Note: TRICARE’s regional contract changeover and associated waivers will not impact the benefits of TRICARE For Life, TRICARE Overseas, or US Family Health Plan users.

The head of the Defense Health Agency (DHA) promised continued access to care despite “challenges” with the changeover to new TRICARE West Region contractor TriWest, outlining steps the agency has taken to blunt a series of ongoing issues.

“First and foremost, we are ensuring that every beneficiary can access the healthcare they need,” Lt. Gen. Telita Crosland, USA, wrote in an open letter to beneficiaries published Jan. 31 at DHA.mil and a similar letter to military and veterans service organizations, including MOAA, sent the same day. The letter outlines some DHA and TriWest efforts, to include:

• The move to allow TRICARE Prime enrollees in the West Region to receive covered specialty care without a contractor-approved waiver, which will last through March 31. Access will continue past that date if delays in the approval process aren’t addressed, Crosland wrote in the letter.
  
  
• An extension to Feb. 28 for beneficiaries to set up a new payment process with TriWest. That process can be completed at this link. “My promise is this – no beneficiaries will lose their healthcare coverage due to challenges with transferring their premium payments from the previous contractor to TriWest,” Crosland wrote.
  
  
• A callback option that will allow those contacting TriWest with any issues to avoid “unacceptably high” hold times, Crosland wrote. TriWest also is adding staff to its call center, she wrote, and DHA “is monitoring call center performance daily.”

[RELATED: Enrollment Details Released for DoD’s Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts]

MOAA’s Role

DHA will establish biweekly calls with military and veterans service organizations like MOAA “to keep them apprised of our progress and address any issues that require additional steps,” Crosland wrote in the letter.

Participation in these meetings will be part of MOAA’s continuing work to protect the service-earned benefits of TRICARE users during this contractor changeover. If you are having issues accessing care that have not been addressed by the DHA and TriWest improvements outlined above, please contact us at legis@moaa.org and share your story – these updates from affected beneficiaries are critical to MOAA’s efforts to improve this changeover for all TRICARE users.

Keep up with the latest on this issue and others via The MOAA Newsletter and our news page, where we will make the latest updates available.