Defense Health Care: Tri-Service Strategy Needed to Justify Medical Resources for Readiness and Peacetime Care
Abstract
Despite successful DOD and service efforts to improve MHS management, DOD still lacks a comprehensive tri-service strategy for determining and allocating medical resources among MTFs. Consequently, neither we nor DOD can fully address the need for, or appropriate size of, NCA MTFs or MTFs elsewhere in MHS. In the current health care environment, each service has its own needs determination and resource allocation approach. Generally, each allocates resources based on prior year budgets, facility size, location, historical workload, and readiness and political considerations. A tri-service strategy applied systemwide would enable DOD to assess the need for each MTF by taking into account the resources needed for both readiness and peacetime care available at all NCA MTFs. Also, resources available in the local civilian community need to be considered. Such a strategy would also provide a systematic basis for justifying budget requests. DOD has recently begun to address this fundamental deficiency.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 1999
- Accession Number
- AD1102943
Entities
People
- Stephen P. Backhus
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office