Military Families
ChynaDholl
member
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Lost and overwhelmed
ChynaDholl
member
I just got a BFP and feel so overwhelmed about getting started with Tricare. We are currently on Prime and I'm not sure if it covers Midwives and if I need to get a referral from the current PCP I have to even see a midwife. Another issue is that DH is returning from his overseas tour in the summer and we will be PCS'ing but I don't know how that will affect this whole Tricare thing. Help anyone?! Please and thank you 
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Re: Lost and overwhelmed
If you are on Prime, Tricare is pretty easy. I just went through all of this recently. Make an appointment with your PCP, you will have either a blood or urine pregnancy test (I just had a urine test). Then they will refer you to an OB/GYN for your first appointment. I had a dating ultrasound at 8 weeks with a doctor at the hospital and then just had another appointment with a midwife at the clinic on base. I was given the choice to go to the clinic with a midwife or stay at the hospital with a doctor. As long as midwives are available, they will be covered. If you want to go out in town for a midwife, then you will have to switch to standard.
As for PCS'ing, if you are moving to another region, once you get there you will call Tricare and switch regions (don't do it until you get there though - that is what the Tricare representative told me). Once you get there, they may try to have you see a PCP again to get a referral to a new OB. When I was pregnant with my first, we moved when I was 36 weeks so I just went into the Tricare office at the hospital and explained I didn't have time to wait for an appointment with the PCP and then OB. They just assigned an OB and let me skip the PCP.
Hope this helps! Good luck and congratulations!
The fact that the out in town civilian clinic accepts Tricare is different than Tricare "letting" you go there instead of the military hospital/clinic. Sometimes if the military facilities are full, you can be refered to a civilian hospital/clinic without switching to standard. But it you just want to choose to go out in town, then you have to switch to standard.
Did you ask Tricare about being allowed to go to that specific location and they ok'ed it? I have not heard of that before but Tricare can be confusing sometimes! As long as they give you permission, you are set.
I had a semi different experience than the pp. When I got my BFP I called my clinic and they brought me in for a blood test. I didn't get an appointment or even a confirmation for about 2 weeks. At this appointment they just prescribed to me my prenatals and then scheduled me for an ultrasound. After the u/s appointment I wasn't seen till I was about 12 weeks and it wasn't even by an OB it was by my primary care dr. They wouldn't let me see an OB till 16 or 20 weeks, I can't remember. At that point I was extrememly frustrated and switched to standard where I am now at a civilian clinic.
To the other poster, if a place says they accept tricare you will need a referral to go there. You get a referral from you dr. I asked for one and was denied because she told me "the military cant afford to send everyone to a civilian dr".