TRICARE Offers PTSD Assistance

[rainvet]

http://www.navycompass.com/news/newsview.asp?c=171424

Saturday, October 29, 2005

TRICARE Offers PTSD Assistance

Friday, October 28, 2005

By TRICARE

Exposure to extreme psychological trauma, such as combat, serious accidents or natural disasters, can cause a medical condition called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
Symptoms for PTSD can develop and continue long after the traumatic event is over and the danger has passed. Frequently, an individual’s attempts to control symptoms are unsuccessful, leading to feelings of incompetence or being out-of-control.
Some common PTSD symptoms include; persistently re-experiencing the traumatic event (nightmares, flashbacks, hallucinations, delusions); experiencing persistent symptoms of increased arousal not present before the trauma (irritability, agitation, difficulty concentrating, exaggerated startle response); making efforts to avoid stimuli associated with the trauma and exhibiting numbing of general responsiveness (avoiding talking about the trauma, less interest in past enjoyable activities, isolation or detachment).
PTSD can cause problems for combat veterans returning home and for their family members.
Veterans may feel threatened even though safe in their own homes. They may avoid doing things they previously enjoyed with their family because places or situations resemble traumatic events they’ve experienced.
Family members may misunderstand the changes in the behavior of their loved ones and think that they are responsible.
Those on active duty are sometimes reluctant to seek treatment because of perceived barriers. They may believe they would be seen as weak, that unit leadership might treat them differently, that members of their unit might lose confidence in them, or that seeking treatment could hurt their career.
It is most important for service members and their families to know that effective treatment can lessen the symptoms of PTSD and help the service member reintegrate back into his or her home.
TRICARE offers help for beneficiaries with PTSD in its comprehensive behavioral health care coverage for medically necessary services.
To save money, beneficiaries are encouraged to seek behavioral health care from a military treatment facility (MTF), when available, or from a TRICARE network provider. Special referral and authorization requirements are in place for behavioral health care services.
Active duty service members must receive behavioral health care services at an MTF when available. If the services are not available there, the MTF can refer the active duty service member to a civilian provider. If enrolled in TRICARE Prime Remote, they may receive authorization from their Service Point of Contact for civilian behavioral health care.
A TRICARE Prime Beneficiary (other than active duty service members) may receive the first eight behavioral health outpatient visits, per fiscal year from a TRICARE network provider without a referral from the primary care manager (PCM) or prior authorization from TriWest. After the first eight visits, the provider must receive prior authorization from TriWest. These rules also apply to beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Prime Remote for Active Duty Family Members.
Beneficiaries using TRICARE Extra or TRICARE Standard may receive their first eight behavioral health outpatient visits per beneficiary, per fiscal year without prior authorization from the regional contractor. After the first eight visits, the provider must receive prior authorization from TriWest. Beneficiaries are encouraged to obtain care from a TRICARE network provider to reduce their out-of-pocket expenses under the TRICARE Extra option.
For more information about treatment options, providers, or prior authorization requirements, contact TriWest at 1 (888) TRIWEST (1 (888) 874-9378). TRICARE benefit information can also be found at www.triwest.com and www.tricare.osd.mil.
Information about PTSD can be found on the National Center for PTSD web site at www.ncptsd.org.
Service members and family members may go anonymously to the Military One Source web site at www.militaryonesource.com or the National Military Family Association web site at www.nmfa.org for resources and information on PTSD and other service-related issues.

http://www.prleap.com/pr/17433/