Double time for TRICARE authorizations, referrals Published Aug. 7, 2009 By Bonnie Thomas TriWest Healthcare Alliance VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- TRICARE authorizations for care, which includes evaluation and treatment, are good for 180 days beginning Aug. 4. That is twice the 90 days that were allowed previously, giving patients more time to complete their care and any follow-up visits. For those people who do not receive care before the authorization expires, they will need to get a new authorization. This change is not effective for all authorizations. Some authorizations, like maternity authorizations, will be longer than 180 days, and other authorizations, such as physical therapy authorizations, will be shorter. Those people registered at www.triwest.com can receive QuickAlert notifications by e-mail or phone once their authorizations or referrals have been processed. That means people can schedule specialty care appointments seven to 10 days sooner than if they wait for notification by mail. To protect the members' privacy, TRICARE will not include personal information in the e-mail -- just a notice of an authorization status change and a link to the secured login page on www.triwest.com for more information. It's easy to register. Just follow the prompts and start managing health care online, anytime, from any Internet connection. Visit the Authorizations and Referral page at www.triwest.com/beneficiary/authRef.aspx for additional information.