Tricare Reserve and Guard family benefit now permanent Published Oct. 2, 2008 FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFNS) -- Eligible families of activated National Guard and Reserve members will continue to save up to $300 in annual deductibles now that a Tricare "demonstration" program is a permanent benefit. Eligible family members of Guard and Reserve personnel activated for more than 30 days under federal orders in support of a contingency operation are made eligible for Tricare Standard and Tricare Extra, which have annual deductibles. While they may be eligible to enroll in Tricare Prime or Tricare Prime Remote for Active Duty Family Members, which have no deductibles, many may choose to stay with Tricare Standard or Extra. Introduced as one of the first Tricare healthcare enhancements after Sept. 11, 2001, to assist the increasing number of National Guard and Reserve service members activated to support the war on terrorism, the benefit waiving annual deductibles has been a demonstration project for more than seven years. "The demonstration has worked well and the benefit is not changing," said Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, the deputy director of the Tricare Management Activity. "We simply want to make sure our Guard and Reserve families know this is a permanent benefit now that final federal regulation has been published." Guard or Reserve families often meet annual deductibles under their commercial plans before they get activated. Waiving the Tricare Standard and Extra deductibles means eligible families will not have to pay additional deductibles under Tricare. The annual deductible for Standard and Extra is $300 for families. "National Guard and Reserve members and their families make huge sacrifices to protect our freedom. We don't want to see them sacrifice even more by paying deductibles twice in one year," General Granger said. The published regulation also contains provisions that make it easier for Reserve and Guard members to continue to see their family physicians by potentially increasing the amount that can be paid to out-of-network health care providers. Since eligibility for Tricare benefits is determined by the services, to ensure family members are eligible for the Tricare Reserve Family Benefit, activated Reserve and Guard members should visit their local military ID card-issuing facility and update their information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link) View the comments/letters page