TRICARE Nurse Advice Line: 24/7 Care & Referrals
The TRICARE Nurse Advice Line (NAL) provides 24/7 access to registered nurses who can answer urgent health questions, provide care advice, and help you schedule appointments at military hospitals. It is a free service available to all TRICARE beneficiaries in the U.S., but availability and procedures vary for those located overseas.
*Note: TRICARE.com is an independent reference site and is not affiliated with the Department of Defense. For official policy, visit TRICARE.mil.*
Details
The Nurse Advice Line is designed to help you decide whether a health issue requires an emergency room visit, an urgent care appointment, or home care. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, including holidays.
### How to Contact the NAL * **Phone (U.S., Guam, Puerto Rico):** Call **1-800-TRICARE (874-2273)** and select option 1. * **Online:** Visit **mhsnurseadviceline.com** for secure web chat and video chat options. * **Overseas:** You must contact the specific Nurse Advice Line number for your country. These numbers are listed on the TRICARE Overseas website managed by International SOS.
### What the Nurse Can Do 1. **Symptom Assessment:** Nurses use evidence-based protocols to assess symptoms for everything from a child's high fever to a possible broken bone. 2. **Referrals:** If the nurse determines you need urgent care and you are enrolled in a Prime plan, the NAL can provide a referral so you don't face "point-of-service" charges. 3. **Appointment Military Clinics:** If you are enrolled to a Military Medical Treatment Facility (MTF), the NAL can often view the clinic's schedule and book an urgent appointment for you if one is available. 4. **Health Education:** Nurses can provide guidance on medication side effects and "self-care" instructions for minor illnesses.
### Costs and Requirements (2026) * **Service Fee:** There is **$0 cost** to use the Nurse Advice Line. * **Pre-authorization:** Using the NAL is highly recommended for TRICARE Prime beneficiaries who need urgent care after hours. Without an NAL recommendation or a primary care manager (PCM) referral, Prime beneficiaries may pay higher out-of-pocket "Point of Service" deductibles and cost-shares (which for 2026 can be significant).
### Regional Differences Under the T-5 contract (effective 2025/2026), the NAL operates seamlessly across both regions: * **East Region:** Managed via Humana Military. * **West Region:** Managed via TriWest Healthcare Alliance. Regardless of your region, the central 1-800-TRICARE number remains the primary point of contact.
## Who this affects * **Active Duty Service Members:** Mandatory for guidance on care when not near their assigned MTF. * **Active Duty Family Members:** Ideal for pediatric advice and after-hours urgent care referrals. * **Retirees and their Families:** Available for any TRICARE-enrolled beneficiary. * **Guard/Reserve:** Available to those on active duty orders or enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select. * **Note:** Beneficiaries using TRICARE For Life (TFL) as secondary to Medicare can use the NAL, but usually follow Medicare's primary care rules.
## Sources * **TRICARE.mil:** [Nurse Advice Line Official Page](https://www.tricare.mil/nurseline) * **MHS Nurse Advice Line Portal:** [mhsnurseadviceline.com](https://mhsnurseadviceline.com) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance:** [West Region Beneficiary Services](https://www.triwest.com) * **Humana Military:** [East Region Care Resources](https://www.humanamilitary.com)