Access to Care: Enrolled to Wrong Region

If you are a TRICARE Prime enrollee enrolled to the 21-state TRICARE West Region, but with a Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) address outside the west region, you probably received an enrollment update letter from TriWest.

To access care through TRICARE Prime, a beneficiary must be enrolled for Prime in the same region where they reside. TRICARE is divided into three CONUS regions and OCONUS areas, each serviced by a different contractor. You will enroll to the TRICARE contractor where you live.

First, make sure your DEERS address is updated. You can verify and update your DEERS information in a number of ways:

• Online through the Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE) site or the DEERS Web site
• Over the phone; update your address by calling DEERS at 1-800-538-9552.
• In person at the nearest military ID card-issuing office or TRICARE Service Center (TSC)

What if my address is correct in DEERS and I live outside the west region?

If this is the case, you need to transfer your enrollment to your current region or disenroll from TRICARE Prime. You can transfer your Prime enrollment through BWE by logging in and choosing a new primary care manager for yourself and your family members. The BWE site will also let you disenroll from TRICARE Prime and you will be able to use TRICARE Standard and Extra.

Published Date: 07/16/2009