Tricare for Life Care Initiative

08/07/2026

Today we observe Purple Heart Day, honoring the brave men and women who were wounded or made the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

The Purple Heart is awarded to members of the U.S. Armed Forces who are wounded or killed in combat or as a result of enemy action. Its origins date back to August 7, 1782, when General George Washington established the Badge of Military Merit. In 1932, the decoration was revived as the Purple Heart and remains one of our nation's most recognized military honors.

Today, we remember the courage, resilience, and sacrifice of Purple Heart recipients and the families who stand beside them. Their service and dedication to our country will never be forgotten.

To all Purple Heart recipients, thank you for your service and sacrifice. We honor you today and every day. 💜🇺🇸

08/05/2026

One of the questions we hear most often is, “How does Tricare For Life actually work?”

If you’re approaching age 65, already using Tricare For Life, or helping a spouse or family member navigate the transition, we’ve put together a free Tricare For Life Beginner’s Guide that explains the basics in plain language.

The guide covers:
• Who qualifies for Tricare For Life
• How Medicare and Tricare work together
• Whether you need to enroll in Tricare For Life
• What costs you can expect
• When you might still have out-of-pocket expenses
• Common misconceptions that can lead to confusion

Our goal is to take complicated government information and explain it in a way that’s easy to understand.

Read the guide here:
https://www.tflcareinitiative.com/resource-center/tricare-for-life-a-beginners-guide

If you know someone who’s approaching age 65 or is new to Tricare For Life, feel free to share this resource with them.

The Tricare For Life Care Initiative (TFLCI) is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to providing free, unbiased education to military retirees, their families, and other eligible uniformed services beneficiaries. Our mission is to make military healthcare easier to understand so beneficiaries can make informed decisions with confidence. TFLCI is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense, the Defense Health Agency, Tricare, Medicare, or the Social Security Administration.

New to Tricare For Life? Learn eligibility requirements, Medicare enrollment, covered benefits, claims, costs, and how Tricare For Life works with Medicare.

08/05/2026

🇺🇸 TFLCI Military Healthcare Legislative & Policy Update
August 5, 2026

New Tricare Ambulance Blood Transfusion Demonstration Announced

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) has published a final rule in the Federal Register establishing a new Tricare Ambulance Blood Transfusion Demonstration Project, scheduled to begin January 1, 2027.

What is it?

In some medical emergencies, paramedics or flight crews can administer blood before a patient reaches the hospital. This five-year demonstration will allow eligible ground and air ambulance providers to receive an additional Tricare reimbursement when they administer medically necessary blood or blood products during transport.

The goal is to evaluate whether this additional reimbursement improves access to pre-hospital blood transfusions, patient outcomes, and emergency medical care before patients reach the hospital.

Who is included?

According to the Federal Register, this demonstration applies to eligible Tricare members covered by:

• Tricare Prime (including active duty service members)
• Tricare Select
• Tricare for Life (including members enrolled in Medicare Advantage)

Who isn’t included?

This demonstration does not apply to:

• Tricare members enrolled in the US Family Health Plan (USFHP).
• Claims where another health insurance pays before Tricare.
• Ambulance services provided in locations where the Medicare Ambulance Fee Schedule is not used (for example, certain overseas locations).

What should Tricare members know?

For most Tricare members, this update will only become relevant if emergency ambulance transportation includes a medically necessary blood transfusion before arriving at the hospital.

This demonstration primarily changes how eligible ambulance providers are reimbursed by Tricare. It does not mean every ambulance transport will include a new charge.

If you ever need this type of emergency care, any out-of-pocket costs will continue to depend on your Tricare plan and the circumstances of your care. Under this demonstration, the Federal Register establishes a separate cost share for Tricare for Life members on the blood-transfusion add-on amount—not on the entire ambulance bill.

The demonstration is currently scheduled to run from January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2031.

Official Federal Register notice:
https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/07/06/2026-13515/tricare-demonstration-project-for-tricare-ambulance-add-on-reimbursement-for-pre-hospital-blood

Information current as of August 5, 2026.

The Tricare for Life Care Initiative is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating military families and beneficiaries about their healthcare benefits. We’ll continue monitoring official legislative, regulatory, and policy developments that may affect military healthcare and will share factual, educational updates as they become available.

The DoD (referred to herein as "the Department", "Department of War" or "DoW") is announcing a new demonstration project under the TRICARE program, titled the "TRICARE Demonstration Project for Pre-Hospital Blood Transfusion Ambulance Add-On Reimbursement," also called "The TRICARE PHBT...

08/04/2026

Military Healthcare Legislative & Policy Watch

Our goal is to keep military families informed about proposed legislation and policy developments that may affect military healthcare. This information is shared for educational purposes only. Please remember that none of the items below change your Tricare benefits unless and until they become law or official policy.

1️⃣ H.R. 4768 – Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act of 2025

Status: Introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives on July 25, 2025, referred to the House Armed Services Committee, and currently remains in the introduced stage.

What it would do: If enacted, eligible unmarried dependent children could remain on their parent’s Tricare coverage until age 26.

Official bill:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4768

2️⃣ Fiscal Year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (FY2027 NDAA)

Status: Congress is continuing work on the FY2027 National Defense Authorization Act. Before any provisions become law, both the House and Senate must pass legislation and agree on a final version, which is then sent to the President for signature.

Why it matters: The NDAA often includes provisions affecting military healthcare, including Tricare policies, military treatment facilities, beneficiary programs, pharmacy programs, and other Department of Defense health initiatives.

Track the NDAA:
https://www.congress.gov/search?searchResultViewType=expanded&q=%7B%22source%22%3A%22legislation%22%2C%22search%22%3A%22National+Defense+Authorization+Act%22%7D

3️⃣ Tricare T-5 Contract Oversight

Status: Congressional oversight of the Tricare T-5 contracts is ongoing. Areas of focus include provider network adequacy, claims processing, beneficiary access to care, and contractor performance. This is oversight activity rather than proposed legislation, but it could influence future legislation or Department of Defense policy.

House Armed Services Committee:
https://armedservices.house.gov/

Senate Armed Services Committee:
https://www.armed-services.senate.gov/

Last reviewed: August 2026

The Tricare for Life Care Initiative is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educating military families about their healthcare benefits. We’ll continue monitoring legislative and policy developments that may affect beneficiaries and will share factual, educational updates as they become available.

08/04/2026

Today we celebrate the 236th birthday of the United States Coast Guard.

Tracing its history back to August 4, 1790, the U.S. Coast Guard has served our nation through search and rescue, maritime law enforcement, homeland security, environmental protection, and national defense.

Guided by its core values of Honor, Respect, and Devotion to Duty, the Coast Guard continues its steadfast commitment to protecting lives, safeguarding our nation's waters, and serving communities at home and abroad.

To all Coast Guard members, veterans, retirees, civilian personnel, and families, thank you for your service, sacrifice, and unwavering dedication.

Happy Birthday, U.S. Coast Guard! ⚓🇺🇸

07/27/2026

Today we honor the service and sacrifice of the men and women who served during the Korean War.

On July 27, 1953, the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed, ending active combat and establishing a ceasefire that remains in effect today. While active combat ended with the signing of the armistice, no formal peace treaty was ever signed. As a result, the armistice remains in effect today.

We are grateful to the Korean War veterans whose courage, resilience, and dedication helped defend freedom during a pivotal moment in history.

Thank you for your service. We remember your sacrifices today and always. 🇺🇸

07/25/2026

The Complete Guide to the Tricare Pharmacy Program
Pharmacy questions are some of the most common questions we receive.

- Why was my prescription denied?
- What is a prior authorization?
- What's the difference between a generic and a brand-name medication?
- Should I use Home Delivery or a retail pharmacy?
- Does Tricare cover GLP-1 medications?
- What happens if I need medication while traveling?
- Why is my medication billed through Medicare Part B instead of my pharmacy benefit?

We put all of those answers—and much more—into one easy-to-understand guide.

Instead of trying to decode insurance jargon, we've explained the Tricare Pharmacy Program in plain English, with practical tips and links to official resources so you can feel more confident navigating your pharmacy benefits.

📖 Read the guide here:
https://www.tflcareinitiative.com/resource-center/tricare-pharmacy-guide

If you know someone who uses Tricare—whether they're on Prime, Select, Reserve Select, Retired Reserve, Young Adult, or Tricare For Life—please consider sharing this resource with them. We hope it helps make pharmacy benefits a little less confusing.

How prescription coverage works with Tricare Prime, Tricare Select, US Family Health Plan, Tricare For Life, Express Scripts, and Accredo Specialty Pharmacy

07/25/2026

Turning 65 Soon? Don't Let Medicare & Tricare Catch You Off Guard?

One of the biggest transitions for military retirees and their families happens when Medicare enters the picture. If you're approaching age 65—or helping a spouse, parent, or loved one through the process—our Turning 65 Tricare For Life Transition Checklist walks you through the key steps to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

Inside you'll find:
✅ What to do 6–12 months before turning 65
✅ When to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B
✅ How TRICARE For Life begins
✅ Important reminders about DEERS, ID cards, pharmacy benefits, and your first appointments
✅ Helpful resources to keep everything on track

Our goal is simple: provide free, easy-to-understand education so military families can make informed decisions and avoid unnecessary stress.

📖 Read the checklist here:
https://www.tflcareinitiative.com/resource-center/turning-65-tricare-for-life-transition-checklist

If you know someone who will be turning 65 soon, we'd appreciate it if you'd share this resource with them. It could save them a lot of confusion during the transition. 💙

The Tricare for Life Care Initiative is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense, the Defense Health Agency, or TRICARE.

Preparing to turn 65? Our free Tricare For Life Transition Checklist walks you through Medicare enrollment, DEERS updates, and the key steps for a smooth transition to TFL.