Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), Tricare will provide a divorced civilian spouse with 36 months of health insurance. They call it the Continued Health Care Benefit Program. At $933 per quarter for individuals, and $1996 for families, the program is far from free, and certainly not the bargain Tricare is.  However, if the civilian spouse has a preexisting medical condition, it could be worthwhile.

You have to move fast to enroll - apply with a DD Form 2837 Continued Health Care Benefit Program Application within 60 days of the divorce, and mail it in with proof of your eligibility and a check for the first quarter of coverage.

More Information

CHCBP Details, on the Humana Military Healthcare Services, which administers the program.

An Employee's Guide to Health Benefits Under COBRA, published by the U.S. Department of Labor.

COBRA Continuation of Coverage, on the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services web site.