Health Care/Special Needs

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:

• PCS & Military Moves on Military OneSource.mil provides comprehensive moving resources, information and services all in one simple location
• Plan My Move, an online tool that helps break down the moving process into clear, customizable steps, with checklists to help keep you organized and on track
• EFMP & Me, an online tool to help you plan for transition and continuity of support services for your family member(s) with special needs

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, or review the Government Assistance Programs course on MilLife Learning.

The TRICARE Extended Care Health Option provides supplemental services to:

• Family members of active-duty service personnel (this includes activated National Guard and reserve service personnel)
• Family members who are covered under the Transitional Assistance Management Program
• Children or spouses of former service members who are victims of abuse and qualify for the Transitional Compensation Program
• Family members of deceased active-duty sponsors while they are considered transitional survivors.

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.

Langley Information:

EFMP consists of three components which includes EFMP-Assignments, referred to as EFMP-A, which processes assignments, applies Q-codes, and assists members and their families with Humanitarian and Reassignment orders. Your local assignments team can be found at the Military Personnel Section.  This is the only location who can provide status updates for Reassignments.  EFMP-Medical (or EFMP-M).  They are primarily responsible for two actions: to oversee enrollment and disenrollment based on DoD criteria and to manage the Family Member Travel Screening and the EFMP-FS component which helps coordinate non-medical support services such as community resources, financial assistance, respite care information and much more.  The EFMP-FS coordinator works together with the Special Needs Coordinator or EFMP-Medical staff located in the Medical Treatment Facility. All three EFMP components have an overarching mission to support our families, but each component has its own respective roles and lanes of operations.

The Exceptional Family Member Program-Medical (EFMP-M), is a multi-service program that is designed to ensure that families with special needs members are stationed near facilities, military or civilian, that can meet and support medical, educational, and other special consideration of their special needs family member. The Special Needs Coordinator (SNC) serves as a liaison between the military member, the losing base and AFPC. The SNC also collaborates with the case manager and various services in the local area. Dependents (family members) that are emotionally, physically, mentally, or educationally challenged are provided support under this program.

The EFMP-M enrolls family members who are between the ages birth-18 years old, legal dependents and enrolled in DEERS. SNI is designed to provide assistance to children, adult dependents, and spouses of eligible military personnel. Personnel arriving with an exceptional family member should contact the Special Needs office upon arrival.  At your initial appointment the SNC will provide you with information about the medical appointment system, referral system and community resources.  You can also be linked to a Case Manager for extra assistance to manage your special needs family member. Community referral process and be offered supportive counseling. EFMP – Medical can be reached at 757-225-5950 or (757-764-6352.

Joint Base Langley-Eustis is in the middle of a community with a large military population, rich in resources suited to meet the needs exceptional family members address of the exceptional needs of many military family members. An exceptional medical need usually means that regular care by a medical specialist is required. An exceptional educational need usually means that a child is in a special education program and has an Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) or a 504 plan. The purpose of the program is to ensure that special educational needs are available locally within the school system.

Special Needs/EFMP is a mandatory military program per DoDI 1315.19 that works to ensure Special Needs family members of active-duty members are not sent to an area where appropriate health care may not be available.  By regulation, military members with an exceptional family member/s are required to enroll in the Exceptional Family Member Program.

Special Needs are divided into three categories:

• General Medical Services (GMS) -- A variety of physiological, psychological, or social conditions of a chronic nature that have been medically diagnosed and require specialized treatment, referred by a medical provider.
• Special Education Services (SES) -- Special instruction designed to meet the unique educational needs of a child. This includes education provided in school, at home, in a hospital or in an institution, and physical and vocational education program. An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) and/or 504 plans are normally required to be considered in this category.
• Medically Related Services (MRS) -- Developmental, corrective and other required supportive services which allows the student to benefit from a special educational program, and which are provided by or under professional medical supervision (i.e., speech, physical and occupational therapy, audiology, dietetics, ophthalmology, etc.) Like the SES category, these must be on the IEP to be considered MRS. Additional services are available to families with children who have qualifying conditions to include moderate or severe intellectual disability, serious physical disability, Autism, an extraordinary physical or psychological condition of such complexity that the beneficiary is homebound.  Family members with a neuromuscular developmental condition and/or multiple disabilities affecting two or more separate body systems.  This service is available through the TRICARE Extended Care Health Options (ECHO) program.  To qualify, member must already be enrolled in the EFMP.

For Eustis Information:

The Army’s Exceptional Family Member Program is a mandatory enrollment program for all Soldiers who have dependents with special needs. The term “special needs” refers to any ongoing condition that requires specialized care or treatment such as asthma, epilepsy, mental health challenges, or children with special education needs.  The regulatory requirements for EFMP can be found in AR 608-75.  The primary purpose of the program is assignment coordination. The EFMP program consists of three components: EFMP Medical, the Military Personnel Branch, and EFMP Family Support.  EFMP Medical is responsible for EFMP enrollments, updates, disenrollments, and overseas screening. Once the enrollment has been completed through EFMP Medical, the Military Personnel Branch is able to consider the medical and educational needs of EFM in the assignment process.  EFMP Family Support is available to assist Soldiers and Families with non-medical community support services.

To complete an EFMP enrollment due to medical needs, a DD form 2792 must be completed by a treating physician.  To enroll for educational needs, school personnel will need to complete a DD 2792-1 and attach a copy of the child’s special education plan.  Once a dependent in enrolled in EFMP, information must be updated every three years or as soon as there is a change in the condition or treatment plan.  Once the necessary paperwork is completed, an appointment will need to be scheduled with the EFMP medical office at McDonald Army Health Center by calling 757-314-7607/7611 or emailing usarmy.jble.medcom-mcach.list.mcahc-efmp-eustis@mail.mil

Families with orders to Ft. Eustis or families who have recently arrived in the area who need assistance in arranging specialty care and services are able to request Medical Case Manager through their PCMs.

For Soldiers who receive orders to an OCONUS assignment and elect to have their dependents travel with them, an overseas screening must be completed.  At Ft. Eustis, these screenings are conducted through the EFMP Medical office at McDonald Army Health Center.  In order to complete the screening, it is necessary to have 2-3 years of medical records for each dependent, unless the dependents are seen at a Military Treatment Facility.  Each dependent must also have a physical not over than a year old.  Additionally, Soldiers will need completed DA forms 5888 and 7246.  Once these requirements have been met, appointments for overseas screening are made by emailing usarmy.jble.medcom-mcach.list.mcahc-efmp-eustis@mail.mil or calling 757-314-7607/7611.