From a Walter Reed National Military Medical Center News Release

BETHESDA, Md., July 22, 2014 - TRICARE beneficiaries in the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii can now access the Nurse Advice Line to receive health care guidance and advice.

The service, launched in April, offers professional help by phone at a moment's notice, officials said.

"Our mission at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is to provide patient-friendly access to high quality health care for all we are privileged to serve -- service members and their families [and] our retirees and their families," said Army Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Jeffrey B. Clark, the medical center's director. "The Nurse Advice Line provides patient-friendly access to high-quality medical information, guidance for self-care, and appointments, if necessary, for those we are privileged to serve. This is a benefit for our patients and for our mission success."

The Nurse Advice Line is manned by a team of registered nurses -- available 24 hours a day, seven days a week -- prepared to answer questions about a variety of acute health care concerns. A nurse will help beneficiaries decide whether self-care or seeing a health care provider is the better option, officials explained.

Beneficiaries are routed to the appropriate nurse, who will follow up when necessary or requested. Same-day appointments with a primary care manager are available for TRICARE Prime beneficiaries who are enrolled at military treatment facilities.

If a same-day appointment is not available, officials said, the Nurse Help Line will redirect the beneficiary to the closest urgent care center without any point-of-service co-pays.

The Nurse Advice Line is available to TRICARE beneficiaries using TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Prime Remote, TRICARE Prime Remote for Active Duty Family Members, TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra, TRICARE Reserve Select, TRICARE Retired Reserve, TRICARE Young Adult and TRICARE For Life.

To contact the Nurse Advice Line, call 1-800-TRICARE (1-800-874-2273) and select Option 1 for help with urgent care questions and needs.

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