A black background with a white star and three wavy lines to the left of the star, with the word TRICARE in white capital letters below.

Tricare for Life

TRICARE For Life’s legacy portal was dense and confusing, making it hard for aging military users to access vital healthcare info. We redesigned the experience for clarity, accessibility, and ease—improving usability across devices and reinforcing trust, care, and professionalism.

Deliverables

▸ Discovery

▸ User Flows & Wireframes

▸ UI/UX Redesign

▸ Design Systems

A stylized snowflake with three wavy lines on the left and a large star on the right, with smaller stars extending to the right. The word "TRICARE" is below the design.

Enhancing Healthcare Access for Military Families

Streamlining the Experience to Better Serve Those Who’ve Served.

The redesign aimed to enhance usability, aesthetics, and backend functionality, creating a seamless user experience while boosting business efficiency. This case study focuses on a key aspect of the redesign—the dashboard—a critical section reimagined to meet both user and business needs. Below shows the before and after redesign.

Side-by-side comparison of two TRICARE online health insurance portals, with the original on the left showing a red 'No claims for this date range' message and the redesigned on the right showing a blue dashboard with claims, notifications, messages, recent payments, and patient eligibility sections.

The Negative Impacts of Outdated Interface

01 — Negative Impacts

Screenshot of TRICARE Overseas Provider Secure Claims Portal dashboard showing claims status, notifications, alerts, recent payments, and messages.

The original design suffered from confusing navigation, missing page labels, and inconsistent visual elements—leaving users disoriented and frustrated. Inconsistencies in spacing, card sizing, and treatments disrupted the page flow, making it harder to scan and adding visual clutter. Unnecessary details, like red highlights and decorative lines, increased cognitive load and reduced overall clarity and efficiency.

Cleaning Up Confusing Navigation

Red is commonly associated with errors or alerts, making it a poor choice for navigation. In the original design, the use of red—both in tab highlighting and the underline—sent mixed signals and added unnecessary visual noise. The updated navigation uses a calmer, more intuitive color system that improves clarity, reduces distraction, and better aligns with user expectations.

Comparison of two website navigation menus, with the first labeled as 'Old' and the second as 'New'. The 'Old' menu has a red 'Dashboard' tab and other tabs in blue, while the 'New' menu has a blue 'Dashboard' tab and an 'Administration' tab with a number 3 badge.

Fixing Flow to Reduce Friction

Inconsistent card sizing and spacing disrupted the visual flow, making it harder for users to scan content, complete tasks, and stay oriented. These small inconsistencies increased cognitive load and slowed down efficiency across the page.

By simplifying the layout and standardizing card structure, we created a clearer visual hierarchy. Removing distractions helped direct focus to the content that matters—making the experience faster, more intuitive, and easier to navigate.

Comparison of two healthcare dashboard interface screens, showing claims, notifications, alerts, and patient eligibility sections. The top image has a 'No claims for this date range' message and color-coded claim statuses, while the bottom image indicates 'No claims for this date range available' with detailed notifications and alert messages.

By removing distracting elements, attention is redirected to the card content. Consistent spacing and card sizing create a clear structure, making it easier for users to scan, find information quickly, and reduce cognitive load.

Card Treatment

Two screenshots of a dashboard interface; the first screenshot shows a claims section with no claims available for the date range and notifications with different request counts, the second screenshot shows a similar dashboard with claims data, with some claims categorized as pending, transferred, and processed, and notifications with slightly different request counts.

02 — The New UI

The new dashboard puts the user first—replacing visual noise and unclear pathways with intuitive structure and thoughtful spacing. Clear labels, simplified cards, and a refined hierarchy help users move through tasks with greater ease, building trust in both the platform and the brand behind it.

Elevated Dashboard

Screenshot of the TRICARE Overseas Provider Secure Claims Portal dashboard with sections for Claims, Notifications, Alerts, Recent Payments, Patient Eligibility, and Recent Messages.

Confused to Clarity

The original dashboard was dense, visually inconsistent, and hard to navigate—leaving users confused and overwhelmed. Missing page labels, unclear navigation, and disjointed card layouts made it difficult to find key information quickly. The redesigned experience brings structure, clarity, and visual balance to the interface. With consistent spacing, simplified components, and a clear visual hierarchy, the new layout guides users effortlessly through tasks—boosting confidence, reducing friction, and reinforcing the credibility of the brand.

Comparison of two screenshots of the TRICARE Overseas Provider Secure Claims Portal, showing different dashboard interfaces with claims, notifications, alerts, recent payments, and messages sections.
A woman in white shirt sitting at a desk using a laptop with a healthcare claims portal on the screen.
Smartphone displaying a healthcare claims dashboard with pending, in-process, processed, and transferred claims, against a light blue background.
Smartphone displaying a healthcare provider portal app with claims and notification summaries on a blue background.
Tablet displaying the TRICARE Overseas provider claims portal, with dashboard options for claims, notifications, alerts, and resources, resting on a wooden surface.
Tablet displaying a healthcare provider claims portal homepage on a wooden desk.
Smartphone displaying a healthcare app menu with options like My Dashboard, Claims, Patient Eligibility, Message Center, Administration, and Resources on a blue background.
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