Lackland Air Force Base, Texas –
How many times have you become frustrated when you called the Consult and Appointment Management Office at 916-9900 to schedule an acute appointment only to be told, "Sorry, there aren't any more appointments available today, please call back tomorrow."
Relief should now be a telephone call away.
The 59th Medical Wing and 37th Medical Group have implemented agreements with several local urgent care centers: Community Medicine Associates; Boerne Urgent Care Center; and Little Spurs Urgent Care Center (pediatric only).
Starting immediately, if there are no acute appointments left at Kelly Family Medicine, Bowie Family Medicine, Brooks City-Base Clinic, Camp Bullis Clinic, the North Central Federal Clinic or Wilford Hall Medical Center Pediatric Clinic, patients will be offered the opportunity to visit one of the local urgent care centers.
This service is available only to TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Plus beneficiaries enrolled/empanelled to any of the 37th MDG primary care clinics or the WHMC Pediatric Clinic.
This service is currently not available to active-duty members. Active-duty members should visit the clinic where they are enrolled, and sign in for active-duty sick call.
Sign in for sick call is from 7:15 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. on normal duty days at Kelly Family Medicine, Bowie Family Medicine and coming soon to the Brooks City-Base Clinic.
Eligible beneficiaries who choose to go to an urgent care center will be given the center's telephone number, address and driving instructions by the CAMO appointment clerk. The clerk will also give a five-digit authorization number. Individuals will need to provide that number to the urgent care center staff when checking in. There is no need for an appointment.
Depending on the individual's beneficiary category, there may be a co-pay for the visit. Active-duty family members will not have a co-pay for the service. Additionally, TRICARE Plus enrollees will have no co-pay when using Medicare and their TRICARE For Life benefit. It is the individual's responsibility to inform the urgent care center of this coverage.
However, retirees and retiree family members will incur a $12 co-pay associated with the visit. The co-pay is due the day of the appointment.
For more information about the urgent care referral process, call Capt. Laura Hurst at 292-4557 or the 59th MDW Marketing and Public Relations Department at 292-7574.