Q. I'm writing on behalf of a friend who is the surviving spouse of a deceased military retiree, also a friend. He was an Army command sergeant major who retired from the Army National Guard and began drawing retirement pay at age 60, in 2006. For reasons unknown to me, he chose to remain on his spouse's employer-provided health insurance and did not elect Tricare coverage upon retirement. He died in an accidental fall in May 2013. The surviving spouse recently told me she remains covered by her employer-provided plan. Is she still eligible to use Tricare under her late husband's sponsorship as a surviving spouse of a retiree? And could she keep her employer coverage if she wants to?

A. The fact that your friend never used his Tricare coverage in retirement does not negate the fact that he was a military retiree. As such his surviving spouse technically remains eligible for Tricare herself under her deceased husband's sponsorship, on one significant condition: that she has not remarried.

To use Tricare, she first must register in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, the Defense Department's eligibility portal for Tricare. She would need to provide full documentation of her late husband's service and retired status. To pursue this further, the place to start is the main DEERS support office in California. The toll-free number is 800-538-9552.

If your friend's wife is indeed deemed eligible for Tricare, she would not face an either-or situation regarding her current employer-provided coverage; she could have both that coverage and Tricare, although in such scenarios, the employer coverage would be first payer and Tricare would act as second payer.

Q. I am in the Army Reserve and I am covered under Tricare. I've been in six years and I am about to go on inactive reserve status for the final two years of my eight-year contract. I'm also pregnant; my baby will be born in a few months. Will my Tricare be cut off when I go on inactive reserve?

A. If your status in the final two years of your contract technically will be as a member of the Individual Ready Reserve, you will not be able to retain your current Tricare coverage. Presumably, that coverage is premium-based Tricare Reserve Select, and IRR members are ineligible for TRS.

However, once you go inactive, you should be eligible for another health care option, the premium-based Continued Health Care Benefit Plan, which offers up to 18 months of post-service coverage after regular Tricare eligibility ends, a sort of "bridge" between Tricare and civilian employer-sponsored health care coverage. More information on CHCBP is here: www.tricare.mil/Plans/SpecialPrograms/CHCBP.aspx

You should also contact the managed-care contractor for the Tricare region in which you live to further discuss your options. Customer service contacts for all regions are here: www.tricare.mil/ContactUs/CallUs.aspx.

Email tricarehelp@militarytimes.com. Include the word "Tricare" in the subject line and do not attach files. Get Tricare advice any time at http://blogs.militarytimes.com/tricarehelp/.

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