Political Quotes

“I rise in support of the subcommittee language regarding the TRICARE program and the alternative financing mechanism requested by DOD. I appreciate the cautious approach the subcommittee has taken. This alternative financing mechanism may have significant merit and it should be thoroughly tested and evaluated before it is fully implemented. The Tidewater area of Virginia, which is part of TRICARE Region 2, has long been the premier test site for DOD health care programs. The TRICARE Tidewater Demonstration Project ran from October 1, 1992 to September 30, 1995, and all of its initiatives continue to the present under the new TRICARE regulations that went into effect nationwide in October of 1995. A TRICARE Service Center has operated in Portsmouth, VA since October of 1992. A managed mental health program has been in place for at least a decade. TRICARE Extra has been in place since the beginning of the demonstration project and TRICARE Prime began to phase in during December of 1994. Today, more than 60,000 people are enrolled in TRICARE. It is significant to note that this has been accomplished without a Managed Care Support Contract. The lead agent for region 2 is the Portsmouth Naval Hospital, and all three services are well represented in the region, which also includes Langley AFB, Ft. Bragg, and Camp LeJeune.”