Health Care

Care is provided by the 8th Medical group with very limited specialty services (Internal Medicine, Orthopedics, OB/GYN, etc.). In those instances where specialty care is needed, you may be medically referred to the 51st Medical Group at Osan AB. Or you may also get a referral from your primary care provider to be seen at an off-base hospital. Kunsan AB has agreements with two local hospitals, Gunsan Medical Center (15 minutes away) and Wonkwang Hospital (45 Minutes away in Iksan).  For more information, please call the 8th Medical group at DSN 782-2273 or 063-470-2273.

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.

Medical Care

The 8th Medical Group at Kunsan Air Base has limited resources.  The Medical Group reserves the bulk of thier capacity to meet the medical needs of the Wolfpack's Active-duty population.  Active-duty members may only bring their dependents with them if they are "command sponsored" and it states so on their orders. If dependents are "command sponsored", they're entitled to full medical care services that are available at Kunsan. Active-duty personnel who bring their dependents on a "non-command sponsored" basis are not guaranteed to receive medical care at our facility. Essentially, this means these beneficiaries are entitled to be seen on a space-available basis and may be denied treatment at the discretion of the Military Treatment Facility (MTF) Commander.

If you choose to bring your dependents to Kunsan, they are not entitled to live on-base, and TRICARE Standard rules will apply to their healthcare needs. While the 8th Medical Group will attempt to meet the healthcare needs of your dependents on a space-available basis, healthcare is by no means guaranteed and cannot be delivered in the same manner as a base where dependents are authorized. If you do choose to bring your dependents to Kunsan Air Base without command sponsorship, you are highly encouraged to contact your local TRICARE office or contact the TRICARE Office at Kunsan Air Base at DSN 782-7385.

If your dependents visit you at Kunsan Air Base for a period of less than 30 days, they must call to update the region to Tricare Select Overseas. Upon return to their original location the region must be changed to reflect their previous region. This process is not automatic and requires the member or the dependent to notify TRICARE.

The 8th Medical Group is neither manned nor equipped to handle the chronic medical conditions of dependents. Care will only be rendered on a space-available basis for acute conditions only. An acute condition is a new medical condition that has not previously been diagnosed by a medical provider.  If your dependents are referred to a host-nation provider for treatment, they will need to pay for their treatment up front. They will then need to submit a claim for reimbursement through TRICARE. Reimbursement will depend on their TRICARE status and whether that course of treatment is covered under that TRICARE plan.  Civilians’ must seek medical assistance off base. There are two primary hospitals downtown, translators are available. Please check with the 8^th Medical Group