How does TRICARE assist with medical care for service members' families during deployment?

TRICARE provides extended eligibility for specific programs to support service members' families during deployments. This approach recognizes the unique challenges faced by families when a service member is away from home, ensuring that they continue to have access to healthcare services during this period.

These extended benefits often include access to TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select, and in some cases, additional resources or assistance programs tailored to the needs of families of deployed service members. This support is essential for maintaining continuity of care and addressing the healthcare needs of families, particularly when they often face increased responsibilities and stress during a deployment.

In contrast, being cut off from benefits would be detrimental to families in need of healthcare support, while limiting services to just emergency care would not sufficiently cover the ongoing medical needs of family members. Redirecting families to civilian insurance could create additional burdens, as they must navigate different systems and potentially face higher out-of-pocket costs, which would undermine the goal of providing comprehensive support during deployment.