Retroactive Expansion of TAMP Eligibility for Reserve Component Soldiers

On August 10, 2026, the Under Secretary of War Anthony Tata issued a policy revision that significantly expands eligibility for the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) for Reserve Component soldiers — and opens the door to retroactive reimbursement for health care expenses going back to April 24, 2020.

If you are a Reserve Component soldier who was previously told you did not qualify for TAMP because your activation was not coded as part of a contingency operation or under 10 U.S.C. § 101(a)(13), this policy change may directly affect you.

TAMP — the Transitional Assistance Management Program — provides 180 days of premium-free TRICARE coverage to eligible service members and their dependents following separation or release from active duty. For Reserve Component soldiers activated to support contingency operations, TAMP has historically served as a critical bridge between military health coverage and civilian insurance.

The problem is that activation coding has not always been consistent. Some Reserve Component soldiers were activated under orders that did not carry the correct contingency operation designation, even when the underlying mission was functionally identical to one that would have qualified. Those soldiers were denied TAMP — and left to pay out of pocket for civilian health care that TRICARE should have covered.

The August 10, 2026 policy revision from Under Secretary of War Anthony Tata addresses this gap directly.

Reserve Component soldiers who were found ineligible for TAMP on or after April 24, 2020, because their activation was not coded as part of a contingency operation or under 10 U.S.C. § 101(a)(13), may now seek reimbursement for civilian health care expenses they incurred — expenses that would not have been necessary had they been correctly found eligible for TAMP benefits.

This applies to health care costs incurred by the soldier and by their dependents.

Claims for reimbursement must be filed through the Defense Health Agency (DHA). The mailing address and submission instructions are provided in the policy memorandum attached to this post.

Download the Policy Memo (PDF)

Before submitting a claim, gather the following:

• Activation orders showing the dates and authority for your activation
• Documentation of the denial of TAMP eligibility (if you received written notice)
• Itemized records of civilian health care expenses incurred by you or your dependents during the period you should have been covered
• Explanation of Benefits (EOB) statements from any civilian insurer that paid primary on claims that TRICARE should have covered

The stronger your documentation, the more efficiently DHA can process the reimbursement.

This policy revision is most likely to benefit:

• Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers activated under Title 10 or Title 32 orders that were not coded as contingency operations
• Soldiers activated in support of COVID-19 response missions (April 2020 onward) whose orders did not carry a contingency operation designation
• Dependents of those soldiers who incurred civilian health care costs during the period of ineligibility

If you are unsure whether your activation qualified — or whether you were ever formally denied TAMP — start by pulling your activation orders and contacting your unit's S1 or the Defense Health Agency directly.

The April 24, 2020 cutoff date is significant. It means that soldiers who were denied TAMP benefits more than six years ago may still have a viable reimbursement claim under this policy. That is an unusually long retroactive window, and it reflects the scope of the problem the Under Secretary's office is trying to correct.

Do not assume your claim is too old. Review your records, document your expenses, and file.

If you have questions about how this policy revision intersects with your broader military disability or separation case — including whether a TAMP denial affected your ability to document a service-connected condition — contact Gately Law Firm for a free consultation.

Call: 757-481-0772

We represent Reserve Component soldiers in MEB/PEB proceedings and related military benefits matters across all branches.

The policy memorandum referenced in this post was issued by Under Secretary of War Anthony Tata on August 10, 2026. The full text is available in the PDF linked above.