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If you have wondered how possible it is to receive
counseling services off post, look no farther. Tricare makes it very easy to
obtain the services you need.
Let me say from the beginning… if you are a dependent, you
do NOT need a referral for counseling. Simply call the place where you want to
receive services and make an appt. It’s that easy. To find the
location, you may look in the phone book under Counseling or Marriage
Counseling, you can do an internet search, you can ask your neighbor, friend, or
coworker if they know of a good therapist, etc. You may also go to the Tricare
website to find a therapist. (Other key words are Counselor or Behavioral Health
Provider). Most therapists in the area take Tricare insurance.
If you are a dependent of an Active Duty Service Member,
or a military retiree, or the dependent of a military retiree, Tricare is the
insurance that provides counseling benefits to you! “Dependent” includes:
- Spouses
- Unmarried children under age 21
- Unmarried children under age 23 who are full-time
students
- Stepchildren adopted by the sponsor
Those who are eligible must be listed in the Defense
Department's worldwide, computerized database, the Defense
Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), a military
database that lists everyone who is eligible for TRICARE benefits. It is
important to make sure your DEERS record is up-to-date.
The off post Behavioral Health Provider (or therapist) will
verify your eligibility before the first appt is scheduled. If the Provider
tells you there is a problem with your DEERS eligibility, you can update DEERS online,
by phone, fax, mail or through the military personnel office. For more
information, check out the DEERS Web
page or call 1-800-538-9552.
If you are a Tricare Prime Active Duty Dependent,
you don’t have to pay anything for your sessions. It doesn’t matter how many
family members need services, it is free.
Tricare Prime Retirees and their dependents have a
$25 copay for each session.
If you have Tricare Standard, and are an Active Duty
Dependent, there is a deductible that you must pay when you first start
your sessions. That means you are responsible for the first $150 (E-5
and above) if only one individual family member goes to counseling. If
there are two or more family members who need services, then you are responsible
for no more than the first $300 (for E-5 and above). If you have Tricare
Standard, and are E-4 and below, then the deductible is $50 for the individual
and $100 for the family. Once you have paid your deductible, you do not have to
pay it again until Oct 1st. Deductibles start over every year on
that date.
Once the deductible is met for the Tricare Standard Active
Duty Dependent, you are responsible for 20% of the allowable charges for the
session. Currently, that amount is less than $15. Since the amount sometimes
changes, it is best to ask the provider before you set up the first appt what
the cost will be.
Some Tricare Standard beneficiaries decide to switch to
Tricare Prime so that they do not have deductibles or copays. You may contact
Tricare to do so. Often the change must be entered into the system before the
20th of the month so that Tricare Prime is effective on the 1st
day of the following month.
Tricare Standard Retired enrollees must pay $150
deductible for the individual and $300 deductible for the family. Co pays are
25% of allowable charges. Currently, that amount is under $20 per session.
Remember, if you want counseling off post, you can have
it! You do not need a referral!
Thank you for your service!
Verna Dority, MSW, a
veteran, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and owner of Carolina Counseling
Services in Fayetteville. CarolinaCounselingServices.com
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