US ARMY GARRISONS

U.S. Army Hospital, Heidelberg

News Releases from the ERMC PAO

Changes to Heidelberg Healthcare

HEIDELBERG, Germany - The U. S. Army Medical Department Activity - Heidelberg (Heidelberg MEDDAC) Commander Col. Kyle Campbell announced today that in support of Army Transformation in Europe, Europe Regional Medical Command has directed a variety of changes to the services currently provided by Heidelberg hospital to continue the transformation of Heidelberg MEDDAC.

"Over the next few months, our beneficiaries will see modifications to the hospital services as it continues to evolve towards a health center," said Campbell. "We have a network of outstanding local German health care providers and hospitals. We will continue to refer our patients to these providers with confidence."

Col. Campbell said the hospital would continue to provide the same high quality acute care services, same day surgical capability, and primary care services such as a Family Practice Clinic, optometry, and outpatient appointments for health promotion, disease prevention, and health maintenance.

Obstetrical care will be affected. Pregnant women with delivery dates before June 30, 2008, who are currently receiving prenatal care from Heidelberg hospital and its clinics can expect to continue with their same provider and deliver at the Heidelberg hospital. Women with delivery dates of July 1, 2008 and beyond will receive their prenatal care and deliver their babies in Host Nation facilities.

"In addition, on June 1, 2008, we will transition the remainder of our in-patient medical surgical care to local German hospitals. This allows us to continue to expand on our utilization of these facilities to provide the highest quality patient care as we continue our transformation into a health center," said Campbell.

Campbell added that, as a secondary result of transformation, "We are changing the emergency room into an Acute Care Clinic on Jan. 15. This has no immediate impact on the services provided."

Campbell said the return to CONUS of major units and the closure of numerous installations in Germany significantly reduced the population supported by Heidelberg MEDDAC which now includes Heidelberg, Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Darmstadt, Hanau, and Stuttgart.

Hospital officials are working with the Civilian Personnel Advisory Center and local Works Council to explain options for federal civil servants and local national staff whose positions are affected by the transition.

Information provided by:
EUROPE REGIONAL MEDICAL COMMAND
Public Affairs Office
CMR 442 APO AE 09042
U.S. Army Hospital - Nachrichten Kaserne
Postfach 103180 69021 Heidelberg, Germany
DSN 371-3317/3049 Tel. 06221-17-3317/3049

Heidelberg's Acute Care Clinic

Facility with different name offers same services

HEIDELBERG, Germany - The emergency room at Heidelberg Hospital on Nachrichten Kaserne became an Acute Care Clinic on Jan. 15, but the newly named clinic continues to provide high quality health care to the Heidelberg community.

"When you say 'ER,' most people think of the TV program with ambulances whizzing in and out, with patients dying from stabbings and gunshot wounds. But our ER mainly provided acute and routine care. In fact, less than one percent of our patients over the past 18 months have required emergency care", said Col. Kyle Campbell, commander of U.S. Army Medical Activity - Heidelberg (HMEDDAC). As a general guideline, a medical emergency involves a risk of loss of life, limb, or eyesight.

"Due to our directed transformation and a review of our patient needs and our ability to meet those needs, we have converted to an Acute Care Clinic. Our Acute Care Clinic will continue to take care of patients who have illnesses or injuries that are not life threatening," said Lt. Col. (Dr.) John Garr, deputy commander for clinical services.

Individuals who need emergency care should continue to call 117 or 19222 in the Heidelberg community to get an ambulance. The ambulance services will take patients to the host nation emergency rooms. The local emergency rooms have a wide variety of specialty equipment, and intensive care capability to best meet the needs of patients. The Heidelberg Hospital does not have an intensive care unit. It also does not possess specialty equipment to care for critically ill or injured patients.

"When our Soldiers or families require emergency services, the right thing to do is to send them to the nearest emergency room," said Campbell.

"Transformation of the Army in Europe and a shrinking population in our footprint will continue to drive changes to our hospital. Over the next few months, our beneficiaries will see other modifications to the hospital services as it continues to convert to a health center," said Campbell.

Healthcare on the Economy

What will it cost?

HEIDELBERG, Germany - The recent announcement by the U.S. Army Medical Department Activity (Heidelberg MEDDAC) commander Col. Kyle Campbell about changes to services has some folks asking if they have to pay for healthcare on the economy.

Active Duty and Family Members

According to Irene Chatman, chief of Claims and senior health benefits advisor for Heidelberg MEDDAC, active duty and their family members enrolled in TRICARE Overseas Prime are fully covered.

"TRICARE pays 100 percent of all medically necessary services for active duty and family members enrolled in Prime," said Chatman. "This includes private physician services, hospitalization, and emergencies.

Active duty Soldiers are automatically enrolled in Prime through DEERS, and we refer them to a preferred provider on the economy, the provider sends us the bill," said Chatman.

She explained that preferred providers are doctors or hospitals who have agreed to work with Heidelberg MEDDAC to see military beneficiaries. "They also agree they will not ask our TRICARE Prime patients to pre-pay for services; preferred providers will file claims for our patients," added Chatman.

