Title 32
SECTION 199.24
199.24 TRICARE Reserve Select.
§ 199.24 TRICARE Reserve Select.(a) Establishment. TRICARE Reserve Select offers the TRICARE Select self-managed, preferred-provider network option under § 199.17 to qualified members of the Selected Reserve, their immediate family members, and qualified survivors under this section.
(1) Purpose. TRICARE Reserve Select is a premium-based health plan that is available for purchase by members of the Selected Reserve and certain survivors of Selected Reserve members as specified in paragraph (c) of this section.
(2) Statutory Authority. TRICARE Reserve Select is authorized by 10 U.S.C. 1076d.
(3) Scope of the Program. TRICARE Reserve Select is applicable in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and, to the extent practicable, other areas where members of the Selected Reserve serve. In locations other than the 50 states of the United States and the District of Columbia, the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health Affairs) may authorize modifications to the program rules and procedures as may be appropriate to the area involved.
(4) Major Features of TRICARE Reserve Select. The major features of the program include the following:
(i) TRICARE Select rules applicable. (A) Unless specified in this section or otherwise prescribed by the Director, provisions of TRICARE Select under § 199.17 apply to TRICARE Reserve Select.
(B) Certain special programs established in 32 CFR part 199 are not available to members covered under TRICARE Reserve Select. These include the Extended Care Health Option (§ 199.5), the Special Supplemental Food Program (see § 199.23), and the Supplemental Health Care Program (§ 199.16), except when referred by a Military Treatment Facility (MTF) provider for incidental consults and the MTF provider maintains clinical control over the episode of care. The TRICARE Dental Program (§ 199.13) is independent of this program and is otherwise available to all members of the Selected Reserve and their eligible family members whether or not they purchase TRICARE Reserve Select coverage. The Continued Health Care Benefits Program (§ 199.20) is also independent of this program and is otherwise available to all members who qualify.
(ii) Premiums. TRICARE Reserve Select coverage is available for purchase by any Selected Reserve member if the member fulfills all of the statutory qualifications. A member of the Selected Reserve covered under TRICARE Reserve Select shall pay 28 percent of the total amount that the ASD(HA) determines on an appropriate actuarial basis as being appropriate for that coverage. There is one premium rate for member-only coverage and one premium rate for member and family coverage.
(iii) Procedures. Under TRICARE Reserve Select, Reserve Component members who fulfilled all of the statutory qualifications may purchase either the member-only type of coverage or the member-and-family type of coverage by submitting a completed request in the appropriate format along with an initial payment of the applicable premium. Rules and procedures for purchasing coverage and paying applicable premiums are prescribed in this section.
(iv) Benefits. When their coverage becomes effective, TRICARE Reserve Select beneficiaries receive the TRICARE Select benefit including access to military treatment facility services and pharmacies, as described in §§ 199.17 and 199.21. TRICARE Reserve Select coverage features the deductible, catastrophic cap and cost share provisions of the TRICARE Select plan applicable to Group B active duty family members under § 199.17(l)(2)(ii) for both the member and the member's covered family members; however, the TRICARE Reserve Select premium under paragraph (c) of this section applies instead of any TRICARE Select plan enrollment fee under § 199.17. Both the member and the member's covered family members are provided access priority for care in military treatment facilities on the same basis as active duty service members' dependents who are not enrolled in TRICARE Prime as described in § 199.17(d)(1)(i)(D).
(b) Qualifications for TRICARE Reserve Select coverage - (1) Ready Reserve member. A Ready Reserve member qualifies to purchase TRICARE Reserve Select coverage if the Service member meets both the following criteria:
(i) Is a member of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces, or a member of the Individual Ready Reserve of the Armed Forces who has volunteered to be ordered to active duty pursuant to the provisions of 10 U.S.C. 12304 in accordance with section 10 U.S.C. 10144(b); and
(ii) Is not enrolled in, or eligible to enroll in, a health benefits plan under 5 U.S.C. chapter 89. That statute has been implemented under 5 CFR part 890 as the Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) program. For purposes of the FEHB program, the terms “enrolled,” “enroll” and “enrollee” are defined in 5 CFR 890.101. Further, the member (or certain former member involuntarily separated) no longer qualifies for TRICARE Reserve Select when the member (or former member) has been eligible for coverage to be effective in a health benefits plan under the FEHB program for more than 60 days.
