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When a child is sick, the only thing that matters is getting them well as quickly as possible.
TRICARE works with providers to get children back on their feet. One of TRICARE’s key allies in the fight against childhood diseases are the nation’s children’s hospitals, which are dedicated to providing the best care to the smallest and youngest in society.
“TRICARE’s health care program for children is one of the most comprehensive and thorough exceptional child care programs in the nation for case management, disease management and availability of benefits and coverage,” said Patti Lambert, provider relations manager for Humana Military.
To help TRICARE providers better understand the care available at children’s hospitals in the South Region, Humana Military and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals (N.A.C.H.) recently sponsored a one-day meeting in San Antonio, Texas. Children’s Hospital of Alabama in Birmingham; Christus Santa Rosa in San Antonio; Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston; and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock took part in the meeting.
“People come to us for help with childhood cancers and other severe problems,” said Kara Oakley, TRICARE policy consultant for N.A.C.H. “We provide the kind of care you can’t get in a community setting or in a military hospital.”
Oakley said the San Antonio meeting and the association’s annual national meetings are great opportunities for TRICARE regional contractors to see what children’s hospitals can do. The meetings also help the hospitals understand current TRICARE issues and how they can best provide care for the children of military families.
Some of the topics covered included reimbursement policy when dealing with claims involving exceptional care for children, and how N.A.C.H. can provide technical assistance in specific cases. In a recent case, Oakley said, N.A.C.H. worked with TRICARE to help facilitate reimbursement for the operation to separate conjoined twins.
Children are resilient and tend to get well quickly and with the support of N.A.C.H., the special services offered to these young patients will continue to improve.
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