Moving with TRICARE
Following these simple steps can help for a smooth transition to your new area.
Plan Ahead
- Fill your prescriptions to make sure you have enough medication to last throughout your move.
- Schedule routine physicals, well-child care or immunizations before your move.
- Discuss ongoing health issues with your current primary care manager (PCM), family doctor or specialist.
Request Medical Records
- Ask for copies of your medical records before you move. Active duty service members (ADSMs) cannot be charged for medical record copying. All other TRICARE beneficiaries can be billed by the provider for copying medical records.
- Your new military hospital or clinic, PCM or family doctor may request copies of your medical records for you.
Verify Your Information
- Make sure you and your family's information is current in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).
- Correct information in DEERS will prevent problems if you or your family needs care while moving.
- After you move to your new location, do not forget to update DEERS.
Transfer Your Enrollment
Do not disenroll before moving. Once at your new location and you have updated your address in DEERS, you have 90 days to make changes to your enrollment.
Make necessary enrollment changes with Health Net Federal Services, LLC (HNFS) online, by mail or by phone.
- If you are already enrolled in the TRICARE West Region and move within the TRICARE West Region, update your address in DEERS and request a PCM change, if necessary.
- If you are changing TRICARE regions, you can transfer your enrollment online, by mail or by phone.
Your enrollment transfer will be effective the date the request is received.
If you or a family member are registered in the Extended Care Health Option (ECHO), you must notify your current ECHO point of contact so he/she can coordinate your ECHO transfer.
See also TRICARE’s Moving When Deploying page for additional information.
Note: TRICARE For Life beneficiaries are not considered enrolled and only need to update their address in DEERS.
Payments After Moving
Your account must be paid current before your enrollment request will be processed. If moving to a new region and you pay by:
- Allotment – your allotment will transfer with you. Payment is not required to transfer your enrollment.
- Electronic funds transfer (EFT) or recurring credit card (RCC) – your EFT or RCC will not transfer. You must make a payment to HNFS and request a new EFT or RCC. Follow up with your previous TRICARE contractor to stop your previous EFT or RCC.
