What is Continued Health Care Benefits Program Individual Coverage?

The Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP) offers a temporary health care option for individuals who are losing their TRICARE eligibility. This program allows you to purchase continued health coverage, ensuring you have a safety net during transitions. Understanding individual coverage within the CHCBP is crucial for those who qualify, particularly sponsors, unremarried former spouses, and children losing eligibility due to age. This article will explain what CHCBP individual coverage is, who is eligible, and how to enroll and maintain this benefit.

Understanding CHCBP Individual Coverage

Individual coverage under the CHCBP is designed to provide health benefits comparable to TRICARE Select. It’s important to note that while enrolled in CHCBP, you generally cannot receive care at military hospitals and clinics, except in emergency situations. This coverage is purchased in 90-day blocks and provides a vital bridge in health care benefits when you no longer qualify for regular TRICARE, including coverage through the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP).

Individual CHCBP coverage is specifically available to:

• Sponsors: Service members who are separating from the military and losing TRICARE eligibility for themselves.
• Unremarried Former Spouses: Those who have divorced a service member but remain unmarried.
• Children: Dependents who lose TRICARE eligibility due to reaching the age limit.

It’s important to apply for CHCBP coverage promptly. You must purchase this coverage within 60 days of losing your TRICARE eligibility. The coverage will start the day immediately following the loss of your TRICARE benefits, providing a seamless transition in your health care protection. For the most up-to-date costs associated with CHCBP, you should always refer to the TRICARE Compare Costs tool.

How to Purchase Individual CHCBP Coverage

To enroll in the CHCBP for individual coverage, you will need to follow a specific application process:

1. Complete the Application Form: The first step is to fill out the Continued Health Care Benefit Program Enrollment Application (DD Form 2837). Ensure all sections are completed accurately, and you indicate that you are applying for individual coverage.

2. Mail Your Application: Send the completed application form along with required documents to the following address:

   Humana Military
   Attn: CHCBP
   P.O. Box 740072
   Louisville, KY 40201-7472

   When submitting your enrollment form, it is mandatory to include proof of your TRICARE eligibility loss and full payment for the initial 90-day coverage period. Former spouses who are unremarried must also include a copy of the final decree of divorce, dissolution, or annulment as proof of their status. Detailed information regarding CHCBP premiums is available online.

Renewing Your Individual CHCBP Coverage

CHCBP individual coverage is not continuous; it must be renewed every 90 days. Here’s what you need to know about renewals:

• Quarterly Premiums: Coverage is purchased in 90-day increments, and premiums are billed on a quarterly basis.
• Renewal Notices: Humana Military will send you a renewal notice approximately 30 days before your current coverage period expires.
• Timely Payments: It is critical to pay your renewal premiums before the expiration date stated on the renewal notice. If your payment is postmarked more than 30 days after your coverage lapses, you will lose your CHCBP benefits permanently and will not be eligible to purchase CHCBP coverage again in the future.

Individual Coverage vs. Family Coverage

The CHCBP offers both individual and family coverage options. It’s important to understand the distinction:

• Individual Coverage: As discussed, this is for sponsors, unremarried former spouses, or children losing eligibility due to age.
• Family Coverage: Family coverage is specifically for service members separating from service and their eligible family members. Initially, only separating service members can elect family coverage at the time of enrollment.

While you initially enroll in individual coverage, there are limited circumstances where a sponsor can change their plan from individual to family coverage. This is only permitted if the sponsor experiences a qualifying life event such as:

• Getting married
• Having a baby or legally adopting a child
• Becoming a legal guardian to a child

In these situations, sponsors can add family members to their CHCBP plan within 60 days of the qualifying life event. Coverage for the new family members will be retroactive to the date of the marriage, birth, adoption, or legal ward placement.

Understanding what individual coverage under the Continued Health Care Benefits Program entails is essential for those transitioning from TRICARE. By knowing the eligibility criteria, enrollment process, and renewal requirements, you can ensure continuous health care coverage during times of change.