Should You Switch Tricare Plans? Open Season Enrollment Guide

You may have heard about open season, or open enrollment, for your Tricare or Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) coverage. But what exactly is it?

Open season, also known as open enrollment, is the time each year when you can make changes to your Tricare health plan and your FEDVIP dental and vision coverage for the upcoming year. Federal employees can also make changes to their health insurance during this time period.

For 2027 coverage, Tricare Open Season runs Nov. 9 to Dec. 8, 2026, and the Federal Benefits Open Season for FEDVIP starts the same day, Nov. 9, 2026. Any changes you make take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Key Dates for 2026 Open Season

Tricare and FEDVIP are separate programs with separate deadlines, so don’t assume one date covers both. If you plan to change both your health plan and your dental or vision plan, it’s smart to finish everything by early December.

What Can You Do During Open Season?

Open season is the only time of year when you can make changes to your Tricare health insurance plan without a qualifying life event, such as getting married, having a baby, moving or retiring. During open season, you can:

• Stay in your current plan (no action needed)
• Enroll in a Tricare Prime option or Tricare Select
• Switch between Tricare Prime and Tricare Select
• Change your enrollment type, such as from individual to family coverage

Any changes you make during the 2026 open season will be effective Jan. 1, 2027.

Who Tricare Open Season Applies To

Tricare Open Season applies to beneficiaries who are enrolled in or eligible for:

• Tricare Prime options, including the US Family Health Plan and Tricare Prime Demo
• Tricare Select

Who It Doesn’t Apply To

Tricare open enrollment doesn’t apply to:

• Active duty service members, who must be enrolled in a Tricare Prime option
• Tricare For Life beneficiaries
• Tricare Reserve Select
• Tricare Retired Reserve
• Tricare Young Adult

If you’re in one of the premium-based plans (Tricare Reserve Select, Tricare Retired Reserve or Tricare Young Adult), you can buy or drop coverage at any time of year.

FEDVIP Dental and Vision Coverage

Some military families can buy dental and vision insurance through FEDVIP, which is run by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). FEDVIP eligibility for Tricare beneficiaries breaks down like this:

During open season, if you’re eligible for FEDVIP, you can:

• Enroll in a new vision or dental plan
• Cancel your FEDVIP coverage
• Switch to a new insurance company
• Switch to a different level of coverage (standard or high)
• Switch to a different family plan (self, self plus one or self and family)

As with Tricare, outside of open season, the only other time you can change your FEDVIP coverage is if you have a qualifying life event.

For the 2026 plan year, FEDVIP offers 11 dental carriers and five vision carriers, after the HealthPartners dental plan left the program. 2027 plan options and premiums will be posted on BENEFEDS before open season starts, so you can compare costs and coverage levels for your location.

What’s Changing for 2027

Before you decide whether to stay put or switch plans, it’s worth checking what’s new for next year. Here’s what we know so far:

• Enrollment fees and cost-shares will change. Tricare adjusts enrollment fees, premiums, deductibles, catastrophic caps and copayments each year based on retiree cost-of-living adjustments. The 2027 amounts will be posted on the Tricare changes page before open season begins.
• Group A and Group B costs still differ. Your costs depend on whether your sponsor entered service before Jan. 1, 2018 (Group A) or on or after that date (Group B).
• Pharmacy copays aren’t changing. For 2027, Tricare pharmacy copays stay the same as in 2026.
• Some benefits are expanding. Tricare is adding or expanding coverage for peripheral nerve stimulation for chronic pain, vertebral body tethering for adolescent scoliosis and certain liver transplants.

Tricare Pharmacy Copays for 2027

Active duty service members don’t pay pharmacy copays. And since Feb. 28, 2026, active duty family members in Tricare Prime Remote also pay $0 for covered drugs at network pharmacies and through home delivery.

How to Make Changes to Your Health Plan

You can enroll in or change your Tricare plan during open season:

• Online through milConnect
• By phone with your Tricare regional contractor or US Family Health Plan designated provider
• By mail or fax by sending an enrollment form to your regional contractor

Tricare is moving its secure sites from DS Logon to myAuth, so check your login before open season starts. If you run into problems, you can call the Defense Manpower Data Center at 800-477-8227.

For FEDVIP, you’ll enroll, compare plans and make changes on BENEFEDS.

Begin Researching Options Now

If you don’t want to make any changes to your Tricare or FEDVIP coverage, you don’t need to do anything. If you do nothing, your current coverage will stay in effect in the upcoming year.

However, it’s still a good idea to check out all the available options, especially if:

• Your family situation has changed over the past year
• You expect to need more (or less) care next year
• You’ve moved or plan to move to a new area
• Your plan’s costs or provider network are changing.

FAQ

Q: When Is Tricare Open Season 2026?

Tricare Open Season runs from Nov. 9 to Dec. 8, 2026. Any changes you make will take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

Q: Do I Have to Do Anything During Open Season?

No. If you’re happy with your current Tricare and FEDVIP coverage, it’ll automatically continue into 2027. You only need to act if you want to enroll, switch plans or change your coverage type.

Q: Can Active Duty Service Members Change Plans During Open Season?

No. Active duty service members must be enrolled in a Tricare Prime option, so open season doesn’t apply to them. Their family members can use open season to switch between Tricare Prime and Tricare Select.

Q: What Happens If I Miss the Open Season Deadline?

You’ll have to wait until next year’s open season to make changes, unless you have a qualifying life event. Qualifying life events give you 90 days to change your Tricare plan.