TRICARE Contracting Changes Creating Turbulence for Military Beneficiaries

Recent reforms of the Military Health System included plans to reduce TRICARE regions from three to two. The objective was to reduce federal spending while decreasing administrative hassles for military beneficiaries, who tend to move between regions frequently. This part has worked out well.

What has not worked so well for beneficiaries have been numerous issues caused by the change in TRICARE contractors Jan. 1. Contractor changes between regions happen every five to seven years, and although most beneficiaries expect a few glitches, they typically are well planned and anticipated. This transition has been anything but smooth sailing.