ECHO provides supplemental services and supplies to active duty families* who have a child (or other family member) with disabilities. “Supplemental” means that the service is in addition to, and not part of your family’s TRICARE benefits.
Services and supplies may include:
- Assistive services (such as interpretation, translation)
- Durable equipment
- Expanded in-home services (only in U.S., District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands)
- Training in the use of special education and assistive technology devices
- Rehabilitative services
- Respite care (number of hours available depends on whether the beneficiary uses ECHO Home Health Care) -only available in U.S., District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands
- Institutional/residential care when required
- Transportation to and from institutions or facilities (restrictions apply)
Your child may qualify for ECHO benefits if they experience:
- Moderate or severe intellectual disability
- Serious physical disability
- Any other serious disability that creates a significant impairment in a major life activity
- A condition that causes your child to be homebound
- A condition in an infant that will lead to (“precedes”) a diagnosis of physical or intellectual disability
- Two or more disabilities affecting separate body systems
To apply for ECHO benefits, your child should be:
- Registered in DEERS (Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System)
- A TRICARE beneficiary
- Enrolled in the Exceptional Family Member Program (EFMP)
- If your child isn’t enrolled, ask your Parent Training and Information Center (PTI) or installation EFMP support contact for information on how to enroll
- Enrollment in EFMP may not be necessary under certain conditions-contact your TRICARE Regional Contractor for information: http://www.tricare.mil/ContactUs/CallUs/TROs
Apply through your TRICARE Regional Contractor: http://www.tricare.mil/ContactUs/CallUs/TROs
* “Active duty families” include Families of active-duty (full-time) military personnel (“sponsors”)
- Family members of activated National Guard/Reserve members
- Family members covered under a Transitional Assistance Management Program, which provides benefits while a service member transitions to civilian life
- Children or spouses of former service members who qualify for the Transitional Compensation Program which provides benefits for certain cases of abuse
- Family members of deceased active duty members considered “transitional survivors”. The transitional period lasts three years for a spouse; children remain beneficiaries until they age out of TRICARE eligibility (age 21 or age 23 if enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved institution of higher learning and if the sponsor provides over 50 percent of the financial support).