Getting TRICARE for Your Child

You can get TRICARE for your child in two steps:

  1. Register your newborn or adopted child in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. You must enroll in DEERS for TRICARE coverage.
  2. Choose a TRICARE health plan and enroll your child if necessary. 

You don't need a Social Security number to register your child in DEERS. Once you have their SSN, update DEERS with that number. Learn more.

Health Plan Options

How you enroll your new child depends on who you are. This includes newborns, newly adopted children, and children placed with sponsors as wards.


 Stateside Overseas
When do I need to register my child in DEERS?
  • Within 90 days of birth.
  • Claims for your child deny starting when the child is 91 days old.
  • Within 120 days of birth.
  • Claims for your child deny starting when the child is 121 days old.
What happens when I register my child in DEERS?
  • Your child is automatically enrolled in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select.
  • You have 90 days from the automatic enrollment date to change to a different plan (TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select, TRICARE Prime Remote, or the US Family Health Plan, if available).
  • Your child is automatically enrolled in TRICARE Select Overseas.
  • You have 90 days from the automatic enrollment date to change to TRICARE Prime Overseas or TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas, if available and command-sponsored.
What happens if I don't register my child in DEERS?
  • Your child won’t be eligible for care in a military hospital or clinic.
  • Your child won’t be eligible for civilian health care.
  • Your child won’t automatically be enrolled in a TRICARE plan.
  • TRICARE won’t pay on any claims starting when your child is 91 days old (stateside only).
 
  • Your child won’t be eligible for care in a military hospital or clinic.
  • Your child won’t be eligible for civilian health care.
  • Your child won’t automatically be enrolled in a TRICARE plan.
  • TRICARE won’t pay on any claims starting when your child is 121 days old (overseas only).
What happens when I register my child in DEERS, but don't enroll my child in a TRICARE plan?
  • Your child is automatically enrolled in a plan.
  • Call your TRICARE regional contractor to confirm your child’s TRICARE plan. If enrolled to TRICARE Prime, request a primary care manager assignment.
What happens when I register my child in DEERS late?
  • Your child is automatically enrolled in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select when registered in DEERS.
  • Coverage is backdated to the date of birth.
  • You have 90 days from the automatic enrollment date to change to a different plan (TRICARE Prime Remote, TRICARE Select, TRICARE Prime, or USFHP, if available). The new plan is backdated to the date of birth.
  • Ask your regional contractor to reprocess any claims TRICARE denied due to eligibility or that should be processed under the new plan.
  • Your child is automatically enrolled in TRICARE Select Overseas when registered in DEERS.
  • Coverage is backdated to the date of birth.
  • You have 90 days from the automatic enrollment date to change to a different plan (TRICARE Prime Overseas or TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas, if command-sponsored). The new plan is backdated to the date of birth.
  • Ask your regional contractor to reprocess any claims TRICARE denied due to eligibility or that should be processed under the new plan.


