Two questions to find out which program covers your family — and what to do next
Answer the questions above — the result updates as you go.
CHAMPVA and TRICARE are different programs and you generally cannot be in both. TRICARE follows military service (active duty, retirement, or a line-of-duty death). CHAMPVA covers the family of a veteran who separated and is rated permanently and totally disabled, or who died from a service-connected condition. Answer the questions to see which applies.
| CHAMPVA | TRICARE | |
|---|---|---|
| Run by | VA | Department of Defense |
| Covers | Family of a P&T or service-connected-deceased veteran | Family of an active-duty member, retiree, or line-of-duty death |
| Provider network | No network — confirm each provider accepts CHAMPVA | Contracted regional networks |
| Covers the veteran too? | No — the veteran uses VA health care | Yes — the sponsor is covered |
| Children age out at | 18, or 23 if in school | 21, or 23 if in college, then TRICARE Young Adult to 26 |
| At age 65 | Must have Medicare Part A + B; CHAMPVA pays second | Becomes TRICARE For Life with Medicare A + B |
General guidance based on VA and TRICARE published eligibility rules. Individual eligibility depends on your documents and the VA's or DoD's determination. This is not legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.