Bean Urges for Improvement of TRICARE Reimbursement

Representative Aaron Bean (R-FL) spearheaded a letter to the Acting Director of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), Dr. David J. Smith, urging to improve TRICARE compensation in Northeast Florida.

As Rep. Bean explained, constituents have worried about the failure of T-5 contracts under the TRICARE program, where delays are common, and millions of dollars in compensation have been unpaid or unprocessed.

"This crisis has put smaller practices at risk of shutting down, jeopardizing access to care for thousands of military families across the country," Rep. Bean continued, adding, "In Northeast Florida, service members and their families are already facing reduced access to medical care. We have heard from mothers pleading for our help to resolve the billing issues to make sure their children do not lose access to physical therapy, behavioral health providers, and surgical services. The most vulnerable are left hanging in the balance as these payment delays continue."

Moreover, local medical practices serving TRICARE beneficiaries cannot meet demand, reducing or discontinuing services and potentially shuttering.

NBC News covered TRICARE East's slowness at the beginning of March, which affected not only Northeast Florida but also other parts of the East Coast.

As a result, the Florida Congressman demanded answers on how the delays would be solved when healthcare providers would be reimbursed, the number of beneficiaries at risk of losing coverage, and how the DHA would reach out to them.

TRICARE is not the first government service in Northeast Florida that Bean has criticized for working slowly. In October, he demanded answers from the Postal Service (USPS) on why mail had been continually lost or slow.

"Since January, I've had many constituents reach out with concerns regarding delivery delays and lost mail. We all rely on the USPS for timely delivery of mail and packages, and I understand it's not just a service; it's a critical resource. That's why I'm pushing the USPS Inspector General for answers and solutions, not excuses," Bean sternly warned.