Military Health: Increased TRICARE Eligibility for Reservists Presents Educational Challenges

摘要

Since 2001, the number of reservists mobilized for active duty has increased dramatically. Congress has expanded reservists and their dependents eligibility for TRICARE, the Department of Defenses (DOD) health insurance program. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2004 directed GAO to examine the health insurance coverage of reservists and their dependents. This report (1) identifies the extent to which reservists have civilian health insurance, (2) examines DODs efforts to educate reservists and their dependents about TRICARE, and (3) describes reservists level of satisfaction with TRICARE and the types of problems reservists and their dependents experienced when using it. To do this, GAO relied on interviews with DOD and DODs survey data. GAO also administered a survey of TRICARE benefit assistance coordinators. GAO recommends that DOD provide additional TRICARE briefings to reservists and their dependents during regular training or when they are first notified of mobilization. DOD partially concurred, agreeing that briefings should occur when members are first informed of mobilization, but disagreeing that briefings are needed during other periods. GAO continues to believe that such briefings would be effective.