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In the Aftermath: Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma (Article 1)
Important Information for TRICARE Beneficiaries

Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma have affected the lives of many TRICARE South Region beneficiaries from Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southwestern Alabama, Texas and Florida. TRICARE and its regional contractors in the South, West and North are working to provide those affected with the most current information about their TRICARE benefits. You can find information about TRICARE benefits online, by phone and at TRICARE Service Centers (TSCs). Here’s how to access this information:

TRICARE Web Site
www.tricare.osd.mil/hurricane/index.cfm

TRICARE South Regional Contractor:
Humana Military Healthcare Services
www.humana-military.com
www.humana-military.com/South/hurricaneresources.htm
1-800-444-5445

TRICARE West Regional Contractor:
TriWest Healthcare Alliance
www.triwest.com or 1-888-TRIWEST (1-888-874-9378)

TRICARE North Regional Contractor:
Health Net Federal Services, Inc.
www.hnfs.net
1-877-TRICARE (1-877-874-2273)

TRICARE Service Centers (TSCs)
www.tricare.osd.mil/tricareservicecenters/default.cfm

TRICARE Pharmacy Programs:
TRICARE Retail Pharmacy Network (TRRx)
1-866-DoD-TRRx (1-866-363-8779)

TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP)
1-866-DoD-TMOP (1-866-363-8667)

Additional Resources
Resource Contact Information
Military OneSource
A resource for active duty service
members and their families		 1-800-342-9647
www.militaryonesource.com
TRICARE Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinators (BCACs)
Offer assistance with health care
benefits, locating a provider and
filing claims		 www.tricare.osd.mil/bcacdcao
Veterans Affairs (VA)
24-hour Call Center
Provides information about where to receive health care, how to receive prescription drugs and how to locate evacuated VA patients		 1-800-507-457
VA Hurricane Katrina Response and Recovery Center
Serves as central hub for all services to VA-eligible hurricane victims		 1-205-554-3700
TRICARE Information Service
Assists with basic questions about TRICARE		 1-888-DoD-CARE
(1-888-363-2273)


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TRICARE Prime Enrollment Affected by Sponsor's Status Change (Article 2)
Know When to Re-Enroll
Family member eligibility for TRICARE is based on the sponsor’s eligibility for TRICARE, and TRICARE Prime enrollment is affected by a sponsor’s change in status. Some examples of a sponsor status change include an active duty service member retiring from active duty, a Reserve Component member being called to active duty, an activated Reservist being deactivated and a sponsor separating from military service.

Any change in a sponsor’s status will result in an automatic disenrollment from TRICARE Prime. The sponsor must actively re-enroll himself or herself and eligible family members in TRICARE Prime to continue coverage. If the sponsor does not re-enroll, he or she will be covered by TRICARE Standard and may incur higher out-of-pocket costs.

In some instances, you can plan for the status change and resulting disenrollment by taking the necessary steps ahead of time to ensure you have seamless coverage. For example, if you know you are retiring, make sure you update your information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and re-enroll in TRICARE Prime within 30 days of your retirement date. This will ensure that you and your family have no break in TRICARE Prime coverage.

Not every situation is planned. For instance, a Reserve Component sponsor and eligible family members could be enrolled in TRICARE Prime for 180 days following active duty service under the Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP). If during this TAMP period, the sponsor is called again to active duty, the sponsor and their family members will be automatically disenrolled from TRICARE Prime. While the family cannot plan specifically for this scenario, they can avoid a lapse in TRICARE Prime coverage by knowing that they must re-enroll if it happens.

To make sure you don’t get caught by surprise, put TRICARE Prime on your retirement, activation or deactivation checklist. Make sure you understand when an automatic disenrollment could occur and plan for it. And remember, if you are disenrolled from TRICARE Prime and you don’t re-enroll immediately, it does not mean that you cannot re-enroll later. In most cases, you’ll be automatically covered by TRICARE Standard until you re-enroll in TRICARE Prime.

Contact Humana Military at 1-800-444-5445 or visit www.humana-military.com if you have been disenrolled or anticipate a change in sponsor status. Customer service representatives can answer questions or send you a new TRICARE Prime enrollment application.

If you are retiring from active duty and moving into the TRICARE North or West region, please contact one of the following to enroll in TRICARE Prime:

TRICARE North Region: Health Net Federal Services
1-877-TRICARE or www.hnfs.net

TRICARE West Region: TriWest Healthcare Alliance
1-888-TRIWEST or www.triwest.com


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Last Reviewed:  December 4, 2007