30,000 Tricare West Beneficiaries Dropped After Payment Deadline Lapses

In a significant development, thousands of military families in the West Region are set to lose their Tricare health care coverage due to a missed deadline for establishing recurring payments with the system's new contractor. 

TriWest Healthcare Alliance, which assumed administrative responsibilities for the region in January, has confirmed that approximately 30,000 beneficiaries are undergoing disenrollment in a process that commenced on May 1.

Beneficiaries impacted by the recent transition did not establish automatic payments by the April 30 deadline, a stipulation following the transfer from the former contractor, Health Net Federal Services.

 Contractors faced challenges in transferring sensitive payment data, resulting in families needing to manually reestablish payment methods such as credit cards, debit cards, or bank transfers with TriWest.

Families are receiving letters from the Defense Manpower Data Center regarding their retroactive disenrollment, which may be effective as of January 1 if no payments have been made this year. As of the beginning of 2025, individuals are now tasked with the financial burden of covering the complete expenses for any health care services utilized by their family members.

Authorities are advising impacted beneficiaries to take prompt action. Individuals are urged to contact TriWest directly at 888-874-9378 by June 30 to initiate the reinstatement process, submit updated payment information, and settle any overdue enrollment fees.

 Many families continue to face challenges with TriWest’s online portal, coupled with extended wait times when contacting the call center. TriWest has announced plans to increase its workforce and is actively addressing ongoing technical challenges.

The current disenrollment crisis has no impact on individuals enrolled in Tricare for Life, the U.S. Family Health Plan, or overseas Tricare plans. Beneficiaries utilizing allotments established with the Defense Financing and Accounting Service are also exempt, as these payments are processed automatically.

Officials from the Defense Health Agency have announced an extension of a waiver that permits West Region Tricare Prime enrollees to obtain specialty care without prior approval, now valid through June 30. Despite expectations, the deadline for establishing payment arrangements was not extended.

The exact number of the 30,000 individuals who intended to cancel their coverage remains uncertain. In January, TriWest announced that merely 59% of the necessary beneficiaries had submitted updated payment information. In a developing situation, families are confronted with a limited timeframe to secure their military health care, following several extensions of the deadline.