(2) TRICARE Reserve Select survivor. If a qualified Service member dies while in a period of TRICARE Reserve Select coverage, the immediate family member(s) of such member is qualified to purchase new or continue existing TRICARE Reserve Select coverage for up to six months beyond the date of the member's death as long as they meet the definition of immediate family members as specified in paragraph (g)(2) of this section. This applies regardless of type of coverage in effect on the day of the TRICARE Reserve Select member's death.
(c) TRICARE Reserve Select premiums. Members are charge premiums for coverage under TRICARE Reserve Select that represent 28 percent of the total annual premium amount that the Director determines on an appropriate actuarial basis as being appropriate for coverage under the TRICARE Select benefit for the TRICARE Reserve Select eligible population. Premiums are to be paid monthly, except as otherwise provided through administrative implementation, pursuant to procedures established by the Director. The monthly rate for each month of a calendar year is one-twelfth of the annual rate for that calendar year.
(1) Annual establishment of rates. TRICARE Reserve Select monthly premium rates shall be established and updated annually on a calendar year basis for each of the two types of coverage, member-only and member- and-family as described in paragraph (d)(1) of this section. Starting with calendar year 2009, the appropriate actuarial basis for purposes of this paragraph (c) shall be determined for each calendar year by utilizing the actual reported cost of providing benefits under this section to members and their dependents during the calendar years preceding such calendar year. Reported actual TRS cost data from calendar years 2006 and 2007 was used to determine premium rates for calendar year 2009. This established pattern will be followed to determine premium rates for all calendar years subsequent to 2009.
(2) Premium adjustments. In addition to the determinations described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, premium adjustments may be made prospectively for any calendar year to reflect any significant program changes or any actual experience in the costs of administering TRICARE Reserve Select.
(3) Survivor premiums. A surviving family member of a Reserve Component service member who qualified for TRICARE Reserve Select coverage as described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section will pay premium rates as follows. The premium amount shall be at the member-only rate if there is only one surviving family member to be covered by TRICARE Reserve Select and at the member and family rate if there are two or more survivors to be covered.
(d) Procedures. The Director may establish procedures for the following.
(1) Purchasing coverage. Procedures may be established for a qualified member to purchase one of two types of coverage: Member-only coverage or member and family coverage. Immediate family members of a qualified member as specified in paragraph (g)(2) of this section may be included in such family coverage. To purchase either type of TRICARE Reserve Select coverage for effective dates of coverage described below, members and survivors qualified under either paragraph (b)(1) or (2) of this section must submit a request in the appropriate format, along with an initial payment of the applicable premium required by paragraph (c) of this section in accordance with established procedures.
(i) Continuation coverage. Procedures may be established for a qualified member or qualified survivor to purchase TRICARE Reserve Select coverage with an effective date immediately following the date of termination of coverage under another TRICARE program.
(ii) Qualifying event. Procedures for qualifying events in TRICARE Select plans under § 199.17(o) shall apply to TRICARE Reserve Select coverage. Additionally, the Director may identify other events unique to needs of the Reserve Components as qualifying events.
(iii) Enrollment. Procedures for enrollment in TRICARE Select plans under § 199.17(o) shall apply to TRICARE Reserve Select enrollment. Generally, the effective date of coverage will coincide with the first day of a month unless enrollment is due to a qualifying event and a different date on or after the qualifying event is required to prevent a lapse in health care coverage.
(iv) Survivor coverage under TRICARE Reserve Select. Procedures may be established for a surviving family member of a Reserve Component service member who qualified for TRICARE Reserve Select coverage as described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section to purchase new TRICARE Reserve Select coverage or continue existing TRICARE Reserve Select coverage for up to six months beyond the date of the member's death. The effective date of coverage will be the day following the date of the member's death.
(2) Termination. Termination of coverage for the TRS member/survivor will result in termination of coverage for the member's/survivor's family members in TRICARE Reserve Select. Procedures may be established for coverage to be terminated as follows.
