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Often these providers have little or no connection to the military community and culture. Specialized training and cultural awareness is needed for community providers to be most effective in working with servicemembers and veterans and their families.
The health and well-being of the all-volunteer force has never been more critical than it is today. DoD and the VA must have viable and effective systems of care and support that address all warrior physical, mental, and emotional issues, including managing pain, substance use, and complex trauma conditions. Senior commanders must continue and strengthen efforts to establish a command climate that eliminates stigma associated with seeking mental health care. Establishing a culture that encourages individuals to seek help as an act of strength rather than as a sign of weakness is central to transforming military and veteran systems of care and benefits.
With the establishment of a joint executive committee-level DoD/VA Interagency Care Coordination Committee, the focus now is on sustaining this work to ensure full implementation and sustainment of DoD/VA collaboration and coordination efforts. Efforts must ensure continuity and consistency of care and benefits, create a seamless transition for warriors moving from DoD to VA care, and identify and cross-implement best practices, including effective exchange of health care and personnel records data.
Sustain TRICARE/TFL
Maintain and improve benefit consistency for all beneficiary groups, with the following objectives:
■ Oppose any enrollment fee for TRICARE For Life (TFL). Congress expressly indicated when TFL was enacted servicemembers’ decades of service and sacrifice, in addition to Part B enrollment, constitute their proper premium.
■ Oppose initiatives to dramatically limit coverage by Medicare supplement policies, including TFL.
■ Ensure timely access to the full range of mental health care services for servicemembers and their families and caregivers. Seek increased oversight and funding to ensure an improved joint DoD and VA effort.
■ Promote beneficiary-friendly initiatives to reduce long-term military health care costs, such as expanded, positive incentives for all beneficiaries, including Medicare-eligibles, to pursue healthy lifestyles and follow prescribed regimens for chronic conditions.
■ Increase access to civilian providers by reducing administrative deterrents to participation, attracting more providers to participate in TRICARE Standard, and ensuring assistance for Standard beneficiaries who need help finding TRICARE-participating providers.
■ Eliminate pre-authorization and referral hassles and other administrative inconveniences to promote doctor participation in TRICARE and improve beneficiary access.
■ Work closely with DoD and TRICARE contractors to ensure Prime access standards are met and that appointment, specialty care authorization, and referral processes are upgraded to meet beneficiary needs.
■ Reinstate TRICARE benefits for remarried survivors when their subsequent marriage ends. The Veterans Benefits Act of 2002 restored similar VA benefits for survivors of veterans who died of service-connected causes. Military survivors deserve the same consideration.
■ Upgrade programs and ensure improved DoD policy and implementation for families with special-needs children.
■ Allow TRICARE Prime beneficiaries affected by the reduction in Prime Service Areas a one-time option to re-enroll in the program.
44 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2014
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