Fair Care for Every Military Family
Written by Theresa Carpenter, Megan Rowley, Jake Hinton, and Joe Sontgerath
When Christian Campbell-Carrigg returned to college after taking a gap year to support his family, his parents faced an impossible burden. At 24, Christian could no longer stay on the traditional TRICARE plan. Now, as he juggles his studies at the University of the District of Columbia - chosen specifically because it's the most affordable option in the DC area - he must use part of his father's GI Bill benefits to pay for TRICARE Young Adult coverage. With TRICARE Open Season bringing yet another premium increase, that financial strain has only intensified. He's taken out loans, spent money from congressional internships, and relies on his family's support just to afford basic healthcare while earning his degree.
This wasn't a personal failing or poor planning. It was the price of patriotism.
The Campbell-Carrigg family has already sacrificed enormously. As an Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) family, they face higher healthcare costs than most - transportation to appointments, parking fees, medication co-pays. When Christian's sister suffered a stroke during his freshman year, Christian took time off to support his family through the crisis. That gap year, that act of family devotion, now means he'll be even older than typical graduates when he finishes college - and facing healthcare costs that civilian families never encounter.
Our nation makes a sacred promise to the men and women in uniform: serve your country, and we will care for your family. We're breaking that promise every month, to the tune of hundreds of dollars, for thousands of military families.
The Inequity Is Staggering
Under the Affordable Care Act, civilian families can keep their young adults on their health plan until age 26 - typically at no additional cost. It's a protection nearly every American takes for granted, bridging the vulnerable gap between childhood and financial independence.
Military families get no such protection. TRICARE automatically ages out dependents at 21—or 23 if they're full-time students. Want coverage until 26? You must purchase TRICARE Young Adult, with premiums reaching $727 monthly in 2025. That's over $8,700 annually - a hidden tax on military service that civilian neighbors never see.
Military children already shoulder extraordinary burdens. They change schools an average of six to nine times before graduation. They navigate adolescence with absent parents deployed to war zones. They learn resilience not by choice, but by necessity, as the price of their parents' service to this nation.
When they turn 21, we add financial crisis to that list.
Impossible Choices.
This policy doesn't just cost money - it derails lives. Young military dependents face brutal choices their civilian peers never consider: Go uninsured during a critical transition period. Take the first job offering coverage, regardless of whether it fits their career path or education. Or watch their parents, who've already sacrificed so much, struggle under thousands in unexpected healthcare costs.
Austin Carrigg, Chief Executive Officer of Exceptional Military Families, explains what this means for her son Christian: "It would be financial security for him now and his future, and it would mean that I don't have to worry about him not being able to afford it or us having to come up with the money... My fear is him getting burdened by debt at such a young age that he's not going to be able to get out of. And it's going to affect the rest of his future."
The irony is bitter: many young military dependents who cannot afford TRICARE Young Adult end up qualifying for Medicaid instead. We're not saving money - we're just shifting costs from the Department of Defense to other federal programs while adding bureaucratic barriers and coverage gaps that harm the very families who've already given so much.
Consider the recent college graduate pursuing an unpaid internship in their field. The military kid can't afford it - they need immediate employer coverage. Their civilian friend? No problem. They're covered until 26.
Or the young adult taking a gap year to volunteer, travel, or figure out their path. The military kid either stays home or risks going uninsured. Their civilian classmate? Fully covered.
This isn't a minor oversight. It's a systemic injustice that penalizes the very families who've already paid the highest price.
A National Consensus for Change
The solution is clear, bipartisan, and enjoys overwhelming support from those who know military families best. The Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act would eliminate the TRICARE Young Adult premium, extending automatic coverage to age 26 - exactly like civilian insurance.
More than two dozen major military and veterans organizations have endorsed this legislation, including the Veterans of Foreign Wars, National Military Family Association, Military Officers Association of America, American Legion, AMVETS, Blue Star Families, Gold Star Spouses of America, Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans Association, Air Force Sergeants Association, and With Honor Action.
These organizations represent millions of military families who understand the inequity firsthand. They know that extending TRICARE coverage isn't a handout—it's basic fairness. It's honoring the deal we made when we asked these families to serve.
The Urgency Is Now
This legislation has been introduced with bipartisan support in both chambers, led by Representatives Pat Ryan and Jen Kiggans, and Senators Mark Kelly and Lisa Murkowski. It has dozens of cosponsors from both parties. The policy is sound. The need is urgent. The only thing missing is action.
Every month we delay, thousands of military families pay premiums their neighbors don't. Every year we wait, young adults who grew up in service to this country face disadvantages their peers never will.
Military families have already paid more than their share. They've endured the moves, the deployments, the uncertainty, and the sacrifice. They shouldn't also endure a healthcare penalty for their service.
Take Action
Contact your representatives in Congress today. Tell them to cosponsor and pass the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act. Tell them that military kids—who've already given up so much - deserve the same healthcare standard as every other American young adult.
We ask everything of our military families. The least we can do is stop charging them extra for basic healthcare their civilian neighbors receive for free.
Our nation's promise must be kept. Fair care for every military family - no exceptions, no premiums, no excuses.
