Veteran Affairs Lead
TRICARE Offers Many Resources to Help Beneficiaries Get Health Care Information
By Ms. Patricia Opong-Brown, TRICARE Management Acivity
Mar 29, 2008 - 6:00:48 AM

Blackanthem Military News
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - How do TRICARE beneficiaries access information about their benefits?  TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) officials want to remind beneficiaries there are many available resources.

"It is a high priority for us to make sure beneficiaries know they have several ways to get information on their TRICARE benefit as well as assistance," said Army Major General Elder Granger, Deputy Director, TMA.

The "first line of defense" for benefit information should always be the regional managed care support contractor (MCSC) toll-free numbers, but TRICARE Service Centers (TSCs) are a great option for beneficiaries who want up-close-and-personal service.

TSC representatives are available to assist beneficiaries with enrollments, finding TRICARE network providers, referrals and authorizations, claims, and much more on a walk-in basis.  Most TSCs are located inside, or in close proximity to, military treatment facilities (MTFs) and are managed in the U.S. by the MCSCs.

TSCs are also located throughout the world.  In Europe, the Pacific, Latin America and Canada, TSCs are contracted by the TRICARE Area Offices - which are additional resources for beneficiary assistance overseas.

After beneficiaries have already sought assistance from the regional toll-free lines or at a TSC, another resource is a Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinator (BCAC).

There are nearly 900 BCACs around the world and they wear many hats.  Serving at each TRICARE Regional Office and most MTFs, BCACs can help beneficiaries with a range of needs, including answering questions about medical coverage and benefits, coordinating with regional contractors on health care-related issues, and much more.

To get assistance with TRICARE questions, beneficiaries should first contact their region or area offices toll-free at:

* Health Net Federal Services, LLC (North Region), (877) 874-2273
* Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc. (South Region), (800) 444-5445
* TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West Region), (888) 874-9378
* TRICARE Overseas (Europe, Pacific, Latin America and Canada), (888) 777-8343 (toll-free from the U.S. and its territories)

Beneficiaries can find their nearest TSC by logging onto tricare.mil/contactus/.  To find a nearby BCAC, log on to www.tricare.mil/bcacdcao/.

To watch a video on Tricare Service Centers visit http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/featurestory-02-07-2008.aspx