Military Health, Tricare programs - Army Times

Mental health

Each of the services has psychiatrists, psychologists and social workers to help those with mental health and emotional issues. Therapy programs at military installations range from individual, marriage and group counseling to Al-Anon for relatives of alcoholics.

Besides programs offered by the military services, Tricare beneficiaries, including retirees and their dependents, are eligible for civilian outpatient mental health treatment.

Standard and Prime patients may receive up to eight visits of outpatient mental health care without authorization. Prime patients must use network providers.

Professionals whose services are covered by Tricare include psychiatrists, psychologists, psychiatric and clinical social workers, certified marriage and family therapists, and approved mental health counselors. But the mental health provider must be authorized under Tricare, or services will not be covered.

Inpatient mental health treatment in a civilian facility must be preauthorized by Tricare through a Tricare regional contractor. Military hospitals normally do not provide inpatient psychiatric care for family members, although they may in an emergency.

The only people who do not need Tricare pre-authorization are those who use Tricare for Life, because Medicare is the first payer in that program.

Tricare patients who need intensive mental health care but not 24-hour hospitalization are eligible for partial hospitalization under which they are treated in the hospital during the day but go home at night.