Behavioral Health Options for Military Couples

July 12, 2010

No. 10-62

FALLS CHURCH, Va. – It’s important for military couples to talk to someone about marital struggles or stress they may be experiencing. Marital, couples and family therapy, often referred to as counseling, are all types of professional behavioral health interventions available to eligible married couples enrolled in TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Prime Remote and TRICARE Prime Overseas. 

            “Military life can often cause stress for couples and families,” said Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, deputy director of the TRICARE Management Activity. “Long deployments, worries about job-related danger, and frequent moves can take their toll. For these reasons, TRICARE considers marital therapy an essential part of behavioral health care.” 
  
            Marital therapy or counseling can be covered by TRICARE Prime when it’s based on a behavioral health diagnostic evaluation by a TRICARE provider. TRICARE Prime-enrolled spouses of active duty service members can seek marital therapy or counseling in the U.S. or overseas as part of the first eight outpatient behavioral health care visits allowed per fiscal year. This can be done without a referral from a primary care manager or prior authorization from their regional health care contractor. Active duty service members need a referral for all behavioral health care received in the TRICARE network.

            Professionals in the TRICARE network authorized to provide marital therapy include psychiatrists, psychologists, certified psychiatric nurse specialists, clinical social workers and certified marriage and family therapists. TRICARE-authorized pastoral and mental health counselors can provide therapy or counseling services under a physician’s supervision.

            After the first eight visits, non-active duty beneficiaries must get authorization from their regional health care contractor to continue treatment. To reduce their out-of-pocket expenses, beneficiaries are encouraged to use a TRICARE network provider.

            Active duty family members enrolled in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Prime Remote can call their regional Behavioral Health Care Provider Locator and Appointment Assistance Line for help locating and making appointments with network behavioral health care providers in their area. The toll-free numbers are: North Region, 1-877-747-9579; South Region, 1-877-298-3514; and in the West Region, 1-866-651- 4970. Hours vary according to region. TRICARE Prime Overseas beneficiaries can get information about host nation providers from their local military treatment facility or TRICARE Service Center. The nearest TRICARE Service Center can be found at www.tricare.mil/overseasTSC.

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The TRICARE Management Activity administers the worldwide health care plan for 9.6 million eligible beneficiaries of the uniformed services, retirees and their families.