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If you’re still on active duty and your spouse qualifies for Medicare benefits because of a disability, they aren’t required to enroll in Part B to keep Tricare benefits. But your spouse

will need to enroll in Medicare before your active duty ends to avoid a break in coverage. AS A MILITARY RETIREE, you can delay signing up for Medicare without penalty if you or your spouse

are still working at age 65 and you have health coverage from that employer. But after you reach 65, you won’t have Tricare, which you may have used to supplement your employer’s coverage.

If you or your spouse are still working, you’re eligible for a special enrollment period. You can sign up for Medicare at any time while you’re employed or within eight months of leaving the

job or stopping the employer’s insurance.​ HOW DOES TRICARE FOR LIFE WORK WITH MEDICARE? PRIMARY VS. SECONDARY. When you have Tricare for Life and Medicare, Medicare is the primary coverage

that gets billed first. Tricare for Life is secondary. After Medicare pays its share, the rest of the claim is sent to Tricare for Life to cover, which typically includes Medicare’s

out-of-pocket costs, like deductibles and copayments. This is why you won’t need a Medigap policy. NOT EVERYTHING IS COVERED. If you use a medical service that Medicare covers but Tricare

for Life doesn’t, like some chiropractic care, Tricare for Life won’t pay anything toward the bill. In that case, you will have to pay what Medicare doesn’t. If Tricare for Life covers

something that Medicare doesn’t, such as health care outside the U.S., Tricare for Life pays the same rate as regular Tricare. You pay any deductibles and copayments. DO I NEED A PART D

PRESCRIPTION PLAN IF I HAVE TRICARE FOR LIFE? When you’re enrolled in Tricare for Life, you have prescription drug coverage under the Tricare pharmacy program, which is considered

“creditable coverage.” That means you won’t have to pay a late enrollment penalty if you have that coverage instead of Part D. If you purchase a Part D prescription drug plan while covered

by Tricare for Life, the Part D policy pays first. The Tricare pharmacy program pays second for Tricare-covered medicine. KEEP IN MIND Tricare is different from the U.S. Department of

Veterans Affairs (VA) health care benefits, which have different rules for coordinating with Medicare. For more information about the health benefits available for veterans, active-duty

service members and military families, see AARP’s Veterans Health Benefits Navigator. Want more details? See the federal Defense Health Agency’s Tricare for Life page, which includes a link

to the Tricare for Life handbook, for more information about eligibility, enrollment and coverage. Return to Medicare Q&A main page