TRICARE Discontinues Creditable-Coverage Certificates

Persons who lose eligibility for health-care coverage under TRICARE, the military’s managed-care program, no longer will receive certificates of creditable coverage. The agency had issued the certificates for those who lose coverage, so they could prove to new providers they have pre-existing conditions or illnesses. Because the Affordable Care Act requires insurers to cover such conditions, proof of their existence is no longer necessary. TRICARE now simply will notify beneficiaries that their coverage is ending, and include information about transitional programs available while beneficiaries are exploring their options for future coverage.