ICARE Open Season Runs Nov. 9 to Dec. 8: Who Can Switch Plans, How to Enroll Online and What Happens if You Do Nothing

SEO title: TRICARE Open Season Nov. 9-Dec. 8, 2026: What to Know

SEO description: TRICARE open season runs Nov. 9-Dec. 8, 2026. See who can change plans, how to enroll through milConnect and what happens if you keep your coverage.

Source: TRICARE Official Open Season Information; milConnect; BENEFEDS

Category: Military / Health

COLUMBUS, Ga. - TRICARE open season begins Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, giving eligible beneficiaries until Dec. 8 to enroll in or change certain military health plans for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2027. According to TRICARE's official open season guidance, the annual enrollment period applies to people who have or are eligible for TRICARE Prime options or TRICARE Select, while several other categories of beneficiaries cannot make changes through this process. Those who are satisfied with their existing coverage generally do not need to take action because their enrollment continues automatically.

The enrollment period lasts 30 calendar days, beginning Nov. 9 and ending Dec. 8. TRICARE says eligible beneficiaries can remain in their current plans, enroll if they are eligible but not enrolled, switch between qualifying plans, or change between individual and family enrollment. Separate federal dental and vision enrollment dates also begin Nov. 9, with a later Dec. 14 deadline.

1. When does TRICARE open season begin and end?

According to the official TRICARE open season website, enrollment for the 2027 coverage year begins Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, and continues through Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2026. The enrollment window includes 22 calendar days in November, from Nov. 9 through Nov. 30, and eight days in December. That makes the total enrollment period 30 calendar days.

Any qualifying enrollment or plan changes completed during the open season take effect Jan. 1, 2027, according to TRICARE. The dates apply to the health plan choices covered by the annual open season process. Separate enrollment rules apply to beneficiaries who are outside the categories eligible to participate.

TRICARE explains that open season provides an opportunity to review existing coverage and make permitted changes. Beneficiaries who intend to keep their current plans do not need to submit new enrollment requests. The program says their coverage will continue automatically unless they make a change.

2. Who is eligible to change TRICARE plans?

TRICARE states that open season is available to people who currently have, or are eligible for, a TRICARE Prime option or TRICARE Select. The eligible Prime options include the US Family Health Plan, also called USFHP, and TRICARE Prime Demo. These are the plan categories identified on the program's official open season page.

Eligible beneficiaries have several options during the enrollment period. They may continue their current plan, enroll in a qualifying plan if they are eligible but not already enrolled, or switch between available qualifying plans. TRICARE also permits eligible beneficiaries to change between individual enrollment and family enrollment.

The program distinguishes between being eligible for a qualifying plan and already being enrolled in one. Someone who meets the eligibility requirements but has not enrolled can use the open season to enroll. Someone already enrolled in a qualifying plan may use the period to make permitted changes or remain in the existing coverage.

Eligibility is determined by the plan categories identified in TRICARE's official guidance. The open season does not apply to every military health coverage arrangement. Beneficiaries should use the program's published eligibility information when determining whether the enrollment window applies to their coverage.

3. Who cannot make changes during TRICARE open season?

TRICARE identifies several groups that cannot participate in the annual open season process. According to the program, active duty service members are excluded from making changes through this enrollment window. The same restriction applies to beneficiaries of TRICARE For Life.

People enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select, TRICARE Retired Reserve and TRICARE Young Adult also cannot make changes through open season. These exclusions are specifically listed on the official TRICARE website. Their coverage categories are treated differently from the Prime and Select options addressed by the annual enrollment period.

The exclusions matter because the Nov. 9-Dec. 8 dates do not create a general opportunity for every TRICARE beneficiary to switch coverage. The official guidance identifies qualifying plan categories and separately identifies those that do not participate. Beneficiaries in the excluded categories should not interpret the open season announcement as an expansion of their enrollment options.

4. How can beneficiaries enroll or switch plans?

TRICARE provides three methods for eligible beneficiaries to enroll in or change health plans during open season. According to the program, changes can be completed online, by telephone or through a mailed or faxed enrollment form. The appropriate process depends on the enrollment method selected.

The online option uses milConnect. Eligible beneficiaries can access the service at milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/. TRICARE identifies milConnect as the online destination for making qualifying enrollment changes.

