DEFENSE HEALTH CARE: Across-the-Board Physician Rate Increase Would be Costly and Unnecessary
Abstract
Military beneficiaries in some locations, such as rural Alaska, are having difficulty obtaining care from civilian physicians, especially certain types of specialty care, and some specialists are seeking reimbursements higher than what TRICARE allows. In areas where access is impaired, DOD can increase TRICARE rates to encourage physicians to treat military beneficiaries. It has done this in rural Alaska because it determined the problem was most severe there. However, continued congressional concerns over beneficiary access to care led the Congress, in the Floyd D. Spence National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 (P.L.106-398), to require DOD to designate higher physician reimbursement rates in localities where it determines that without payment of such rates access to health care services would be severely impaired. Further, the act requires that we determine and report on the financial and management impact of increasing rates.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 2001
- Accession Number
- AD1169798
Entities
People
- Lois I. Shoemaker
- Michael T. Jr Blair
- Stephen P. Backhus
- William R. Simerl
Organizations
- United States Government Accountability Office