Moving With TRICARE

Your TRICARE coverage is completely portable -- meaning it moves with you. You’re covered worldwide -- both in transit to your new duty location and once you arrive -- but depending on where you go you may use a different TRICARE health plan option. Additionally, you may have different steps depending on which health plan option you are using now. For more information, visit www.tricareonline.com.

When Enrolled in a TRICARE Prime Option
The TRICARE Prime options include TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Prime Remote in the United States, and TRICARE Prime Overseas and TRICARE Global Remote Overseas in regions outside of the United States. Follow these simple steps to ensure you have no break in coverage when you move. Do not disenroll from your TRICARE Prime option before you move. Once you arrive at your new location, update your personal information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) immediately. Select a new primary care manager (PCM) when moving within the same region or submit a new Prime enrollment form within 30 days if you’re moving to a new region. Where you are moving will determine which Prime option you will enroll in.

If you move to a new Prime service area, transfer your enrollment by submitting a TRICARE Prime Enrollment and PCM Change Form to your regional contractor. Be sure to include all family members on the form who wish to use Prime.

When Using TRICARE Standard and Extra
TRICARE Standard and Extra are available to family members only. Active duty service members are required to enroll in one of the Prime options described above.
TRICARE Standard and Extra are available throughout the United States and enrollment is not required. Any active duty family member who is registered in DEERS may use these programs by seeing any network or non-network providers that are authorized by TRICARE. In areas outside of the United States, active duty family members who don't want to use a Prime option may use TRICARE Standard Overseas by seeing qualified host nation provider.

If you’re already using TRICARE Standard and Extra, moving is easy. Once you arrive at your new location, update your personal information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) immediately. Then, find TRICARE-authorized providers in your new area. Here are a few things to remember about using TRICARE Standard and Extra in a new region:
In the U.S.: Visit your new regional contractor's Web site for a list of providers. Remember, if you see network providers, you'll be using the Extra option and pay lower copayments.
Outside of the U.S.: Contact your TRICARE Service Center for help locating a qualified host nation provider. The TRICARE Extra option is not available in overseas areas.

If you move to a new region, you’ll have a new claims address for submitting your TRICARE claims. Learn your new region’s prior authorization requirements because these requirements can differ by region.

Getting Care Along the Way
Routine Medical and Dental Care -- Get it before you go.
Before you move, make sure you've received any routine medical or dental care you think you might need during the time you'll be traveling. Or, delay the care until you get to your new duty location.

Emergency Care in the United States -- Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

TRICARE defines emergency care as medical services provided for a sudden or unexpected medical or psychiatric condition, or the sudden worsening of a chronic (ongoing) condition that is threatening to life, limb, or sight and needs immediate medical treatment, or which has painful symptoms that need immediate relief to stop suffering.

If you’re traveling near a military treatment facility (MTF), you should go to the MTF or military dental treatment facility for emergency services. If you are hospitalized in a civilian facility for more than 24 hours, contact your regional contractor.

Urgent care in the United States -- Coordinate with your PCM and/or regional contractor

TRICARE defines urgent care as medical care for a condition that will not result in disability or death if not treated immediately but should be treated within 24 hours to avoid further complications. If you are in a Prime program, you must coordinate urgent care with your primary care manager and/or regional contractor before receiving care. If you are in TRICARE Standard and Extra or TRICARE For Life, you can receive care as you normally would. You should, however, contact your contractor as soon as possible to coordinate any prior authorizations that are needed.

Emergency or Urgent care Overseas -- Contact closest TRICARE Area Office or TRICARE Global Remote Call Center. You don't need prior authorization for emergency or urgent care but the TRICARE Area Office or TRICARE Global Remote Call Center will help you find the best care available in the overseas area in which you are traveling.

Filling Prescriptions on the Road
You should have all your prescriptions filled before you leave, but if you need a prescription filled while you're traveling in the United States, you have several options:
-- If near an MTF, fill the prescription at the MTF pharmacy.
-- Find the closest TRICARE network pharmacy.
-- If a network pharmacy is not available, you can visit a non-network pharmacy. In this case, you may have to pay up front for your medications and file a claim with Express Scripts, Inc., for reimbursement. For more details, visit the TRICARE web site
The mail-order option is not recommended for a prescription you need right away, but if you’ll be traveling for a long time, you can arrange for any regular prescriptions to be filled via the mail-order pharmacy.

Your pharmacy coverage is limited overseas:
-- TRICARE network pharmacies are only located in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands. You can have prescriptions filled at host-nation pharmacies, if necessary.  Host-nation pharmacies are treated the same as non-network pharmacies. If you have prescriptions filled at a host-nation pharmacy, you should expect to pay for the total amount up front and file a claim with Wisconsin Physicians Service for partial reimbursement. To learn more about pharmacy claims, visit the TRICARE web site at www.tricareonline.com.

-- To use the mail-order pharmacy overseas, the prescription must be from a U.S. licensed provider and you must have an APO or FPO address.

Ehrling Berqquist Clinic
The Ehrling Bergquist Clinic provides complete medical services for eligible beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Prime. All other beneficiaries are seen on a space-available basis.

Upon arrival at Offutt AFB, you should transfer enrollment for your family members to our region and select a Primary Care Manager (PCM) in this area. To transfer enrollment, you must contact the local TRICARE Service Center at 1-888-874-9378 or stop in at the office located at in Ehrling Bergquist Clinic.

Upon arrival at Offutt AFB, our TRICARE contractor will coordinate the enrollment transfer with the contractor in the old location. Enrollment in our region is effective when our contractor receives a completed enrollment application and the enrollee has successfully disenrolled from the region in which they resided. If you disenroll your family before your departure to Offutt, there would be a gap in Prime coverage.