ASSOCIATION OF THE UNITED STATES ARMY

As the Tricare Online patient portal is decommissioned, beneficiaries who want to keep a copy of their legacy health records must download them by April 1.

“All military hospitals and clinics have transitioned to MHS GENESIS. We encourage you to take these important steps to save your personal health records before the TOL Patient Portal decommissions,” Navy Rear Adm. Tracy Farrill from the Defense Health Agency said in a Tricare news release.

Service members can now sign up for health care flexible spending accounts for the first time, according to a Tricare news release.

“An HCFSA is a new benefit for service members,” according to the news release. “It’s a financial tool that allows you to set aside pre-tax earnings to pay for eligible medical, dental, and vision health expenses.”

In a letter to Tricare beneficiaries in the West Region, the director of the Defense Health Agency offered several steps to troubleshoot the transition to the new contractor, TriWest Healthcare Alliance.

Beneficiaries who use Tricare in the West Region now have more time to update their payment information.

On Jan. 1, TriWest Healthcare Alliance became the new West Region contractor, replacing Health Net Federal Services. Tricare also moved six states from the East Region to the West Region—they are Arkansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin.

Humana Military remains the contractor for the East Region.

New military parents could benefit from more accessible mental health care during pregnancy and postpartum, according to a study from the JAMA Network.

“Pregnancy and the postpartum period are particularly risky times for parents’ mental health,” the study found. “Despite higher risk, parents’ use of mental health services is low,” and service members face “increased risk of mental health difficulties and [underuse] mental health services absent parenthood.”

Until Dec. 10, military retirees and eligible beneficiaries who use Tricare can enroll in or make changes to their health care coverage.

Beneficiaries who use Tricare Prime, Tricare Select or the U.S. Family Health Plan can stay on their plan, enroll in a plan or change plans. Changes go into effect Jan. 1.

Veterans and caregivers will have easier access to military installations under a new partnership between the defense and Veterans Affairs departments, DoD announced in a news release.

Beginning Nov. 11, military retirees and eligible beneficiaries who use Tricare can enroll in or make changes to their health care coverage.

Tricare open season, which runs through Dec. 10, allows beneficiaries who use Tricare Prime, Tricare Select or the U.S. Family Health Plan to stay on their plan, enroll in a plan or change plans. Changes go into effect Jan. 1.

Military caregivers need more tailored support that reflects their needs, according to a new Rand Corp. report.

“We call [caregivers] hidden heroes,” Rajeev Ramchand, co-director of the Rand Epstein Family Veterans Policy Research Institute, said during the Elizabeth Dole Foundation’s National Convening on Military Caregiving on Sept. 24. “We call them this because we truly believe that they're really the backbone of our national security, but oftentimes their service is hidden, unrecognized and undervalued.”

The Defense Department announced seven initiatives to improve quality of life for service members and their families in a Sept. 13 memorandum.

"Early in my tenure as secretary of defense, I made taking care of our people a top priority," Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said in the memorandum. "Doing right by our all-volunteer joint force and their families is a core readiness issue.”