TRICARE Prime Travel Access Standards Changes

Week of June 15, 2009

As a practical matter, DoD never really enforced TRICARE travel access standards But it will be enforced now. TRICARE has long had established policy to help beneficiaries receive timely health care. The standards require that enrollees shouldn't be assigned a primary care manager (PCM) at a military hospital or clinic that's more than a 30-minute drive from the beneficiary's home address. If they want to continue to be seen in the MTF, current Prime enrollees in the U.S. who live farther away than a 30-minute drive from the MTF will have to request a waiver of the drive-time standard from the MTF commander or the TRICARE Regional Office. To learn more, read the following articles on Military.com:

Possible Changes to TRICARE Prime
Waiving Access Standards for Primary Care

How do you feel about this action? Contact S. Ward Casscells, Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs and Director of TRICARE Management Activity.