# Emergency Room use by TRICARE retirees



## rockportfulton (Aug 28, 2012)

TRICARE beneficiaries may have noticed new kinds of EMERGENCY CENTERS popping up in their communities. Be forewarned that certain types of free-standing emergency centers that are not affiliated with a hospital may not be TRICARE-authorized.

If a provider such as a free-standing ER is not TRICARE authorized, then TRICARE is prohibited from paying "facility fees." In this type of situation, the beneficiary would be stuck with a big bill.
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"Know before you go!" _

TRICARE defines an emergency department as an organized, hospital-based facility available 24x7 providing emergency services to patients who need immediate medical attention. Beneficiaries who seek care at a free-standing ER need to ask if the facility is affiliated with a hospital-based emergency dept.

If it is not, the beneficiary will need to make a decision about getting care elsewhere or being responsible for facility charges.

Beneficiaries can check if any provider is TRICARE-authorized:

www.tricare.mil/findaprovider


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