KILLEEN, Texas (KXXV) — The start of the year brought significant changes to military-based healthcare in Texas, as Texas was one of six states transitioned from Tricare East to TriWest on January 1st.
The change has left military families scrambling for essential coverage, and the lack of communication has only exacerbated the problem.
Mary Shabunia, CEO and Owner of Full Spectrum Billing, a medical billing company expressed the frustration felt by many. “For our military families, their lives are already stressful enough. This is just another thing that our families don’t need.”
Kimberly Dunn, a Fort Cavazos spouse, has felt the impact firsthand
Her two-year-old son, who had been receiving speech therapy in Killeen, is now without essential services. “Mind you, Knuckles was not speaking before seeing Jason, he didn’t say momma, poppa, anything," Kimberly said. "It’s scary to think about what I need to do as a parent to not see him go completely back to silent. I don’t think there’s been any direct communication with us at all."
The lack of communication extends to providers as well. Jason Miller, owner of Cen-Tex Rehab, has only received a mass email from Tricare, which failed to address the coverage lapse. “Because we have not been paid since December 2024, we’re unable to pay our support staff.
I know of three clinics off the top of my head that are shutting their doors. It was either stop their services or run out of money and ultimately go out of business,” Jason said.
The transition’s impact on children in pivotal development stages is particularly concerning. Providers worry that each passing day puts families further at risk. “It’s not just about the immediate, it’s about the future. If Tricare doesn’t hurry up and get these things resolved, it could potentially affect someone’s livelihood, ” Shabunia said.
Jason Miller highlighted the emotional toll of the situation.
After investing months and years into helping kids, he has been suddenly ripped away from what he estimates is 75 percent of his client base covered by Tricare.
With the disruption in coverage, Miller has been providing at-home supplemental resources and exercises for parents and kids to fill the gap.
As the community grapples with these challenges, the hope is for a swift resolution to restore normal coverage and support for the affected families.
