TRICARE changes coming soon

  • Published
  • TRICARE Communications

Falls Church, Va. -- Changes are coming to your TRICARE benefit beginning January 1, 2018. These changes will give you more benefit choices, improving your access to care and simplifying cost shares. The best way to prepare is to update your information in DEERS, sign up for TRICARE benefit updates, and visit the TRICARE Changes page.

TRICARE Is Changing. Here is what you need to know:

Region Consolidation

Currently, there are three TRICARE regions in the U.S. to include TRICARE North, South and West. The TRICARE North and South regions will combine to form TRICARE East, while TRICARE West will remain mostly unchanged. Two new contractors, Humana Military and Health Net Federal Services, will administer these regions. This change will allow better coordination between the military hospitals and clinics and the civilian health care providers in each region.

TRICARE Select

A new program, TRICARE Select will replace TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra both stateside and overseas. Stateside, TRICARE Select will be a self-managed, preferred provider network option. You will not be required to have a primary care manager (PCM) and therefore you can visit any TRICARE-authorized provider. An authorized provider is any individual, institution/organization, or supplier that is licensed by a state, accredited by national organization, or meets other standards of the medical community, and is certified to provide benefits under TRICARE. There are two types of TRICARE-authorized providers: Network and Non-Network. for services covered by TRICARE without a referral. Overseas, TRICARE Overseas Select will be a preferred provider organization-styled plan that provides access to both network and non-network TRICARE authorized providers for medically necessary. To be medically necessary means it is appropriate, reasonable, and adequate for your condition. TRICARE covered services. TRICARE Select adopts a number of improvements, including additional preventive care services previously only offered to TRICARE Prime beneficiaries.

TRICARE Prime

TRICARE Prime is a managed care program option. An assigned PCM provides most of your care. When you need specialty care, your PCM will refer you to a specialist. Active duty service members and their family members do not pay anything when referred to a network provider by their PCM. All others pay annual enrollment fees and network copayments.

Enrollment

All current TRICARE beneficiaries will be automatically enrolled into plans on January 1, 2018 as long as they are eligible. TRICARE Prime enrollees will remain in TRICARE Prime. TRICARE Standard and Extra beneficiaries will be enrolled in TRICARE Select. During 2018, you can choose to enroll in or change coverage plans. Enrollment will move to a calendar year open enrollment period beginning in the fall of 2018, during which active enrollment will be required for coverage for the following year. The open enrollment period will begin on the Monday of the second full week in November and run through the Monday of the second full week in December of each calendar year.

Are You Ready? Take Action Now:

You can begin to prepare for the upcoming changes now by:

•Signing up for a DS Logon
•Updating your personal information DEERS

This is YOUR Benefit – Take Command! Stay informed with the latest information:

In the coming months, more information will be available www.tricare.mil/changes. To stay informed, sign up for email alerts. You can also get alerts by signing up for eCorrespondence in milConnect. By staying informed, you’ll be ready for a smooth transition with TRICARE.

For further information, contact Mark Jenner, the 66th Medical Squadron's beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator, at 781-225-6198.