{"id":55023,"date":"2021-01-15T21:35:24","date_gmt":"2021-01-15T21:35:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/01\/15\/more-than-a-million-military-retirees-spouses-now-eligible-for-covid-vaccination\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T08:45:03","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T08:45:03","slug":"more-than-a-million-military-retirees-spouses-now-eligible-for-covid-vaccination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/armytimes\/management\/pay-benefits\/2021\/01\/15\/more-than-a-million-military-retirees-spouses-now-eligible-for-covid-vaccination\/","title":{"rendered":"More than a million military retirees, spouses now eligible for COVID vaccination"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

If you\u2019re one of the more than 1 million Tricare for Life beneficiaries who are age 75 and older, you\u2019re now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Defense and Military Health System officials are making it available, but there\u2019s a caveat. Supplies of the vaccine vary by location. Defense Health Agency officials are working on options to help military hospitals and clinics to contact those who are 75 and older to let them know when the vaccination becomes available for them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, officials advise beneficiaries to check their military hospital or clinic\u2019s website, social media, and watch for information in the news media. Included in the first priority were health care personnel and seniors and staff in long-term care facilities, to include the Armed Forces Retirement Home<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some states are opening up the vaccination eligibility to those who are 65 and older, and others with underlying medical conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many service members, retirees and families are watching the COVID-19 vaccination process and wondering when their turn will come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That depends on your location and your personal situation. Officials are pumping more vaccine doses through the distribution channels for both military and civilian locations, and shots are going first to those who are more vulnerable. Fewer active duty family members are eligible at first because they are generally younger with less underlying health conditions. But many military retirees and spouses are in the group that will receive vaccinations in a higher priority group because of their age and underlying conditions, especially retirees in Tricare for Life, for Medicare-eligible beneficiaries age 65 and older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everyone should have a working knowledge of how their area is handling the vaccinations, where their military treatment facility stands in working through their vaccination phases, and what their options will be in getting the vaccine in the local civilian community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, in Fairfax County, Va., people ages 75 and older were eligible to sign up for a vaccination in civilian settings. The civilian authorities are ahead of Fort Belvoir Community Hospital in moving down the priority list. According to the hospital\u2019s Facebook page as of this writing, Fort Belvoir was in phase 1B.1 of vaccinations, which includes those in \u201ccritical national capabilities.\u201d Meanwhile, Fairfax County was set to begin expanding eligibility for the shots to those ages 65 and older on Jan. 18. That means residents can register for their shot, but it doesn\u2019t mean it will be immediately available.<\/p>\n\n\n