Reserve Tricare enrollment requires contact center support Published June 24, 2005 By Joe Herbertson Air Reserve Personnel Center DENVER (AFPN) -- The Air Force Reserve Contact Center here is the sole point of contact for Air Force reservists to enroll in Tricare Reserve Select, officials announced June 17.This is the first time Air Reserve Personnel Center officials have provided a service to all reservists under a centralized personnel service.The Fiscal 2005 National Defense Authorization Act established Tricare Reserve Select for reservists who have served on active duty supporting a contingency since Sept. 11, 2001.The premium-based health care plan offers a bridge for reservists leaving active duty who are not covered by a civilian employer or other health insurance plans, officials said.The plan is available for reservists and their families. Coverage is similar to Tricare Standard and comparable to the Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan for federal employees.For each active-duty service period of 90 consecutive days, a reservist earns one year of Tricare coverage if committed to serve in the Selected Reserve, which includes Air Force Reserve Command or individual mobilization augmentee programs, for the same period.Reservists must commit to serve by Oct. 28 and be serving in the Selected Reserve before Tricare Reserve Select starts. The Oct. 28 deadline applies only to those who have already mobilized for the 90 consecutive days and have since demobilized.Coverage begins when the reservist agrees to serve in the Selected Reserve, the expiration of transitional Tricare benefits, or April 26, whichever is later. The decision to enroll in Tricare Reserve Select is a one-time choice, and the earliest effective date of coverage is April 26.Tricare coverage ends when the service agreement ends. It stops sooner if the reservist separates from the Selected Reserve, voluntarily withdraws from the program or fails to pay the monthly premiums. Monthly premiums are $75 for the reservist and $233 for the reservist and his or her family.Mobilized reservists released from active duty after April 26 will be advised of their eligibility as part of their demobilization process, officials said.Reservists serving on voluntary active-duty, man-day tours who do not go through outprocessing, as well as mobilized reservists, must call the contact center at (800) 525-0102 to start the enrollment process.People serving on voluntary man-day tours in an active-duty or Air National Guard organization supporting a contingency must ensure the ARPC officials have a copy of their active-duty orders so the proper coding for the contingency tour can be entered in the system. Without this order, eligibility cannot be confirmed. Reservists who withdraw from the program or who are no longer qualified may not re-enroll unless recalled to active duty and a new qualification period is earned.Active-duty health-care benefits for recalled reservists supersede Tricare Reserve Select coverage. Upon release from active duty, coverage resumes after transitional benefits expire.People can get more information online at www.tricare.osd.mil/reserve/reserveselect. (Tech. Sgt. Rob Mims contributed to this story. Courtesy of AFRC News Service)