Tricare Prime beneficiaries will soon be able to make limited visits to urgent care facilities without a referral. The Defense Department will launch the Urgent Care Pilot Program on May 23, which will allow Tricare Prime beneficiaries—including Active Duty service members in Tricare Prime Remote, activated Guard or Reserve members in Tricare Prime Remote, and other beneficiaries in Tricare Prime, Prime Remote, or Young Adult-Prime—to make two visits to network or Tricare-authorized providers per fiscal year without a referral or prior authorization from a primary care manager. Tricare Overseas Program beneficiaries traveling in the United States do not need to get a referral for urgent care in the US and are not limited to two visits. The program does not cover Active Duty service members or activated Guard or Reserve members enrolled in Tricare Prime. After visiting urgent care, beneficiaries should call their primary care managers within 24 hours. Visits to urgent care after receiving a pre-authorization from the nurse advice line (1-800-TRICARE, option 1) will not count against the two-visit limit.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.