Continued Service Benefits and Privileges
The loss of your loved one does not mean an end to certain military benefits and privileges you now receive. You may continue to receive medical care at medical facilities of the Uniformed Services, in select former public health hospitals designated by the Department of Defense as uniformed services treatment facilities, and civilian inpatient and outpatient care, subject to limitations as determined by local medical authorities. You may use the commissary, base exchange, and morale, welfare and recreation activities, which includes theaters at bases when these facilities are available.
Although every effort is made to provide these benefits and privileges, at some installations the facilities may be adequate only for the assigned military personnel and their eligible family members. In such cases, the commander of the installation has the right to deny you the use of those facilities. In some overseas areas, the use of service benefits and privileges may not be extended to families of deceased members due to agreements entered into between the United States and the host country. If you plan to travel or live abroad, let your CAR help you determine the benefits and privileges available in the country where you plan to live. To determine if you are eligible for any of the service benefits and privileges mentioned, read the brief discussion of each below.
Identification Card. The ID card is used as a means of identification to determine eligibility for the following benefits and privileges: health benefits in Uniformed Services facilities and from civilian sources, commissary and base exchange privileges, and admission to morale, welfare, and recreation activities, which include military theaters. Each card shows the benefits and privileges authorized for the holder and allows them the use of these benefits and privileges at Uniformed Services installations where adequate services and facilities are available. This is the same type card you may now have. If this card was issued while the deceased Service member was living, it is no longer valid. You must apply for a new
card to show that you are an eligible family member of a deceased Service member rather than of an active duty Service member. Your CAR will assist you in completing a
DD Form 1172, Application for Uniformed Services Identification Card DEERS Enrollment, to obtain your new ID Card. The card is issued to all eligible surviving family members 10 years of age or over who are eligible for one or more of the Service benefits and privileges mentioned in this pamphlet. Children under 10 years of age may be identified by the card issued to the surviving spouse. If the surviving spouse is deceased or not entitled, the child under age 10 may be issued a separate card.
Medical Benefits. Subject to the installation commander’s determination of availability, eligible family members may receive inpatient and outpatient care, including pharmacy services at Uniformed Services medical treatment facilities where adequate services and facilities are available. Eligible family members of active duty members who died while on active duty, who were on active duty for at least 30 days before death, will continue to be treated as active duty family members for one year after their active duty sponsor dies. If you remarry someone outside the uniformed services, you are no longer covered. If the marriage is annulled, you may be eligible for reinstatement after the annulment.
TRICARE, is the Department of Defense managed health care program designed to improve beneficiary access to care, assure affordable and high quality care, provide choice, and contain costs to beneficiaries and the Department of Defense. TRICARE offers eligible family members a choice of three health care options, prime, extra, and standard for seeking care under the TRICARE program. Each option has different cost-sharing features and degrees of freedom for using civilian providers. TRICARE service centers are established at or near each military installation to assist family members in obtaining care and services as necessary. TRICARE does not cover dependent parents and parents-in-law; however, they are eligible for care in the military medical treatment facility on a space available basis. For more detailed information on TRICARE, contact the health benefits advisor at your nearest medical treatment facility.
