TRICARE Reserve Family Demonstration Benefit extended through Oct. 31, 2007

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FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFPN) --  The TRICARE Reserve Family Demonstration Benefit that was due to end Oct. 31, has been extended through Oct. 31, 2007. 

The Department of Defense extended the benefit for an additional two years to ensure continuity of care for family members of approximately 170,000 National Guard and Reserve members called to active duty for more than 30 days in support of Operation Noble Eagle/Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The demonstration waives the TRICARE annual deductible for family members who use TRICARE Extra or Standard; waives the pre-authorization requirement for non-emergency inpatient civilian care at civilian hospitals; and authorizes TRICARE to pay non-participating providers up to 115 percent of the TRICARE maximum allowable charge.

“The demonstration makes it less expensive for these family members to continue seeing their usual doctors if they take TRICARE,” said Steve Lillie, deputy chief, TRICARE Operations. “The demonstration does not apply to families who enroll in TRICARE Prime since there are no deductibles or cost shares for referred care in TRICARE Prime,” Lillie said.

National Guard and Reserve members and family members with questions or in need of assistance may use the TRICARE Yellow Pages available at www.tricare.osd.mil/yellowpages to contact their TRICARE regional contractor. Up-to-date TRICARE information is also available on the TRICARE Web site at www.tricare.osd.mil/reserve.  

(Courtesy of Tricare Management Activity)