Assessment of DoD-Provided Healthcare for Members of the United States Armed Forces Reserve Components.

摘要

The objectives of this assessment were to determine whether DoD- provided healthcare programs support pre-deployment medical readiness rates and the efficient and effective post-deployment care of Reserve Component (RC) service members. We examined DoD-provided healthcare programs used to maintain or improve required medical readiness rates and also examined DoD-provided healthcare programs for wounded, ill, and injured members of the RC. This is a follow-on assessment to six previous Wounded Warrior assessment reports where we noted systemic issues with DoD-provided healthcare programs used by RC service members. Observations This assessment identified several issues which, if addressed by DoD and the Military Services, will enhance the overall effectiveness of DoD-provided healthcare programs, help improve the RC s medical readiness rates, and improve care and transition services for wounded, ill, and injured RC members not receiving care at military treatment facilities. The observations included in this report: Active Component (AC) service members transferred to the Reserve Component with medical conditions which limited their deployability or for which they were subsequently found to be non-deployable. RC service members who filled deployable billets could not be officially separated (for medical reasons) from the RC when they were found fit-for-duty by a medical board, even though they had medically-related limiting conditions that made them not deployable or only deployable with certain waivers. Army RC soldiers (not on active duty), who were issued temporary medical profiles, had limited access to DoD-provided healthcare to be medically evaluated in accordance with Army Regulation 40-501. RC service members returned from deployments or temporary duty with missing or incomplete medical histories and line of duty documentation. As a result, deactivated RC service members had to reconstruct medical histories and line of duty documentation in order receive DOD-provided medical care for wounds, illnesses, and injuries incurred or aggravated while assigned temporary duty., Wounded, ill, and injured RC service members had difficulty accessing authorized medical services at military treatment facilities because different formed were used by each service to prove line of duty medical entitlements.