Be MVP of ‘your’ health

Published March 25, 2011
By Tyler Patterson

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- As one saying goes: If you don't have your health, what have you got?

Remember: it's your health. You should work with your doctor, your nurse, your pharmacist--all the other members of your health team--to manage your health.

Not only is your health a precious resource, so is your time. To help make sure you are making the most of your medical appointments, here are a few tips to keep in mind when visiting your doctor:

Update your roster: Accurate contact information is vital to keep you up-to-date on appointments and test results. Wrong information in DEERS can affect your eligibility for some care. Learn how to update your DEERS contact record online at www.triwest.com/bwe.

Be ready for pinch hitters: You may be referred to a specialist for care your primary care manager cannot provide. If that happens, remember to wait for your authorization letter to arrive before setting your specialty care appointment. Register for a secure triwest.com account and receive an electronic version of your authorization letter in hours, instead of waiting for days on the mail. Follow the directions in the letter to make sure you don't get a claims curveball later.

Play as a team: When you are seeing a new doctor or specialist, share any medications or tests from your other doctors. This goes double if you have multiple prescriptions, or are taking over-the-counter medicines.

Preparation is key: It can be easy to forget things during an examination. Preparing in advance can help eliminate those "I should have asked..." moments while you're heading home.

You are a critical part of your healthcare team. You owe it to yourself to be involved!

TriWest understands that you need the best team to help you do, and feel, your best. That's why TriWest has built a robust TRICARE provider network in the west region. The providers' focus should always be on you--the TRICARE beneficiary--and TriWest works to support your providers so they can create and carry out your game plan.