The Affordable Care Act requires you to maintain basic health care coverage—called minimum essential coverage. If you don't have minimum essential coverage, you may have to pay a fee for each month you aren’t covered. See our Tricare and the Affordable Care Act page for more information.
Minimum Essential Coverage
Typically, you don’t have minimum essential coverage from Tricare if you’re only eligible for care at military hospitals and clinics (also known as “direct care”) and not covered by another Tricare plan.
Qualifying for Premium Assistance
In some cases, it may be cheaper to purchase coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. You may qualify for assistance to lower your monthly premium in the marketplace. You may do so to complement your Tricare plan or replace it, depending on what fits your budget and meets your needs.
| Yes, You May Qualify for Assistance | No, You Don't Qualify |
|---|---|
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If you are eligible to purchase one of the plans below and you choose not to purchase one, you may qualify for assistance to lower your monthly premium for plans purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace:
You should compare these plans with Health Insurance Marketplace plans to see what fits your budget and meets your needs. |
If you’re using the following plans, you don’t qualify for assistance to lower your premiums on plans purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace:
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