What TFL actually costs — the matrix that explains every bill

The fixed costs

Higher incomes pay more for Part B under IRMAA — military pensions, TSP withdrawals, and a working spouse can stack into the brackets, which surprises plenty of retirees. And remember the cap: once your family's out-of-pocket for TRICARE-covered services hits $3,000 in a calendar year, TRICARE pays your share of covered costs for the rest of it.

The payment matrix — who covers what decides what you pay

Row one is daily life — and why TFL households see so many $0 explanations of benefits. Rows two and three are the planning rows. TRICARE's 2026 TRICARE for Life cost matrix publishes the official version with current deductible and cost-share figures for the TRICARE-only row.

The overseas case, specifically

Original Medicare generally stops at the border; TFL doesn't. Overseas, TRICARE pays first under the TRICARE Overseas Program, and you owe TRICARE's annual deductible plus cost-shares (typically around 25% for outpatient care from host-nation providers). For retirees abroad part-time or full-time, that's coverage almost nothing in the civilian Medicare world replicates — Medigap travel benefits cap at $50,000 lifetime; TFL just keeps working.

Two costs people forget to count

• Pharmacy copays. Not free, but flat and gap-free — 2026 rates here — and they count toward the catastrophic cap.
• Opt-out providers. A provider who has opted out of Medicare entirely breaks row one of the matrix: Medicare pays nothing, TFL pays only as if Medicare had paid, and the balance is yours. Rare, but worth a "do you accept Medicare?" before a first appointment.