Wednesday, Mar. 13, 2013

Sequestration affects health care

We know that those who rely on the Military Health System are concerned about how sequestration will impact their health care.

While we can’t predict the exact consequences of sequestration on every part of our military health system, we will see an immediate decrease in our research efforts, delayed repairs to facilities and delays in new equipment purchases.

Should our civilian workforce be furloughed, we do expect to see some impact on the delivery of health care services within our military treatment facilities. Local hospital and clinic commanders will need to manage service availability while ensuring that the quality of care and safety of patients remain intact. This may mean a decrease in clinic appointment availability or longer wait times to see providers.

For those who seek care in the private sector through their Tricare benefit, little effect is anticipated at this time.

The Military Health System leadership — comprised of the assistant secretary of defense for Health Affairs and the surgeons general of the military departments — are closely monitoring the effects of sequestration on the health services provided to our 9.6 million beneficiaries.

For more, visit www.health.mil.