Health Care

The 81st Medical Group operates one of the largest Air Force medical facilities in the Air Force. Its primary mission is to maintain medical readiness for worldwide contingencies by providing quality, cost-effective health care for more than 22,000 enrollees, including almost 4,500 active-duty members. In addition, the 81st MDG Commander is the Defense Health Agency’s Coastal Mississippi Market Director, coordinating care for 46,000 eligible beneficiaries along the Gulf Coast. The Commander also partners with the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System on joint venture initiatives to serve 70,000 Veterans.

When you move, TRICARE moves with you. No matter where you go in the world, TRICARE is there before, during and when you get to your next duty station.

There are steps you need to take to make sure changes to your TRICARE coverage go smoothly. Understand that when you move, you may have to use a different TRICARE option. Visit TRICARE Moving to learn more.

Before you move, you should take care of any routine medical needs, including immunizations, and fill your prescriptions so you have enough while traveling. If you need care during your move, visit TRICARE Getting Care When Traveling to learn what to do.

Filling prescriptions while traveling

You should refill prescriptions before traveling. But if you run out of a prescription drug while traveling, visit TRICARE Filling Prescriptions When Traveling.

Getting dental care while traveling

Getting dental care while traveling depends on your location and whether you are a service member or family member.

• If you are an active-duty service member within the United States or in U.S. territories, and near a military installation, you may be able to get emergency dental care at the dental treatment facility, or DTF, if available. If not, contact the TRICARE Active Duty Dental Care Program before you see a dentist and tell the contractor about your move. You will need to get an authorization before you see a dentist. The Active Duty Dental Care Program will work with you, so you can get care from a local network dentist.
• If you are an active-duty service member at an overseas location, call the TRICARE overseas regional call center to get authorization before you see a civilian dentist.
• If you are an active-duty family member within the United States, in U.S. territories or at an overseas location, you can find out if any nearby military dental treatment facility treats active-duty family members. If you're enrolled in the TRICARE dental program, call the TRICARE dental program contractor or visit their website to find a provider. You will need to get an authorization before you see the dentist.

With permanent change of station orders, ask for a copy of your medical and dental records from your military treatment facility and the dental treatment facility. Do this at least one month before your PCS date. The MTF should also transfer a copy of your record and any family records to your new duty station or you may be able to hand carry them to your new duty station.

If you want someone else to be able to get medical or dental information on you or your family while you are moving, you need to complete a DD Form 2870, "Authorization for Disclosure of Medical or Dental Information."

For more information on getting copies of medical records, visit TRICARE Request Copies of Medical Records.

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Beneficiary enrollment website at: https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/bwe/indexAction.do

The 81st Medical Group operates one of the largest Air Force medical facilities in the Air Force. Its primary mission is to maintain medical readiness for worldwide contingencies by providing quality, cost-effective health care for more than 22,000 enrollees, including almost 4,500 active-duty members. In addition, the 81st MDG Commander is the Defense Health Agency’s Coastal Mississippi Market Director, coordinating care for 46,000 eligible beneficiaries along the Gulf Coast. The Commander also partners with the Gulf Coast Veterans Health Care System on joint venture initiatives to serve 70,000 Veterans.

The medical center offers almost 60 services and education programs and maintains partnerships with Tricare (the DoD's health management plan), the Biloxi VA medical center and several local hospitals.

Keesler Medical Center opened its Family Birthing Center unit in 2007. The Family Birthing Center (FBC) provides mothers with the comfort to labor, deliver, recover and spend post-delivery time in the same room. Newborn safety is heightened with a cutting-edge infant monitoring and security system. The FBC offers large, airy rooms filled with light, decorated with pastel colors and have wood floors. The medical equipment in the rooms is state-of-the art. Each has a TV and DVD player. Most important to mothers, the birthing center rooms have private bathrooms and each room has its own coastal theme.

Babies stay with their mothers most of the time. However, the unit also includes a transitional nursery for newborns requiring a bit more attention after delivery. In addition to the delivery rooms, there are also antepartum rooms for expectant mothers who experience medical problems early in their pregnancies, and two operating rooms for Caesarian deliveries.

Medical Care

Medical care services are offered on a priority basis. First priority of care is to active duty military. Second priority is to family members of active duty, with retired military and family members of retired military following in the eligibility chain.

In addition to the Keesler AFB medical facility, there are several hospitals in the area.

Appointments/Referrals

Beneficiaries are required to obtain a referral or authorization from their primary care manager before seeking care outside of a military treatment facility. Out-of-pocket costs can be substantial if a TRICARE Prime enrollee seeks medical care outside the TRICARE network of MTF and contracted providers. (Added expenses also may be incurred if a patient sees a network provider without first receiving proper authorization.)

Patients should call 800-700-8603 to make an appointment with their PCM and obtain an authorization or appointment from the Referral Management Center if necessary. After receiving a referral from the PCM, please wait for a phone call from the Referral Management Center or a letter from Humana Military Health Services.

To contact the Referral Management Center for referral information, you may call 228-376-6177. Patients may also contact Humana about the status of a network referral at 1-800-444-5445.