Tampa General Hospital, USF Health, CareSource Military and Veterans Partner to Offer Health Care Services to Military Families

No Referrals Needed for TRICARE Prime® Demo by CareSource Military & Veterans™ Beneficiaries

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 26, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and USF Health have joined the CareSource Military and Veterans (CSMV) network, providing comprehensive health care services to meet the unique health care needs of the military community.

Through the TRICARE Prime® Demo by CareSource Military & Veterans™, eligible beneficiaries in the Tampa area — including active-duty family members, survivors, military retirees and their families — will have access to the same comprehensive coverage offered by the existing TRICARE plan, paired with benefits including no referrals for network providers, access to a CareSource nurse advice line (NAL) and no enrollment fees for the first year.

The partnership ensures that TRICARE Prime® Demo by CareSource Military & Veterans™ beneficiaries have access to a robust network of providers, including primary and specialty care from physicians at the University of South Florida and Tampa General Hospital. These specialists offer a wide range of services, including cardiology, neurology, neurosurgery, dermatology, urology and behavioral health. Existing TRICARE patients of TGH and USF who choose the demo will maintain access to their current care, while new patients can also access these services without referrals.

TGH is home to a leading Military & Veteran Primary Care Center providing world-class care tailored to serve the unique health care needs of the military and veteran community. USF Health also houses the Office of Military Medical Innovation & Research, which leverages multidisciplinary clinical expertise and research excellence to accelerate medical advancements that improve care for service members and their families.

"The Military and Veterans Primary Care Center at Tampa General Hospital exists to give veterans and military families the coordinated and dependable care they should be able to count on every day," said Yamil Miranda-Usúa, MD, FAAFP, medical director primary care, Tampa General Medical Group. "Our partnership with CareSource helps us carry that mission further and strengthens access, improves continuity and supports the level of attention this community has earned through service and sacrifice. We're grateful to move this forward together."

"Military families deserve timely, compassionate care," said Charles J. Lockwood, MD, MHCM, executive vice president of USF Health and dean of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. Dr. Lockwood is also executive vice president and chief academic officer of Tampa General Hospital. "By joining the CareSource Military and Veterans network, USF Health is helping ensure these families can more easily access the high-quality services they need without barriers or delay."

"This partnership with Tampa General Hospital and USF Health is a significant step forward in our mission to provide exceptional health care to military families," said Holly Joers, President of CareSource Military and Veterans. "By eliminating the referral requirement, the TRICARE Prime® Demo by CareSource Military & Veterans™ is making it easier for beneficiaries to access the care they need, when they need it. We are excited to work together to improve the health and well-being of our service members and their families."

Enrollment for the TRICARE Prime® Demo by CareSource Military & Veterans™ runs through Dec. 9. Those interested can learn more about the plan and enroll today here.

About Tampa General Hospital 

Tampa General Hospital, the Tampa Bay region's only academic health system, is a 1,529-bed not-for-profit network of hospital and outpatient services spanning across Florida. As the only center for Level l trauma and comprehensive burn care center serving 23 counties, Tampa General delivers world-class care. The system's hospitals include Tampa General Hospital, Tampa General Rehabilitation Hospital, Tampa General Behavioral Health Hospital, all in Tampa; Tampa General Brooksville, Tampa General Spring Hill and Tampa General Crystal River. Tampa General is the highest-ranked hospital in Tampa Bay in U.S. News & World Report's 2025-2026 Best Hospitals, with six medical specialties ranking among the top 50 in the nation and five additional medical specialties ranked among the top 10% best hospital programs in the United States. As the first hospital in Florida to open a clinical command center for real-time situational awareness, the academic health system has elevated its digital care coordination center to the next level by leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) and its analytics platform across inpatient and outpatient care to ensure patients receive leading-edge care as quickly and safely as possible. Tampa General's commitment to growing and developing its team members is recognized by three prestigious Forbes magazine rankings — in the 2025 America's Best Large Employers, ranked as the Tampa Bay region's #1 employer in the health care category for the fifth year in a row, and among the top five in the state of Florida, in the 2025 Best Employers by State and the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women.

Tampa General is the area's safety-net hospital, caring for anyone regardless of ability to pay; in fiscal year 2024, Tampa General provided a net community benefit of approximately $289.1 million in the form of health care for underinsured patients, community education and financial support to community health organizations in Tampa Bay. It was the nation's No. 1 adult solid organ transplant center in 2024 and is the primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine. With five medical helicopters, Tampa General transports critically injured or ill patients from surrounding counties to receive the advanced care their conditions require. Tampa General has a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center and its 32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West Coast of Florida. It is home to the Muma Children's Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive care unit and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa General's footprint includes TGH North, which consists of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties; 17 Tampa General Medical Group Primary Care offices; TGH Family Care Center Kennedy; two TGH outpatient centers; TGH Virtual Health; and 19 TGH Imaging outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm Beach counties. Tampa Bay area residents receive world-class care from the TGH Urgent Care, powered by the Fast Track network of clinics. To see a medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone, tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital (tgh.org). For more information, go to www.tgh.org.

About USF Health

USF Health's mission is to envision and implement the future of health. It is the partnership of the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, the College of Nursing, the College of Public Health, the Taneja College of Pharmacy, the School of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences, the Biomedical Sciences Graduate and Postdoctoral Programs, and USF Health's multispecialty physicians group. The University of South Florida is a high-impact global research university dedicated to student success. Over the past 10 years, no other public university in the country has risen faster in U.S. News and World Report's national university rankings than USF. For more information, visit health.usf.edu

About CareSource Military & Veterans Co.

CareSource Military & Veterans Co. is dedicated to improving health care access and delivery for service members, retirees, veterans and their families. CareSource Military & Veterans Co. transforms health care for the military community through care coordination and integrated programs that support the health and well-being of our beneficiaries. As a mission-driven organization, we invest resources into the communities and families we serve.

Media Contact:
Adam Summers
Media Relations Specialist
CareSource
[email protected] 708.549.9572

SOURCE CareSource Military & Veterans