1.0 GENERAL
1.1 The TOP
program provides health care administration and claims processing
for individuals with dual eligibility under both Medicare and TRICARE
who receive care in locations where Medicare is not available. This
includes those beneficiaries eligible for TFL under the Medicare
wraparound coverage option of the TRICARE program made under 10
United States Code (USC) 1086(d).
1.2 The provisions
of
Chapter 20 regarding TFL are applicable to
beneficiaries residing in locations where Medicare is available.
These areas include the 50 United States (U.S.), the District of
Columbia, and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.
2.0 Jurisdiction
2.1 Dual eligible
beneficiaries are covered under TOP, based on their TRICARE plan
if they receive care in a location where Medicare is not available.
2.2 Dual eligible beneficiaries
residing in Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa,
and the Northern Mariana Islands are not covered under TOP TFL.
These beneficiaries receive TRICARE coverage under the TRICARE Dual
Eligible Fiscal Intermediary Contract (TDEFIC) according to the
provisions of
Chapter 20.
2.3 Claims
for services rendered on board a commercial ship are the responsibility
of the TDEFIC contractor if the care was rendered in the territorial
waters adjoining the land areas of the U.S. Claims for services
rendered on board ship while outside U.S. territorial waters are
the responsibility of the TOP contractor.
3.0 CONTRACTOR RESPONSIBILITIES
3.1 The TOP contractor shall provide
administration and claims processing services for the TOP TFL program.
3.2 TOP TFL has the same cost-shares
and deductibles as any other TFL claim.
TFL
beneficiaries who are not enrolled in Prime are covered under TRICARE
Standard benefits, cost-shares, and deductibles as if TRICARE Standard
was still being implemented. See TRM
Chapter 2, Sections 1 and
3.
3.3 All TOP
TFL has the same requirements for referrals or prior authorizations
as TOP Select. TOP requirements
regarding provider certification apply.
3.4 The
TOP contractor shall not develop purchased care sector provider
networks to support the TOP TFL beneficiary population.
3.5 The TOP contractor shall not
provide health care on a cashless, claimless basis for TOP TFL beneficiaries.
3.6 The TOP contractor shall not
make appointments with purchased care sector providers for TOP TFL
beneficiaries. However, upon beneficiary request, the contractor
shall provide the beneficiary with the name, telephone number, and
address of purchased care sector network or non-network providers of
the appropriate clinical specialty located within the beneficiary’s
geographic region.