Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

By registering at www.tricare-west.com you will be able to check the status of your referrals. You will also get immediate access to authorization letters, explanations of benefits and so much more. The website also allows you to make online payments, check eligibility and claim status, make network-to-network provider changes on approved referrals and more.

If you’re registered on the TRICARE Online Portal Secure Messaging, you can send a message to your primary care manager’s team requesting a new referral. If you aren’t registered, please call the MTF Appointment Line at 701-746-5601 and asked them to send a message to your PCM’s team.

If you’re an active duty member you need to get a referral from the Nurse Advise Line (1-800-874-2273, option 1) prior to seeking civilian care. Active duty need referrals for all civilian care, except when there’s an immediate threat to life, limb or eye sight. Active duty family members, retirees and their family members do not need referrals for urgent/acute care when care is received from a TRICARE authorized urgent care center or a network primary care provider, i.e., family medicine, pediatric or internal medicine provider, however the Nurse Advice Line can help you find a provider/urgent care clinic.

If you’re registered at www.tricare-west.com website, you can check your claims history to see if the claim was filed with TRICARE. If the claim does not appear in the claims history contact the provider’s billing office and provide them your DEERS benefit number (found on the back of your ID card) and ask them to file the claim to TRICARE West Region. If you’re not registered on www.tricare-west.com, you can call the TRICARE West Region contractor, Health Net Federal Services, at 1-844-866-9378 to see why the claim wasn’t paid.

Congratulations! You have 90 days from the marriage / birth / adoption to register your new family member in DEERS. New active duty family members that live in a prime service area (near a military treatment facility will be auto enrolled in TRICARE Prime. If the active duty family member doesn’t live in a prime service area, they will be auto-enrolled in TRICARE Select. You have 90 days from the auto-enrollment date to change to a different TRICARE Plan. If the sponsor is retired, you must enroll the new family member in a plan (Prime or Select).

Active duty family members may enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program by going to milConnect and clicking on the "Benefits" tab or by phone at 1-844-653-4061. If you enroll by the 20th of the month the benefit will be effect the first day of the following month.  Retirees and their family members may choose a dental and/or vision plan the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program at www.benefeds.com. Newly eligible beneficiaries have 60 days from date of eligibility to enroll in FEDVIP or wait until Open Seas. Active duty family members may purchase a vision plan through the FEDVIP.