West Region Transition
TRICARE is extending the temporary waiver for West Region Prime enrollees to obtain authorizations for specialty care referred by their primary care manager (PCM). The waiver will now include specialty care referrals received from April 1 through June 18. Find out more:
April 1, 2013, was the start of health care delivery under the new contract in the TRICARE West Region. Since the start of the new contract, Prime enrollees have experienced longer than usual wait times for authorizations, and difficulty reaching UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans due to high call volume at the call centers.
Our top priority is to ensure continuity and access to care for all beneficiaries in the West Region. The TRICARE Regional Office-West (TRO-W) is working closely with UnitedHealthcare to address all beneficiary concerns, reduce the backlog of referrals awaiting authorization by the contractor, and ensure that beneficiaries receive quality health care and customer service. We ask you that you continue to be patient with UnitedHealthcare during this busy time. Call center hours have been extended, and the current hours are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. across all West Region time zones. While UnitedHealthcare is working on improvements to their internal processes, TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) is taking steps to reduce the impact to your access to quality health care.
About UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans
You should have already received a Welcome Packet from UnitedHealthcare. You will work closely with UnitedHealthcare on many issues, such as enrollment, referral and prior authorization requests, claims processing and customer service. Register online at www.uhcmilitarywest.com to track referrals, authorization, claims and much more.
UnitedHealthcare will not provide customer service or support for TRICARE For Life (TFL), the US Family Health Plan or for pharmacy or dental benefits. Welcome Packets were sent to TFL beneficiaries as an announcement of a change in TRICARE in the West Region, but no action is required. WPS continues to serve as the TFL contractor, providing assistance with claims and customer service. If you have questions, contact WPS at 1-866-773-0404 or on their web site at www.tricare4u.com.