Military Health looking at 2.2 billion in cuts

[distressstudent]

Esper eyes $2.2 billion cut to military health care

Yet defense officials say troops and their families could be hurt.

www.politico.com

Military health system is looking at 2.2 billion in cuts. Article talks a lot about affecting pipleline:

1. "But the proposed health cuts, in the second iteration of the defense-wide review, would degrade military hospitals to the point that they will no longer be able to sustain the current training pipeline for the military’s medical force, potentially necessitating something akin to a draft of civilian medical workers into the military, the two defense officials said."

2. " Last fall, Whitley and CAPE also sought to close the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, which prepares graduates for the medical corps, as part of the defense-wide review, the people said. Although at the time Esper denied the proposal, CAPE is now seeking major cuts to USU as part of the $2.2 billion. The reductions include eliminating all basic research dollars for combat casualty care, infectious disease and military medicine for USU, as well as slicing operational funds. "


To me, it reads like residency is one thing that would be the first to go. It heavily relies on treating the non-AD population (at least my residency), and it's something that can free up personnel/attendings. (That's especially the case with military dentistry imo, but I wont get into that)

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[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

The reductions include eliminating all basic research dollars for combat casualty care, infectious disease and military medicine for USU, as well as slicing operational funds.

Sounds like a great idea.

 

[DrMetal]

They can cut it all they want. They (the DOD) is still responsible for taking care of it's active duty force and their dependents, retirees. Whether they provide healthcare in a MHS or civilian system, it's still going to cost a lot of money.

If the DOD wants to save money, it has to cut the active duty force. There's just no way around that.

 

[orbitsurgMD]

They can cut it all they want. They (the DOD) is still responsible for taking care of it's active duty force and their dependents, retirees. Whether they provide healthcare in a MHS or civilian system, it's still going to cost a lot of money.

If the DOD wants to save money, it has to cut the active duty force. There's just no way around that.

The wasted administration costs--the clipboard commanders and pencil pilots--will be shed, but the costs of care in the community will not be bent down to whatever Tricare likes to pay, unless the .mil is expecting a very low standard of care, like seeing only PAs and NPs for nearly everything. And in most communities, there isn't the civilian care capacity for dumping more of the AD population, and they don't and won't work for free.

Cutting the acquisition budgets for high-ticket items: new carriers, new fast attack submarines and the B-21 bomber program, the LGM-30 ICBM replacement (Minuteman III), the new hypersonic missile programs, the Columbia SSBN program to replace the Ohio-class subs, the ridiculously expensive 5th gen fighter program (F-35) and the eventual FA-18 and F-22 replacements should easily yield enough funds to keep the medical system as a functioning organ.

Dumping the care on the civilian communities is a bomb that will blow up in their faces, a real disaster.

 

[DrMetal]

The wasted administration costs--the clipboard commanders and pencil pilots--will be shed, but the costs of care in the community will not be bent down to whatever Tricare likes to pay, unless the .mil is expecting a very low standard of care, like seeing only PAs and NPs for nearly everything. And in most communities, there isn't the civilian care capacity for dumping more of the AD population, and they don't and won't work for free.

Cutting the acquisition budgets for high-ticket items: new carriers, new fast attack submarines and the B-21 bomber program, the LGM-30 ICBM replacement (Minuteman III), the new hypersonic missile programs, the Columbia SSBN program to replace the Ohio-class subs, the ridiculously expensive 5th gen fighter program (F-35) and the eventual FA-18 and F-22 replacements should easily yield enough funds to keep the medical system as a functioning organ.

Dumping the care on the civilian communities is a bomb that will blow up in their faces, a real disaster.

Yup, pretty much....

We already dump plenty into our civilian communities. Have you ever noticed how empty our hospitals and clinics are? The paucity of patients (and pathology) is quite evident.

 

[Brouillet2017]

a DRAFT of civilian medical workers...riiiiiiiight, because that will go over well...

 

[Gastrapathy]

@Brouillet2017 There are already separate laws for a doctor draft. Not a new idea.

 

[deleted480308]

@Brouillet2017 There are already separate laws for a doctor draft. Not a new idea.

Nor a good one

I agree with the general notion that the gov is going topay big either either way. Either an underpaid inefficient military bureaucracy or market paid more effecient private system. But when you take ahuge numberof people, put them constantly in situations to break themselves, and then promise them care and a literal paycheck forever if they get broken.....it costs money

 

[Monty Python]

POTUS disagrees.

Trump says he has rejected Pentagon proposal to slash military health care

President Trump said Monday night that he rejected a proposal from the Pentagon to cut military health care by $2.2 billion during the pandemic. The president tweeted his rebuke hours aft…

thehill.com