TRICARE guides
Six guides covering the things that decide whether a visit is covered, and what it costs. Every figure is cited to an official source with the date we checked it, and every one of these gets re-verified rather than left to rot — benefit rules move on contract cycles and at the turn of each calendar year.
-
TRICARE plans explained
Prime vs. Select and the six other plans — who qualifies, how each works, and what they cost in 2026. Including the Group A / Group B split that every cost table depends on.
-
TRICARE East vs. West: which region am I in?
The current state-by-state list, the six states that changed in 2025, the four split by ZIP code, and what to do when you move across the line.
-
Referrals and authorizations
When you need a referral, when you need pre-authorization, and what the point-of-service option costs if you skip one. Rules differ sharply for active duty.
-
TRICARE dental explained
Your medical plan does not cover dental. Which of the three separate programs is yours — TDP, ADDP or FEDVIP — and what it costs.
-
TRICARE vision coverage
Who gets a routine eye exam and how often, why retirees on Select and TRICARE For Life get none, and where FEDVIP vision fits.
-
TRICARE pharmacy costs in 2026
The same prescription can cost $0 or $85 depending on where you fill it. Current copays, which chains are in network, and what changed in January.
What we leave out on purpose. Where TRICARE publishes no answer — the network status of several pharmacy chains, next year's enrollment fees, the dates of the next open season — these guides say so rather than filling the gap with a plausible guess. The editorial policy explains how we decide.
All six guides were last verified against tricare.mil on August 1, 2026.