TAMP timelines, the ACA Special Enrollment Period, and marketplace plan selection - explained by licensed advisors for the year you leave TRICARE behind. No fee to you.
TRICARE does not end the day you separate, but it does not last forever either. The Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) generally bridges coverage for up to 180 days - after that, your household needs a civilian plan in place.
We help transitioning service members and their families read their TAMP end date, use the Special Enrollment Period correctly, and pick an ACA marketplace plan before TRICARE runs out.
Service members inside the 6-to-9-month window before ETS, mapping their TAMP end date and Special Enrollment options before separation day arrives.
Service members inside their TAMP window, choosing an ACA marketplace plan before TRICARE-equivalent coverage runs out.
Spouses and children who lose TRICARE eligibility on the same timeline as the separating service member and need a household plan.
Veterans whose TAMP coverage has already ended and who are enrolling in an ACA plan using a Special Enrollment Period tied to loss of coverage.
"The 180 days of TAMP move faster than most transitioning service members expect. Health coverage during that window deserves the same planning as the rest of the separation checklist."
TAMP is not automatic continuation of TRICARE forever - it is a bridge, generally lasting up to 180 days after separation. It covers the transitioning service member and eligible dependents, but it has a fixed end date tied to your separation paperwork.
Losing TAMP-based coverage is a qualifying life event. It opens a Special Enrollment Period, typically 60 days, for ACA marketplace enrollment with full premium tax credit eligibility. Miss that window, and the household waits for the next annual Open Enrollment period.
Dependents transition on the same clock as the service member. A spouse and children losing TRICARE eligibility at the end of TAMP need their own Special Enrollment plan, whether that is a shared marketplace policy or separate coverage that fits each person's situation.
Confirm your separation date and the TAMP end date it sets. That end date is the deadline your civilian coverage needs to beat.
Meet with a licensed advisor to model ACA marketplace options for your household before TAMP runs out.
Loss of TRICARE-equivalent coverage triggers your Special Enrollment Period. Document the loss-of-coverage date and enroll before the window closes.
Your ACA marketplace plan is in force for the household. Advisor support continues annually through Open Enrollment.
These are illustrative examples built from common transition scenarios, not verified customer testimonials or a guarantee of results. Individual timelines and plan costs vary.
"After 22 years in the Army, TAMP made sense on paper, but my wife still needed broader specialist access once it ended. Pairing that timeline with an ACA marketplace plan for her cost less than I expected and closed the gap before it opened."
"I didn't realize my TAMP window had a real end date until it was 60 days out. My advisor walked me through the Special Enrollment Period and got a marketplace plan in place for my daughter and me before TRICARE actually stopped."
"My husband's separation meant my TRICARE eligibility was ending too, on the same TAMP timeline. We built a household marketplace plan during the Special Enrollment Period that covered both of us without a gap in between."
A licensed advisor will review your separation date, TAMP timeline, and family situation - then model marketplace plan options before TRICARE ends. No fee to you.
How the 180-day TAMP window works and what to do before it runs out.
Decisions transitioning service members face in the 90 days before separation, with real timelines.
How spouses and dependents enroll in an ACA plan on the same TAMP timeline.