TRICARE moves with you Published June 8, 2009 By Kristen Ward TriWest Healthcare Alliance VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- TRICARE beneficiaries who are planning to or have recently moved to another duty station not only have a new community, but may have a new regional TRICARE contractor managing their health care benefits. Rest assured though: no matter what TRICARE program is used, the benefits are portable. Below is a to-do list for TRICARE beneficiaries before and when they arrive at their new home: 1. Get routine care prior to the move since routine care isn't covered on the road for those enrolled in TRICARE Prime. 2. Update address, e-mail and phone numbers in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System within 30 days of moving. Beneficiaries can do this in the following ways: · Visit the local identification card office in person. Contact the office first to verify location and business hours. · Call the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office at 800-538-9552. (TTY/TDD for the deaf: 866-363-2883) · Fax: 831-655-8317 · Mail: Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office Attn: COA 400 Gigling Road Seaside, CA 93955-6771 · Log onto TRICARE's Beneficiary Web Enrollment site TRICARE members can transfer their enrollment and request a new primary care manager by completing a "TRICARE Prime Enrollment Application and PCM Change Form (DD Form 2876)" for themselves and each family member. This form can be found here or you can use the BWE Web site. If moving to a TRICARE Prime Remote location, switch enrollment by submitting a new "DD Form 2876." The enrollment transfer takes effect for family members after the new regional contractor receives the form. TRICARE Prime enrollments are portable for both active duty and retired families. Retirees can transfer enrollments twice in a year; the second move has to be back to the original region. Please note that before moving, TRICARE members do not need to disenroll from TRICARE Prime or Prime remote. If it is a voluntarily move to a non-Prime area, the member may be locked out of Prime coverage for up to a year. Prime-enrolled retirees who pay their enrollment fees by allotment, electronic funds transfer or recurring credit card payments should contact their new regional contractor to ensure that those payments are transferred to that new contractor. TriWest, the west region contractor, can be reached at 1-888-TRIWEST (874-9378). Visitors to www.triwest.com can register and sign up for QuickAlert, TriWest's automated authorization and referral status notification system for beneficiaries living in TRICARE's west region. QuickAlert e-mails beneficiaries a notice that their request has been processed and provides a link to view the result online.