Appointments & Referrals

The Integrated Referral Management and Appointing Center (IRMAC) is the first point of contact for beneficiaries looking for health care in the National Capital Region Market. The IRMAC helps beneficiaries navigate the direct care system. 

Appointments: 1-855-227-6331

Patients can speak with the Military Health System Nurse Advice Line after normal hours by calling 1-800-874-2273 (TRICARE), Opt 1. If this is a medical emergency, please dial 911 or proceed to the nearest emergency room.

Access to care

If you need to get care at Rader, the priorities for getting appointments are identified in Department of Defense policy and are listed below:

• Active duty service members
• Active duty family members enrolled in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Young Adult – Prime Option

All others can get care if space is available after Rader has met the health care needs of the three categories listed above within DOD access standards. This includes:

• Active duty family members enrolled in TRICARE Select or TRICARE Young Adult – Select Option
• Retired service members and their eligible family members
• DOD civilians and contractors

All patients, including those listed for space-available care, can continue to fill prescriptions at our pharmacy.

How do I find a civilian provider?

The TRICARE East and West Networks have established a network of qualified providers across the Continental US for TRICARE beneficiaries. To find a provider near you, search the TRICARE East  Network Directories.

Referrals and Authorizations

A referral is when your primary care manager or provider sends you to another provider for specialty care. When you have a referral to see a specialist, the IRMAC will try to schedule you at one of our military facilities first. If care within the military health system is unavailable, you will be deferred for civilian network care according to your TRICARE benefits and subject to benefit review.

Active duty service members need a referral for most care received outside of their assigned military hospital or clinic.  All referrals are subject to military health care system capability review. Care must be received before the authorization expires. Expired referrals must be re-approved. Our Referral Coordinator is available to assist you with referral questions after you've activated your referral through IRMAC at 703-696-9212.

General information for referrals and authorization can be found on the TRICARE website.

Steps for seeing a specialist

1. Get a referral from your provider

Call your primary care manager or send a secure message

2. Call the IRMAC (activate and schedule with military network)

Call the IRMAC at 855-227-6331, option 4, after three business days (72 hours) to activate your referral, regardless of where you expect to receive care. Calling the IRMAC allows you check the status of your referral and schedule your visit to a military hospital or clinic.

3. Find network provider if appointments are unavailable within our military network

Visit HumanaMilitary to find a network provider, then call the provider's office to schedule an appointment. Check the status of your referral with Humana Military before your appointment by visiting Humana's self-service portal.  Contact Humana at 800-444-5445 or online if:

• You want a different provider than the one assigned
• The provider selected for you does not have appointments or no longer accepts TRICARE
• The provider is requesting a new referral or specific procedure codes

MHS GENESIS Patient Portal

The MHS GENESIS Patient Portal  allows you to:

• Manage primary care medical and dental appointments
• Review clinical notes, referrals, and lab and test results
• Exchange secure messages with your health care team
• Monitor health information and view your portal profile
• Complete a pre-visit, dental history questionnaire online
• Look up high-quality, provider-approved health information related to health issues, lab results, and medications