United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Health, Education, and Human Services Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1997-02-27 monographic deposited born digital 12 p. GA 1.13:T-HEHS-97-84 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-97-84 P0b002ee18038186b f:he97084t DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-24 GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-97-84 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-97-84 T-HEHS-97-84 Health care programs Retired military personnel Military dependents Health care costs Military downsizing Military hospitals Health care services Elderly persons Drugs Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services CHAMPUS Medicare Program DOD TRICARE Prime Program DOD TRICARE Program Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Medigap Testimony HEHS Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed health care options for retired military members and their families, focusing on: (1) older retirees' options for accessing health care and the related effects of the Department of Defense's (DOD) recent health care system changes on their access to care; and (2) proposed alternatives for addressing retirees' concerns and their potential effects on beneficiary and government costs.<p/>GAO noted that: (1) its work has shown that recent system downsizing has reduced all care, including space-available care, the only care retirees may access at military facilities; (2) in the last 10 years, the number of military medical personnel has declined by 15 percent and one-third of military hospitals have been closed, reflecting the one-third reduction in active-duty forces; (3) while further readiness-related downsizing decisions are pending, some predict more system reductions; (4) meanwhile, TRICARE, which does not allow older retirees to enroll in its Prime health care option (its new health maintenance organization option), is moving to maximize Prime enrollment at all the facilities; (5) as this takes place, older retirees' space-available care will further decline at most facilities and eventually end at some; (6) space-available care at military health facilities, moreover, is episodic and lacks the continuity so important to older retirees who have more frequent, and often chronic, medical problems than younger retirees; (7) although retirees may also access care through such government-sponsored programs as Medicare and private supplementary health insurance, many retirees experience coverage gaps and high out-of-pocket costs; (8) DOD and members of Congress have proposed alternatives to address the availability, cost, and coverage issues affecting retirees' access to care: (9) these proposals have potentially large price tags or fall short in helping those most affected by base closures and TRICARE's implementation; (10) allowing retirees to join the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, or using the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services as a second payer to Medicare, would provide retirees with more dependable, consistent access to care; (11) costs, however, would be considerable, in part because retirees whose care is now funded by other sources would most likely join the new program; (12) to mitigate these costs, DOD would probably need to explore measures such as alternative beneficiary cost sharing; (13) in addition, although not yet fully developed, DOD's pharmacy proposal would provide retirees a single benefit not covered by basic Medicare and could fill the gap in coverage until system restructuring decisions are made and the related consequences known; and (14) DOD has not yet decided, however, on benefit eligibility, delivery* https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-97-84/html/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-97-84.htm https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-97-84/pdf/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-97-84.pdf GAO/T-HEHS-97-84 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-HEHS-97-84 Testimony GAO/T-HEHS-97-84; Defense Health Care: Limits to Older Retirees' Access to Care and Proposals for Change; Health care programs Retired military personnel Military dependents Health care costs Military downsizing Military hospitals Health care services Elderly persons Drugs Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services CHAMPUS Medicare Program DOD TRICARE Prime Program DOD TRICARE Program Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Medigap