"More than 168,000 TRICARE Prime enrollees -- those in managed care networks set up more than 40 miles from a military base or a base closure site -- could lose access to those networks and therefore pay higher out-of-pocket costs under new TRICARE support contracts to take effect in 2009.
Retiree advocates say a proposed change to the next generation of contracts, floated by TRICARE in a draft bid proposal, would encourage contractors like Humana, TriWest and Health Net to make more cost-competitive bids by dismantling provider networks that aren’t near military treatment facilities or Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites.
Cutting the number of Prime Service Areas, or PSAs, would save the government money, but it would hit thousands of beneficiaries in the wallet. Retirees, their spouses and survivors living more than 40 miles from base would lose access both to TRICARE Prime and also to TRICARE Extra, the military’s preferred provider option. They would have to shift to TRICARE Standard, which for beneficiaries is the most costly of TRICARE’s three options. The number of doctors willing to accept TRICARE patients also could tighten in areas where PSAs no longer would exist."
If you haven't already communicated your feelings with Washington DC, there is a link that enables you to do so concerning this issue at the bottom of the article.
Originally posted by M_Wood51: Standby for more health care cutbacks...
... to make more cost-competitive bids by dismantling provider networks that aren’t near military treatment facilities or Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) sites.
I'm not sure what this part means? Is it saying that if you are in a network that is near a BRAC site then they will leave it alone? I have Tricare Prime Through Martins Point Health Care, which is central to Brunswick (ME) Naval Air Station ... a BRAC site.
Standby for heavy rolls. The "draft" proposal offers the best of all worlds to the potential bidders. 168K fewer enrollees to complain about the absolutely abysmal service.
Basically for the cost of a couple of F-22s they could cover those 168K folks. Amazing.
The administration has made several attempts to butcher TRICARE and other health care benefits for both Veterans and Military Retirees. Fortunately, past attempts have failed to pass muster in Congress. Hopefully, this attempt will fail also. We have had enough taken away from us already
It was hard enough to take a bullet for our nation while on active duty. Why do we have to take the bullet as Veterans and Retirees?
The sad thing is that there are many that think these services are excellent. Look at the other thread going on. They are not. They are at best "adequate" and in certain places as indicated on the other thread. But we should not be moving to areas based on the level of services provided by Tricare Prime whether for Eyes or other medical services.
