Good news for TRICARE West beneficiaries who missed the December 31 deadline to set up recurring payment plans! There’s an extension available for those enrolled in TRICARE Young Adult, TRICARE Reserve Select, and TRICARE Retired Reserve.
They now have until January 15 to get their payment configurations sorted out with TriWest Healthcare Alliance.
Meanwhile, if you’re enrolled in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select, you’ve got a bit longer, until January 30, to comply with the new payment requirements, according to TRICARE’s official website.
This update specifically affects individuals who use credit or debit cards, or electronic funds transfers to pay their premiums or enrollment fees.
Important Deadline Information
Officials have made it clear: if you miss these extended deadlines, you will be disenrolled from your healthcare plans retroactively as of January 1.
For those beneficiaries using military allotments for payments, there’s no action required.
Your current payment arrangements will simply carry over to TriWest without any hassle.
However, it’s worth noting that this change won’t affect individuals who are enrolled in TRICARE for Life, those participating in a TRICARE provider network outside of the United States, or beneficiaries of the U.S. Family Health Plan.
New Contractor Information
TriWest officially took the helm as the contractor for the West Region on Wednesday.
This region now encompasses six states: Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wisconsin, alongside some specific ZIP codes in four other states.
If you live in these areas and pay your enrollment fees or premiums via credit or debit cards or electronic transfers, it’s imperative to update your payment information before the new deadlines set by TriWest.
Updating Payment Information
TriWest provides several convenient ways for beneficiaries to submit updated payment details.
For assistance, you can call TriWest’s customer service at 888-874-9378.
Alternatively, you have the option to visit Tricare.mil/west, where you can access the “Self-Service, Secure Beneficiary Portal” to establish recurring payments.
To register, you’ll need to use a primary email linked with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).
After entering your email, you’ll get a verification code to finalize your registration.
This process allows you to provide all essential details, including your payment method, and select whether you want to pay monthly, quarterly, or annually before you submit your information.
Another option is to fill out the Automatic Monthly TRICARE Payment Set Up Request form.
You can send this form via mail to the designated address.
With these options available, beneficiaries have the flexibility to choose the method that works best for their payment updates.
Source: Militarytimes