(MOAA’s TRICARE Toolkit provides insight and tips for navigating your TRICARE benefits. Have a question or suggestion for an upcoming column? Email beninfo@moaa.org.)

If one of your children is about to become an undergraduate college student, they're likely eligible for TRICARE medical coverage. You might also need to provide additional documentation to the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) so your student remains eligible. Here's what you need to know:

Unmarried children of active duty and retired servicemembers automatically remain eligible for TRICARE until age 21. This does not require any additional paperwork or update to DEERS records.

The important change when the child leaves for college is deciding whether to change  TRICARE plans. A change of address is a qualifying life event, which allows you to change TRICARE plans outside of the annual open season. You have 90 days from the qualifying life event to make enrollment changes. You do not need to keep all family members on the same TRICARE plan, but retiree families might incur additional enrollment fees if adding a new plan to the mix.

Which plans are available to your child will depend on their location and the sponsor's status. Options might include TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select, TRICARE Prime Remote (if the sponsor is active duty), TRICARE Overseas, or a US Family Health Plan. The TRICARE website has a tool that will identify available choices.

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Then, consider the student's expected medical needs and the care options available at their school location. In particular, you want to know how much care is provided by the school's health center, clinic, or hospital. Next, find out how much of that care is included in general student fees and what care will require payment. Lastly, find out whether the school's health facility is a TRICARE-authorized provider, whether they are in or out of network, and whether they have providers who are eligible to be a TRICARE-­designated primary care manager (PCM). Seek a PCM who works well via messaging and will put in referrals as needed.

The answers to these questions will help inform your selection of a TRICARE plan and prepare for medical care while the student is at school.

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Beneficiaries on TRICARE Prime must have a TRICARE PCM. In some cases, they might find it possible to continue with their existing PCM, coordinating most care during visits to their home. This works best for students with low care needs.

In some situations, a student might need to find a PCM at the school. If the student needs care and can't find a TRICARE Prime network provider, they might need to get care from an out-of-network provider, which has much higher costs when on TRICARE Prime.

TRICARE Select can be a strong option for college students, even if their family uses TRICARE Prime. TRICARE Select does not require a PCM, and specialty care can be obtained without a referral. Students may also select out-of-network providers without significantly higher costs.

This can facilitate care in areas without Prime providers as well as  prevent unnecessarily large bills if care is required and there's no available in-network provider.

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Urgent care and emergency room visits are covered under either plan. Some families are comfortable avoiding any regular care while at school, which can impact their decision when choosing a plan.

Costs are the same as if the student still lived at home. These costs are based on the selected plan, the sponsor's status (currently serving or retired), and the sponsor's group. The group is based on the date the sponsor entered the military.

Whether you want to change plans or remain in the same one, be sure to update TRICARE's records with the student's physical address (unless you are trying to continue with the "at home" PCM). This is particularly important if the student is changing TRICARE regions (East or West). The region is based on the student's location.

Once the student turns 21, you'll need to take some action so they remain eligible for TRICARE. Coverage can extend to age 23 if the student is full time in an eligible program of higher education. This requires the sponsor to update DEERS by providing a letter verifying the student's enrollment. This letter can be obtained from the college, typically the registrar's office.

DEERS eligibility will continue until the date listed on the enrollment letter or until the child turns 23. It's helpful to ask the school to put the anticipated graduation date on the letter. With the graduation date, the DEERS office can extend eligibility to that date. This prevents having to get a new letter every semester.

Understanding your TRICARE options for college students can help prevent surprise bills and coverage gaps. Check your student's options before they move, keep their TRICARE records updated, and confirm whether Prime or Select makes more sense for their school's location, availability of care, and the student's expected medical needs.