Continued health care key decision for college-bound dependents

  • Published
  • TRICARE Public Affairs
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan --  When it's time for a child to go to college, there are many decisions a family must face. Continued health care coverage is one of them.

TRICARE covers eligible students until he or she turns 23 as long as they are enrolled in school full-time. One decision a family will have to make, is determining which TRICARE option will work best for a child. Although the sponsor and family may be enrolled in TRICARE Pacific Prime, this may not be the best choice for a college-bound son or daughter.

If the student's college or university is located in an area where TRICARE Prime is offered, they can transfer their Prime enrollment. It's not necessary to have all family members enrolled in the same region.

To assist in determining if there is a TRICARE network provider in the area where the college is located, simply type in the zip code at http://www.tricare.mil/mhshome.aspx to locate network providers. Then proceed to TRICARE REGIONS tab to locate the region where the child will reside and download enrollment forms.

Retirees should keep in mind that although Prime is not an OCONUS option, it may be available in the region where the child will reside. However, there is an enrollment fee for Prime for retirees and their family members.

Parents should make sure students understand the rules in the new TRICARE region pertaining to pre-authorization for care. Failure to abide by these rules could result in costly out-of-pocket charges. While traveling to the new region, a child is covered by TRICARE Pacific traveling procedures for emergency and urgent care. Routine care should be accomplished after enrolling at the new region.

If TRICARE Prime is not available where a student will be living, TRICARE Standard may be the option of choice. With TRICARE Standard, there is no enrollment required but a child will need to be disenrolled from TRICARE Pacific Prime.

TRICARE Standard is a fee-for-service option that allows a student to see any TRICARE-authorized provider they choose. The sponsor will be responsible for annual deductibles and cost-shares.

Claims are submitted to the region where a student is located for payments and reimbursements. When a child returns to the Pacific for summer vacation, sponsors may transfer their enrollment back to this region.

There is no charge and no restriction on the number of times an active duty family member can transfer enrollment to a different region. Retiree family members are allowed one transfer from and one transfer back to the original region within a 12-month period.

For more information about transferring enrollment or other options for a college-bound child, stop by the TRICARE Service Center in Bldg. 4408 (main hospital) or call 225-6478.