Joint Base San Antonio-Fort Sam Houston, TX –
The Army medical system offers some easy-to-use tools to
help manage health care needs from home or while on the go.
“The Military Health System has developed several programs
over the last few years that can assist you and your family in obtaining the
medical care they need,” said Army Maj. Renee Zmijski, Brooke Army Medical
Center Clinical Operations Division chief.
TRICARE Online is a useful tool available 24/7 from your
computer or other internet capable device. Beneficiaries can find a doctor,
refill a prescription or transfer enrollment to another military treatment
facility.
“TRICARE Online is easy to use,” Zmijski said. “You can
make, change or cancel a primary care appointment on the site within a few
minutes.
“TRICARE Online also has a prescription refill option,” she
said. “All you do is type your prescription numbers in the box, hit enter and
wait to receive the date your prescription will be ready for pick up.”
TOL also will send appointment reminders via text message or
email. To learn more about TOL, visit http://tricareonline.com for simple
step-by-step instructions.
Using the Army’s Secure Messaging Service allows TRICARE
beneficiaries to directly contact their health care team via the internet.
“Secure Messaging is a great way to stay in touch with your
primary health care provider,” Zmijski said. “I use it to request medication
refills from my provider and to ask follow up questions after an appointment.”
The Secure Messaging website also has an extensive patient
education library people can easily access from the comfort of their home. To
learn more about Secure Messaging, visit https://app.relayhealth.com.
A third innovative tool for TRICARE beneficiaries is the
Nurse Advice Line. This allows people to speak to a nurse anytime, day or
night.
“The Nurse Advice Line is a great resource for getting
general health questions answered or to get advice about your symptoms and what
treatment options will work for you,” Zmijski said. “It’s simple and quick and
you can also get information about caring for your child if they are ill.”
If the nurse recommends that the caller see a provider, then
appointment services will be offered. To use the NAL, call 800-874-2273 and
select option 1.
“These three tools can save people time and help them manage
their military health care easily and conveniently,” Zmijski said.