Tips for traveling with TRICARE

  • Published
  • By Willie Robinson
  • TRICARE Pacific Marketing Representative
MISAWA AIR BASE, Japan --  If your holiday travels will take you outside Japan, be sure to plan for TRICARE coverage while you are away.

Before leaving Japan, stop by your TRICARE Service Center for a Travel Card, enrollment verification, and guidance on accessing care while traveling.

Additionally, here are a few tips that will be helpful to know:

1. In an emergency, seek care at the nearest emergency room. If you have to pay the bill at the time of service, get an itemized bill and a receipt then file with TRICARE for reimbursement. Call our TSC at 226-6000 for assistance.
2. Seek urgent care at a Military Treatment Facility or with a TRICARE Network Provider. Use your Travel Card to call the TRICARE regional customer service number for a list of authorized providers in the area, or use www.tricare.mil and find a provider based on your zip code.
3. For all other care, routine/well/non-urgent, or specialty, schedule an appointment with your Primary Care Manager before you leave or wait until you return. Be sure you have an ample supply of any necessary medications for the duration of your trip with you while traveling.
4. Pre-Authorization is not needed for emergency or urgent medical care. However, for CONUS inpatient mental health care authorizations, contact Choice Behavioral Health at: 1-800-700-8646, ext 2008.
5. Active duty servicemembers must obtain all needed care at military facilities when possible. In CONUS, active duty servicemembers are required to report inpatient mental health or traumatic injury to the Military Medical Support Office at 1-888-647-6676. For all other care needs, active duty servicemembers must follow their Service rules.
6. Active duty servicemembers traveling in overseas remote countries should contact International SOS for urgent or emergency care. In WESTPAC, call Singapore at: (IDD) + 65-6-338-9277.

Remember that eligible family members traveling in overseas remote areas should be prepared to pay for their care at the time of service, get an itemized bill and file a claim for reimbursement.
Of course, our TRICARE Office stands by to help with your claims once you return to Misawa. For more information please contact your local TRICARE Service Center at 226-6000 or Off-base 0176-64-6000.