TRICARE Information Service Begins Telephone-Based Assistance under New Contract

[CAS3]

TRICARE Information Service Begins Telephone-Based Assistance under New Contract
December 1, 2003
No. 03-25



Telephone service under a new TRICARE Information Service contract begins today, using the existing TRICARE Information Center telephone numbers (888) 363-LIFE, (888) 363-CARE, (877) 363-MEDS, (888) 363-HIPA and (866) DOD-EWEB. Customer service representatives will be available at these telephone numbers Monday through Friday (except federal holidays) from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time to answer TRICARE beneficiary questions.

"We planned for the TRICARE Information Service contract to be operational during the transition to the new health service and support contracts. This centralized telephone service will be a one-stop shop for people who used the TRICARE Information Center in the past and for new users with basic questions about the various TRICARE programs," said Rear Adm. Richard A. Mayo, chief operating officer and program executive officer of TRICARE Management Activity.

An interactive voice response (IVR) feature is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and works with the TRICARE Information Service and offers beneficiaries and providers access to commonly requested TRICARE eligibility information, as well as assistance finding the appropriate partner call center for specific issues. With the TRICARE IVR, callers may request TRICARE information by saying the number of the option they wish to hear about or by using a touch-tone phone keypad. Anyone who has called an airline is probably familiar with how an IVR helps callers get the right information at the right time.

On Sept. 26, 2003, TRICARE Management Activity awarded the TRICARE Information Service contract to Automated Sciences Group Inc., a subsidiary of CACI International Inc. of Chantilly, Va., for the operation of an inbound telephone-based service for the Department of Defense Military Health System that provides basic information to TRICARE beneficiaries on various TRICARE programs and partner call centers. CACI also provides call center and education outreach support for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare Benefits Information Center and has done so for more than a dozen years. The TRICARE Information Service uses an AT&T Corp. telephone system.

The TRICARE Information Service contract provides information to the Military Health System's 8.9 million eligible members, including uniformed services members, retirees, family members and survivors.

[Doc Crow]

I would like everyone to know that I just left TRIWEST Healthcare Alliance the company who is the Prime Contractor for the TRICARE Central Region. They will starting in June Phase In Washington & Oregon and then in July California, Alaska, and Hawaii to fully phase in the TNEX (TRICARE Next Generation. TRICARE is moving from 12 regions to 3. They will be the North run by HealthNet, the South run by Humana Federal Service's and the West run by TriWest. Being a provider relations specialist for 7 years with TriWest I am more then willing to help anyone with problems they may have when using the program. I do want people to expect minor problems with the change over. When TriWest took over what was regions 7 & 8 MCI messed up the toll free number and people were getting a Sex Phone Line needless to say that was a shock for some folks. It only lasted a few days but created some embarrasment for the company. Some of the things that may occur is people not being changed over during transition, delay in claims paymets, authorizations not working properly. As I know it now PGBA Palmetto Benefits Administrators will be processing claims for the North and South Region and WPS or Wisconsin Physicians Service will be processing claims for the West Region. WPS will also be processing claims for TFL TRICARE For Life. If anyone has any problems please feel free to contact me here on the board or at my e-mail at USMCDOC57@AOL.COM. I will be more then willing to provide any assistance.