Reminder: Drive-Time waivers required for all non-active duty TRICARE Prime

  • Published
  • By Courtesy of 95th Medical Group
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  As a reminder, all non-active duty TRICARE Prime beneficiaries must complete DOD-required drive-time waivers to avoid automatic enrollment with a civilian Primary Care Manager at an off-base medical facility.

The requirement includes all non-active duty TRICARE Prime beneficiaries living in the Antelope Valley that use the 95th Medical Group/Edwards AFB Clinic as their primary treatment facility.

According to TRICARE even the nearest communities to the base are more than 30 minutes drive from the clinic.

In order to maintain access to care at Edwards TRICARE policy mandates drive-time waivers for beneficiaries residing more than 30 minutes from their enrolled Military Treatment Facility (MTF) to maintain enrollment at the MTF.

Each year, TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) requires that letters be sent to beneficiaries without a drive-time waiver on file. Accordingly, our Managed Care Support Contractor, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, sent letters to affected beneficiaries with specific instructions to complete the drive-time waiver at least 30 days prior to the start of the 1 October enrollment period in order to maintain enrollment at the MTF.

Beneficiaries that did not take action may have been automatically enrolled to a civilian Primary Care Manager (PCM) located within 30 minutes of their residence. These individuals have the option of continuing with the civilian PCM, or completing the drive-time waiver and re-enrolling with their MTF provider.

Beneficiaries wishing to waive the drive-time standard and request a PCM change back to their MTF provider can complete the drive-time waiver and PCM change in person at the TRICARE Service Center located on the 2nd floor of the Edwards AFB clinic. The drive-time waiver and PCM change may also be accomplished on-line through the Beneficiary Web Enrollment application located at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/bwe/indexAction.do.

Once the waiver is completed it remains in effect until the beneficiary changes their status. There is no minimum waiting period for completing the drive-time waiver/PCM change request for those individuals that have been automatically enrolled to a civilian PCM.

The 95th Medical Group remains committed to providing world-class healthcare support, while maintaining our community's comprehensive healthcare needs.

We know this policy provides you with a greater choice of where you receive your care and we hope you will continue to give us the privilege of providing your family's care.

Individuals with questions or concerns regarding their enrollment status can contact TriWest at 1-888-TRIWEST (1-888-874-9378) or the 95th Medical Group Managed Care element at 277-2662/6969.