TRICARE: Question One

Published 8 February 8 11:14 AM | William Bruce

We’ve learned from our personnel returning from Afghanistan and Iraq that they and their families need better access to TRICARE services provided by all mental health professionals, including psychiatrists.  A 2007 DOD study rank-ordered physician specialties about their willingness to accept new TRICARE patients:

Click to view:
Click to view the TRICARE Survey Results Chart

Click to view:
Click to view the TRICARE Survey Results Chart

Click to view:
Click to view the TRICARE Survey Results Chart

Click HERE for the full PDF report.

You can see that at least in comparison with other medical specialties, psychiatrists surveyed were the least aware and the least likely to accept new TRICARE patients.  Members of Congress are interested in improving access to care for returning personnel and would like to know the specific reasons psychiatrists do not accept as many TRICARE patients.  Please help us better understand how APA members relate to the TRICARE system by answering the following questions:

  • Do you currently treat patients covered by TRICARE?
  • If so, what percentage of your total patient base isTRICARE patients?
  • Are you currently willing to take on new or additional TRICARE patients?
  • If you are not willing or able, please help us understand why.

Comments

# Vince Blanch and Paul O'Leary said on February 11, 2008 11:57 AM:

We are both resident members of the APA.  I (Vince) am currently a PGY-5 at UK in Lexington KY and Paul is a PGY-3 at UAB.  I see Tricare patients via my involvement in the VA system at least 1.5 days a week.  Paul has never seen Tricare patients previously.  As far as the rest of the answers...we can't comment because there are other factors (outside of our control) that decide who we see and when we see them.  

# Amy Ursano said on February 11, 2008 12:09 PM:

Yes I am willing to take TRICARE but am at a University hospital that determines the specifics of this. Do not know specifically my current percentage. Our clinic and inpatient services have perceptions historically (cannot comment if accurate or not) that reimbursement is quite low, that it is difficult to get authorization/precert that there is not much flexibility in the system. For example if patient comes to our emergency clinic and our staff precerts visit thinking a certain attending is on call, but when patint arrives, another attending is available, we may not be able to transfer precert or may not get reimbursed. From an inpatient perspective, these cases seem to come up for peer to peer review more commonly than other insurance. Again, I do not know the reality of this but these are common perceptions held by our faculty.

# Jeffrey Akaka, MD said on February 12, 2008 8:51 AM:

I work at a CMHC, and take care of veterans, even if they have tricare, from which I don't know specifically if we get reimbursed.  

Comments from colleagues uniformly have been that tricare is extremely difficult to work with due to the hassle factor.

# Sandra C. Walker, MD said on February 12, 2008 9:50 AM:

I am not currently seeing Tricare patients, although my private practice is open to new patients, including Tricare patients.  In the past, I have had frustrations with Tricare with regard to low reimbursement rates and slow Tricare payment.  I haven't had Tricare patient referrals recently.  I practice in downtown Seattle (First Hill), which may not be convenient for military families.  I am also not in the Tricare network, if there is one.  I would like more information on Tricare.