“The Army is working with the Defense Department on the possibility of slowing down the transfer of military treatment facilities to the Defense Health Agency, and the consolidation of those hospitals — especially in rural areas with large military bases.”
“The service’s concerns stem both from how quickly DoD will move military treatment facilities (MTFs) to a centralized agency, and the policy of mostly downsizing MTFs to require military family member and retirees to seek medical care from local civilian doctors. They also come from a plan to move military service medical research laboratories to the DHA.”
“’We are looking first at unique locations where the local economy might not be able to support or absorb the vast number of people on an Army installation’ when it comes to rightsizing MTFs and transferring to DHA, Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy told reporters Wednesday at the McAleese and Associates Defense Programs Conference in Washington…”
“DoD sent its MTF ‘rightsizing plan’ to Congress last month. An estimated 200,000 military family members and retirees would lose their ability to get health care through military hospitals and clinics under the blueprint.”
“A total of 37 MTFs would downsize and stop seeing those civilians…” Read the full article here.
Source: Army taking steps with DoD to rethink medical facility changes – By Scott Maucione, March 4, 2020. Federal News Network.
