When it’s PCS time for military personnel and their families, that means a permanent change of station is at hand and attention turns to the logistics of moving and the consuming ritual of packing and junking goods to arrive at a new duty assignment in good order.
Beyond dealing with boxes, tape and debris, there are also administrative tasks to take care of, especially relating to the government health care program known as TRICARE, which provides insurance coverage to the military community.
TRICARE moves with enrollees, but action must be taken to ensure coverage continues. According to TRICARE’s website, no changes are needed until boots hit the ground at a new assignment, but once there, it is necessary to update information in the military’s DEERS personnel system and establish relationships with new medical providers.
A Defense Health Agency initiative provides another option in the Tampa area to access TRICARE coverage during a qualifying life event like a move.
The TRICARE Prime Demo is a pilot program started in January that gives eligible beneficiaries a new option to receive health care.
Besides active-duty family members, retirees and their family members (not eligible for Medicare/TRICARE For Life), survivors and families of mobilized Guard/Reserve members are also eligible to participate in the program. Active-duty members of the military are not eligible to participate.
The program is run by CareSource Military & Veterans (CSMV), a managed care organization active in government-sponsored health care programs. Beneficiaries use providers in CSMV’s network instead of TRICARE’s standard regional contractors like Humana.
According to TRICARE’s website, the TRICARE Prime Demo has the same copayments, cost-shares and other out-of-pocket costs as TRICARE Prime.
Pamela Drake represents CSMV at community events and works with beneficiaries to adjust their coverage. According to her, maintaining the right coverage during a QLE can be a challenge, but it is important to take care of it before the first symptom appears.
“The biggest mistake is waiting until someone needs a doctor to start thinking about healthcare,” she wrote in an email, adding, “Eligible beneficiaries generally have 90 days from the date of that change to review their coverage and make any plan changes available to them. If no one tells you that window exists, it can be easy to miss while you’re getting settled.”
For more information you can visit CareSource’s website at www.caresource.com and TRICARE’s website at https://tricare.mil/.
