Choosing between TRICARE Reserve Select and civilian health insurance? Learn about eligibility, costs and benefits to make a decision for you and your family.
Article: 5 minutes
Updated: September 3, 2026 Published: April 17, 2015
By: USAA Reviewed by: Editorial contributors
Reserve and National Guard members often have multiple health insurance options available to them, including TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS), employer-sponsored coverage and private insurance plans. Choosing the right plan requires evaluating more than monthly premiums. It also means comparing deductibles, out-of-pocket costs, provider networks, eligibility requirements and how each option aligns with your family's medical needs. Understanding the strengths and limitations of TRICARE Reserve Select compared to civilian health insurance can help military families make informed decisions that balance both health care access and affordability.
As a Reserves or National Guard service member, you might have access to three health insurance plans: TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS), your employer-provided health insurance and a privately purchased plan.
Deciding which is best for you starts with understanding each option.
Let’s deep dive into TRS and explore the decision-making process that you can apply to the plans available to you.
TRS is a health care plan available to eligible members of the Reserves and National Guard and their families. While active-duty members are eligible for TRICARE, members of the Selected Reserve are only eligible for TRS if they meet certain qualifications, which are on the TRICARE Reserve Select page Opens in a New Window.
TRS covers members of the Reserves and National Guard when they're not activated and thus covered by active-duty TRICARE benefits.
Unlike active-duty TRICARE, TRS acts like a civilian health insurance plan with monthly premiums, deductible, a catastrophic cap and copays. You can see these numbers on the TRICARE Costs Compare page Opens in a New Window.
It’s important to consider what you need from your plan, how it fits in your budget and what benefits you can expect to receive as you shop for health insurance. Also, consider where you want to receive care when you need it and what you can afford when it comes to deductibles and other cost-sharing factors.
You know your medical needs and preferences better than anyone. Consider how you like to receive care. Do you prefer to have a primary care doctor who will refer you to a specialist as needed, or do you prefer to see a medical provider of your choice? The plan type you choose may provide for either option, but plan types will vary and so will premium costs.
TRICARE Reserve Select, like many private insurer plans, uses a network of providers to reduce expenses. If you visit an out-of-network provider, you'll likely pay higher costs. But you’ll have access to military hospitals or clinics on a space-available basis.
With TRS, your claim will be automatically filed for you when you see an in-network provider, but you're responsible for filing your claim if you see an out-of-network provider.
If you're already seeing a provider, you can still go to them for your medical needs, but you should first confirm that they accept TRICARE and determine whether they're within the TRICARE network of providers.
Compared to a private insurer plan, TRS may be more affordable, especially when you consider the low deductibles and catastrophic cap of the plan. For example, the average family deductible for employer-based health insurance plans in 2024 was $4,063, according to Kaiser Family Foundation research Opens in a New Window.
The TRS deductible for a family maxes out at $397 for pay grades E-5 and above. That’s a big difference.
The catastrophic cap or maximum out-of-pocket limit for marketplace plans may be much higher Opens in a New Window. Plans offered for 2026 through the federal health care exchange can’t have limits over $10,600 for individuals and $21,200 for family plans. Contrast those amounts with the TRS catastrophic annual cap of $1,324 per family. Again, a huge difference.
Most Americans receive their insurance coverage through an employer-provided plan. This arrangement splits the costs between the employer and the employee. There often are many plans to choose from with different costs and provider choice options.
If you have coverage available to you through your civilian employer, it makes sense to compare the plan benefits and projected costs to TRICARE Reserve Select, as long as you maintain eligibility for the latter.
If your civilian employer doesn't offer health insurance, or if you're self-employed, plans are available through private insurance companies and the federal health care exchange. Depending on your estimated household income, you may qualify for a premium tax credit, which can reduce your monthly premiums on health insurance plans acquired through the exchange.
It's important to consider your options in relation to your medical needs. You may be able to find a subsidized health insurance plan through the federal exchange and pay nothing to very little per month, but you may be on the hook for a substantial deductible.
TRS may be the lowest-cost comprehensive health insurance plan when compared with civilian plan types, but it hinges on your eligibility for the program.
If your reserve status changes and your eligibility is impacted, you may have transitional programs available to help as you switch from the TRICARE system to civilian health insurance.
Compared with the price of a TRICARE plan, the high cost of civilian health care expenses can come as a shock for transitioning service members. Financially preparing for those expenses while insured under TRICARE, like setting aside money for increased premiums, can help better position you for the transition.
It's important to make this analysis each time you change civilian jobs because each employer-provided health insurance plan will likely be different than the one before.
Take your time as you make this decision. Doing some research and analyzing how each health insurance plan fits you and your family can save you money in the long run.
Get more information about civilian health insurance.