In the case of a dependent of a member of the uniformed services who is entitled to medical and dental care under section 1076(a)(2)(A) of this title and resides in a catchment area in which TRICARE Prime is offered, the Secretary—

In the case of a dependent of a member of the uniformed services who is entitled to medical and dental care under section 1076(a)(2)(A) of this title and resides in a catchment area in which TRICARE Prime is offered, the Secretary—

(A) shall automatically enroll the dependent in TRICARE Prime if the member is in pay grade E–4 or below; and

(B) may automatically enroll the dependent in TRICARE Prime if the member is in pay grade E–5 or higher.

(2) Whenever a dependent of a member is enrolled in TRICARE Prime under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall provide written notice of the enrollment to the member.

(3) The enrollment of a dependent of the member may be terminated by the member or the dependent at any time.

An enrollment of a covered beneficiary in TRICARE Prime shall be automatically renewed upon the expiration of the enrollment unless the renewal is declined.

A member or former member of the uniformed services eligible for medical care and dental care under section 1074(b) of this title may elect to have any fee payable by the member or former member for an enrollment in TRICARE Prime withheld from the member’s retired pay, retainer pay, or equivalent pay, as the case may be, or to be paid from a financial institution through electronic transfers of funds. The fee shall be paid in accordance with the election. A member may elect under this section to pay the fee in full at the beginning of the enrollment period or to make payments on a monthly or quarterly basis.

The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations, including procedures, to carry out this section. Regulations prescribed to carry out the automatic enrollment requirements under this section may include such exceptions to the automatic enrollment procedures as the Secretary determines appropriate for the effective operation of TRICARE Prime.

No copayment shall be charged a member for care provided under TRICARE Prime to a dependent of a member of the uniformed services described in subparagraph (A), (D), or (I) of section 1072(2) of this title.

In this section:

(1) The term “TRICARE Prime” means the managed care option of the TRICARE program.

(2) The term “catchment area”, with respect to a facility of a uniformed service, means the service area of the facility, as designated under regulations prescribed by the administering Secretaries.

(Added Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title VII, § 712(a)(1), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2058; amended Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title VII, § 752(a)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–195; Pub. L. 107–107, div. A, title X, § 1048(a)(11), Dec. 28, 2001, 115 Stat. 1223; Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title VII, § 711, Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1801; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title VII, § 723, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2229.)