Panel Unsure of Change to TRICARE

A commission’s recommendation that TRICARE be abolished in favor of a system that offers more choice was questioned last week by Democrats on the House Armed Services Committee. The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission included the change to the veterans’ health-care provider among its 15 recommendations unveiled Jan. 29.

Stephen Buyer, a commission member and former Republican House member from Indiana, defended the idea saying TRICARE has “diminished in its value” because too few providers sign on to it, according to The Hill. He said, for example, only 12 orthopedic providers near Fort Bragg, N.C., accept TRICARE, but 163 accept Blue Cross and Blue Shield.

Rep. Mark Takai, D-Hawaii, a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard and Iraq veteran, said replacing TRICARE “sounds like it’s going to cost a lot more money.” Rep. Adam Smith, D-Wash., the ranking member of the committee, failed to get an answer when he pressed commission members about out-of-pocket costs for veterans under a private insurer.

Another Democrat, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, also a member of the Hawaii Guard, said she is open to any plan that would increase access to health care.

Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas, the committee chairman, said after the hearing that health care “is one of the most complex areas we deal with, so taking some time to study the effects of a change in health care is, to me, the biggest challenge ahead of us as we look at these recommendations.”

Taken from the February 10, 2015 issue of the NGAUS Washington Report