Tricare officials have made accommodations for beneficiaries who have been affected by Hurricane Dorian - who need medical care or prescription refills and aren’t able to go to their usual provider.

For those living in certain areas, the referral requirement is waived for Tricare Prime beneficiaries long after the storm has passed, allowing you to go to a provider in any location without a referral from your primary care provider.

Note that some military hospitals and clinics in these areas are closed or operating in a limited capacity, so you should check before going to that military treatment facility.

Officials remind beneficiaries who aren’t on active duty that they can receive urgent care from any Tricare authorized urgent care center or provider without getting a referral. This allows you to get non-emergency care for illnesses or injuries if the primary care provider is unavailable.

Tricare beneficiaries in certain areas can get emergency prescription refills. Take your prescription bottle to any Tricare retail network pharmacy. Currently, the policy is in effect for all areas through Sept. 9, except for Puerto Rico, where the policy is in effect through today.

To find a network retail pharmacy call Express Scripts at 877-363-1303 or search the network pharmacy locator.

Check back with the Tricare disaster information page for updates.

The Bahamas: The Tricare Prime referral requirement is waived through Sept. 30.

Florida: For all counties, the Tricare Prime referral requirement is waived through Oct. 1. Emergency prescription refills policy is in effect through Sept. 9.

Georgia: The Tricare Prime referral requirement is waived in 12 counties, through Oct. 1; emergency prescription refill policy through Sept. 9. Those counties are Brantley, Bryan, Camden, Charlton, Chatham, Effingham, Glynn, Liberty, Long, McIntosh, Pierce, and Wayne.

North Carolina: The Tricare Prime referral requirement is waived in all counties, through Oct. 1; emergency prescription refills policy through Sept. 9.

Puerto Rico: The Tricare Prime referral requirement is waived in all areas, through Sept. 30; emergency prescription refills policy through Sept. 6.

South Carolina: The Tricare Prime referral requirement is waived in all counties, through Oct. 1; emergency prescription refills policy through Sept. 9.

Virginia: Emergency prescription refills policy through Sept. 9 in 23 counties: Accomack, Chesapeake City, Essex, Gloucester, Hampton City, Isle of Wight, James City, Lancaster, Mathews, Middlesex, Newport News City, Norfolk City, Northampton, Northumberland, Poquoson City, Portsmouth City, Richmond, Richmond City, Suffolk City, Surry, Virginia Beach City, Westmoreland, and York.

U.S. Virgin Islands: The Tricare Prime referral requirement is waived in all areas, through Sept. 30; emergency prescription refills policy through Sept. 9.

Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.

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