Beneficiaries who prefer telephone enrollment may contact their TRICARE regional contractor or designated provider. Another option is to submit an enrollment form by mail or fax to the appropriate regional contractor. All three methods are listed in TRICARE's official open season instructions.

The program identifies the following organizations in its contractor information:

These are the contractors identified by TRICARE on its official information page. The listing does not itself specify which states are assigned to each region. Beneficiaries can consult the program's enrollment information for the appropriate contact method.

5. What happens if someone does nothing during open season?

According to TRICARE, beneficiaries who are satisfied with their current health plan do not need to take action during open season. Their existing enrollment continues automatically. The program does not require them to submit a new application simply to maintain the same qualifying coverage.

The situation is different for someone who is eligible for a plan but is not enrolled. TRICARE states that a person who remains unenrolled is eligible only for care at a military hospital or clinic, if space is available. That is not the same as being enrolled in a TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select plan.

The distinction between continuing existing coverage and remaining unenrolled is central to the program's instructions. Someone who already has a qualifying plan can keep it without making a change. Someone who is eligible but has not enrolled can use the annual window to establish qualifying coverage.

TRICARE also explains that opportunities to enroll or change plans outside open season are limited. Outside the annual enrollment period, beneficiaries can make those changes only when they experience a TRICARE Qualifying Life Event. The program uses that term for the circumstances that permit enrollment changes outside the regular window.

6. How do the dental and vision enrollment dates differ?

TRICARE's official open season page identifies a separate enrollment period for dental and vision coverage through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program, commonly called FEDVIP. Federal Benefits Open Season begins Nov. 9, 2026, and continues through Dec. 14, 2026. That deadline is later than the Dec. 8 closing date for TRICARE health plan open season.

Changes made during the FEDVIP enrollment period take effect Jan. 1, 2027, according to TRICARE. The federal dental and vision program is managed by the Office of Personnel Management. BENEFEDS provides information about eligibility and available plans.

TRICARE states that beneficiaries must have TRICARE health plan coverage to qualify for FEDVIP vision coverage. That requirement is identified separately from the general dental and vision enrollment dates. Beneficiaries can check their eligibility and compare plan options at BENEFEDS.gov.

The distinction between the two enrollment periods is important for people reviewing more than one type of coverage. TRICARE health plan open season ends Dec. 8, while FEDVIP open season runs through Dec. 14. Both programs identify Jan. 1, 2027, as the effective date for qualifying coverage changes.

7. What tools are available to compare TRICARE plans?

TRICARE directs beneficiaries to several resources for understanding enrollment options and comparing coverage. Its official open season website provides an Open Season Roadmap PDF, a Plan Finder, a Compare Plans tool and a Health Plan Costs page. These resources are listed together as part of the program's enrollment guidance.

The Plan Finder and Compare Plans tool provide ways to examine available coverage options. The Health Plan Costs page is another resource identified by TRICARE for beneficiaries reviewing their plans. The Open Season Roadmap provides additional information related to the enrollment process.

Beneficiaries can reach these resources from tricare.mil/openseason. The same website explains which plan categories qualify for annual enrollment changes and which beneficiaries are excluded. It also provides information about the methods available for submitting a qualifying enrollment request.

TRICARE's published schedule establishes Dec. 8 as the closing date for qualifying health plan changes during open season. The official resources also distinguish the health enrollment deadline from the separate Dec. 14 FEDVIP deadline.

8. What are the important deadlines for 2027 coverage?

The two enrollment schedules begin on the same day but close on different dates, according to TRICARE. Health plan open season runs from Nov. 9 through Dec. 8, 2026, while the separate FEDVIP dental and vision period continues through Dec. 14. Changes made during either qualifying enrollment period take effect Jan. 1, 2027.

The dates apply to the enrollment opportunities described in the official program guidance. Beneficiaries keeping existing qualifying TRICARE coverage do not need to make changes for that coverage to continue. Those seeking a permitted switch or new enrollment must use the applicable enrollment process.

TRICARE's official website remains the source for health plan eligibility, coverage comparisons and enrollment instructions. Online health plan changes can be made through milConnect, while FEDVIP eligibility and plan comparisons are available through BENEFEDS. Both enrollment periods begin Monday, Nov. 9, 2026, with their respective deadlines determining when qualifying changes must be completed.