Military health care will be in the crosshairs this year, as House and Senate lawmakers included language in the FY 2016 National Defense Authorization Act signaling their intent to reform TRICARE. Urging Congress to do no harm, preserve what’s working, and fix what’s not working in current military health care programs, then-MOAA President Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN (Ret), testified before the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee Dec. 3, 2015.  Rep. Joe Heck (R-Nev.), subcommittee chair and a U.S. Army Reserve physician, opened the hearing on military health care reform by saying, “This process is not being driven by budgetary concerns … we’re driven by what will produce the best possible benefit to be able to recruit and retain the best and brightest.” Later in the hearing, he emphasized that the primary goal of the military health care system is to maintain military readiness.  During the hearing, Ryan highlighted areas MOAA considers effective, including combat casualty care, the overall quality of health care once delivered, TRICARE For Life, pharmacy and mail-order pharmacy programs, and TRICARE Standard. The following is Ryan’s oral statement from the hearing.

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