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Signing up baby for Tricare while Daddy is Deployed...
So my boyfriend is in the Army. He deploys about 3 months before the baby is due. Is there anyway I can get our baby signed up for Tricare while he's in theater?
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Re: Signing up baby for Tricare while Daddy is Deployed...
From what I gathered from a quick Google search, your boyfriend should go talk to someone at the DEERS office and JAG. Paternity will need to be established in order for your child to be eligible.
When I had our son while my DH was deployed, my DH had to get a specific POA that would allow me to add our LO to DEERS and then TRICARE. He did this before deploying, so it was easier on all of us.
This is your boyfriend's responsibility. After the baby's birth he needs to acknowledge paternity, get proof of it, then add the child to DEERS and Tricare. A POA for DEERS will not solve the problem of establishing paternity.
If he doesn't do this in a timely manner then you can sue for paternity and support. Most states have a social services agency to assist in that process. The process of suing for paternity and support would be complicated by his deployment but it's your only alternative if he doesn't do what he's supposed to do.
In the meantime, plan on having a gap in health insurance so you're prepared for the worst case scenario. Find out if you and/or the baby will qualify for medicare during that period.
Yes, he does not have to present to put his name on the birth certificate.
Just to clarify. When I mentioned the necessity of establishing paternity, I wasn't suggesting your boyfriend has any question about whether he's the father. It's a legal process. Many states don't establish legal paternity for unwed couples by just allowing the mother to list someone on the birth certificate. Either the father has to sign something acknowledging paternity, or a court decides. Since your boyfriend isn't going to be present at the birth, he'll probably have to sign and notarize a document where he's deployed and send it back to the states for you to file and establish legal paternity.
You need to find out what your particular state requires. For example, in NY, this is how they do it: https://www.childsupport.ny.gov/aop_howto.html. Just google "acknowledging paternity" and your state's name and something should pop up.
Tricare isn't going to let you add someone as a single Soldier's dependent without establishing legal paternity. A POA allowing you to add a dependent to Tricare doesn't establish paternity. Make sense?
Here's another form from an Army ID Card office telling you what a single male Soldier needs to add a child as a dependent in DEERS. https://www.drum.army.mil/hr/Documents/Documents Required for an ID Card.pdf