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Contact information for key programs and services at this installation.
Health care and other services for families with special needs are available and accessible to military families across all installations. It’s important to know that programs and services may vary from installation to installation. Make sure to contact your health care provider(s) before your move. Also make sure you know how to reach them during and after your move in case of emergencies.
Whether this is your first move, or you’re a seasoned professional, moving can be a challenge. A little planning and preparation can help make your move as easy as possible. Try the following Defense Department resources to help you get organized:
Make sure your transition is as smooth as possible by visiting Moving on the TRICARE website. Talk to your medical case manager before you move. They can help you find a new doctor and other resources to avoid any interruptions in coverage.
On arrival at your new duty location, you or your sponsor can contact the Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinator at the military treatment facility. They can help if you have questions or need assistance with authorizations for TRICARE Extended Care Health Option, or ECHO, services.
All TRICARE regional offices and most military treatment facilities are staffed with beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinators who educate beneficiaries and help with TRICARE-related eligibility, enrollment, referrals/authorizations and claims processing questions. If you or your family has more complex needs, contact your TRICARE case manager.
TRICARE debt collection assistance officers are assigned to regional offices and military treatment facilities worldwide. DCAOs assist with confirmed debt collection due to unpaid TRICARE claims. Please note, the debt must be in collections or listed on your credit report.
Medicaid provides health coverage for eligible individuals and families with low incomes or with special needs. The department of social services or the department of medical assistance may administer the Medicaid program in your state. Supplemental Security Income is a cash assistance program intended to assist adults and children with special needs who have limited resources. Families must reapply after moving to a new state.
Medicaid waivers are state-specific Medicaid programs that provide funding for long-term care services to be provided in the community instead of in nursing homes or hospitals. There may be waitlists for waivers, however many states have agreed to the policy of allowing active-duty military families to enroll in their state of legal residence to get on the wait list.
Learn more about Benefits for Families With Special Needs.
The TRICARE Extended Care Health Option provides supplemental services to:
The qualifying family member’s disability must be entered properly in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System to have access to TRICARE ECHO services.
For qualifying medical and/or educational special needs, TRICARE ECHO offers integrated services and supplies beyond those offered by your TRICARE program option (such as TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select). See this TRICARE ECHO factsheet for more information, or listen to this TRICARE ECHO webinar on Military OneSource.
Military hospitals and clinics are found at military bases and posts around the world. They are also referred to as military treatment facilities. Before you move, find out your new military treatment facility and contact them for local information.
Medical case management involves a team of health care professionals who help you and your family find solutions to complex health problems. It is important to let your medical case manager know if you are moving. They can help you connect with a medical case manager at your new location. Learn more about TRICARE case management services.
If your family member has special transportation needs for the move, such as oxygen or a special bed or wheelchair, contact your TRICARE medical case manager. They can advise you on equipment and transportation.
You can also contact your current installation’s household goods/transportation office (outbound) for information on special procedures for transporting medical equipment.
Enterprise EFMP (E-EFMP)
All EFMP enrollment and Family Member Travel Screening (FMTS) actions have moved to Enterprise EFMP (E-EFMP), a new and improved system that facilitates communication, allows for individualized guidance from the medical EFMP office, and allows service members to track all aspects of their EFMP actions.Current and prospective EFMP customers must register in the E-EFMP https://efmp.army.mil/EnterpriseEfmp/ to initiate any EFMP request. The E-EFMP site may be accessed via DS Logon (family members and service members) or CAC (service members and other CAC holders). Once signed in, click on “Begin New Package”. Service members with adult dependent family members (18 years and older) will need to request a DS Logon account at https://myaccess.dmdc.osd.mil/ for adult family members to access E-EFMP and sign their own documents. Using their CAC Card to log in, the service member should click on the Relationships tab, select the specified adult family member, and request a DS Logon for that family member. The family member will receive an email with PIN (typically an hour or more after request) to create their own DS Logon. If unable to create DS Logon, please contact DMDC help line at 1-800-368-3665 for further assistance. Additionally, please ensure that the information for your adult family members is accurate on MilConnect/DEERS (https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/) and that family members have a valid email address.
The regulations for Public Law (P.L.) 101-476, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), define a learning disability as a "disorder in one or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using spoken or written language, which may manifest itself in an imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or to do mathematical calculations."
The Federal definition further states that learning disabilities include "such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia." According to the law, learning disabilities do not include learning problems that are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; mental retardation; or environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Definitions of learning disabilities also vary among states.
Having a single term to describe this category of children with disabilities reduces some of the confusion, but there are many conflicting theories about what causes learning disabilities and how many there are. The label "learning disabilities" is all-embracing; it describes a syndrome, not a specific child with specific problems. The definition assists in classifying children, not teaching them. Parents and teachers need to concentrate on the individual child. They need to observe both how and how well the child performs, to assess strengths and weaknesses, and develop ways to help each child learn. It is important to remember that there is a high degree of interrelationship and overlapping among the areas of learning. Therefore, children with learning disabilities may exhibit a combination of characteristics.
The Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center Equal Employment Opportunity office http://www.dla.mil/EEO.aspx provides the following services to its employees with disabilities:
DLA Employee Assistance Programs
A good source for information about Special Needs/EFM is Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which provide information, and help employees find local services quickly.
The parents of children with special needs face a number of unique challenges. If your child has been diagnosed with a special need, Employee Assistance Program or DLA employee benefits, can provide information, and referrals to support you and your family, including:
A searchable provider database, instant access to specialists, interactive tools and calculators, and personalized news are just a few of the services available to help manage major life events such as having a baby, going to college, caring for an aging loved one, or planning for retirement.
Services are personalized and are available 24/7. DLA Life Connections and Employee Assistance Program are employer paid benefits and services that are free to DLA employees; call 1-866-580-9046 or TTY 1-800-873-1322 for more information. Both are available online: