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TRICARE Waives Referral Requirement for Family Members Evacuated from Turkey

  • Published
  • By TRICARE.mil Staff
  • Communications Division, Defense Health Agency
Falls Church, Va. --  The Department of Defense is evacuating about 700 family members of active duty service members from southern Turkey, due to security concerns in the region. TRICARE is waiving the primary care manager (PCM) referral requirement for all evacuated beneficiaries. This will help them get medical care while away from their homes and doctors.

The evacuated families will relocate to various locations overseas and in the U.S. The waiver will last 180 days from March 30, 2016 through September 30, 2016. Normally, TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) Prime and TOP Prime Remote beneficiaries need a referral from their PCM to get any specialty care.

While evacuated, beneficiaries can contact the military treatment facility (MTF) closest to them to get primary care. If they stay overseas, but are not close to an MTF, they can contact International SOS, the TOP contractor, for help. If they are in the U.S. and not close to an MTF, they should contact the International SOS TOP Regional Call Center or the appropriate regional contractor.

If evacuated beneficiaries decide not to return to the region, they can change their TRICARE enrollment to their new permanent location by contacting the regional contractor for that area.