Respite Care for Injured Service Members
Injured active duty service members, including National Guard/Reserve members injured in the line of duty, are eligible for comprehensive health care services beyond basic TRICARE coverage to include respite care for the primary caregiver (of the injured service member). Service members pay nothing out of pocket for these services and there is no benefit cap.
Respite Care for the Primary Caregiver
Respite care is short-term care for a patient to provide rest and change for the primary caregivers who have been caring for the patient at home and assisting with activities of daily living. Although this is usually the patient's family, it may be a relative or friend who assists the member with their activities of daily living. Respite care services are provided exclusively to the active duty service member.
The active duty service member respite benefit is intended to mirror the benefits provided under the TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) Home Health Care benefit.
Qualifying for Respite Care
Active duty service members who have a serious injury or that has resulted in or may result in a physical disability or an extraordinary physical or psychological condition qualify for the respite care benefit. In many cases, the condition may be so severe that the service member is left homebound.
The service member's case manager (or other approving authority*) may approve respite care when the care plan includes frequent primary caregiver interventions (more than two during the eight-hour period per day that the primary caregiver would normally be sleeping), respite care may be included in the care plan.
*Other approving authorities include: Military Medical Support Office, Service Point of Contact, referring military treatment facility, TRICARE Area Office, etc.
Limitations and Requirements
Respite benefits are limited to:
- Maximum of 40 respite hours in a calendar week
- No more than five days per calendar week
- No more than eight hours per calendar day.
The care must be provided by a TRICARE-authorized Home Health Agency. Contact your regional contractor or TRICARE Area Office for assistance finding an authorized Home Health Agency.
Authorized respite care does not cover care for family members or others who may reside with or visit the qualified active duty service member.
Other Services
Special benefits for injured active duty service members are similar to those available to active duty family members under TRICARE ECHO. However, active duty service members are not required to enroll in ECHO to receive these benefits, which include:
- Diagnosis
- Inpatient, outpatient, and comprehensive home health care supplies and services
- Training, rehabilitation, special education, and assistive technology devices
- Institutional care in private non-profit, public, and State institutions and facilities and transportation to and from such institutions and facilities (when appropriate)
- Custodial care in conjunction with authorized home health services
Last Modified:January 18, 2011
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