Military Health
The military health care system has two missions: to provide and maintain medical readiness during combat operations and to provide medical services and support to nondeployed military personnel, their dependents, and others entitled to Department of Defense (DoD) care. Overseeing this large and complex health care system, the DoD faces a multitude of management and economic issues. RAND studies a broad range of military health policy issues, many of which are conducted within the RAND Center for Military Health Policy Research. The Center has evaluated various aspects of TRICARE— the system that provides military health care—the Veterans Health Administration, and other aspects of the military and veterans health systems. Current studies are highlighted below.
Profiles of Current Research
Highlights of Recent Studies
Studies’ Estimates of PTSD Prevalence Rates for Returning Service Members Vary Widely
This study found that estimates of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among war zone veterans vary widely and are linked to the use of different PTSD diagnostic definitions and divergent study samples.
Views from the Home Front: The Experience of Children from Military Families
This study, one of the first to examine the mental health and well-being of children from military families, found that these children experience above-average levels of emotional and behavioral difficulties and that longer cumulative paren- tal deployment is associated with greater difficulties.
Invisible Wounds: Mental Health and Cognitive Care Needs of America’s Returning Veterans
Approximately 18.5 percent of U.S. servicemembers who have returned from Afghanistan and Iraq currently have post- traumatic stress disorder or depression, and 19.5 percent report experiencing a traumatic brain injury dur- ing deployment. This brief summarizes a comprehensive RAND study of the mental health and cognitive needs of these servicemembers.
The Military Health System: How Might It Be Reorganized?
This study identified alternative organizational structures for the Military Health System and evaluated their likely impact on peacetime health care and wartime readiness. The alternatives were based on organizational models in the civilian health sector and other joint military organizations. The study recommended modification of the current system organiza- tion to unify health plan management in TRICARE and separate it from military treatment facility man- agement.
Enhancing Interoperability Among Enlisted Medical Personnel in the U.S. Military: A Case Study of Military Surgical Technologists
This study examined the feasibility of consolidating medical training across all mili- tary services and recommended that the military would benefit from such a consolidation and should view it as a long-term goal.
Using Civilian Facilities to Maintain Military Medical Skills
RAND examined the feasibility of stationing military medical personnel in civilian settings, such as emergency rooms or trauma centers, to maintain their readiness for the expected case mix during deployment, and found that civilian medical organiza- tions were generally receptive to the idea.
Initiatives to Control Military Health Costs
Congressional testimony drawing on RAND research to assess options for controlling the rapid increase in health costs for military beneficiaries.
Related Websites
Working with Congress
RAND’s Office of Congressional Relations (OCR) furthers RAND’s mission to provide objective analysis and effective solutions by disseminating research results to Congress and federal agencies. OCR publishes a monthly electronic newsletter featuring current work on health policy. The RAND Health Congressional Newsletter is found at www.rand.org/congress/newsletters.html. Contact: Winfield Boerckel (winfield_boerckel@rand.org).
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