TriCare to change payment method

TriCare to change payment method

9/18/2009 By Lance Cpl. Zachary Majors , Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

TriCare Prime will soon require beneficiaries to make their payment electronically. When these changes become effective, TriCare will only accept checks to ensure beneficiaries make their first payment is while establishing electronic payments.

In order to avoid disenrollment because of a late payment, TriCare suggests that beneficiaries make the change as soon as possible. The online payment program allows customers to track their payment history online at any time.

There are two ways to begin automating electronic payments. Payments could be setup as allotments from the sponsor’s retired military pay or as an electronic funds transfer from a financial institution to TriWest.

If a TriCare beneficiary has already setup electronic enrollment fee payments, no action is required, unless the payment is through a bank’s online bill payment program. This is due to the fact that a bank may physically write a check and send it to TriCare, who will no longer accept checks as payments.

To get started with the process of setting up electronic payments, visit TriCare’s electronic pay Web site at www.triwest.com/epay and choose one of two options.

Beneficiaries may choose to pay online or by the mail. To pay online, visit TriWest’s Web site at www.triwest.com and create an online account.

To setup an electronic funds transfer or allotment by mail, visit www.triwest.com and select “Find a Form,” from the links section of the Web site. Download either an allotment form or an electronic funds transfer form. Print out the form, fill it out and mail it to TriWest Healthcare Alliance Group P.O. Box 43590 Phoenix, AZ 85080-3590.

Learn more about making electronic payments by logging on to www.triwest.com/epay or calling 1-888-TRIWEST (1-888-874-9378) between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Ellie