Call TRICARE when receiving urgent care after hours

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VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  When individuals covered by TRICARE need to be seen after hours, they must call 580-249-4471 and give the answering service the sponsor's social security number, name of who is being seen, and what they are being seen for, said Richard Shepard, Humana Military TRICARE Service Center manager at Vance.

"You need to bring a copy of the receipt, sometimes called a super-bill, to the Humana Military TRICARE Service Center in the 71st Medical Group within two business days of the visit," he said.

You may also fax the receipt to the center at 580-237-2515.

"We make sure the referral is completed properly and you don't incur a bill that may eventually cause a credit problem," said Mr. Shepard

The 2011 National Defense Authorization Act will provide for the extension of TRICARE benefits to qualified dependents up to age 26, once the law is signed by the president, said Mr. Shepard.

Once signed into law, the Department of Defense will make every effort to implement the law's provisions as soon as possible, he said. "But it is anticipated that this will take several months."

TRICARE will have to coordinate all the details of eligibility, coverage, costs and design, and develop and test this new benefit before the program can be implemented, said Mr. Shepard.

For more information, contact the Vance TRICARE Service Center at 213-6343, or visit www.tricare.mil/TYA."