The US Family Health Plan (USFHP) [1] is a U.S. Department of Defense-sponsored healthcare plan that serves military family members exclusively. US Family Health Plan operates in six regions, sixteen states, including the District of Columbia.
USFHP [2] delivers full TRICARE Prime benefits to more than 150,000 beneficiaries, including the family members of active-duty military, activated Guard and Reserve, and military retirees and their family members.
The US Family Health Plan currently offers more than 40 disease and case management programs across all of its sites.
Enrollment in the US Family Health Plan is offered through six community-based hospital and physician networks, known as Designated Providers. [3]
In 1981, Congress enacted the Omnibus Reconciliation Act [4] designating certain former U.S. Public Health Service facilities as Uniformed Services Treatment Facilities (USTFs). The following year, the Department of Defense assumed responsibility for the USTF program from the Department of Health and Human Services. In 1993, the USTFs developed a managed care plan, called the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan, and in 1996, became “TRICARE Designated Providers”—the first DoD-sponsored, full-risk managed health care plan and the first to serve the military 65 and older population (other than on a limited demonstration basis). The Plan began offering the TRICARE Prime benefit the following year. In 2001, the name was shortened to US Family Health Plan.
Having long served military families, the US Family Health Plan in 2008 was awarded an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for a 2007 public service announcement series, "Now is Our Time to Serve". [5] This joint public service initiative [6] with the non-profit National Military Family Association (NMFA) urged viewers to "support, befriend, remember and appreciate" America's military family members.
Humana Inc. is a for-profit American health insurance company based in Louisville, Kentucky. In 2023, the company ranked 42 on the Fortune 500 list, which made it the highest ranked company based in Kentucky. It is the fourth largest health insurance provider in the U.S.
The United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps is the uniformed service branch of the United States Public Health Service and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. The commissioned corps' primary mission is the protection, promotion, and advancement of health and safety of the general public.
Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) is a health science university and professional school of the U.S. federal government. The primary mission of the school is to prepare graduates for service to the U.S. at home and abroad as uniformed health professionals, scientists and leaders; by conducting cutting-edge, military-relevant research; by leading the Military Health System in key functional and intellectual areas; and by providing operational support to units around the world.
Tricare is a health care program of the United States Department of Defense Military Health System. Tricare provides civilian health benefits for U.S Armed Forces military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents, including some members of the Reserve Component. Tricare is the civilian care component of the Military Health System, although historically it also included health care delivered in military medical treatment facilities.
A United States Uniformed Services Privilege and Identification Card is an identity document issued by the United States Department of Defense to identify a person as a member of the Armed Forces or a member's dependent, such as a child or spouse.
Wisconsin Physicians Service Insurance Corporation (WPS Health Solutions) is a not-for-profit service insurance corporation based in Madison, Wisconsin. WPS offers health insurance plans for groups and individuals and benefit plan administration for businesses. WPS also provides insurance claims processing services under various U.S. government contracts and has a subsidiary corporation, EPIC Specialty Benefits, offering dental and other nonmedical benefits.
The Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center is a United States Department of Defense medical facility at Fort Cavazos, Texas. It provides medical care to servicemembers and their families, along with veterans and their dependents, in and around the largest U.S. military installation in the world. Named after inventor of water chlorination Brigadier General Carl Rogers Darnall, MD., the core of the medical center is a state of the art 947,000-square-foot hospital. The facility opened in 2016, and includes a full primary care and emergency medical facility, including a level III trauma center, and specialized care in obstetrics and gynaecology, orthopedics, and behavioral health. The hospital provides treatment to nearly 3,000 patients daily. The medical center is one of the largest in the Military Health System, comprising more than 105 buildings in addition to the main facility, spread over Fort Cavazos, three local communities, and a clinic at the Red River Army Depot in Bowie County, Texas, outside of Texarkana. The medical center and its outlying facilities are staffed nearly entirely by uniformed servicemembers of the U.S. Army, however in 2019, the administrative control of the facility was shifted from United States Army Medical Command to the Defense Health Agency, an integrated joint Department of Defense combat support agency. All patients of the facility are insured and billed through Tricare, the health insurance system of the DoD. The medical center is led by Colonel Richard G. Malish.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance is a Phoenix, Arizona based corporation that manages health benefits under the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) VAPCCC program in Regions 3, 5, and 6. On October 1, 2018, TriWest's contract for VAPCCC was expanded to cover Regions 1, 2, and 4.
The Extended Care Health Option or ECHO is a supplemental coverage program offered by TRICARE to dependents of members of the uniformed services of the United States with a qualifying disability.
Military psychiatry covers special aspects of psychiatry and mental disorders within the military context. The aim of military psychiatry is to keep as many serving personnel as possible fit for duty and to treat those disabled by psychiatric conditions. Military psychiatry encompasses counseling individuals and families on a variety of life issues, often from the standpoint of life strategy counseling, as well as counseling for mental health issues, substance abuse prevention and substance abuse treatment; and where called for, medical treatment for biologically based mental illness, among other elements.
The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs (ASD(HA)) is chartered under United States Department of Defense Directive (DoDD) 5136.1 in 1994. This DoDD states that the ASD(HA) is the principal advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Defense on all "DoD health policies, programs and activities." In addition to exercising oversight of all DoD health resources, ASD(HA) serves as director of the Tricare Management Activity.
The National Military Family Association (NMFA), headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a private non-profit association on a mission to stand up for, support, and enhance the quality of life for every military family through bold advocacy, innovative programming, and dynamic and responsive solutions.
Nancy J. Lescavage is a retired American rear admiral who served as the 20th director of the Navy Nurse Corps and was the commander of Naval Medical Education and Training Command, Bethesda, Maryland.
The President's Commission on Care for America's Returning Wounded Warriors, also known as the Dole-Shalala Commission, was established on March 6, 2007, when U.S. President George W. Bush signed Executive Order 13426. The Commission was established to examine and recommend improvements to the effectiveness and quality of transition from returning to military service or civilian society, health care, benefits, outreach to service members, and awareness among service members of healthcare and benefits programs.
The Military Health System (MHS) is the internal health care system operated within the United States Department of Defense that provides health care to active duty, Reserve component and retired U.S. Military personnel and their dependents.
The Uniformed Services Benefit Association (USBA) is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Overland Park, Kansas, providing affordable group life insurance plans and other financial services specifically designed for active duty and retired military members and their families, as well as honorably discharged veterans, National Guard and Reserve members, and federal civilian employees.
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) is a computerized database for United States Service members, military retirees, 100% VA Disabled Veterans, dependents, DoD active Contractors, and others worldwide who are entitled to Public Key Infrastructure and TRICARE eligibility.
AHLTA is a global Electronic Health Record (EHR) system used by U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). It was implemented at Army, Navy and Air Force Military Treatment Facilities (MTF) around the world between January 2003 and January 2006. It is a services-wide medical and dental information management system. What made AHLTA unique was its implementation date, its Central Data Repository, its use in operational medicine and its global implementation. There is nothing like it in the private sector.
Health care finance in the United States discusses how Americans obtain and pay for their healthcare, and why U.S. healthcare costs are the highest in the world based on various measures.
The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is a joint, integrated combat support agency that enables the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force medical services to provide a medically ready force and ready medical force to Combatant Commands in both peacetime and wartime. The DHA is in charge of integrating clinical and business operations across the MHS and facilitates the delivery of integrated and reasonably priced health care to MHS clients.