Defense Health Care: Management Attention Needed to Make TRICARE More Effective and User-Friendly

Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO discussed the Department of Defense's (DOD) implementation of TRICARE, focusing on the extent to which: (1) beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE are getting timely access to health care; (2) claims for medical services are paid in a timely and accurate manner; (3) DOD and its contractors are identifying and mitigating fraud and abuse in TRICARE; and (4) DOD's pharmacy programs are cost-effective and consistently serve the needs of all beneficiaries.