TRICARE West Region Contract Transition: Frequently Asked Questions

New TRICARE contracts started on Jan. 1, 2025. With this, the West Region contractor changed from Health Net Federal Services, LLC (HNFS) to TriWest Healthcare Alliance (TriWest). HNFS is honored to have provided exceptional service under our West Region contract, and we will continue to do so throughout the transition period.

Learn more:

Who to Contact

Not sure whether you should contact Health Net Federal Services or TriWest?

Visit our West Region Transition Contact Details page

We also offer these printable contact reference guides to help you undertand which regional contractor to contact during the TRICARE contract transition period.

General

Question	Answer
As a TRICARE beneficiary, do I need to do anything?	Visit www.tricare.mil/changes for information on any actions you may need to take. DHA encourages you to check your Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) record to confirm all your information is current. This will help ensure you don’t miss important communications about your TRICARE benefit.

Question

Answer

As a TRICARE beneficiary, do I need to do anything?

Visit www.tricare.mil/changes for information on any actions you may need to take.

DHA encourages you to check your Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) record to confirm all your information is current. This will help ensure you don’t miss important communications about your TRICARE benefit.

Enrollment

Question	Answer
Will I have to re-enroll for my benefits?	No. If you are currently eligible for and enrolled in a TRICARE plan, you should experience no interruption in TRICARE coverage. DHA encourages you to check your DEERS record to confirm all your information is current. This will help ensure you don’t miss important communications about your TRICARE benefit.
Will I have to set up new enrollment payment method with the new contractor?	You will need to contact TriWest directly to set up recurring automatic credit card or EFT information for 2025 enrollment fees or to make annual payments that are due on Jan. 1, 2025 or later. Learn more at www.tricare.mil/west. In order to protect your confidential payment information, HNFS cannot transfer your existing credit card or bank details to TriWest.
When will I get a new wallet card?	TRICARE offers printable Contact Wallet Cards at milConnect for you to download. DHA will be updating this resource, along with other downloadable materials, by January 2025.

Question

Answer

Will I have to re-enroll for my benefits?

No. If you are currently eligible for and enrolled in a TRICARE plan, you should experience no interruption in TRICARE coverage.

DHA encourages you to check your DEERS record to confirm all your information is current. This will help ensure you don’t miss important communications about your TRICARE benefit.

Will I have to set up new enrollment payment method with the new contractor?

You will need to contact TriWest directly to set up recurring automatic credit card or EFT information for 2025 enrollment fees or to make annual payments that are due on Jan. 1, 2025 or later. Learn more at www.tricare.mil/west.

In order to protect your confidential payment information, HNFS cannot transfer your existing credit card or bank details to TriWest.

When will I get a new wallet card?

TRICARE offers printable Contact Wallet Cards at milConnect for you to download. DHA will be updating this resource, along with other downloadable materials, by January 2025.

Continuity of Care

Question	Answer
How will this impact care that I've already scheduled?	TriWest will accept unexpired referrals and pre-authorizations from HNFS through their expiration date or June 30, 2025, whichever comes first. (Autism Care Demonstration referrals/pre-authorizations will be valid through the date issued by HNFS.)
When will I be able to verify whether my doctors will be part of TriWest’s West Region network?	You can view TriWest's network directory at www.tricare.mil/west.
Will I have to pay higher costs to remain with my current doctors?	Your out-of-pocket costs will depend on the TRICARE plan you’re enrolled in and whether your provider chooses to remain a TRICARE provider as a network, non-network/participating, or non-network/non-participating provider. You'll be able to view 2025 costs and fees at www.tricare.mil.

Referrals/Authorizations

Question	Answer
When will HNFS stop accepting referral and pre-authorization requests?	As of Jan. 1, 2025, HNFS is no longer accepting referral and pre-authorization requests. We have transfered any unprocessed requests as of Jan. 1, 2025 to TriWest, as appropriate, for processing.
How do I check the status of my request?	Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, you will need to contact TriWest. Note: HNFS’ Check Authorization Status tool will remain on www.tricare-west.com through Jan. 31, 2025.
Will TriWest honor approvals issued by HNFS?	TriWest will accept unexpired referrals and pre-authorizations from HNFS through their expiration date or June 30, 2025, whichever comes first. (Autism Care Demonstration referrals/pre-authorizations will be valid through the date issued by HNFS.)

Question

Answer

When will HNFS stop accepting referral and pre-authorization requests?

As of Jan. 1, 2025, HNFS is no longer accepting referral and pre-authorization requests. We have transfered any unprocessed requests as of Jan. 1, 2025 to TriWest, as appropriate, for processing.

How do I check the status of my request?

Beginning Jan. 1, 2025, you will need to contact TriWest.

Note: HNFS’ Check Authorization Status tool will remain on www.tricare-west.com through Jan. 31, 2025.

Will TriWest honor approvals issued by HNFS?

TriWest will accept unexpired referrals and pre-authorizations from HNFS through their expiration date or June 30, 2025, whichever comes first. (Autism Care Demonstration referrals/pre-authorizations will be valid through the date issued by HNFS.)

Provider Network

Question	Answer
Will West Region beneficiaries be able to stay with their current providers?	You can access TriWest's provider directory at www.tricare.mil/west to determine if your provider will remain a TRICARE network provider.

Claims

Question	Answer
When will HNFS stop accepting claims?	If the date of service is prior to Jan. 1, 2025, we can accept the claim through April 30, 2025.
How do I check claims status if the claim was submitted to HNFS?	If HNFS processed the claim, you'll be able to use our self-service check status tool through June 30, 2025. You can also call us to check claim status through March 30, 2025.

Last updated: Jan. 1, 2025