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Understanding the Military Treatment Facility
"Right of First Refusal"
If you are a TRICARE Prime beneficiary living in a TRICARE Prime Service Area (PSA), it is important to remember that your local military treatment facility (MTF) is your first option for many health care services.
In a PSA, when a primary care manager gives you a referral for specialty care, an inpatient admission or other care requiring written prior authorization, you must first seek that care at the MTF. This is known as the MTF “right of first refusal.”
The MTF staff reviews referrals to determine if the requested service is available at the MTF within TRICARE’s access standards. If an appointment is available, the MTF will provide the service. TRICARE Prime appointment access standards entitle you to receive:
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An urgent care appointment within 24 hours
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A routine care appointment within one week (7 days)
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A specialty care appointment within four weeks (28 days)
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A wellness visit within four weeks (28 days)
If an MTF appointment is not available within TRICARE’s appointment access standards, you will be referred to a TRICARE network civilian provider within TRICARE’s appointment and drive-time access standards.
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