TRICARE walk-in services to close Published Feb. 6, 2014 By 2nd Lt. Rachel E. Allison 28 Bomb Wing Public Affairs ELLSWORTH AIR FORCE BASE, S.D. -- The TRICARE Service Center located in the 28th Medical Group's main lobby will no longer provide walk-in customer service as of April 1, 2014. This change aligns with the closure of walk-in services at 189 TSCs in all 50 states, but will not impact overseas service centers. The move affects TRICARE customer walk-in services only, and will not reduce TRICARE benefits or alter health care provided to beneficiaries at the 28th MDG. All canceled TSC customer walk-in services will be provided by existing Internet sites, mobile applications, and toll free call centers operated by regional contractors. In the absence of walk-in service, the customer service centers will serve beneficiaries efficiently and effectively, according to TRICARE. Service members and their families are encouraged to keep their information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System - also known as DEERS - current in order to receive timely TRICARE benefits. The elimination of these services is a part of a business process reengineering initiative of the new Defense Health Agency after walk-in services were deemed no longer necessary or cost effective. Those services cost approximately $51 million per year, and an estimated $250 million will be saved over the next five years as a result of the change, helping the Department of Defense control rising TRICARE costs. Contractual requirements of managed care support contractors to provide customer service literature and briefings, among other duties, will not change and the workload will not shift to military treatment facilities. Additional information regarding the TSC Initiative may be found at www.tricare.mil/TSC.