Where To Get Emergency Care With TRICARE (East Region)

This article contains information specific to beneficiaries living in the East RegionAlabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa (Rock Island area), Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri (St. Louis area), New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas (excluding El Paso area), Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.. Check the map to find your region.

If you or someone in your family needs emergency care, it’s important to go to the nearest place that can take care of emergencies. When you have TRICARE, it’s also important that you seek emergency care at a hospital emergency roomThe hospital department that provides emergency services to patients who need immediate medical attention. (ER) instead of a freestanding ER.

For coverage, TRICARE considers an ER as part of a hospital. It must be open 24/7. TRICARE will help pay for care you get in a hospital ER if you have a very serious or dangerous health issue that needs quick attention.

A freestanding ER, which stands alone and isn’t part of a hospital, offers emergency care too. But TRICARE won’t pay for the full cost of treatments here because it’s not a TRICARE-authorized place for care. If you go to a freestanding ER, TRICARE may pay for services your doctor performs (such as the exam itself) if the doctor is TRICARE-authorized and meets TRICARE rules.  However, you will have to pay for other fees the freestanding ER charges, referred to as “facility fees” (which can be thousands of dollars).

Learn more about TRICARE emergency care coverage.