More Than 3 Dozen Military Hospitals to Stop Treating Retirees, Families, Memo Shows

[nitpicker]

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/02/07/more-3-dozen-military-hospitals-stop-treating-retirees-families-memo-shows.html

More Than 3 Dozen Military Hospitals to Stop Treating Retirees, Families, Memo Shows

7 Feb 2020

Military.com | By Amy Bushatz

Military families and retirees receiving care through 38 military hospitals nationwide will soon be forced to go off-base instead, and some pharmacies at those hospitals will stop providing drugs to those not on active duty, Military.com has learned.

A 12-page memo, reviewed by Military.com, was sent to the commanders of 50 military treatment facilities, or MTFs, targeted for changes. It details for commanders the impacts of a planned MTF restructuring, the subject of an upcoming report to Congress. It also includes a letter to commanders explaining upcoming changes, signed by Lt. Gen. Ronald Pace, who directs the Defense Health Agency, and provides communications guidance to public affairs personnel.

The changes are a part of a review of military hospital operations and a system consolidation under the Defense Health Agency ordered by Congress in 2016. Aimed at increasing a focus on military readiness, the consolidation includes a plan to cut about 18,000 uniformed medical personnel and increase focus on active-duty support.

But to do so, the hospitals must cull the number of family members and retirees to whom they currently offer care. The report to Congress detailed in the memo lays out the Pentagon's path for those changes.
(snip)

The memo does not include the locations of the 50 affected MTFs, or a specific timeline for the changes. It's also unclear how feedback from lawmakers might impact the current transition plan.
(snip)

[riversedge]

1. This is part of Trumps privatization of the VA. yes. it. is.

[gademocrat7]

2. This is shameful.

The cruelty of this corrupt administration is beyond the pale.

[Ilsa]

3. Of course, trump will claim it is Democrats screwing them over. nt

[cyclonefence]

4. Finding ways to pay for those tax cuts for the rich

We're just at the beginning.

[Docreed2003]

5. This is infuriating and will have disastrous consequences

As a former military surgeon, caring for retirees and their families was a huge part of my practice. In fact, I credit that as being hugely important to ensuring that the skills I learned in surgical training weren't lost, because I was able to do more complex cases that I wouldn't have been able to necessarily do had our population been limited to active duty personnel.

For whatever reason, the powers that be in military medicine are focusing more and more on just the deployment role of their physicians. Physicians, particularly surgeons, have always been on a tight deployment schedules which disrupts their practice at the MTF and, in many cases, results in limited use of their skills. In my role as a forward deployed surgeon, my situation was unique in that we happened to be positioned at a forward hospital in a more isolated but very kinetic area. In six months, we cared for over 400 patients and performed over 150 major trauma cases. There were surgeons in our company that didn't operate at all in that seven months. Surgeons, in particular, have vocally complained that their skills withered while on active duty because they weren't getting enough cases, particularly complex cases. Military medicines response has been, well we'll just rotate docs through trauma centers, and we'll trim the service down to just those providers who will actively deploy, which only serves to undercut the complaints of their providers.

Additionally, like at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune where I was stationed, the hospital provides a much needed outpatient and inpatient service to the retirees in the area who have no VA facility within a reasonable drive. Taking away that resource will only result in more delayed care and poorer outcomes. I think back to all the retirees I treated in my career an this makes me so angry. This is an outrageous move which will hurt retirees and only weaken military medicine

[padah513]

6. Getting the money for his wall

By any means necessary regardless of who it hurts.

[Oppaloopa]

7. This is for his wall.

[JDC]

8. USA! USA!

Supporting the troops is only for show in this party. They hate the Military other than for using it as a cash cow for contract awards to donors. They sicken me.

[sinkingfeeling]

9. Isn't it a shame that the Pentagon with almost a trillion dollars a year

budget can't afford 18,000 medical people to treat survivors of their wars?