The TRICARE Overseas Secure Claims Portal: What It Does

TRICARE says the TRICARE Overseas Secure Claims Portal is the fastest and most secure way to send an overseas claim, and it calls online submission the preferred option. This guide covers what the portal is for and how it fits with the paperwork in our other guides.

What you can do in the portal

According to TRICARE, once you register you can:

• Submit claims with a wizard that guides you through the process, so the claims processor receives the claim instantly and enters it directly into its system.
• Submit a claim by secure message through the portal. This works too, but TRICARE says it is slightly slower because the claim is entered into the system manually.
• Track the status of your claims.
• Review your payment information and look up your deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses.
• Talk to the claims processor directly.
• View your explanation of benefits (EOB) online, and request paperless EOBs.
• Update your other health insurance information. In the portal this is under your Family Profile.
• Sign up for direct deposit (electronic funds transfer) to a U.S. bank account, which TRICARE says expedites payment.

You must register first. TRICARE has portal tutorial videos on its overseas site that walk through registration and filing.

What you still need to gather

The portal asks for the same facts as the paper claim, and it takes the same supporting documents. Have these ready before you start:

• the first and last date of care,
• the billed amount and the amount you paid, in the currency on the bill, and the currency itself (see claims in foreign currency),
• whether the care was an overnight admission,
• the provider’s country,
• the itemized bill, proof of payment, a narrative description of the reason for care, and any other insurance EOB (see the claim checklist).

Attaching your documents

Attach readable copies. Do not password-protect or encrypt them. Each file must stay within the portal’s size limit, which is 10 MB per file, so shrink or split anything larger. It is much easier to attach one combined PDF than several loose files, so PaidTrail can merge your form, bills and proof into a single PDF in the right order, and shrink it to fit.

When to use paper instead

TRICARE also accepts claims by secure fax and by postal mail, and the paper route uses the DD Form 2642 (see the block-by-block guide). Mail is the slowest option, because overseas-to-U.S. delivery can take up to 28 days.

After you submit

Follow the claim in the portal and read the EOB when it appears. Our guide to how long claims take explains the timing, and how to read an EOB explains the numbers.

How PaidTrail fits in

PaidTrail does not log in to the portal or file for you. It prepares everything you would otherwise type or hunt for: it reads your bill, fills the form, checks the documents and puts them in one file, and gives you a copy panel with the claim’s values ready to paste into the portal’s boxes.