FORT BENNING, Ga., (May 20, 2015) -- When a Tricare Prime patient is referred to a specialist more than 100 miles away from the Primary Care manager's office, sometimes travel expenses are necessary to make a successful trip. The good news is the Prime Travel Benefits Program at Benning Martin Army Community Hospital can help eligible patients recoup the actual money spent on reasonable travel expenses such as lodging, gas, meals and parking.

According to BMACH patient travel liaison Scott Baker, PTBP helps patients receive proper reimbursement in an expedient manner. About 645 trips were made during 2014 by Fort Benning patients to see specialists and more than $141,000 was reimbursed through the program to cover reasonable travel expenses.

The stress of how to pay for travel expenses can hinder patients from seeking the care they need, Baker said.

"If money's tight, patients sometimes make decisions based on what the cost is going to be to travel," he said. "The Prime Travel Benefit relieves eligible beneficiaries of that financial burden. They can make educated, informed decisions for themselves and their Family members without worrying about limited funds to travel to the specialist they need to see."

Eligible patients include nonactive duty Tricare Prime enrollees and Tricare Prime Remote Family members who are referred for medically necessary, nonemergency specialty care more than 100 miles (one way) from their PCM's location. Approved nonmedical attendants may also qualify.

The "greater than 100-mile rule" is stated in statute and is nonnegotiable, and travel reimbursement is not authorized for elective procedures or noncovered benefits. Active-duty Soldiers are reimbursed for travel expenses for their own outpatient medical appointments at the unit's discretion; the Prime Travel Benefit does not apply.

Funding for the program is part of the National Defense Authorization Act and government travel rates are used to estimate reasonable cost.

Travel claims are processed through the Defense Travel System. It can take up to six weeks for payment to be processed.

Reimbursement for travel expenses is not automatic; patients must first have a referral to specialty care from their PCM and meet all criteria for eligibility prior to making the trip. Military Treatment Facility enrollees should contact their assigned MTF for Prime Travel program information and claims submission. Beneficiaries with a civilian PCM should contact the Tricare South Regional Office at 1-800-576-0375.

Once eligibility is confirmed, patients can make travel arrangements, go to the appointment and submit required travel documents from their visit with the specialist.

"It's the right thing to do to get eligible patients to a specialist," Baker said. "No one facility can cover the entire human body, as intricate and complicated as it is. There will always be a need for specialty care. This program is in place to help patients recoup their financial loss."

At Martin Army, it takes a whole team working together from referral management to budgeting to make the program work for beneficiaries in need of specialty care out of town, Baker said.

"There's a whole team of folks behind our patients, hoping for the best," he said. Patients feel better when they know people are behind them. We put them on the road to recovery.

For information, visit www.tricare.mil/travelreimbursement or call the BMACH patient travel liaison 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at 762-408-2585.