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Skippy sends us a link to a disturbing memo being distributed to the commanders of 50 military treatment facilities (MTF) by a Lt. Gen. Ronald Pace, who directs the Defense Health Agency. Of course, the specific MTFs affected are not mentioned. I get my health care and referrals from the clinic here at Pax River, and hoped to stay until I reach mandatory Medicare age. This now may change.<\/p>\n
From the article:<\/p>\n
Amy Bushatz<\/strong><\/p>\n Military families and retirees receiving care through 38 military hospitals nationwide will soon be forced to go off-base instead, and some pharmacies at those hospitals will stop providing drugs to those not on active duty, Military.com has learned.<\/p>\n A 12-page memo, reviewed by Military.com, was sent to the commanders of 50 military treatment facilities, or MTFs, targeted for changes. It details for commanders the impacts of a planned MTF restructuring, the subject of an upcoming report to Congress. It also includes a letter to commanders explaining upcoming changes, signed by Lt. Gen. Ronald Pace, who directs the Defense Health Agency, and provides communications guidance to public affairs personnel.<\/p>\n The changes are a part of a review of military hospital operations and a system consolidation under the Defense Health Agency ordered by Congress in 2016. Aimed at increasing a focus on military readiness, the consolidation includes a plan to cut about 18,000 uniformed medical personnel and increase focus on active-duty support.<\/p>\n But to do so, the hospitals must cull the number of family members and retirees to whom they currently offer care. The report to Congress detailed in the memo lays out the Pentagon’s path for those changes.<\/p>\n “DoD must adapt the military health system to focus more on readiness of the combined force, while continuing to meet our access to health care obligations for active duty families, retirees and their families,” the Feb. 3 memo states. “With a challenging array of threats around the world, we need our military medical facilities to keep combat forces healthy and prepare our medical personnel to support them.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Of course the health of the troops and their families come first, but this is just more erosion of earned benefits from a career of service.<\/p>\n Thanks, Skippy, for the head’s up. Read the entire article here:\u00a0Military.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"