TRICARE Covers Allergy Tests
Week of April 25, 2011
TRICARE beneficiaries are eligible to receive care for the testing and treatment of conditions relating to allergies. Tests administered by allergists can identify most allergies. TRICARE covers prescription medication approved by the FDA and allergy treatments administered by allergists, but it does not cover most over-the-counter medications. To see if a medication is covered by TRICARE, use the online formulary search tool. For more information about allergies, visit the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases website. For more information on the allergy services TRICARE offers and how to arrange care, visit the TRICARE website.
TRICARE Expands Data Access
Week of April 25, 2011
A new feature on TRICARE Online at www.tricareonline.com now allows user access to expanded personal health data, including lab results, patient history and diagnoses, and provider visits. These features are an expansion of the current Blue Button capability, which already allowed beneficiaries to safely and securely access and print or save their demographic information, allergy and medication profiles. For more information, visit the TRICARE website.
TRICARE Young Adult Program Begins May 1st
Week of May 3, 2011
FALLS CHURCH, Va. - TRICARE beneficiaries graduating from college this year may not have to rely on the Continued Health Care Benefit Plan (CHCBP) as their only health care plan option.
TRICARE Young Adult (TYA), a new program offering TRICARE Standard coverage to qualified uniformed services dependents under age 26, may be a less expensive alternative. TYA Standard has a monthly premium of $186, much less than CHCBP premium of $988 per quarter.
CHCBP is a separate program that offers temporary transitional health coverage for 18-36 months after all TRICARE eligibility ends. In fact, dependents who qualify for TYA are no longer eligible for CHCBP as of May 1, 2011. Dependent eligibility for TRICARE previously ended at age 21, or age 23 if enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved institution of higher learning.
To purchase TYA a beneficiary must be under 26, unmarried and not eligible for their own employer-sponsored health care coverage.
Beneficiaries can get complete information about TYA and application forms at www.tricare.mil/tya. The application and three months premiums can be dropped off at a TRICARE Service Center, or mailed or faxed to the regional or overseas health care contractor.
An in-depth TYA Webinar at www.tricare.mil/mediacenter explains who qualifies, when and where to enroll, and what type of coverage to expect. For more information on CHCBP go to www.tricare.mil/CHCBP or contact Humana Military Health Care Services at 1-800-444-5445.
