Page 8 - March ARB Beacon 4-22-16

T8RICARE April 22, 2016 mental www.aerotechnews.com/marcharb
facebook.com/TeamMarch
improves
health care, treatment
by TRICARE Staff

FALLS CHURCH, Va. (AFNS) -- People in In addition, the 150-day limit on residential
distress may hesitate to reach out for help due to treatment care for beneficiaries under 21 years old
perceived stigma associated with seeking mental has been removed. Although medical determina-
health treatment. This perception and the belief tion is still required, there is no day limit.
that care may be hard to get, may prevent some
people who need care from getting it. TRICARE If you or someone you know requires mental
has worked hard to eliminate potential barriers to health care, get help. If you believe emergency care
mental health care by removing day limits for cer- is required, you can get emergency psychiatric care
tain mental health services. without pre-authorization. However, you must get
authorization within 72 hours of admission and the
When a mental health condition requires more 72 hours starts the day after admission.
intensive treatment than outpatient care, partial or
full-time hospitalization may be required. The in- Medical or surgical care does not and has not
patient psychiatric hospitalization benefit was lim- historically had day limits on care. Now, thanks to
ited to 30 days per benefit year for adults and 45 the federal mental health parity law, which requires
days for children or adolescents. You could request that mental health benefits be equal to medical or
a waiver for additional treatment days if needed. surgical healthcare benefits, the same is also true
for mental health care. For more information about
However, inpatient mental health hospital servic- mental health coverage, visit http://www.tricare.
es, regardless of length or quantity, may be covered mil/CoveredServices/Mental/Treatments.aspx.
as long as the care is considered medically or psy-
chologically necessary and appropriate. Likewise,
the psychiatric partial hospitalization benefit previ-
ously had a 60 day per benefit year limitation that
could be extended with a waiver. This 60-day limi-
tation has been removed to ensure that beneficiaries
receive care for as long as needed.

“CAR PAYMENTS SO LOW

I COULD AFFORD A TRUCK.”

Alturacu.com/VincentsStory

Federally Insured by NCUA.

Follow us on

www.Alturacu.com | 866-571-5091