Secondary Dependents

Who can be a secondary dependent?

Secondary (non-primary) dependents can include:

Type	Detail
Parents	Parent Parent-in-law Step-parent Parent by adoption, or Any person who stood ‘in-loco parentis’ to you. This means in the place of a parent. This must be for at least five years prior to your emancipation.
Unmarried children ages 21 and 22	Your child is enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved institution of higher learning. You (the sponsor) are still providing more than half of their financial support.
Unmarried children over age 21, incapable of supporting themselves	Due to mental or physical incapacity. This must occur while the child was either: Your dependent as a service member or retiree The dependent of a deceased service member while under age 21 or under age 23 and a full-time student
Ward of the court, unmarried	Legal physical custody was placed: Permanently, or For a period of at least 12 consecutive months

Applying for your eligible children to be your secondary dependents is the first step to ensure they receive TRICARE benefits and allowances. Learn more about secondary dependents.

How do I enroll a secondary dependent in a TRICARE health plan?

To enroll your secondary dependent, your uniformed service must approve your application. If approved, you must then register them in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System(DEERS) A database of information on uniformed services members (sponsors), U.S.-sponsored foreign military, DoD and uniformed services civilians, other personnel as directed by the DoD, and their family members. You need to register in DEERS to get TRICARE.. Once in DEERS, your uniformed service will update their TRICARE eligibility.

To enroll a secondary dependent in a TRICARE health plan:

1. Go to milConnect.
2. Enroll using the Beneficiary Web Enrollment tool. Beneficiary Web Enrollment will offer a choice of available plans.

Contact Information

Do you need help? You can get help with your enrollment and health plan questions. Reach out to your:

• Regional contractor
• Local Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinator
• Uniformed service’s Secondary Dependency office

Redetermination

Regular recurring redeterminations may be required to maintain your secondary dependent’s eligibility.

Follow the instructions provided by your uniformed service. This will ensure there’s no break in their TRICARE health plan coverage.