Maintaining Your Military Health Records Overseas

No matter where you live, it’s important for your electronic health record (EHR) to be complete and up to date. For TRICARE Prime Overseas and TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas beneficiaries, there are processes that help make this possible.

If you get care at a military hospital or clinic, that facility uploads your medical records to your EHR. But when you get care from civilian network providers, you need to consent to the release and collection of your health records.

There are two forms you’ll need to sign:

1. The Release of Medical Information Form (ROMIF) gives the TRICARE Overseas contractor your consent to collect and translate health records from a civilian provider. International SOS is the TRICARE Overseas contractor. After International SOS translates your health records, they upload them to your EHR.
2. The Patient Administration Form (PAF) documents your consent for your civilian provider to share your health records with International SOS. This form also captures other information, including if you have other health insurance.

“If you don’t sign these forms, your primary care manager might not be able to see all of your health records,” said Michael Griffin, a program analyst with the TRICARE Overseas Program Office at the Defense Health Agency. “This can delay your ongoing medical care.”

You must sign a ROMIF for each civilian provider you see or facility you go to. In most cases, you won’t need to sign a ROMIF each time you see the same provider or go to the same facility.

However, your ROMIF doesn’t cover your whole family. Each family member will need to sign their own ROMIF, even if they use the same provider or facility as you. Parents and guardians can sign ROMIFs for their minor children. The definition of “minor” depends on where you get care. In some countries, a minor is a patient younger than age 18. In other countries, a minor is a patient younger than age 21.

In most cases, you can fill out and sign your ROMIF and PAF during your visit with your provider. But in Japan, you must fill out, sign, and submit these forms to International SOS before you get care. You can email your completed forms to International SOS. You can find the email address for your overseas area at the bottom of each form. Your provider can also submit the forms for you.

Who’s eligible for health record collection and translation
Your TRICARE plan determines if International SOS will collect your health records or if you’ll need to collect your records:

• TRICARE Prime Overseas and TRICARE Prime Remote Overseas: International SOS will collect your health records.
• TRICARE Select Overseas and TRICARE For Life: If you want copies of your health records, you’ll need to contact your provider. You don’t need to sign ROMIFs or PAFs, unless your provider asks you to.

However, International SOS will collect and translate your health records if you have TRICARE Plus. TRICARE Plus is a primary care program offered at some military hospitals and clinics, as outlined in the TRICARE Plans Overview Fact Sheet. This includes some military hospitals and clinics overseas. You may be eligible for TRICARE Plus if you have TRICARE Select or TRICARE For Life. You can contact your local military hospital and clinic to see if they offer TRICARE Plus and to enroll in this program. Once you’ve enrolled, you can get your civilian health records translated through your military hospital or clinic. Your provider may ask you to sign a ROMIF.

If you have questions about health records collection and translation, call International SOS. You can also learn more about health records translation and other translation services in the MyCare Overseas app.