Families of active duty must enroll at their local TRICARE Service Centers, which are normally located within clinics or hospitals. When they are referred to preferred providers on the economy, the provider files a claim directly to Wisconsin Physician Service, the company contracted by TRICARE to pay claims.

"It is very important that families enroll in TRICARE Overseas Prime so that they will not have to pay out-of-pocket when they get care on the economy," said Chatman.

Chatman said patients will have to pay out-of-pocket if they request a benefit that is not covered by TRICARE. For example, TRICARE pays for double rooms when a person is hospitalized.

"If you request a private room while you are in a host nation facility you will have to pay the hospital before you are discharged," said Chatman.

Retirees

"What is important about retiree healthcare is whether or not they have other health insurance and if they are over age 65 and signed up for Medicare Part B," said Chatman. Retirees must have Medicare Part B to get TRICARE for Life benefits.

Chatman said that retiree in Europe are only eligible for space-available care.

"Many times we can't see them because they need certain specialties that we don't have," said Chatman. She added that appointments in Heidelberg MEDDAC for specialty care are limited because active-duty Soldiers have first priority, so most retirees must seek care on the economy. TRICARE Service Centers can assist retirees in locating host nation providers.

"Retirees will often have to pre-pay costs to the provider and seek reimbursement from their insurance company and from TRICARE," said Chatman.

When retirees receive healthcare from host nation providers, they must first file a claim with their other health insurance (OHI) company. Once that OHI company pays its portion of the claim, retirees then file a claim with TRICARE for the unpaid portion.

Civilians

"Civilians may seek space available care in military treatment facilities (MTF), but they or their insurance company must reimburse the MTF for the care they receive," said Chatman. When civilians seek healthcare on the economy, they often must pre-pay and seek reimbursement from their insurance companies. "Unfortunately our TRICARE office is not able to assist them with their claims," added Chatman.

Ambulances

Chatman explained that if you call an ambulance, the call goes to a centrally-located dispatch center. The dispatcher will ask you about the symptoms and the condition of the patient. Depending on the description given, the dispatcher may send just the ambulance or an ambulance with an emergency physician and take you to the nearest hospital.

Chapman said each person's definition of emergency is different. "We say if your life, limb, or eyesight is in danger; if you have chest pain and trouble breathing; there is a broken bone or severe bleeding; you have a reaction to medication, or the pain is unbearable, call an ambulance."

So who pays for ambulances? TRICARE pays the bills for active duty and their family members. Ambulance companies will bill retirees and civilians, who then must file claims with their health insurance companies and TRICARE.

"We are very focused on making sure our beneficiaries understand what impact, if any, these changes will have on them. For our active duty and their family members, changes are very minor with little to no financial changes. For our retirees and civilian members the changes can result in increased fees if they do not understand their benefit," added Heidelberg MEDDAC's commander, Col. Kyle Campbell.

Bridging cultural differences

Patient Liaison Program enters its 13th year

HEIDELBERG, Germany - Picture 230,000 Soldiers and 500,000 of their family members living in Europe. Eleven Army hospitals and 56 outlying clinics providing health care to them, as well as providing space-available care to more than 4,000 retirees and 210,000 civilian employees.

By 1995, the picture had changed completely. Three hospitals and 28 clinics remained. The health care provider population was so small that the specialists had been almost completely replaced by generalists. Americans began receiving referrals for specialty care downtown in large numbers. Out of this grew a need to have a way to assist Americans who became patients in host nation facilities. And, the Host Nation Patient Liaison (HNPL) program was born.

"If there's one thing people need to know about health care, it's how to notify their Patient Liaison," said Lesley Lehwald-Verron, Europe Regional Medical Command HNPL consultant and one of the original liaisons hired. "We work with the local health care facilities daily." She explained that when a doctor refers a patient to an off-post provider, the HNPL is notified.

"But in an emergency, when a family may need us most, we don't know about it right away unless the patient or someone in their family notifies us," she said. The local facilities know to report American admissions, but the notification might not happen until the next morning.

Patient Liaisons are fluent in English and the host nation language. They are familiar with medical terminology and can assist patients with communication. This ensures that the patient and the hospital staff have a complete understanding of the medical condition and treatment.

When patients visit their TRICARE Service Center to arrange admission to a hospital, TSC personnel notify the local Patient Liaison. The main priority of the Patient Liaison program is to make visits to patients in host nation hospitals.

Americans under care in host nation hospitals may also contact a Patient Liaison any time for assistance. The Patient Liaison will visit every American patient every duty day and give information on how to contact him or her. There is a Patient Liaison on call in every community for emergencies after hours and on weekends.

In the Heidelberg area, which includes the Hanau, Darmstadt, Mannheim, Coleman, Heidelberg and Stuttgart garrisons, patients can get in touch with the on-call liaison by calling the Heidelberg Medical Department Activity duty desk at 06221-172605 or DSN 371-2605.

As Senior Master Sgt. Connie Leah, a recent new mother in Stuttgart said, "There are so many unique and challenging issues with being overseas, it is such a sigh of relief to have a program that can not only run so successfully, but also to have a service being provided that is truly invaluable to military members and their families".