TRICARE Works Hard to Beef Up Customer Service

 

 By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
 
American Forces Press Service


 ARLINGTON, Va., May 24, 2001 -- In December 1999, TRICARE 
 was facing 30,535 claims still unpaid after 60 days. By 
 March 2001, the grand total rode at four -- a 99.99 percent 
 drop. 
 
 "Our feedback from senior line and enlisted leadership is 
 that the field is reporting far, far fewer problems with 
 TRICARE," said Air Force Col. Frank Cumberland. "Military 
 community town hall meetings used to be all about TRICARE, 
 but now people are more concerned with other quality of 
 life issues. TRICARE is seen as a program that people like 
 -- especially as they have more experience using it."
 
 Cumberland is director of communications and customer 
 service for the TRICARE Management Activity here. He said 
 improvements in claims processing is just one example of 
 TRICARE's commitment to customer service.
 
 "We try to benchmark what we're doing on the customer 
 service side with what's going on in industry," Cumberland 
 said. Compared with civilian health maintenance 
 organization statistics, TRICARE fares well.
 
 The American Medical Association News reported in the Nov. 
 6, 2000, issue that "38 percent of physician practices 
 reported that it takes, on average, more than 45 days to 
 receive payment" on a claim. The same publication had 
 reported in March 2000 that uncontested claims took 
 insurers an average of 69 days to pay.
 
 TRICARE's average turnaround now is 12 days, Cumberland 
 said.
 
 The kick-off of the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Program April 1 
 was "maybe the biggest test ever from a customer-service 
 standpoint," he said. The program added 1.5 million new 
 beneficiaries to the TRICARE system overnight and, by all 
 accounts, went off without a hitch.
 
 The start of the new program was also a huge communications 
 success, Cumberland said. "The communications staff had to 
 work hard ahead of time so people knew what to do on the 
 day the program began," he said.
 
 Officials hope recent improvements to the TRICARE benefit, 
 such as TRICARE for Life, the Senior Pharmacy Program, 
 TRICARE Prime Remote for Family Members and elimination of 
 co-payments for active-duty family members, will have a 
 positive impact on retention as well.
 
 "As individuals sit around the kitchen table and debate the 
 pros and cons of going or staying in the military, we want 
 them to factor TRICARE in," Cumberland said. "The changes 
 that have happened in the past year are as significant a 
 benefit enhancement as anything I have ever seen in the 
 military."
 
 Related Site of Interest: 
TRICARE
 
 
 

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