Does Your Military Provider Dismiss Your Symptoms? Here's an options for you.
If you are experiencing pain, have an acute issue, and your military provider is dismissing you, civilian emergent care is a resource available to you, and TRICARE covers your visit.
As you navigate the demands of service or prior service and how it has challenged your health, we want to ensure you know what resources are available to you so you can learn more about your body, support your health, and begin to heal.
Your Emergent Care Options
Civilian emergent care is a resource available to you, and TRICARE covers your visit.
Why would you need civilian emergent care? Likely, for one of two reasons:
You are in an extreme medical emergency and need to go to the closest facility rather than the base emergency.
You’ve visited sick call, had a doctor’s visit, or been to base emergency, and you don’t feel you’re getting the care you need — you continue to have the same pain and acute symptoms.
I’ve used civilian emergent care three times in my career. Twice — because it was the closest option for me. Once — because it was the closest option to me and, by that time in my career with the experiences I’d had with sick call and medical, I knew I’d receive the care I needed to figure out what was going on. And I did.
Some context: I thought my appendix had burst — that was the level of pain I was experiencing and why I needed to go to the closest facility. The doctors, thankfully, did their due diligence and ordered a CT Scan. Turns out I had a 10-cm cyst (endometrioma) wrapped around my uterus.
I took all my documentation to Navy medical and they streamlined my care in a way I’d never experienced before. We didn’t have to go through the trial-and-error of slow-rolling tests, exams, and appointments.
After that experience, I had the revelation that the civilian emergent care and Navy medical combo saved me a lot of stress and a lot of emotional, mental, and physical pain.
Later, after a sailor on my ship told me about the pain they were experiencing and shared that they weren’t getting the care and concern they needed from sick calls over several months, I started strategically sharing this option with others and educating them on TRICARE coverage.
And now I’m sharing it with you.
Here is a portion of TRICARE’s Emergency Care Policy:
Type of Emergency: Medical
Description: The sudden and unexpected onset of a medical condition or the acute exacerbation of a chronic condition that:
Threatens life, limb, or eyesight
Requires immediate medical treatment
Manifests painful symptoms requiring immediate response to alleviate suffering
Learn more about TRICARE’s Urgent Care Policy.
I hope you are receiving compassionate care, and this is not an option you feel you need to explore; however, if you are not receiving that level of care, know that you have options and avenues to receive the care you deserve.
READ:
3 Powerful Strategies to Self-Advocate in Your Medical Appointments
As you navigate the demands of service or prior service and how it has challenged your health, we want to ensure you know what resources are available to you so you can learn more about your body, support your health, and begin to heal.