Mental Health Appointments

Active duty service member or activated National Guard or Reserve member

You must get all mental health care at a military hospital or clinic, if possible.

• To see a TRICARE-authorized civilian provider, you must get a referral and pre-authorization, even if you're enrolled in TRICARE Prime Remote.
• Your primary care manager will coordinate your referrals and authorizations.

We encourage you to get help so your condition doesn't negatively affect your health and ability to perform your duties.

For Outpatient Care from a Network Psychiatrist or Psychologist

• Schedule an appointment with a network psychiatrist or psychologist in your region.
• You don't need a referral or pre-authorization for outpatient visits except for psychoanalysis and outpatient therapy for substance use disorder.
• You must see a network provider in your region. If you see a non-network provider or a network provider in another region without a referral, you'll have to pay point-of-service fees.

Outpatient Care from a Counselor

• You can get care from a supervised mental health counselor or pastoral counselor, but a doctor must supervise the care, even if in the TRICARE network. Certified mental health counselors don't need doctor referral and supervision.

Inpatient Care

• If you need to stay in the hospital, you must have a referral and pre-authorization from your regional contractor.

You can search your plan’s provider directory to schedule a mental health care appointment.

• You don't need a referral for outpatient visits except for psychoanalysis and outpatient therapy for a SUD.
• You must have a referral and pre-authorization for all inpatient mental health care (hospital stays).

Contact your US Family Health Plan provider for more information:

• Johns Hopkins Medicine
• Martin's Point Health Care
• Brighton Marine Health Center
• SVCMC of New York
• CHRISTUS Health
• Pacific Medical Centers (Pacmed Clinics)

Do you use one of the TRICARE health plans below?

• TRICARE Select
• TRICARE Select Overseas
• TRICARE Reserve Select
• TRICARE Retired Reserve
• TRICARE Young Adult-Select
• TRICARE For Life*

If so, you don’t need referrals for mental health care appointments (except for psychoanalysis and outpatient therapy for a SUD provided by a SUD rehabilitation facility).

You can schedule an appointment with any TRICARE-authorized provider and is certified to provide benefits under TRICARE. There are two types of TRICARE-authorized providers: network and non-network.

You must have pre-authorization for inpatient mental health care (hospital stays).

*If you use TRICARE For Life, remember that you'll follow Medicare's rules for mental health care until those benefits are exhausted. You need to get a referral and authorization for psychoanalysis and outpatient therapy for a SUD provided by a SUD rehabilitation facility.