Government and Regulations

TRICARE Walk-In Service Eliminated


 

Walk-in service was a “must-have” when TRICARE began nearly 20 years ago. Over the years, TRICARE regional contractors have operated nearly 200 service centers in the U.S., mostly at military hospitals and clinics. But those days are gone, TRICARE says: technology has rendered much of the walk-in service obsolete. So TRICARE recently closed all walk-in customer service in the 50 states as of April 1, 2014, although this feature will still be available for overseas beneficiaries.

The service centers are not as cost-effective or convenient as Internet and toll-free access, TRICARE says. The majority of walk-in visits are for enrollment, billing, primary care manager changes, and general information on benefits and plans, all of which can be handled through websites, mobile applications, or by calling toll-free call centers (see App Corner, p.42). Walk-in customer service is the most expensive option for providing customer support, TRICARE says, costing about $51 million per year. Closing the centers will save about $254 million over 5 years. The closings are part of the DoD’s efforts to manage health care costs without changing benefits, fees, or beneficiary cost-shares.

While they can access TRICARE around-the-clock, beneficiaries can still get personal help if they prefer by calling their regional health care contractor. TRICARE regional contractors will continue beneficiary and military hospital and clinic customer service support. Regional contractors will coordinate with individual military facilities for services, such as briefings and distribution of materials, among other support services.

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