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GAO-06-794R 1 (2006-06-30)

handle is hein.gao/gaocrptatpo0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Sai Accountability * Integrity * Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 June 30, 2006 The Honorable Michael Bilirakis Chairman Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Committee on Veterans' Affairs House of Representatives Subject: VA and DOD Health Care: Efforts to Provide Seamless Transition of Care for OEF and OIF Servicemembers and Veterans Dear Mr. Chairman: As of the end of March 2006, over 1.3 million' U.S. military servicemembers had served or were serving in Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) or Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF).2 These servicemembers, including members of the reserves and National Guard, may be eligible to receive health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) while serving on active duty or upon separating from active duty. Although the Department of Defense (DOD) provides health care services to servicemembers under TRICARE,3 legislation passed by the Congress in May 1982 authorized VA to provide health care services to servicemembers in time of war or national emergency, when DOD may have insufficient resources to care for casualties. Through December 16, 2005, DOD had arranged for 193 active duty servicemembers with serious injuries-traumatic brain injuries and other complex trauma, such as missing limbs-to receive medical and rehabilitative5 care at VA 'DOD's Contingency Tracking System Deployment File for Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom reported that as of March 31, 2006, the total number of servicemembers ever deployed was 1,312,221. 2OEF, which began in October 2001, supports combat operations in Afghanistan and other locations, and OIF, which began in March 2003, supports combat operations in Iraq and other locations. 3DOD provides health care through TRICARE-a regionally structured program that uses civilian contractors to maintain provider networks to complement health care services provided at military treatment facilities. 4The Veterans' Administration and Department of Defense Health Resources Sharing and Emergency Operations Act, Pub. L. No. 97-174, § 4(a), 96 Stat. 70, 74-75. 'Most servicemembers receive medical care from DOD providers. However, DOD does not typically provide long-term rehabilitative services and looks to VA to be a provider of these services. GAO-06-794R Transition of Care for OEF and OIF Servicemembers

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