Certificate of Creditable Coverage automatically issued

Department of Defense Military Health System officials are now automatically issuing a Certificate of Creditable Coverage to any former uniformed services sponsor or family member who loses eligibility for health-care benefits under Tricare. The service began Feb. 1.

Eligibility for Tricare may end as a result of a sponsor's separation from active-duty status, divorce, demobilization if the sponsor is a guardsman or reservist, or when a dependent child reaches age 21 or 23 for full-time students.

For people no longer eligible for Tricare, the certificate serves as proof of previous health-care coverage. It limits the time another health-care plan may exclude them from participating in a health-care plan because of a pre-existing medical condition.

The Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office will mail a certificate for the sponsor or family member within five to 10 days after eligibility has been lost. As long as a current address is on file in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, people may expect to receive the certificate within 30 days.

Sponsors or family members needing to expedite receipt of a certificate may mail or fax a request to the DSO. The request should include the sponsor's name and Social Security number, name of family member(s) for whom the certificate is needed, reason for the urgent request, name and address of the person or organization where the certificate should be sent, and signature of the requester.

The request may be faxed to the DSO at 831-655-8317 or mailed to: Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office (DSO), Attn: Certificate of Creditable Coverage, 400 Gigling Road, Seaside, CA 93955-6771.

Sponsors or family members who have questions regarding the certificate may contact the DSO toll free at 800-538-9552, or TTY/TDD at 866-363-2883. Also, information is available on the Tricare Web site (www.tricare.osd.mil/certificate/index.cfm). (Courtesy of Tricare Management Activity)