When the time comes to refer your TRICARE patients to a specialist for care, one option is the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA’s) Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
 
With 153 medical centers and 765 community-based outpatient clinics, the VA’s integrated health care system is one of the largest in the country. Through its many facilities, the VHA offers numerous treatment options for TRICARE beneficiaries.
 
All of the VA facilities in the TRICARE South Region are currently network providers with TRICARE. VA facilities that are not in the network may not be authorized to receive payment for health care services
received at their facilities. Therefore, when referring a TRICARE beneficiary to the VA for care, it is a good idea to verify that the facility is an authorized TRICARE network provider.
 
In addition to offering TRICARE beneficiaries access to common medical and surgical services, VHA
also plays a significant role in the treatment of spinal cord injuries (SCIs), traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
and blind rehabilitation (BR). In the TRICARE South Region, VHA has:

• SCI centers in Augusta, Ga.; Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, Texas; Memphis, Tenn.; and Miami and Tampa, Fla.
• A TBI center in Tampa, Fla.
• BR centers in Augusta, Ga.; Birmingham, Ala.; Waco, Texas; and West Palm Beach, Fla.

The Tampa VA Medical Center has also been designated as a Polytrauma Rehabilitation Center, designed to treat polytraumatic injuries and disabilities requiring specialized rehabilitation processes and
coordination of care throughout the course of a patient’s recovery. With all of the specialized services
offered by various VA facilities, it is important to remember the facility needs to be in the TRICARE network before you refer select TRICARE beneficiaries for services.