The mission of TRICARE is to provide quality health care for members of the Armed Forces, military families, and others entrusted to the Department of Defense's care. It consists of three options: TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Extra, and TRICARE Standard. TRICARE Prime is a voluntary enrollment option that is much like a civilian health maintenance organization (HMO). TRICARE Extra is when you seek care from a provider who is part of the TRICARE network and receive a discount on services, paying reduced cost-shares (five percent below those of TRICARE Standard) in most cases. TRICARE Standard (previously know as CHAMPUS) pays a share of the cost of covered health services that you obtain from a non-network civilian health care provider. There is no enrollment in TRICARE Standard. The annual deductibles, cost-shares and benefits are the same as they were for CHAMPUS. Under this option, you have more freedom to choose your provider of care—but your costs will be higher than with the other two TRICARE options.
In order to use TRICARE, you must be listed in the Defense Department's Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) computerized data base as being eligible for military health care benefits. This includes newborns, which must be enrolled in DEERS before claims for their care as TRICARE eligible patients can be processed. Generally, it is the sponsor's responsibility to make sure that his or her family members are enrolled in DEERS through the nearest military personnel office. All military sponsors should ensure that the status of their families (marriage, divorce, new child, etc.) is current in the DEERS files so TRICARE claims can be processed quickly and accurately.
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KATS Network Coordinating Center
Charles McDowell Center
8412 Westport Road
Louisville, KY 40242
Local: (502) 429-4484
Toll Free: (800) 327-5287
Fax: (502) 429-7114