TRICARE Cost Calculator

Budgeting for military health coverage means looking past the monthly premium to the deductibles and the worst-case spending cap that define your real exposure. This estimator pulls together premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums for 2026 so military families and retirees can weigh one plan against another and see where each option lands financially before enrolling.

The projection starts with your beneficiary category, such as an active duty family member or a retiree, and the plan you select, whether TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select. From there it layers in the 2026 premiums, the annual deductibles (under TRICARE Select, $180 for individuals and $360 for families), and the catastrophic caps that limit your annual loss ($1,200 for active duty families and $4,100 for retiree families). Your expected level of care is folded in to arrive at a total annual figure.

Treat the output as a planning baseline rather than a guarantee, since an unplanned hospitalization or a mid-year policy change can move the number. Network status is where families most often get surprised: care delivered outside the network is reimbursed differently and can inflate what you owe. Confirm that a provider participates in your plan before the appointment, not after the bill arrives.