(i) Coverage shall terminate when members or survivors no longer qualify for TRICARE Reserve Select as specified in paragraph (b) of this section, with one exception. If a member is involuntarily separated from the Selected Reserve under other than adverse conditions, as characterized by the Secretary concerned, and is covered by TRICARE Reserve Select on the last day of his or her membership in the Selected Reserve, then TRICARE Reserve Select coverage may terminate up to 180 days after the date on which the member was separated from the Selected Reserve. This applies regardless of type of coverage. This exception expires December 31, 2018.
(ii) Coverage may terminate for members, former members, and survivors who gain coverage under another TRICARE program.
(iii) In accordance with the provisions of § 199.17(o)(2) coverage terminates for members/survivors who fail to make premium payments in accordance with established procedures.
(iv) Coverage may be terminated for members/survivors upon request at any time by submitting a completed request in the appropriate format in accordance with established procedures.
(3) Re-enrollment following termination. Absent a new qualifying event, members/survivors (subject to paragraph (d)(1)(iv) of this section) are not eligible to re-enroll in TRICARE Reserve Select until the next annual open season.
(4) Processing. Upon receipt of a completed request in the appropriate format, enrollment actions will be processed into DEERS in accordance with established procedures.
(5) Periodic revision. Periodically, certain features, rules or procedures of TRICARE Reserve Select may be revised. If such revisions will have a significant effect on members' or survivors' costs or access to care, members or survivors may be given the opportunity to change their type of coverage or terminate coverage coincident with the revisions.
(e) Preemption of State laws. (1) Pursuant to 10 U.S.C. 1103, the Department of Defense has determined that in the administration of chapter 55 of title 10, U.S. Code, preemption of State and local laws relating to health insurance, prepaid health plans, or other health care delivery or financing methods is necessary to achieve important Federal interests, including but not limited to the assurance of uniform national health programs for military families and the operation of such programs, at the lowest possible cost to the Department of Defense, that have a direct and substantial effect on the conduct of military affairs and national security policy of the United States. This determination is applicable to contracts that implement this section.
(2) Based on the determination set forth in paragraph (f)(1) of this section, any State or local law or regulation pertaining to health insurance, prepaid health plans, or other health care delivery, administration, and financing methods is preempted and does not apply in connection with TRICARE Reserve Select. Any such law, or regulation pursuant to such law, is without any force or effect, and State or local governments have no legal authority to enforce them in relation to TRICARE Reserve Select. (However, the Department of Defense may, by contract, establish legal obligations on the part of DoD contractors to conform with requirements similar to or identical to requirements of State or local laws or regulations with respect to TRICARE Reserve Select).
(3) The preemption of State and local laws set forth in paragraph (f)(2) of this section includes State and local laws imposing premium taxes on health insurance carriers or underwriters or other plan managers, or similar taxes on such entities. Such laws are laws relating to health insurance, prepaid health plans, or other health care delivery or financing methods, within the meaning of 10 U.S.C. 1103. Preemption, however, does not apply to taxes, fees, or other payments on net income or profit realized by such entities in the conduct of business relating to DoD health services contracts, if those taxes, fees or other payments are applicable to a broad range of business activity. For the purposes of assessing the effect of Federal preemption of State and local taxes and fees in connection with DoD health services contracts, interpretations shall be consistent with those applicable to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program under 5 U.S.C. 8909(f).
(f) Administration. The Director may establish other rules and procedures for the effective administration of TRICARE Reserve Select, and may authorize exceptions to requirements of this section, if permitted by law.
(g) Terminology. The following terms are applicable to the TRICARE Reserve Select program.
(1) Coverage. This term means the medical benefits covered under the TRICARE Select program as further outlined in § 199.17 whether delivered in military treatment facilities or purchased from civilian sources.
(2) Immediate family member. This term means spouse (except former spouses) as defined in § 199.3(b)(2)(i), or child as defined in § 199.3(b)(2)(ii).
(3) Qualified member. This term means a member who has satisfied all the criteria that must be met before the member is authorized for TRS coverage.
(4) Qualified survivor. This term means an immediate family member who has satisfied all the criteria that must be met before the survivor is authorized for TRS coverage.
[72 FR 46383, Aug. 20, 2007, as amended at 76 FR 57641, Sept. 16, 2011; 80 FR 55254, Sept. 15, 2015; 82 FR 45458, Sept. 29, 2017]