August 2010

Help us improve.  Our intention is to create a valuable site for military families, referral agents and medical facilities that includes only facilities that have a strong interest in serving military families, have current contracts with TRICARE, and are accepting new patients.  We welcome your suggestions.
 

Useful Links

www.tricare.osd.mil - TRICARE national web site    1-888-363-2273  TRICARE Information      

www.humana-military.com - TRICARE South Region     1-800-444-5445

www.triwest.com - TRICARE West Region    1-888-874-9378

www.healthnetfederalservices.com - TRICARE North Region     1-877-874-2273

http://www.defenselink.mil/mapcentral/relocation.html -  useful information for relocating military members

http://www.militarychild.org/ - Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC)

http://www.defense.gov  -  Department of Defense (DOD)

TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy    1-866-363-8667

TRICARE Retail Pharmacy    1-866-363-8779  

 

U. S. military base information can now be found on our site by choosing the "Military Base Info" link located on the main menu of the home page and on the navigation bar at the top of each of the facility listing pages.  Address and telephone contact information is listed by state for Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine and Coast Guard installations.  

Department of Defense/VA Working to Create Electronic Records
On April 9, 2009, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced that the VA and the Defense Department have taken steps toward creating virtual lifetime electronic records (VLER) to facilitate transition of records automatically when servicemembers leave service.  see full story

Jump In Fort Bliss Population
With $5 billion in construction projects under way, Fort Bliss is expected to increase in population by 300 percent over the next three to five years.  see full story

TELL US WHAT YOU WANT...............(An email from a military Supervisor, Tricare Element).

She wants to know:

"What are you offering that we don't already have?
What information are you sharing that is unique?
Who is your target audience?"

1Lt , MSC Supervisor of
TRICARE Element

Our Answer:

Lieutenant: 

Our primary target is the military family, both directly and through professional referral personnel such as Health Benefits Advisors, Social Workers, Psychiatrists, etc.

What we are doing that is unique is to provide listings of medical facilities with extensive information including direct links to Internet sites and email addresses.  The TRICARE site is terrific for locating network facilities by zip code, but the information is basic and limited to one or a few network facilities.  On our site you can search by state and view all the facilities that accept and welcome TRICARE and locate extensive information including active links to facility internet sites and email contacts.

Why is this difference so important?

An example will illustrate best:

Example:          A Health Benefits Advisor, a Psychiatrist and a military family at Ramstein , Germany are looking for a residential treatment center for a teen age son.  They have to get the boy out of the European area quickly so the family will have to find a new assignment where an RTC is available.  On TricareDirectories.com under RTC Section they can view all the states with RTCs, locate RTCs that have extended listings with Internet sites and e-mail addresses.  Find several that fit their needs and send out e-mail enquiries regarding bed space, etc. (A parent about to send a son off to in-patient status can get a lot of reassurance from this procedure - not forgetting the positive quality of the son's involvement in choice).  Without concern for time difference between the U.S. and Europe, e-mail can immediately begin the process of communication. (As a social worker overseas for over 9 years I spent a lot of time in the middle of the night trying to locate a bed space). 

 In this example you can substitute for RTC - a drug & alcohol facility, a hospital specializing in extensive body burns, a partial hospitalization program, an RTC with a closed ward (there are not many), a hospice for a family member with a terminal illness, etc.

“Can you identify facilities that are Tricare Preferred?” 

We are currently  putting a symbol by the facilities that are Tricare Preferred -  .  We are inviting Tricare Preferred Providers to list.  Eventually we'll have the providers who are current, accepting new patients and the ones who are strongly interested in serving military families.

 If you have something you would like to include in the next newsletter,  email us.

TricareDirectories@austin.rr.com
JACK R. SMITH, Major, USAF, (Ret.) MSW

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