After a PCS, one of the most critical administrative tasks is ensuring your family's healthcare coverage continues without interruption. Transferring your TRICARE plan is not automatic; you must take action. Here is a step-by-step guide.

Step 1: Update DEERS (This is Non-Negotiable!) Before you can do anything with TRICARE, you must update your new address in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Your TRICARE eligibility is based on your DEERS information.

• How: The service member can update DEERS in person at the local ID card office (RAPIDS site) on the new installation. You can find your nearest office here.
• Why it's first: If you try to change your TRICARE plan before your new address is reflected in DEERS, the system will not recognize you as being in the new location, and your transfer will be rejected.

Step 2: Understand Your New TRICARE Region The continental U.S. is divided into two TRICARE regions: East and West. Your regional contractor will change if you move from one to the other (e.g., from Virginia to California).

• TRICARE East Region: Managed by Humana Military.
• TRICARE West Region: Managed by Health Net Federal Services. Knowing your new region is key to knowing who to call for help.

Step 3: Change Your Primary Care Manager (PCM) If you are enrolled in TRICARE Prime, you must enroll in the new region and select a new PCM for each family member. You have a few ways to do this:

• Online (Easiest Method): Go to the main TRICARE website and log in to the "Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE)" portal. This will walk you through the process of disenrolling from your old region and enrolling in the new one.
• By Phone: You can call your new regional TRICARE contractor directly. They can handle the transfer over the phone.
• By Mail/Fax: You can download a TRICARE Prime Enrollment form, fill it out, and mail or fax it to your new regional contractor.

Step 4: Confirm the Transfer Do not assume the transfer went through correctly.

• Wait a few days for the system to process the change.
• Log back into the TRICARE website or call your new regional contractor to confirm that your enrollment has been successfully transferred and that your new PCM is assigned correctly for each family member.

Pro-Tip: Don't wait until you or a family member is sick to figure this out. Make transferring TRICARE one of your top priorities during your first week at the new duty station.