HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah. –
TRICARE West Region’s managed care support contractor recently changed from HealthNet Federal Services to TriWest Healthcare Alliance, and the Defense Health Agency is implementing processes to help beneficiaries during the transition.
A blanket waiver of the standard referral process for TRICARE Prime beneficiaries requiring TriWest’s authorization for outpatient specialty care referred by primary care managers has been made effective through March 31. TRICARE Prime patients must still obtain referrals before seeking specialty care.
Referrals for care generated prior to Jan. 1 through HealthNet Federal Services will continue to be honored through June 30 or the expiration date of the authorization, whichever comes first.
The deadline for beneficiaries to establish enrollment fee and premium payments with TriWest has been extended to Feb. 28. TriWest has improved the web portal for processing payments which can be accessed at https://tricare-bene.triwest.com/signin. Learn more about the deadline extension and options for setting up payments here.
Beneficiaries are experiencing high hold times when calling TriWest’s customer service line at 888-TRIWEST (874-9378). The referral waiver and payment extension should reduce call volume and hold times. Also, TriWest has implemented a call-back feature and has hired additional customer service representatives to improve beneficiaries experience calling their call center.
The 75th Medical Group is committed to providing the highest echelon of customer service to our beneficiaries. Please contact the Referral Management Center, located on the second floor of the clinic in Bldg 570, for assistance with referrals (801) 777-5414. If you have concerns regarding TriWest, please reach out to one of the following points of contact:
75 MDG TRICARE Operations and Patient Administration Flight Commander: 801-777-7036
75 MDG TRICARE Operations and Patient Administration Flight Chief: 801-777-6721
75 MDG TRICARE Health Benefits Advisor: 801-777-6670
Visit our Referral Management page to learn more about referral waiver guidelines and how to seek referred specialty care.