Effective Oct. 1, 2019 the Department of Defense will begin consolidating military hospitals and clinics under a single agency. The Army, Navy and Air Force will begin a two year transition to shift administration and management of their medical facilities to the Defense Health Agency (DHA) by October 2021. For the first time in our modern military’s history, a single agency, the DHA, will be responsible for all the health care the Department of Defense delivers to our 9.5 million beneficiaries, whether you receive your care at an on-base facility or through our TRICARE civilian networks, DHA will oversee your care. This consolidation will drive higher levels of readiness for operational and medical forces and integrate health care services to standardize practices across the entire Department, which means patients will have a consistent, high-quality health care experience, no matter where they receive their care. This change was mandated in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2017 that included sweeping changes to military healthcare. Congress, among other changes, wanted a single agency to be responsible for the administration and management of all military hospitals and clinics. DHA will be responsible for health care delivery and business operations across the Military Health System including budgets, information technology, health care administration and management, administrative policies and procedures, and military medical construction. All veterans service organizations will monitor the consolidation process to ensure that access and quality of care will not be reduced for beneficiaries. For more information, contact Sandra at the Veterans Service Office at 602 Strong Ave on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 3pm, or call 365-3612.
Sandra G. Van Zant
Veterans County Service Officer
