This article provides information relating to Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) enrollment for newborn children.
Newborn enrollment to the DEERS should occur as soon as possible, normally within 30-days. A child's enrollment in DEERS allows for timely medical care access to Military Treatment Facility (MTF) and TRICARE. In some instances, authorized TRICARE providers can enroll a newborn child within DEERS, known as a placeholder record, until confirmed by the military member/sponsor.
Documentation
The following documents are acceptable for DEERS enrollment at the nearest uniformed Services identification (ID) card issuing facility:
- Certified original or copy of the child's birth certificate
- Certificate of Live Birth, authenticated by an attending physician or responsible person from a U.S. hospital or Military Treatment Facility (This is often referred to as the "Hospital Birth Certificate").
- Consular Report of Birth Abroad, Foreign Services Form (FS-240)
Unmarried Children Born out of Wedlock, under the age of 21
A male military member/sponsor presents:
- A court order that establishes paternity and the child's birth certificate
- An approved dependency determination
- A voluntary acknowledgement of paternity per USD P&R Memorandum, 28 Jan 08, Determinations of Dependency for Health Care Benefits for Out-of-Wedlock Children. to the ID Card Manual (COMDTINST M5512.1A) paragraphs 4.9.3 and 4.9.4, and Attachment 5, Rule 18e (1) and (2). NOTE: A determination of paternity is required at the time of the military member's/sponsor's death if no previous court order or voluntary acknowledgement of paternity was present in establishing the parent/child relationship.
- A male military member/sponsor must process and receive an approved dependency and residency determination (reflecting over 50 percent support) to include presenting a child's birth certificate. NOTE: A birth certificate alone does not satisfy documentation requirements for a child born out of wedlock of a male member/sponsor. Refer to the ID Card Manual (COMDTINST M5512.1A) paragraphs 19.24 for Army sponsors, 20.17 for Navy sponsors, 21.21 for Air Force sponsors, 22.12 for Marine Corps sponsors, 23.5 for Coast Guard sponsors, 25.1.6 for National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sponsors, and 25.1.7 for Public Health Service sponsors.
- Each state maintains a procedure to allow a father to voluntarily acknowledge paternity of a child born out of wedlock. These state forms will be used to determine eligibility for a child DEERS enrollment. For more information on the voluntarily acknowledgement of paternity state forms. The military member/sponsor will present the notarized form to the nearest ID card issuance site to have the child added to DEERS. NOTE: The child may be enrolled at any time before their 21st birthday.
- The state form and a birth certificate will be required to add the child to DEERS. Note: The forms will be scanned into DEERS as part of the enrollment process.
- Once the child has been added to DEERS, the military member/sponsor will be provided 60 days to remove the child from DEERS. Note: After 60 days, the child will remain in DEERS as the military member's/sponsor's child until he/she is 21 or 23 if enrolled in a full time course of study at an institution of higher learning approved by the administering Secretary, and is dependent on the member or former member for over one-half of the child's support.
A female military member/sponsor present:
- Her child's birth certificate.
A military member/sponsor who is the child's natural parent:
- Presents a marriage certificate (between the military member/sponsor and the natural mother or father) and the child's birth certificate.