One of the many Tricare questions I’m asked is “how does it work overseas?”
Luckily, Tricare overseas is not as confusing as it first appears to be.
Many aspects are very similar to the program in the United States.
Here you will find a quick and easy-to-read guide that covers many Tricare Overseas questions!
Understanding the Regions
There are 3 main Tricare Overseas regions.
Eurasia-Africa
Latin America and Canada
Pacific
How to enroll
Enrolling in Tricare Overseas is very similar to the US plan enrollment.
There are 3 options when initially enrolling in Tricare Overseas.
(For more information on switching your region, check out this blog post.)
Online
Sign in to the MilConnect website and follow the BWE (Beneficiary Web Enrollment) tab.
Here you can update your Tricare enrollment plan and mailing address.
Make sure you choose the corresponding Overseas option when enrolling.
Over the Phone
Call the number for your area to enroll over the phone.
Eurasia-Africa Area: +44-20-8762-8384
Latin America and Canada Area: 1-215-942-8393
Pacific Area: +65-6339-2676
For Prime and Prime Remote:
Mail this enrollment form along with a copy of your orders to the mailing address below.
International SOS Assistance
TOP Prime Enrollments
P.O. Box 11520
Philadelphia, PA 19116
For Select:
Mail this enrollment form along with a copy of your orders to the mailing address below.
International SOS Government Services
TOP Select Enrollments
P.O. Box 11689
Philadelphia, PA 19116
Plan Options
Tricare Prime Overseas
This is very similar to Tricare Prime in the United States.
You are assigned a PCM that manages most of your health care at a military hospital of clinic.
Any other specialty care you need is provided by an outside doctor via a referral. This is done through International SOS (the contracted medical company).
Tricare Prime Remote Overseas
This is very similar to Tricare Prime Remote in the United States.
You may have an assigned PCM, also known as a Purchased Care Sector Provider, that manages most of your health care.
If you are not assigned a PCM, you work with International SOS in arranging and handling all of your medical needs.
Tricare Select Overseas
This is very similar to Tricare Select in the United States.
You are not assigned a PCM. This plan is a self-managed option, but you still MUST enroll for this option, otherwise nothing will be covered.
You are responsible for paying for any deductibles, annual fees, and copayments each year. Expect to pay up front for care and receive a reimbursement once you’ve filed a claim.
You can get an idea of costs and fees here.
Point-of-Service Option
If you are enrolled in one of the Prime plans, you can use a Point-of-Service option to receive additional care without getting a referral.
Getting Help
Tricare Overseas has a Point of Contact Program (aka POC) to help assist you and answer any questions you may have about covered services, how to get services, and more.
There are regional call centers and Tricare Area Offices (TAO) that cover every region.
Eurasia/Africa Area
Regional Call Center: +44-20-8762-8384
Regional Call Center (toll free from the US): 1-877-678-1207
Tricare Area Office (Commercial): +49-(0)06371-9464-2999
Tricare Area Office (toll free from the US): 1-888-777-8343
Latin America and Canada Area
Regional Call Center: 1-215-942-8393
Regional Call Center (toll free from the US): 1-877-451-8659
Tricare Area Office (Commercial): 1-210-536-6080
Tricare Area Office (toll free from the US): 1-888-777-8343 , option 2
Pacific Area
Tricare Area Office (Commercial): +81-98-970-9155
Tricare Area Office (toll free from the US): 1-888-777-8343
Singapore Call Center
Regional Call Center: +65-6339-2676
Regional Call Center (toll free from the US): 1-877-678-1208
Sydney Call Center
Regional Call Center: +61-2-9273-2710
Regional Call Center (toll free from the US): 1-877-678-1209
What providers can I see?
When you have Prime Overseas, all providers you are referred to will be in-network.
In-network simply means that they accept and work with Tricare to cover your expenses.
If you do not have a PCM and you have Prime Remote Overseas, you can find in-network providers here at no cost to you.
You can search by region, country, and location.
If you have Select Overseas, you can search for all in-network providers here. Expect to pay for all costs out-of-pocket, and receive a reimbursement after your claim is filed.
Do you still have more questions? Reach out to me and I’ll gladly help you find answers!
