FORT LEE, Va. (July 3, 2014) -- Few if any people enjoy filling out paperwork every time they walk into a doctor's office for a medical appointment or require a prescription from the pharmacy.

That's why military medical facilities like Kenner Army Health Clinic use the DD Form 2560 Compliance Card. It's a convenient way for beneficiaries to show that they've completed the required Third Party Collection/Other Health Insurance paperwork that verifies the type of medical coverage they have, whether it's Tricare or some other brand of insurance.

The Third Party/OHI/Compliance Card form must be filled out once a year, or more often during hospital stays, ambulatory procedure visits (outpatient surgery) or when there is a change in insurance status. Per DOD Instruction 6010.1, all non-active-duty beneficiaries are required to fill out form 2569 whether or not they have other health insurance. When the form is completed, a new compliance card is issued. The card should be presented with a military ID at each visit.

If any beneficiary has received an email message or a yellow postcard in his or her mailbox regarding the compliance card from Kenner, it's likely that the individual's paperwork -- or others within the family -- is not current and needs to be updated.

Updating patient insurance is part of the Third Party Collections Program created by the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1986. This act mandates all military medical treatment facilities to bill health insurance carriers for the cost of medical care provided to active duty family members, retirees and their family members who are covered by other health insurance, even if the patient only has Tricare/Medicare or uses Kenner to fill prescriptions. Kenner Army Health Clinic must comply with this federal law.

Health care is expensive and costs are continuously rising. The law requires all MTFs to recover some of these costs if the beneficiary is covered by a civilian insurance company. The clinic staff understands that health care is an earned service benefit. Billing private insurance carriers will help the medical facility here offset the cost of care and allow for improvements to the quality of service community members receive at KAHC.

Individuals who have other health insurance cannot be billed for any copayments or charges the provider does not cover per COBRA. These amounts may be applied to the deductible, lowering out-of-pocket costs when visiting civilian providers. Insurance carriers, not the insured, are obligated to pay for the costs of care without increasing premiums for care received at military facilities.

Updating Third Party/OHI information is quick and easy. The reminder card and email have directions for completing and returning DD Form 2569. Forms cannot be returned electronically. You can also stop by the Other Health Insurance desk in the pharmacy lobby at Kenner to update this information during your next visit to the clinic.

For further assistance with updating your compliance card or other questions regarding the Third Party Collection Program, stop by the OHI desk or call Amanda Atkinson at (804) 734-9937.