Certificate of Creditable Coverage automatically issued Published Feb. 3, 2004 FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFPN) -- Department of Defense Military Health System officials are now automatically issuing a Certificate of Creditable Coverage to any former uniformed services sponsor or family member who loses eligibility for health-care benefits under Tricare. The service began Feb. 1.Eligibility for Tricare may end as a result of a sponsor's separation from active-duty status, divorce, demobilization if the sponsor is a guardsman or reservist or when a dependent child reaches age 21, or 23 for full-time students.For people no longer eligible for Tricare, the certificate serves as proof of previous health-care coverage. It limits the time another health-care plan may exclude them from participating in a health-care plan because of a preexisting medical condition.The Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office will mail a certificate for the sponsor or family member within five to 10 days after eligibility has been lost. As long as a current address is on file in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, people may expect to receive the certificate within 30 days.Sponsors or family members needing to expedite receipt of a certificate may mail or fax a request to the DSO. The request should include the sponsor's name and Social Security number, name of family member(s) for whom the certificate is needed, reason for the urgent request, name and address of the person or organization where the certificate should be sent and signature of the requester.The request may be faxed to the DSO at (831) 655-8317 or mailed to:Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office (DSO)Attn: Certificate of Creditable Coverage400 Gigling RoadSeaside, CA 93955-6771Sponsors or family members who have questions regarding the certificate may contact the DSO at (800) 538-9552, or TTY/TDD at (866) 363-2883. Additional information is also available on the TRICARE Web site at www.tricare.osd.mil/certificate/index.cfm. (Courtesy of Tricare Management Activity)