You shouldn’t just show up at a hospital or clinic and ask to be tested. Testing is authorized based on the clinical judgment of a provider, exposure, travel history and symptoms. Guidance on when TRICARE covers testing is at: https://tricare.mil/HealthWellness/HealthyLiving/Coronavirus/Coronavirus-Testing. You can contact your local or state health department for assistance.
Note:
Asymptomatic active duty service members (ADSMs)
- If you’re non-active duty who have no symptoms or weren’t recently exposed, TRICARE may not cover your test. Testing is based on medical necessity and appropriateness. You may talk to your provider or visit your local or state health department’s website for COVID-19 testing information.
- Active duty member (Tier 1-4). If you are an active duty member, you may get a COVID-19 test.
- If you have symptoms, you may be be tested within your unit, at a military hospital or clinic, or by a civilian provider as long as your provider determines the test is medically necessary. When seeking care:
- A TRICARE-authorized provider has to order the test. (You don’t need a referral unless it’s required by state or local authorities.)
- A TRICARE-authorized facility/lab has to run the test.
- Tests have to be FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) tests or FDA-approved Nucleic Acid Amplification (NAA) tests, which includes the Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR).
- The FDA COVID-18 EAU list is at https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/conronavirus-disease-2019-covid1019-emergency-use-authorizations-medical-devices/vitro-diagnostices-eau.
- If you are symptom free and are required to be tested, but can’t get the test at a military hospital/clinic or are in a remote location, TRICARE will pay for testing under the Supplemental Health Care Program (SHCP) COVID-19 blanket waiver if you meet the criteria. The SHCP waiver supports testing for mission readiness and deployability per DoD guidance. The same criteria noted in the sub-bullets above still apply.
- If you and your eligible family members are required and approved to travel overseas, you may get a COVID-19 test to enter another country. You have to pay for the tests out of pocket and file a claim for reimbursement under your travel orders.