Family members, survivors receive identification cards

  • Published
FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFPN) --  A permanent U.S. uniformed services identification card will be available in September for all eligible family members and survivors age 75 and over of deceased servicemembers.

Currently, uniformed services retirees are the only persons who receive a permanent ID card.

Beneficiaries currently in possession of a valid ID card should obtain the new permanent ID card within 90 days of expiration. If beneficiaries’ cards are not due to expire for at least another year, they need not apply for the new ID card until their existing card is within 90 days of expiring, Tricare officials said.

The Military Health System requires all eligible beneficiaries to have an ID card to receive health care. Beneficiaries will continue to receive health-care benefits, and their claims will be processed with their current ID card until they receive the permanent ID card as long as their information is current in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.

Even though active-duty and retired servicemembers are automatically registered in DEERS, their family members are not. It is the sponsors’ responsibility to register their family members into the system. Sponsors must also update the system for themselves and their family members to ensure Tricare benefits and claims processing will continue uninterrupted. Changes to sponsor’s status, home address and family status are examples of information that need to be properly maintained in the reporting system.

It is important for surviving family members to update their personal information in the system when the active duty or retired sponsor dies, Tricare officials said. For more information, people can call the DEERS support office at (800) 538-9552, or visit the Tricare Web site at www.tricare.osd.mil/deers.

For more information about the permanent retiree ID card, people can can call the Tricare Regional Office North at (877) 874-2273, the TRO South at (800) 444-5445 or TRO West at (888) 874-9378. Overseas beneficiaries can call (888) 777-8343. Beneficiaries can also find the nearest ID card issuing facility at www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/owa/home. (Courtesy of Tricare Management Activity)