Do I need a referral for urgent or emergency care?
If you believe you have an emergency, call 911 or your international emergency number or go to the nearest . You don’t need a . If you're enrolled in a TRICARE Prime plan, call your primary care manager within 24 hours or the next business day after you get emergency care.
For urgent care, see the tables below.
| TRICARE Plan | Active Duty Service Member | Active Duty Family Member | Retiree or Retiree Family Member |
| TRICARE Prime | Yes |
No, as long as you get urgent care from any TRICARE-authorized urgent care center or network provider. |
|
| TRICARE Prime Remote | No, but you must follow Service regulations. | No, as long as you get urgent care from any TRICARE-authorized urgent care center or network provider. If you don’t have an assigned primary care provider, you may use any TRICARE-authorized provider. | Not applicable |
| TRICARE Prime Overseas |
No, but you should call International SOS to get an authorization so your urgent care visit is cashless and claimless. |
Not applicable | |
| TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas | Not applicable | ||
| TRICARE Select | Not applicable | No, but always choose a TRICARE-authorized provider. | |
| TRICARE Select Overseas | Not applicable | No, but you should call International SOS to get an authorization so your urgent care visit is cashless and claimless. | |
| TRICARE For Life | Not applicable | Not applicable | No |
| Premium-based Plans | Plan Enrollees |
| TRICARE Young Adult-Prime | No, as long as you get urgent care from any TRICARE-authorized urgent care center or network provider. |
|
TRICARE Young Adult-Select |
No, but always choose a TRICARE-authorized provider. |
| TRICARE Reserve Select | |
| TRICARE Retired Reserve |
Last Updated 6/25/2026