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The Extended Care Health Option or ECHO is a supplemental coverage program offered by TRICARE to dependents of members of the uniformed services of the United States with a qualifying disability.
ECHO benefits are available with a qualifying condition to a TRICARE-eligible child or spouse of an active duty uniformed service member.
The following are qualifying conditions under ECHO:
TRICARE ECHO requires all eligible beneficiaries do the following:
For more information about the EFMP, Department of Defense beneficiaries may visit the Military Homefront Website. U.S. Coast Guard beneficiaries should contact their regional Work-Life office to inquire about the Coast Guard Special Needs Program.
In addition to coverage received via the primary TRICARE plan, TRICARE ECHO benefits may include:
The ECHO benefit provides a government cost-share limit of $2,500 per month, per eligible family member. In addition to other TRICARE ECHO benefits, beneficiaries who are homebound may qualify for extended in-home health care services. The $2,500 cost share does not apply to the ECHO Home Health Care (EHHC) as there is a benefit cap.
For certain benefits, ECHO requires recipients to first use public funds and facilities to the extent that they are available and adequate.
Under ECHO, sponsors must pay part of the monthly authorized expenses for their family members, based on their pay grade, ranging from $25 to $75 a month for all enlisted and most officers.
The program was originally authorized in Section 701(g) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2002 (Public Law 107-107) and is codified in law in 10 USC 1079 (d) through (g). Department of Defense regulations for the ECHO program are found at 32 CFR 199.5 after being published in the August 20, 2004 Federal Register (69 FR 51559).
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