It’s a supplemental program to the TRICARE Basic Program and provides eligible active duty family members with an additional financial resource for an integrated set of services and supplies designed to assist in the reduction of the disabling effects of the beneficiary’s condition.
On September 1, 2005, TRICARE's Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) replaced the existing TRICARE Program for Persons with Disabilities (PFPWD). This new program delivers financial assistance to active duty family members who have a qualifying condition as defined by law.
ECHO will also continue to offer an integrated set of services and supplies that supplement the basic TRICARE program options-TRICARE Prime (including TRICARE Prime Remote for Active Duty Family Members), TRICARE Standard or TRICARE Extra.
TRICARE ECHO provides benefits that are not available through the basic TRICARE program.
These benefits may include:
Medical and rehabilitative services
Training to use assistive technology devices
Special education
Institutional care when a residential environment is required
Transportation under certain circumstances
Assistive services, such as those from a qualified interpreter or translator, for beneficiaries whose visual or hearing impairment qualifies them for ECHO benefits
Durable equipment, including adaptation and maintenance
Expanded in-home medical services through TRICARE ECHO Home Health Care (EHHC)
In-home respite care services
ECHO Respite care—16 hours per month when receiving other authorized ECHO benefits
ECHO Home Health Care Respite care—up to 40 hours per week (eight hours per day, five days per week) if homebound
Note: Only one of the above respite care benefits can be used in a calendar month; both respite care benefits cannot be received in the same calendar month.
TRICARE ECHO is only available to active duty family members who have a qualifying condition.
The following are qualifying conditions under both PFPWD and ECHO:
Moderate or severe mental retardation,
A serious physical disability.
Additionally, the law added a basis for a qualifying condition under ECHO:
An extraordinary physical or psychological condition of such complexity that the beneficiary is homebound.
Recipients may retain their eligibility for ECHO services as long as the sponsor remains on active duty. Even children of sponsors who reach the usual TRICARE eligibility age limit (21 or age 23 if enrolled in college full time) retain their eligibility for ECHO services, as long as the sponsor remains on active duty, the child is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical incapacity that occurs prior to the loss of their eligibility, and the sponsor is responsible for more than one-half the child's support.
Unlike PFPWD, TRICARE ECHO requires all eligible beneficiaries to do the following:
Enroll in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) that's available through your branch of service .i.e. Army, Navy, Air Force, etc.., and
Registration in DEERS is required in order to receive ECHO benefits. Sponsors of beneficiaries needing ECHO services are encouraged to enroll in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP) now - as this enrollment is mandatory.
Sponsors must pay part of the monthly authorized expenses for their family members to receive benefits under TRICARE ECHO. The monthly
cost-share is based upon the sponsor’s pay grade.
In order to receive TRICARE ECHO benefits, you must register with the regional contractor having jurisdiction where you reside. If you currently live within Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee or Texas (excluding the El Paso area) then Humana Military is your regional contractor.
Note to Sponsors: Contact your services's branch personnel office to find out how to appropriately document your family member’s disability in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility and Reporting System (DEERS). If you or your provider believe that you or another member of your family have a condition that may qualify for services under TRICARE ECHO, you and your sponsor should first talk to a Humana Military case manager to determine your eligibility for benefits under TRICARE ECHO.
Upon completion of the registration process, your DEERS record will be modified to indicate that you are eligible for ECHO benefits.
Army: Army Service members can login to Army Knowledge Online (AKO) to find out if they are enrolled in the EFMP.
Air Force: Air Force Service members can find out by contacting their installation's Special Needs Coordinator. https://www.afspecialneeds.org/user/efc/efc_user_display.asp
Marine Corps: Marine Corps Service members can find out their enrollment category by contacting their assigned Regional or Installation EFMP Coordinator.
No. Under the terms of the NATO and the PFP Status of Forces Agreement, The United States has agreed to furnish medical and dental care to eligible family members of active duty members of the Armed Forces of the foreign NATO and PFP Nations who are stationed in or passing through the United States if in connection with official duties, but this does not include eligibility for the ECHO.
Generally yes. In many communities, public funds/programs are available. These services must be used to the fullest extent in which they are available and adequate for ECHO benefits related to: training, rehabilitation, special education, assistive technology devices, and institutional care.
An ECHO Case Manager can help to determine if you or a family member qualify for benefits under this program. Choose the toll-free number that coincides with the region of the country or the state in which you currently reside.
Southeast:
Georgia,
South Carolina, and Florida (except the panhandle).
1-800-447-6072
Gulfsouth:
Alabama,
Florida panhandle,
Louisiana (east of the Mississippi River), Mississippi and Tennessee.
1-866-323-7155
Southwest:
Arkansas,
Louisiana (west of the Mississippi River),
Oklahoma and Texas (excluding the El Paso area).
