Military Health and Health Care

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As a large employer in the United States, the Department of Defense faces significant challenges ensuring that all members of the military, as well as their families, receive appropriate health care for everything from general health and well-being to specialized clinical care for deployment related injuries such as amputations, chemically induced illnesses, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Combining its expertise in health and defense policy, RAND examines policy issues surrounding military medical care needs and the systems intended to meet them.

Commentary
Addressing the Shortage of Behavioral Health Clinicians: Lessons from the Military Health System
Access to behavioral health services is one of the top challenges for the U.S. health care system, due in part to a shortage of licensed mental health providers. One potential solution to expanding the behavioral health workforce can be found in the U.S. military.
May 23, 2022
Report
How the Dobbs v. Jackson Ruling Could Affect U.S. National Security
Women are an integral part of the U.S. military and DoD civilian workforce. Limiting their access to legal abortion services will affect their health and could decrease force readiness. It could also raise health care, child care, and education costs, and affect recruitment and retention.
Sep 13, 2022

Explore Military Health and Health Care

Testimony
Wait Times for Veterans Scheduling Health Care Appointments
There are no national standards for how long is too long for a patient to wait for a health care appointment. Better data about the timeliness and quality of VA Community Care are needed to help veterans make better-informed decisions. What are some recommended approaches to improve data collection and reporting?
Sep 21, 2022
News Release
Landmark Women's Reproductive Health Survey Shows Need for Improvements in DoD Reproductive Health Care
Improvements to reproductive health care services provided by the U.S. Department of Defense would allow DoD to better meet the needs of female service members and address the high rate of unintended pregnancies among active-duty service women.
Sep 13, 2022
Research Brief
Women's Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) of Active-Duty Service Members: Summary Findings and Policy Implications
This brief summarizes results from the RAND-developed Women’s Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS), conducted to better understand active-duty service women’s experiences with reproductive health.
Sep 13, 2022
Infographic
Assessing Reproductive Health Among Active-Duty Service Women in the U.S. Army: Results from Respondents to the Women's Reproductive Health Survey
The RAND-developed Women's Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) was conducted to better understand active-duty service women's experiences with reproductive health. This infographic presents results for the U.S. Army.
Sep 13, 2022
Report
The Women's Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) of Active-Duty Service Members
The Women's Reproductive Health Survey addresses legislation requiring a survey about access to family planning and counseling services among active-duty service women.
Sep 13, 2022
Research Brief
The Women's Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) of Active-Duty Service Members: Methods and Analysis
This brief reviews the methods and analysis of the RAND-developed U.S. Department of Defense Women's Reproductive Health Survey, conducted to better understand active-duty service women's experiences with reproductive health.
Sep 13, 2022
Infographic
Assessing Reproductive Health Among Active-Duty Service Women in the U.S. Navy: Results from Respondents to the Women's Reproductive Health Survey
The RAND-developed Women's Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) was conducted to better understand active-duty service women's experiences with reproductive health. This infographic presents results for the U.S. Navy.
Sep 13, 2022
Infographic
Assessing Reproductive Health Among Active-Duty Service Women in the U.S. Air Force: Results from Respondents to the Women's Reproductive Health Survey
The RAND-developed Women’s Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) was conducted to better understand active-duty service women’s experiences with reproductive health. This infographic presents results for the U.S. Air Force.
Sep 13, 2022
Infographic
Assessing Reproductive Health Among Active-Duty Service Women in the U.S. Coast Guard: Results from Respondents to the Women's Reproductive Health Survey
The RAND-developed Women's Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) was conducted to better understand active-duty service women's experiences with reproductive health. This infographic presents results for the U.S. Coast Guard.
Sep 13, 2022
Infographic
Assessing Reproductive Health Among Active-Duty Service Women in the U.S. Marine Corps: Results from Respondents to the Women's Reproductive Health Survey
The RAND-developed Women's Reproductive Health Survey (WRHS) was conducted to better understand active-duty service women's experiences with reproductive health. This infographic presents results for the U.S. Marine Corps.
Sep 13, 2022
Journal Article
Military Service Branch Differences in Alcohol Use, Tobacco Use, Prescription Drug Misuse, and Mental Health Conditions
Using data from the 2015 Department of Defense Health Related Behaviors Survey, we estimated service branch-specific prevalences of substance use and mental health outcomes.
Jun 21, 2022
Journal Article
Co-occurring Alcohol and Mental Health Problems in the Military: Prevalence, Disparities, and Service Utilization
This study examined the prevalence of co-occurring alcohol and mental health (MH) problems, perceived MH service need, and MH service utilization among active duty service members.
Jun 21, 2022
Report
Programs for Care System Transitions in Mental Health: A Systematic Review
The authors synthesize evidence from studies of interventions that facilitate transitions between health care systems, such as the transition from the Military Health System (MHS) to the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).
Jun 3, 2022
Brochure
Research on Air Force Health and Health Care
This brochure collects RAND Corporation research on health and health care with a focus on topics that are of interest to the U.S. Department of the Air Force.
May 11, 2022
Periodical
RAND Review: May-June 2022
The cover story explores what prison-based programs are available to help incarcerated parents and their children. Another feature examines ways to help social media users navigate the online extremist ecosystem.
May 11, 2022
Report
The Impact of Mindfulness Meditation Programs on Performance-Related Outcomes: Implications for the U.S. Army
This report presents results from a systematic review and meta-analyses of research examining how mindfulness meditation affects 13 performance-related outcomes of interest to the U.S. Army and broader military.
May 10, 2022
Report
Assessing Burnout Among Military Health Care Providers
Health care provider burnout poses a threat to mental and behavioral health care for service members, veterans, and their families. How prevalent is burnout? What workplace factors are associated with increased risk for burnout? And what interventions could help?
May 3, 2022
Report
Is Today's U.S. Air Force Fit? It Depends on How Fitness Is Measured
In this report, the authors examine metrics used to monitor the fitness of airmen, and through their analyses of fitness data, they make a case for using multiple measures to gain a more accurate assessment of the health and fitness of the force.
May 2, 2022