Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Finley, a nurse practitioner with Naval Branch Health Clinic Mayport’s Medical Home Port Pink Team, checks Abbigail Engle’s heart during a routine exam. (U.S. Navy/Jacob Sippel)

Tricare open enrollment, also known as Tricare open season, begins Nov. 11 and runs through Dec. 9, 2019.

What Is Tricare Open Enrollment?

Open enrollment (or open season) is the time each year when you can make changes to your Tricare coverage for the following year.

Open season runs every year from the Monday of the second full week in November to the Monday of the second full week in December.

While most civilians are familiar with insurance open seasons, this will be only the second year that Tricare has offered one to consumers.

The Tricare open season was created by Congress to bring Tricare enrollment more in line with traditional healthcare plans, which restrict when and how users can freely change plans to a certain time of year.

Outside of the annual open enrollment period, active duty and retiree users can only change if they experience a "qualifying life event" (QLE). Those include a move, the birth of a baby or Tricare directed change in primary care provider.

Pregnancy is not a QLE. That means women who think they might want to have a baby next year and want to switch to a Tricare program with better prenatal coverage should consider switching coverage during this year's open season.

What Can You Do During Tricare Open Enrollment?

During open season, you can enroll in a new Tricare plan or change your coverage. Any changes you make to your Tricare coverage during open season will be effective for 2020.

Open season does not apply to Tricare Reserve Select, Tricare Retired Reserve, Tricare Young Adult, or Tricare For Life.

The new Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP) will also be holding an open season during the same dates.

By Amy Bushatz