TRICARE discontinues walk-in service

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Rebecca Ennis
  • 366th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  Walk-in service will no longer be available at TRICARE Service Centers throughout the United States, including at the 366th Medical Group here, beginning April 1.

In preparation of the transition, updated electronic customer service options have been put in place to enable TRICARE beneficiaries to continue to receive the same level of support they currently enjoy.

Closure of the walk-in service will not impact TRICARE health benefits or health care coverage to members.

As beneficiaries have increasingly used electronic communications, such as the Internet and call centers, to access information and make enrollment transfers, the need for TRICARE Service Centers has decreased. Thus, 189 walk-in facilities are scheduled to close across the United States, saving an estimated $250 million during the next five years. Service centers outside the U.S. will remain open.

Service centers are operated by TRICARE regional contractors and are usually located in hospitals and clinics. Mountain Home Air Force Base is no different, as the service center is located within the 366th MDG hospital and has approximately 25 to 30 beneficiary visits each day.

Although TRICARE's regional contractor for the northwest, UnitedHealthcare Military and Veterans, will no longer have an office open for customers to walk in, it will continue to provide required educational, enrollment, claims and other customer services to the 24,000 beneficiaries cared for at MHAFB. The workload will not shift to the military treatment facility, but local medical leaders are working to help inform members of the upcoming change.

"We realize that though the majority of our members already use electronic services some do not, and we want this to be a smooth transition for all involved," said Col. Sarady Tan, 366th Medical Group commander. "We are helping TRICARE spread the word about the upcoming closure and are encouraging our members to begin using the revamped electronic resources."

The TRICARE.mil home page has a new "I want to..." section offering beneficiaries a gateway to links that help them manage their health care from prescriptions to enrollments. Service members are also encouraged to keep their information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System up to date so they can receive timely information.

"Our commitment is to care for the health of our military, retirees and families, and we want our members to have the needed information so that obtaining this care will be a seamless process," said Tan.

To visit the revamped Web page and manage your health care benefits, visit http://www.tricare.mil/. Additional information about the TSC initiative can be found at http://www.tricare.mil/tsc. Members may also call 1-877-988-9378 to reach a regional customer service representative.