Prevent delay, update TRICARE today

The TRICARE Overseas Program assists military members and their families when they get tasked to an assignment outside the United States. Photo by Staff Sgt. Nicholas Rau.

Out of the nearly 3,000 service members who arrived at Ramstein Air Base, in 2020, more than 450 members and their families have not enrolled in the TRICARE Overseas Program. Checking off this simple administrative task can save time and money in the long run.

While members must perform a mini-registration for COVID-19 testing, this does not automatically enroll members with the facility. To prevent delays and unnecessary costs for medical treatment, all service members and their families must intentionally enroll in the TRICARE Overseas Program within 90 days of arrival at Ramstein.

If members don’t enroll within 90 days of arrival, the command sponsored active-duty family member’s TRICARE Health Plan coverage will default to TRICARE Select Overseas (TOP Select), which involves cost shares and payment of annual outpatient deductibles.

TOP Select is an option for eligible non-active duty service members living overseas. TOP Select works like the stateside TRICARE Select program with similar benefits, requirements and costs. TOP Select beneficiaries will have access to care on a “space available” basis in Ramstein’s Medical Clinic.

For those wanting to enroll in TOP Prime, there are two ways: in-person and virtually. To reduce foot traffic within the facility, virtual is the preferred option.

In-person: Beneficiaries can go to the clinic and enroll in person. Take a copy of your Command Sponsorship orders and a completed enrollment form.

Virtually: Send an encrypted email with a copy of your Command Sponsorship orders and the enrollment forms to the following inbox: usaf.ramstein.86-mdg.list.mdss-tricare-enrollments-all@mail.mil.

For more information about enrollment you can contact the Ramstein TRICARE Office at 06371-46-2557 or DSN 479-2557.