Choosing or changing your primary care manager (East Region)

Choosing and using a primary care manager is essential for beneficiaries with TRICARE Prime coverage. A PCM is the designated provider responsible for managing routine, nonemergency, and specialty careSpecialized medical/surgical diagnosis, treatment, or services a primary care provider isn’t qualified to provide.. Depending on your situation, like enrolling in TRICARE for the first time or moving to a new region, TRICARE East may assign you a PCM. 

You might ask yourself, “When am I allowed to change my assigned PCM?” You can request to change your PCM for any reason. 
You can change your PCM the following ways: 

• Log in to milConnect; choose “Benefits” then “Beneficiary Web Enrollment,” and finally “Medical Enrollments.” Choose the family member who needs a new PCM and then choose “Change PCM.”
• Call TRICARE East, or
• Mail in a paper form

Choosing your PCM through milConnect is the fastest way to update the system, as the change is immediate. Note: You need to wait six days or until you receive confirmation from TRICARE East before receiving care from the new provider, or point-of-service fees may apply.
TRICARE East may assign you a PCM if:

• You’re a newly eligible active duty family member. DEERS will automatically enroll you in TRICARE Prime; next, TRICARE East assigns a PCM.
• You’re a new TRICARE Prime enrollee. TRICARE does this to complete enrollment under some circumstances. 
• Your current PCM retires or leaves the network, you were erroneously assigned, or your desired PCM isn’t allowed per TRICARE policy.

Don’t wait too long after a move to choose a new PCM. In cases where the assigned PCM is greater than 100 miles from the new address, waiting to make a choice may lead to involuntary disenrollment after 90 days.
Learn more about choosing a PCM.