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.

Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)

The Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP), working in concert with other military and civilian agencies, is designed to provide a comprehensive, coordinated, multiagency approach for community support, housing, medical, educational, and personnel services to families with special needs such as serious or chronic medical problems, physical disabilities, mental health disorders, or conditions that require intensive follow-up support, early intervention services, or special education services. Delivery of reimbursable and non-reimbursable services is based on legislative and DOD authority and Army policy. Screening, coding, and initial enrollment in the EFMP is managed by the Medical Commands immediately upon diagnosis of an eligible EFMP condition of a family member.

Military Member Enrollment -- Enrollment into the program is mandatory for all active-duty service members with family members who have special needs. Enrollment allows assignment managers to consider the documented medical and special education needs of family members during the assignment process. Every effort is made to assign the sponsor to an area where their MOS is needed and the needs of the family can be met. The goal of the EFMP is to ensure that a sponsor will be assigned to a location where appropriate services exist to support the special needs of the family.

Some Service Members fear they will be held back in their military career or forced to leave the service if a family member is enrolled in the EFMP Program. Enrollment in the EFMP will not prejudice advancement or career opportunities. The sponsor always has the option of accepting an assignment while the family is supported in another location. Although packets submitted for deletion/deferment or compassionate reassignment include EFMP information, enrollment in the program is not grounds for these actions. Information from the EFMP is not available to promotion boards or school selection boards and has no bearing on deployment availability. Enrollment is not an automatic approval of family travel and does not guarantee command sponsorship for dependents or that families will not be separated.

Enrollment should occur prior to the service member coming OCONUS so as to assure that facilities and/or services are available to meet the needs of the EFM. However, if a child is born with a special need or a family member is diagnosed with a special need while OCONUS, enrollment can be initiated from the service member's duty station. It is the responsibility of the service member to keep medical and/or special education needs documentation current as the EFM condition changes and to have the information updated every three years. Family members remain enrolled in the program until a review of the special needs shows that enrollment is no longer necessary. Failure to follow these requirements can result in disciplinary action.

Department of the Army Civilians Enrollment -- When processing for an assignment outside the United States where family member travel is authorized, civilians are required to provide information about exceptional family members so that the employee can be provided with information about local services, for the purpose of ensuring a smooth transition for the family. This information will not affect the employee's selection for assignment.

The Army Community Service (ACS) is the agency responsible for the overall management of the Exceptional Family Member Program. The EFMP Manager at ACS serves as the primary advocate for the Stuttgart community's EFMP enrollees and can assist all military and civilian ID card holders with information on EFMP enrollment and registration processes. The EFMP Manager can assist relocating families with information on medical services, housing concerns, education needs, and community support available in Stuttgart or at the receiving community. The EFMP Manager also chairs the EFMP Committee, which helps coordinate medical, legal, social service assessment, education, housing, treatment and recreation services and activities available within USAG Stuttgart. The EFMP Committee meetings are held quarterly and are open to the public.

For more information on the Exceptional Family Member Program, please call ACS at DSN 314-431-3362; 011-49-7031-15-3362.

For more information on Army Medicine Europe, Stuttgart Health Clinic, Exceptional Family Member Program Clinical Case Coordinator, please call DSN 314-590-1625 or Commercial: 00 49-06371-9464-1625.

For EFMP medical questions and concerns, send an e-mail to the organizational mailbox:

• Army: usarmy.bavaria.medcom-bhc.list.stg-efmp@health.mil
• Air Force: 86fss.efmp@us.af.mil
• Navy/Marines: Lrmc.navy.Info@mail.mil