Increase in Idaho TRICARE Providers is "No Small Potatoes"

TRICARE MANAGEMEMT ACTIVITY, FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Idaho is known for great potatoes, but it also has another claim to fame. The state is posting impressive increases in the number of medical professionals signing up to accept TRICARE, the health care plan for members of the uniformed services, retirees and their families. The increase in numbers over two years, from about 400 to over 2,000, is staggering.

"We applaud this effort to take care of our beneficiaries, which include National Guard and Reserve members and their families," said Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, deputy director, TRICARE Management Activity. "State leadership, particularly in the western U.S., is promoting increased acceptance of TRICARE and we are supportive of these great efforts."

"Providing for the health care needs of Idaho National Guard families is a priority and a necessity in this time of continuing and lengthy deployments," wrote Governor C. L. "Butch" Otter in a congratulatory letter to the Idaho Medical Association.

The campaign to increase the number of providers accepting TRICARE patients has taken off, led by the TRICARE Regional Office-West and TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the TRICARE managed care support contractor serving 21 western states.

"In Idaho in particular, Regional Director Rear Adm. Nancy Lescavage worked closely with state leadership to increase awareness of the need for more providers who accept TRICARE," noted Granger.

Idaho is not alone. Earlier this year Minnesota leadership announced the number of providers in the state increased from 485 to 4,702, and the number of hospitals in the TRICARE network from four to 27. This summer, the Oregon legislature passed an unprecedented tax incentive package to encourage health care providers to participate in TRICARE. Among other incentives, the package includes a one-time tax credit of $2,500 for new providers, plus an additional annual credit of $1,000 for treating patients enrolled in TRICARE.

"This all reflects a trend we hope will continue now and into the future," said David J. McIntyre, Jr., TriWest president and chief executive officer. "We will continue to work to increase awareness, partnering with providers and leadership in other states, to follow these great examples and make tremendous strides in caring for the families that defend our nation."