What do you think about TRICARE?

[Brandi]

I'm passing along an email from Carissa from MSC

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MSC Members, Supporters, and Friends:

MSC has been contacted by a journalist for the Associated Press who is working on a story about military families and access to care under Tricare. As you are probably aware, Tricare is actually provided by Humana, a private corporation for whom Congress authorizes federal funds to provide our health care services. The American Medical Association recently made several recommendations (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/20280.html) regarding improving Tricare's services for military families and service members, which is part of the inspiration for this story. Moreover, the Army Surgeon General, Gen. Schoomaker, wrote in a blog in October of this year that he was surprised to learn from FRG leaders around the country about the problems our family members at home were facing trying to make appointments and get referrals, among other things.

Access to Health Care

Written by LTG Eric B. Schoomaker, U.S. Army Surgeon General on 22-Oct-2008
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Access to the highest quality care is our first priority for Soldiers, Family Members and all our Beneficiaries. I was dismayed to learn that, at a recent AUSA conference, most of a very large audience of Family Readiness Group leaders did not feel that we had made headway in providing increased access to care. The members, many of whom we interviewed afterwards had a number of specific complaints.
The complaints again were primarily about access, and not about the quality of care. The most common complaints were: 1) inability to get through on the phone to make an appointment; 2) being told there were no appointments available and to call back, and this happened repeatedly; 3) the MTFs refusal to give them a referral to the network, despite there being no appointments available; and 4) the attitude of the staff on the phone or at the front desk.

There appears to be a resurgence of problems which I have not seen in some time. A few appear to be a marked increase in demand--for example, at Ft. Drum--where the per capita clinic visits have doubled in the past year or so, reflecting exhausted, stressed and ill Soldiers and Families; a strained MTF clinic capacity from our own MEDCOM deployments, shortages of primary care providers and the like; and difficulties accessing TRICARE networks for consults.
My staff and I are working very hard to understand and to fix the problems with access to care. Some of the problems will have simple answers; most will be harder. We have a talented team and together we can find solutions. We are also interested to hear what you all think and have to say on this topic--I'd like to factor in your ideas to the solutions our staff is working.

If you would like to share your experience with this journalist (or know someone who would), let us know as soon as possible and we will connect you with her personally.

Take care and have a wonderful Thanksgiving,

Carissa

--
Carissa Picard, Esq.
President
Military Spouses for Change
P.O. Box 216
Copperas Cove, TX 76522

254.554.1513

www.militaryspousesforchange.com

Involve. Inform. Inspire!

[Brandi]

[BubMunkeyBles]

Interesting... My Dad was at that AMA meeting in Orlando. I don't have much to share other than what everyone else is complaining, but nice to know they may try to fix some of the issues.

[dcwife]

I haven't had any big issues with them, but to quote DH, "You get what you pay for."