Getting Care on Terminal Leave
While on terminal leave, you must remain enrolled in your Prime option either at a military treatment facility (MTF) or with a civilian primary care manager (PCM) based on you final duty station to ensure you remain fit for discharge until your separation or retirement date. If you have any changes in your medical status, you are required to report it to your transition point personnel and your TRICARE Prime enrollment site, either the MTF or if you have a civilian PCM, the Military Medical Support Office (MMSO). If enrolled in TRICARE Prime Remote, MMSO is your point of contact.
Military Treatment Facilities
You may receive care in any MTF regardless of your Service affiliation or enrollment location. You continue to have the first priority for care over all other beneficiary categories at all MTFs.
Urgent Care
If you need urgent care, you must have a referral and authorization from your enrollment site (either an MTF or the MMSO). Contact the MMSO at 1-888-MHS-MMSO (1-888-647-6676).
Routine Care
Routine medical care is only authorized as part of your active health care needs and must be pre-planned and pre-authorized collaboratively with your MTF or MMSO. Contact the MMSO at 1-888-MHS-MMSO (1-888-647-6676).
Veterans' Affairs (VA) Facilities
If you live near a VA medical facility while on terminal leave, you may get routine or urgent care at that facility. As TRICARE network providers, the VA follows TRICARE rules so a referral and authorization is required. You (the active duty service member) must coordinate with your MTF or MMSO (whichever is applicable), who will issue a single pre-authorization to the appropriate regional contractor for you to get routine or urgent outpatient care from the VA facility. The period covered by this preauthorization will be the entire anticipated span of the terminal leave period. The MTF or MMSO will send the pre-authorization to the regional contractor before you leave your final duty station to begin terminal leave. The pre-authorization will not include authorization for any non-VA care.
Overseas
If you are remaining overseas on terminal leave and you need urgent care in the overseas civilian network, you must have a referral and authorization for each episode of care from the MTF where you are enrolled or from to from the TRICARE Overseas Program contractor, International SOS. Click here for country-specific toll-free numbers.
If traveling or returning to the United States while on terminal leave, you should contact International SOS for a referral and authorization to a TRICARE-authorized provider. Contact your Regional Call Center toll-free from the United States for assistance:
- Eurasia-Africa: 1.877.678.1207
- Latin America & Canada: 1.877.451.8659
- Pacific
- Singapore: 1.877.678.1208
- Sydney: 1.877.678.1209
Last Modified:March 28, 2012
