JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. -- Officials at the 11th Medical Group here have scheduled five information sessions for TRICARE beneficiaries affected by the imminent patient reassignment process.
Four sessions will be held at the chapel here -- 11 a.m. and 5 p.m. on both Aug. 7 and Aug. 9. Another session will be held Aug. 8 at 5 p.m. at the chapel on Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling.
In May, prompted by a service-wide shortage of primary care providers, the Air Force Surgeon General's office sent guidance to all major Air Force clinics stipulating how to balance patient empanelment with current resources. Based on those guidelines, 11th MDG officials determined that the Malcolm Grow Medical Clinics and Surgery Center here and the Bolling Clinic on JBAB could no longer support the current level of assigned patients.
About 90 percent of patients, including all active-duty members and their dependents, will be unaffected by the decision. The medical group mailed letters to all affected patients, explaining the reassignment and inviting them to attend any of the information sessions.
The information sessions will be led by 11th Medical Group Commander Col. Vito Smyth, with participation from several other subject-matter experts involved in the reassignment process.
"We are committed to ensuring you always receive the highest quality, most compassionate and timely health care available," Smyth said in the letter. "Rest assured, we will make every effort to assist you with this transition."
Humana Military, the regional administrator of the TRICARE contract, will handle the reassignments, which will be effective Sept. 6. All reassigned patients will be transferred to a military treatment facility or civilian provider within a 30-minute drive from their home.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:
Who will be impacted by the reassignment?
TRICARE Prime Retirees, TRICARE Prime Retiree family members and TRICARE Plus members enrolled to the Family Health and Internal Medicine Clinics at Malcolm Grow Medical Clinics and Surgery Center and the Family Health Clinic at the Bolling Clinic.
Why am I being reassigned?
The Family Health and Internal Medicine Clinics at MGMCSC and the Bolling Clinic do not have a sufficient number of medical providers to continue providing the best quality of care for our large population of patients. Despite our best efforts, we are unable to increase the number of providers at this time or in the near future.
What happens next?
Humana Military, the TRICARE Managed Care Support Contractor, will re-assign the affected patients from their current PCM to a new PCM at another military medical treatment facility within 30 minutes of their home of record, or if a military treatment facility is not available, they will be reassigned to a local TRICARE network provider. Once complete, patients will receive a postcard, or an email informing them to visit milConnect, log in and review their PCM change. You may also reach out to Humana Military at 1-800-444-5445 to find out who your new PCM will be.
What are the options for TRICARE Prime enrollees, who are affected by the reassignment?
If you do not approve of your new PCM assignment, you may elect to change your PCM assignment, change your health care plan to TRICARE Select, or change to Johns Hopkins US Family Health Plan. To learn more about these plans, associated costs and to enroll, please visit www.tricare.mil/plans, contact Humana Military at 1-800-444-5445, or Johns Hopkins at 1-888-716-5007.
What about TRICARE Plus enrollees?
You may contact Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, or Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital to request enrollment into their TRICARE Plus program. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center: 855-227-6331; Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital: 571-231-4126.
What about TRICARE for Life/TRICARE Plus enrollees?
You may use your Medicare Part A and Part B as your primary insurance and TRICARE for Life as your secondary insurance to receive routine and specialty care in a civilian healthcare facility. To locate a routine, or specialty care provider please go to www.Medicare.gov, or contact Medicare at 800-633-4227.
Once I'm reassigned, are there any services at MGMCSC I can still utilize?
Beneficiaries with TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select and TRICARE for Life health care plans will still have access to MGMCSC and Bolling Clinic’s Pharmacy, Lab, Radiology, as well as to the Emergent Care Center at MGMCSC. Beneficiaries with Johns Hopkins US Family Health Plan will have access to the Emergent Care Center only.
Who can I contact with additional questions?
For questions regarding reassignment, please contact Humana Military at 1-800-444-5445.