COVID-19 Vaccines for TRICARE Beneficiaries
Friday, January 29, 2021
As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines continues across the nation, you may get questions from TRICARE patients as to availability and coverage. The Department of Defense (DoD) has launched a program to provide COVID-19 vaccines to service members, retirees and their families at military hospitals and clinics. You can direct TRICARE patients to www.tricare.mil/COVIDVaccine for details. Outside of military hospitals and clinics, TRICARE beneficiaries may receive approved COVID-19 vaccines through the civilian provider and pharmacy network, as they become available.
Are you interested in becoming a COVID-19 vaccine provider? Find details, including the required Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Agreement. Providers enrolled in the program must monitor and comply with CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program requirements.
TRICARE covers age-appropriate vaccines in accordance with CDC guidelines. Find up-to-date information at www.cdc.gov/vaccines. Per the DoD, vaccines for COVID-19 must be:
- Demonstrated to be safe and effective in large phase three clinical trials.
- Authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Manufactured and distributed safely and securely.
Currently, TRICARE covers the following vaccines:
- Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, effective Dec. 13, 2020, for ages 16 and up
- Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, effective Dec. 20, 2020, for ages 18 and up
Prior authorization is not required. Visit our Benefits A–Z section for benefit details and updates.
TRICARE covers vaccines at no cost to the beneficiary when administered at/by:
- military hospitals or clinics
- network pharmacies
- TRICARE-authorized providers (office visit copayment may apply if other services are rendered)
Please note, we are temporarily deferring claims for vaccine administration as we await updated pricing information from the government.
Find TRICARE updates on our COVID-19 Resources page.
