Rising Costs of Military Health Care and Approaches to Reducing Them

In 2012, the Department of Defense (DoD) spent $52 billion on health care for service members, retirees, and their families. The department offers health care to nearly 10 million people through its TRICARE program, an integrated system of military health care providers and regional networks of civilian providers. Established in 1993, TRICARE now consists of three major plans: TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Standard, and TRICARE Extra. The cost of providing this care has increased rapidly as a share of the defence budget over the past decade, outpacing growth in the economy, growth in per capita health care spending in the United States, and growth in funding for DoD's base budget. This book focuses on the approaches that can be taken to reduce federal spending on military care, and continues to provide information on management practices available to help achieve efficiencies within the military health system.