Authors:Lisa S. Meredith, Terri Tanielian, Michael D. Gre
Publisher: RAND
Keywords: evaluation, tricare, demonstration, counselors, health, access, mental, expanding
Number of Pages: 100
Published: 2005
ISBN-10: 083303765X
ISBN-13: 9780833037657

TRICARE, the program through which military health system beneficiaries access health care services, provides coverage for most medically necessary mental health care delivered by qualified providers. Federal legislation in 2001 required the Department of Defense to conduct a demonstration project involving expanded access under TRICARE to a particular type of mental health service provider

Authors:Michael Schoenbaum, Barbara O. Wynn, Terri Taniel
Publisher: RAND
Keywords: rationalizing, tricare, life, retirees, military, benefits, medicare, eligible, health
Number of Pages: 100
Published: 2004
ISBN-10: 0833036491
ISBN-13: 9780833036490

The 2001 National Defense Authorization Act expanded eligibility for coverage under TRICARE, the Department of Defense (DoD) health program, to Medicare-eligible military retirees age 65 and over. Medicare-eligible military retirees enrolled in Medicare Part B became entitled to both Medicare and TRICARE health care benefits

Authors:Louis T. Mariano, Sheila Nataraj Kirby, Christine
Publisher: RAND
Keywords: findings, pilot, survey, retirees, military, health, insurance, options, civilian
Number of Pages: 100
Published: 2007
ISBN-10: 0833041274
ISBN-13: 9780833041272

The Department of Defense (DoD) provides health benefits to qualified retired service personnel. Active duty personnel who retire with at least 20 years of service are immediately eligible to receive retiree health benefits for themselves, their spouses, and dependent children through TRICARE, the DoD-sponsored health care plan. A substantial majority of retirees have second careers after retirement and have access to civilian health insurance. However, many choose to rely primarily on TRICARE, in large part because of the significant price differential between TRICARE and civilian insurance.

Authors:Geoffrey F. Joyce, Jesse D. Malkin, Jennifer E. P
Publisher: RAND
Keywords: benefit, tricare, design, private, sector, insights, plans, costs, employer, provided, health, pharmacy
Number of Pages: 100
Published: 2005
ISBN-10: 0833035495
ISBN-13: 9780833035493

The military health system, as well as the private health care sector, has experienced rapid growth in pharmaceutical expenditures. In 2002 alone, the Department of Defense spent about $3 billion on outpatient pharmacy benefits. As part of an effort to redesign the TRICARE pharmacy benefit to save costs, the Department of Defense is considering moving from a two-tiered to a three-tiered co-payment system, which will increase the co-payment for some classes and brands of drugs. Providers (acting in the interest of their patients) would, theoretically, have an incentive to prescribe less-costly

Author: Christine Eibner
Publisher: RAND
Keywords: assessing, new, approach, outlining, peacetime, military, medical, skills, maintaining
Number of Pages: 100
Published: 2008
ISBN-10: 0833042912
ISBN-13: 9780833042910

Military medical personnel are tasked with fulfilling both the benefits mission and the readiness mission of the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Currently, most military medical personnel are stationed at military treatment facilities (MTFs) during peacetime, where they maintain their clinical skills by treating beneficiaries of TRICARE, the military health care program. However, the medical skills required during deployment are likely to differ significantly from those required at MTFs. Alternative arrangements for maintaining medical skills for deployment may be needed. One alternative wou