TRICARE Operations and Patient Administration (TOPA)

Assists and educates patients on the benefits and entitlements of TRICARE program options, transfer enrollment, provide claims assistance, resolve TRICARE problems, and file grievances. TRICARE is available to active duty service members and their families, retired service members and their families, survivors, and others who are registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS. To out-process or transfer TRICARE enrollment, bring in a copy of your orders within 10 duty days prior to departure. We also coordinate aeromedical evacuation; we coordinates medical temporary duty for active duty service members and their dependents. We are responsible for the logistics behind urgent, priority, and patient movement. We are the approval authority for medical orders and vouchers through the Defense Travel System, or DTS, for medical temporary duty. We are also the medical evaluation board, or MEB, liaison office. We are the focal point for the processing of the Integrated Disability Evaluation System, or IDES, used by the Department of Defense to ensure that all services maintain a fit to fight force. Our office plays a vital role by obtaining, assembling, and forwarding all documents and records required by Air Force Personnel Center, or AFPC, and the office of Veteran’s Affairs, or VA, to ensure affected members are medically and financially ready after being released from service. We also assist with assignment limitation code and medical clearance from the deployed area of responsibility with injuries or illnesses to perform their assigned duty.