Over 400,000 military households’ DEERS records do not have all their families’ social security numbers. If they don’t add them before January they could owe fines through the IRS due to requirements in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare.)
DEERS say they are missing 484,000 social security numbers of military dependents. Starting this year the Pentagon is required to report TRICARE coverage for service members and their dependents. That is because TRICARE qualifies under the ACA as “minimal essential coverage “
In a letter sent to troops on August 13th DoD said:” The IRS will collect fees from individuals who don’t have minimum essential coverage, TRICARE verifies and reports minimal essential coverage status based on DEERS records.”
All TRICARE enrolled active-duty service members, retirees and their families as well as those covered under purchased Reserve Select, Reserve Retiree and TRICARE Young Adult also meet the ACA’s minimum coverage
However if the Dod report does not cover all family members fines may be imposed.
Many military children are enrolled in DEERS long before they have a social security number and it is easy to forget to include it later. But now military families need to follow through.
Please note
“Some TRICARE users don’t meet the minimum coverage requirement and will face fines if they do not purchase additional coverage. Guard members and reservists who are receiving TRICARE-provided line of duty care for an injury received during service do not meet the minimum through TRICARE alone. Also, some dependent parents and parents-in-law receive TRICARE as part of the TRICARE Plus program, which allows them to use some military treatment facilities, but does not meet the minimum coverage requirements.”