PHOENIX and SAN DIEGO, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- As thousands of National Guard troops activated under Federal orders respond to the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina, TriWest Healthcare Alliance and the TRICARE Regional Office -- West, today announced that they are acting to ensure health care services are readily available for National Guard families, as well as to active duty military families and retirees who have been displaced.
Military families seeking health care in the TRICARE West Region should call 1-888-TRIWEST (888-874-9378) or visit www.triwest.com or www.tricare.osd.mil.
“All needed emergency measures have been implemented and we have complete capability to care for the influx of National Guard families now eligible for TRICARE in addition to the military families or retirees who have sought safety and shelter throughout the 21-State TRICARE West Region,” said Colonel Norman Spector, Chief Operating Officer of the Defense Department’s TRICARE healthcare program in the Western United States.
Emergency measures include assistance with referrals and rapid authorization for care, including facilitating approval with Humana Military Health Services, the TRICARE contractor in the South Region. TriWest also is providing expedited portability enrollment for any beneficiary who is relocating to the West Region, or those who require immediate care, such as expectant mothers.
To reach beneficiaries with TRICARE information and resources, TriWest has deployed a broad communications program in metropolitan areas with shelters, as well as locations where major concentrations of displaced beneficiaries are being relocated such as West Region military bases. Providers in these areas have also been contacted to ensure that they are able to care for increased numbers of military families impacted by the hurricane.
“In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, displaced beneficiaries are arriving in the West Region with physical and mental health care requirements that require immediate attention,” said David J. McIntyre, Jr. President and CEO of TriWest Healthcare Alliance. “We are getting them the care they need now, and will continue to take care of them as long as needed.
About the TRICARE Regional Office -- West
The TRICARE Regional Office -- West (TRO-W) operates under the authority and direction of the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) to oversee the delivery of the military’s integrated health care system for the Department of Defense in the 21-state West Region.
About TriWest
TriWest Healthcare Alliance is a Phoenix-based corporation that partners with the Department of Defense to provide access to cost-effective, high-quality health care for 2.7 million members of America’s military family in the 21-state TRICARE West Region, which is comprised of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and western Texas. For more information, visit www.triwest.com
TriWest Healthcare Alliance
CONTACT: Elizabeth Perrine of TriWest Healthcare Alliance,+1-602-644-8356, eperrine@triwest.com
