FALLS CHURCH, VA —
January 1, 2025 will be the start date for providing care under TRICARE’s new regional contract. As part of the new agreement, the TRICARE region in the United States will change. There will still be two TRICARE regions, but six states currently in the East region (Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin) will move to the West region.
If you live in one of the six states moving to the Western region, this article will help you understand what it means for you. If you are currently in the West region, you must also perform the actions described in this article. Tricare contract holders will also change. If you don’t live in one of these states, stay tuned for future articles on how the transition will affect you.
“These changes will help balance the TRICARE population between the two regions and improve the quality of services for all beneficiaries,” said the Defense Health Agency’s TRICARE Medical Program, Education and Outreach Division, said Laura D’Antin, Customer Support Team Leader.
Six states will move from the East region to the West region.
Arkansas Illinois Louisiana Oklahoma Texas Wisconsin
If you live in one of these six states, TRICARE’s local contractor will switch from Humana Military to TriWest Healthcare Alliance on January 1, 2025. This change affects approximately 1.1 million eligible beneficiaries.
If your state switches regions, Humana Military will continue as a TRICARE contractor until December 31, 2024. Before you do so, you should check your DEERS account to ensure all information is up to date.
From early November 2024, you will also need to:
Create an account on the TriWest Patient Portal. Update your payment information with TriWest. This will ensure that payments to TriWest (if applicable) are made after January 1, 2025. (Note: If you are paying by assignment, you do not need to do this. Assignment payments will be transferred automatically.) Providers in the new TriWest Provider Network Directory. The directory is located on the patient portal.
Please note that these features will not be available on the TriWest website until November 2, 2024.
You should also plan on doing some action for TRICARE open season through TriWest.
If you are receiving ongoing care, don’t worry. If you reside in these six states, any referral or endorsement from Humana Military initiated before December 31, 2024 will remain valid until the referral expiration date, June 30, 2025. Additionally, TriWest works with Humana Military to ensure your safety. You can receive treatment without interruption for the following symptoms:
Cancer Pregnancy Neurological Disorders Mental Health Kidney Disease Disease Management/Case Management Services
The new contractor will assist in this transition by enabling efficient referral transfer between regions. You will be provided with tools to find TRICARE certified providers within your new network.
Most of the six states’ current provider networks will remain the same. TriWest and Humana Military are committed to maintaining the existing network. However, each provider must decide whether to continue with TRICARE.
More updates will be coming later this year. This includes website links and phone numbers to contact local contractors. For now, sign up to receive email updates and visit www.tricare.mil/changes to stay informed.
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