If you get health care benefits from TRICARE or the VA, you need to know the following:
- As long as you still qualify, you can keep your TRICARE or VA prescription drug coverage. You should get information each year from TRICARE or your VA provider about your coverage and whether it is creditable prescription drug coverage. Read this information carefully.
- Contact your benefits administrator for information about your TRICARE or VA coverage before making any changes. It will almost always be to your advantage to keep your current coverage without any changes. For most people, unless you qualify for extra help, it isn’t cost effective to join a Medicare drug plan.
- If you qualify for extra help paying Medicare prescription drug costs, see how your costs compare with a Medicare drug plan and any extra help versus your TRICARE or VA prescription drug coverage.
- If you ever lose your TRICARE or VA coverage and need to join a Medicare drug plan, in most cases, you won’t have to pay a late enrollment penalty, as long as you join within 63 days of losing TRICARE or VA coverage.
For more information about your VA benefits, call the VA Health Benefits Service Center at 1-877-222-VETS (8387), visit your local VA medical facility, or visit www.va.gov/healtheligibility on the web.
For more information about TRICARE, call 1-888-363-5433 or visit www.tricare.osd.mil on the web.

