375th Medical Group striving to ensure access to care amidst staff shortages

1 Dec 2006 | Tech. Sgt. Brian Davidson

The 375th Medical Group is proud of the relationship it has developed with its patients and the quality of care provided. With mandated reductions, shortages of physicians across the Air Force and ongoing deployments in support of the war on terrorism, senior Medical Group leaders have been working overtime to ensure all Team Scott beneficiaries have continued access to the best possible medical care.

Medical Group leaders want to get the word out and correct several inaccuracies reported in the most recent Retiree Report newsletter regarding retirees and TRICARE Plus patients enrolled at the Scott Clinic.

"I think it is fair to tell our TRICARE Plus patients that we are short on Internal Medicine and Family Practice providers and that this situation makes us very concerned about their prompt access to care," said Col. Diane Ritter, 375th MDG commander. "To ensure they have ongoing and timely access to the medical care they need and deserve, we are encouraging our TRICARE Plus patients to move permanently to a civilian Medicare provider."

To that end, TRICARE Plus enrollees will soon receive a letter requesting that they consider transitioning to a civilian Medicare provider. Medical Group leaders expect that a voluntary program can help overcome provider shortages while attempting to prevent the need for the active disenrollment of TRICARE Plus patients from the Scott Clinic.

"Disenrollment, which requires our TRICARE Plus patients to seek care from a network provider, is clearly our option of last resort," explained Col. David Williams, 375th Medical Operations Squadron commander. "We will only resort to disenrolling patients when it becomes absolutely necessary to preserve their safe access to care." The clinic has never had a plan to disenroll all retiree patients, despite the Retiree Report article that indicated the Medical Group will transfer all retirees to the civilian healthcare network by Feb. 1.

"This information was not correct and I want to assure all our TRICARE Prime retiree patients that this is not the case," he said. "We will not be disenrolling our enrolled TRICARE Prime retiree patients to civilian network providers. We just wanted to let our patients know that civilian network enrollment is an option if patients choose it."
Patients with questions about enrollment policies or network providers can visit the TRICARE Service Center or call (877) TRI-CARE (874-2273).

TRICARE Plus patients can get information on local Medicare providers at the clinic's TRICARE Operations Flight or by calling 256-7700. Both service centers are open to walk-in customers from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily.

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