TRICARE Builds Strong Behavioral Health Support
By Tricare
Apr 9, 2008 - 2:00:45 PM
Blackanthem Military News
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) continues to improve a strong behavioral health care system by launching many initiatives to assist Service members, families, health care providers and military leaders.
Results from U.S. participation in the Global War on Terror prompted TRICARE to develop these initiatives with a wide range of additional educational tools, resources and assistance programs. Beneficiaries are using these tools to recognize signs of stress, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse and more. They're getting help locating a health care provider, learning about symptoms or supporting a loved one dealing with a diagnosis.
Most recently, the Behavioral Health Provider Locator and Appointment Assistance Service began in all U.S. TRICARE regions for active duty service members and their enrolled family members who need help locating and making appointments with behavioral health care providers. Beneficiaries call one regional phone number where a representative will help find a provider or assist with making an appointment.
The toll-free numbers are: West Region, (866) 651-4970; North Region, (877) 747-9579; and South Region (877) 298-3514. Hours vary according to region.
TRICARE provides resources and information regarding behavioral health benefits on the Mental Health and Behavior Web page at www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/ProfileFilter.do?puri=%2Fhome%2FMentalHealthAndBehavior. Here, beneficiaries can access information on conditions, providers, treatments and learn how to get care. A new section on the site can help with suicide prevention.
TRICARE is also proactively educating non-Active Duty beneficiaries on the self-referral option through newsletter articles, bulletins and press releases. This option allows TRICARE Prime family members and retirees to receive the first eight private sector outpatient behavioral health care visits per fiscal year from a network provider without a referral from a Primary Care Manager or prior authorization from their Managed Care Support Contractor (MCSC).
To avoid point-of-service cost sharing charges for these visits, non-active duty TRICARE Prime enrollees must obtain care from TRICARE network-authorized providers or have a referral to a non-network provider and enrollees in the TRICARE Overseas Program must obtain their care from overseas partnership providers. This is especially helpful to family members that may avoid getting treatment because they fear treatment could reflect poorly on the service member. Authorization is needed after the first eight visits to continue treatment.
"This is just one of many programs and services provided by TRICARE to support healthy minds and lifestyles," said Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, deputy director, TMA.
Recently, TriWest Healthcare Alliance and the Department of Veterans Affairs hosted a "Combat Stress-Related Disorders" video conference in South Dakota to bring together nearly 150 community-based physicians, nurses, psychiatrists and other health care professionals that care for service members and their families. The conference was simultaneously broadcast to 12 locations, providing education and discussion on the symptoms and treatment of PTSD, traumatic brain injury and other combat stress disorders.
TriWest continues to provide 24/7 telephone access and crisis intervention services. Service members and their families in the TRICARE West Region can request assistance with a mental health crisis or with simple requests for behavioral health information by calling (866) 284-3743.
Military leadership is often the first to respond when families have been notified of a loss. For this reason, a program teaching leaders how to communicate with grieving families has been successful in the TRICARE West Region. "Grief Solutions" provides military commanders and senior noncommissioned officers with a deeper understanding of how to support and assist survivors.
Health Net Federal Services, TRICARE's MCSC for the North Region, provides an on-line "Behavioral Health Resource Center" at https://members.mhn.com/eos/home/tricareentrypoint?companyCode=tricare. The resource center is designed to help beneficiaries balance work, family and life by providing comprehensive articles, information sheets, quick tips and additional resources on dozens of emotional health issues and more. Like many of TRICARE's new educational tools, it is available in both English and Spanish.
Health Net also designed a journal for children of deployed parents to help them successfully navigate the unique challenges military families face. More than 30,000 of the journals titled My Life, a Kid's Journal have been distributed and can be found at https://www.hnfs.net/common/newsResources/Kids+Journal+News+Release.htm.
Humana Military Healthcare Services offers "AchieveSolutions," an on-line resource offering TRICARE beneficiaries a secure, safe environment to seek information, educational materials and self-assessment tools in the south region. It can be accessed through the behavioral health link on Humana's Web site at www.humana-military.com.
"We take fundamental principles of behavioral health care and incorporate them into TRICARE's comprehensive care management system," said Granger. "We also continually forge new partnerships with military and civilian organizations to maximize behavioral health care resources available to beneficiaries, providers and military leaders."