Stateside Overseas
When do I need to register my child in DEERS?
  • Within 90 days of birth.
  • Within 120 days of birth.
What happens when I register my child in DEERS?
  • Your child shows as Direct Care Only. This means your child can only get care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available.
  • You must enroll your child in a plan (TRICARE Prime (if available), TRICARE Select, or USFHP where available) within 90 days of birth.
  • Your child shows as Direct Care Only. This means your child can only get care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available.
  • You must enroll your child in TRICARE Select Overseas within 120 days of birth.
What happens if I don't register my child in DEERS?
  • Your child won’t show as TRICARE-eligible.
  • Your child won’t have access to military or civilian health care.
  • Claims for your child deny starting when the child is 91 days old.
  • Your child won’t show as TRICARE-eligible.
  • Your child won’t have access to military or civilian health care.
  • Claims for your child deny starting when the child is 121 days old.
What happens when I register my child in DEERS, but don't enroll my child in a TRICARE plan?
  • Your child shows as Direct Care Only. This means your child can only get care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available.
  • Your child won’t have TRICARE coverage, including access to retail or mail order pharmacy services.
  • If you don’t enroll your child in a TRICARE plan within 90 days of birth, your child remains Direct Care Only until the next TRICARE Open Season or TRICARE Qualifying Life Event.
  • TRICARE won’t pay on any claims starting when the child is 91 days old.
  • Your child shows as Direct Care Only. This means your child can only get care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available.
  • Your child won’t have TRICARE coverage, including access to retail or mail order pharmacy services.
  • If you don’t enroll your child in TRICARE Select Overseas within 120 days of birth, your child remains Direct Care Only until the next TRICARE Open Season or TRICARE Qualifying Life Event.
  • TRICARE won’t pay on any claims starting when the child is 121 days old.
What happens when I register my child in DEERS late?
  • Your child shows as Direct Care Only. This means your child can only get care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available.
  • You can’t enroll your child in a TRICARE plan until the next TRICARE Open Season or TRICARE Qualifying Life Event.
  • You're responsible for all costs from day 91 until your child is enrolled in a TRICARE plan.
  • Your child shows as Direct Care Only. This means your child can only get care at a military hospital or clinic if space is available.
  • You can’t enroll your child in a TRICARE plan until the next TRICARE Open Season or TRICARE Qualifying Life Event.
  • You're responsible for all costs from day 121 until your child is enrolled TRICARE Select Overseas.


Stateside Overseas
When do I need to register my child in DEERS?
  • Within 90 days of birth.
  • Your child doesn’t have coverage until you register and enroll your child in TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve.
  • Within 120 days of birth.
  • Your child doesn’t have coverage until you register and enroll your child in TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve.
What happens when I register my child in DEERS?
  • Your child’s record shows as No Health Care Coverage. This means your child can’t get care at a military hospital or clinic and doesn’t have TRICARE coverage, including access to retail or mail order pharmacy services.
  • You may add your newborn to your current coverage (TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve).
  • If you do this within 90 days of birth, your newborn’s coverage effective date will be their date of birth. If you have TRS or TRR coverage under a member only plan, your plan will change to member and family and your premium will go up once you enroll your newborn.
  • Your child’s record shows as No Health Care Coverage. This means your child can’t get care at a military hospital or clinic and doesn’t have TRICARE coverage, including access to retail or mail order pharmacy services.
  • You may add your newborn to your current coverage (TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve). If you do this within 120 days of birth, your newborn’s coverage effective date will be their date of birth.
    • If you have TRS or TRR coverage under a member only plan, your plan will change to member and family and your premium will go up once you enroll your newborn.
What happens if I don't register my child in DEERS?
  • You won’t be able to buy coverage (TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve) for you child.
What happens when I register my child in DEERS, but don't buy coverage?
  • Your child’s record will continue to show as No Health Care Coverage. This means your child can’t get care at a military hospital or clinic.
  • Your child won’t have TRICARE coverage, including access to retail or mail order pharmacy services.
  • If you don’t buy TRICARE coverage (TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve) within 90 days of birth, you may still buy coverage, but the coverage effective date won’t be your child’s date of birth.
  • Your child’s record will continue to show as No Health Care Coverage. This means your child can’t get care at a military hospital or clinic.
  • Your child won’t have TRICARE coverage, including access to retail or mail order pharmacy services.
  • If you don’t buy TRICARE coverage (TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve) within 120 days of birth, you may still buy coverage, but the coverage effective date won’t be your child’s date of birth.
What happens when I register my child in DEERS late?
  • Your child’s record will show as No Health Care Coverage. This means your child can’t get care at a military hospital or clinic.
  • You may still buy coverage (TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve), but the coverage effective date won’t be your child’s date of birth.
  • Your child’s record will show as No Health Care Coverage. This means your child can’t get care at a military hospital or clinic.
  • You may still buy coverage (TRICARE Reserve Select or TRICARE Retired Reserve), but the coverage effective date won’t be your child’s date of birth.

Last Updated 5/14/2025