By Tammy Javenkoski
Oneida County VSO

Most people in our area who are receiving Tricare Select, a fee-for-service health care plan for military veterans and their families, recently got a letter stating they must begin paying enrollment fees on Jan. 1, 2021. Currently, if you have Tricare Select, you must pay enrollment fees unless you are:

• An active duty family member
• A surviving spouse or child of a deceased veteran
• A medically retired member and their family members
• A retiree whose initial enlistment or appointment was before Jan. 1, 2018, (referred to in the
letter as Group A)

Beginning Jan. 1, 2021, enrollment fees will be required for military retirees and their families (Group A). This does not include active duty family members, surviving spouses or children of deceased veterans, or medically retired personneland their family members. The enrollment fees are also not required for people on Tricare for Life, Tricare Prime and Premium-based plans.

The enrollment fee is $12.50 per month for an individual plan and $25 per month for a family plan. In addition to the enrollment fee, the catastrophic cap has been increased from $3,000 annually to $3,500; however, enrollment fees will be applied to the cap.

If you get your retirement or other pay from a military pay center, such as the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), you’ll pay your enrollment fees via an allotment, where feasible. If you don’t get your retired pay through a military pay center, you’ll pay your fees by a Recurring Credit or Debit Card (RCC) or through an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).

This enrollment fee must be set up during Tricare’s open enrollment period, which is Nov. 9 through Dec. 14, 2020. If you are going to pay via an allotment, it must be done by Nov. 20, 2020, in order for it to be taken out of your military retirement pay on Jan.1, 2021. Failure to take action on the enrollment fees will result in you and/or your family being disenrolled from Tricare.

Tricare is working on an online enrollment form but as of right now, the only option to enroll is to call Humana Military (if you’re in the East Region, which we are in our area) at 800- 444-5445. This can’t be done until Nov. 9, however. Once the online form is complete, we will let you know.

Tammy Javenkoski can be reached at 715-369-6127 or tjavenkoski@co.oneida.wi.us. Jason Dailey, assistant CVSO, can be reached at the same number or jdailey@co.oneida.wi.us, or you can contact us via Facebook at www.facebook.com/oneidacvso.
Vilas County residents can contact Brian Thomas at 715-479-3629 or brthom@vilascountywi.gov. Deborah Eicher, Deputy CVSO, can be reached at the same number or deeich@vilascountywi.gov.