Reports that differences could cause military families to pay much higher costs.
The Inspector General (IG) of the Justice Department released a report reviewing the cost of medical procedures within different states. After probing the data recorded by Tricare, the medical insurance company of the Department of Defense (DOD), the report found that some services can differ wildly due to state laws. For instance, custom sleep apnea mouthguards cost about $3,000 each in Iowa while the same equipment costs upwards of $11,500 in Illinois.
“Because the [Defense Health Agency] did not determine that the state prevailing rates were reasonable, the [Defense Department] is at risk of wasteful spending and increasing DOD beneficiaries’ risk of unreasonable cost-shares for health care services and items that are paid with state prevailing rates,” the report states.
The report recommended that the Defense Health Agency reassess its regional payment policies.
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Pentagon officials as they consider the variations in coverage under Tricare.
- For the Inspector General and Justice Department officials as they seek to bring unreasonable costs under control.
Sources: Stars and Stripes, Daily Press
