty after serving more than 30 consecutive day either in support of a contingency operation or for a preplanned mission. Preplanned mission was added by Public Law 115-91, effective December 12, 2017.
2.1.3  A member who is separated from active duty for which the member is involuntarily retained under 10 USC 12305 (also referred to as “stop loss”) in support of a contingency operation.
2.1.4  A member who is separated from active duty pursuant to a voluntary agreement of the member to remain on active duty for a period of less than one year in support of a contingency operation under 10 USC 1145(a)(2)(D).
2.1.5  A member who receives a sole survivorship discharge as defined in 10 USC 1174(i). This provision was added by Public Law 110-317, effective August 29, 2008.
2.1.6  A member who is separated from active duty who agrees to become a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of an RC. This provision was added by Public Law 110-417, effective October 14, 2008.
2.2  Time frames of eligibility for TAMP eligibles in which the member’s separation occurred on or after November 6, 2003 - Transitional health care for TAMP eligibles shall be available for 180 days beginning on the date on which the member is separated from active duty.
2.3  Determining Eligibility
2.3.1  Eligibility determinations for coverage must be based on DEERS determinations.
2.3.2  Contractors shall be responsible for confirming DEERS eligibility status. Once jurisdictional responsibility is established, the contractor shall have the capability by using DEERS to identify these claims as TAMP and process them as ADFM claims. While the status of these individuals is neither active duty nor retiree/deceased, for the purpose of cost-sharing, the claims for these individuals shall be processed as ADFMs. Eligibility verification of an active duty member who was separated involuntarily shall be based solely on the DEERS response. For those claims that are submitted for medical services rendered to the sponsor and if the contractor can identify the claim as meeting the transitional eligibility requirements, the contractor shall process the claim. Otherwise the sponsor claims indicating status as “active duty” and relationship as “self” shall continue to be transferred to the military services. Claims shall be processed by the contractor using the same rules and cost-shares that apply to ADFMs per TRICARE Reimbursement Manual (TRM), Chapter 2, unless otherwise specified in Chapter 10, Section 8.1.
2.4  Change in eligibility status of a beneficiary during an inpatient hospital stay (see the TRM, Chapter 6, Section 2).
2.5  In cases involving the existence of Other Health Insurance (OHI) for family members and/or sponsors, treat as double coverage as required by the TRM.
2.6  TRICARE Prime (Before January 1, 2018)
2.6.1  Enrollment in Prime. TAMP eligibles may enroll or re-enroll in TRICARE Prime.
2.6.2  Effective Date of Enrollment in TRICARE Prime is as follows:
2.6.2.1  TAMP eligibles (including the former active duty member) who were enrolled in Prime immediately prior to their change in status may continue their enrollment in TRICARE Prime with no break in coverage. A reenrollment application must be completed prior to the TAMP expiration period in order to continue with TRICARE Prime. The effective date shall be the date the sponsor separated from active duty as the intent is to ensure that Prime coverage is seamless. See Section 2.1 for further information on the effective date of enrollment.
2.6.2.2  TAMP eligibles who were not enrolled in Prime (including TRICARE Prime Remote (TPR) and TRICARE Prime Remote Active Duty Family Member (TPRADFM)) immediately prior to their change in status may choose to enroll in TRICARE Prime while receiving TAMP coverage but such enrollment is subject to the “twentieth of the month rule”. That is, if an application for an initial enrollment is received after the twentieth day of the month, Prime enrollment will begin on the first day of the second month after the month in which the application was received by the contractor. See Section 2.1 for further information on the effective date of enrollment.
2.6.2.3  TAMP eligibles whose sponsor is called to active duty.
2.6.2.3.1  TAMP eligible family members who were enrolled in Prime immediately prior to their sponsor’s change in status to active duty may continue their reenrollment in TRICARE Prime with no break in coverage if they reenroll in TRICARE Prime within 30 days of the return to active duty status. If reenrollment is accomplished within 30 days of the return to active duty status, the reenrollment will be retroactive to the date of the change in status from TAMP to active duty. If reenrollment is not accomplished within 30 days of the return to active duty status, the twentieth of the month rule will apply.
2.6.2.3.2  TAMP eligible family members not enrolled in Prime immediately prior to activation (i.e., return to active duty) may choose to enroll in Prime but such initial enrollment is subject to the twentieth of the month rule. That is, if an application for an initial enrollment in Prime is received after the twentieth of the month, Prime enrollment will begin on the first day of the second month after the month in which the application was received by the contractor. See Section 2.1 for further information on effective date of initial enrollments and reenrollments.
2.6.2.3.3  For information on the effective dates of enrollments for Service members, see the TRICARE Operations Manual (TOM), Chapter 6, Section 1.
2.6.2.4  While the TPR and TPRADFM are not available to TAMP eligibles, these programs are considered a “Prime-like” benefit and enrollment or reenrollment in Prime shall be available to them as stated above.
2.7  TRICARE Prime And TRICARE Select (Effective January 1, 2018)
2.7.1   Enrollment
A change in status listed in paragraph 2.1 is a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). As such, TAMP-eligible members and family members may be auto-enrolled in TRICARE Select. If not auto-enrolled in TRICARE Select, TAMP eligibles, including the former Service members may elect to enroll or re-enroll in TRICARE Prime, if qualified or TRICARE Select coverage within 90 days of their eligibility for TAMP.
2.7.2  Effective Date of Enrollment. See Section 2.1.
2.7.3  TAMP eligibles whose sponsor is called to active duty.
2.7.3.1  A TAMP sponsor’s re-activation to active duty status is a change in status, and is a QLE that allows TAMP enrollees to elect their desired TRICARE coverage within 90 days of the activation.
2.7.3.2  While the TPR and TPRADFM are not available to TAMP eligibles, these programs are considered a “Prime-like” benefit and enrollment or reenrollment in Prime shall be available to them as stated above.
2.8  TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) may be available for purchase by members of the Selected Reserve as specified in the TOM, Chapter 22, Section 1. In order to continue TRICARE coverage with no break, an application for TRS may be produced up to 90 days before the expiration date of TAMP, but must be submitted with the required initial payment no later than 90 days after the expiration date of TAMP.
2.9  The Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP) may be available to members (and their dependents) after the expiration of TAMP entitlement. See Section 4.1 for further information.
2.10  Dental Coverage
2.10.1  Dental benefits for TAMP-eligibles are limited to space available care in the Dental Treatment Facility (DTF).
2.10.2  Effective January 27, 2012, dental benefits for RC members discharged from active duty after more than 30 days in support of a contingency operation are available in the same manner as a member of the uniformed services on active duty for more than 30 days. This requires care to be provided in both military DTFs and authorized private sector dental care. This care will run concurrently with the member’s TAMP coverage.
2.10.3  The TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) is a voluntary dental insurance program that is available to ADFMs, Selected Reserve, and Individual Ready Reserve (IRR) members, and their eligible family members. The TDP is not part of the benefits offered under TAMP. Sponsors who were enrolled in the TDP prior to being activated, who then return to Reserve status, may be eligible to re-enroll in the TDP.
- END -
$(document).ready(function() { $('div.Form').prepend(''); jQuery('.close_button').click(function() { jQuery('div.print_notice').addClass('invisible');}); });
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery