MNG-065 · DEATH, FAMILY & SURVIVORS
TRICARE for Survivors
Navigate TRICARE survivor coverage for active-duty, retired, Guard/Reserve sponsors, transitional survivor status, DEERS, remarriage, children, and enrollment deadlines.
Sponsor status controls the starting point
- Active-duty sponsor
- National Guard/Reserve sponsor and duty/TRICARE status
- Retired sponsor
- Retired Reserve sponsor
For survivors of an active-duty service member, TRICARE currently treats spouses and children as transitional survivors for the first three years. Spouses then transition to retired-family-member coverage; children remain in the active-duty-family-member cost category until they age out or otherwise lose eligibility.
For qualifying TRICARE Reserve Select sponsor deaths on or after October 1, 2025, survivor TRS coverage can continue for up to three years. Where the family was not already enrolled, a 90-day application rule can control whether coverage begins the day after death.
DEERS and remarriage
TRICARE states that spouses can generally keep survivor coverage until remarriage. Death information normally reaches DEERS from the services/SSA, but survivors may also update DMDC directly with the death certificate. Keep the survivor’s own ID-card and eligibility records current.
Official sources
- TRICARE — Survivors
- TRICARE — Survivors of Active Duty Service Members
- TRICARE — Reserve Select Survivor Coverage
- milConnect / DEERS
Source status: SRC-155; SRC-156; SRC-157; SRC-003 verified October 4, 2026. Use the current eligibility, rate, form, and decision notice for the individual survivor.
