December 2023 — MHCE Newsletter
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14 | <strong>MHCE</strong> - News www.mhce.us DECEMBER <strong>2023</strong> EDITION<br />
New Tricare Contracts Delayed by Months as<br />
Tricare West Region Contractor Fights to Retain Its<br />
Position<br />
The expected start for the next generation of<br />
Tricare contracts has been delayed as a result of<br />
a lawsuit filed by Health Net over the Defense<br />
Health Agency's decision to award the contract<br />
for the western half of the U.S. to TriWest<br />
Healthcare Alliance.<br />
Under the DHA's original timeline, the new<br />
contracts, which will be responsible for<br />
providing civilian health services to 9.6 million<br />
military personnel, retirees and their families,<br />
were scheduled to begin in August 2024.<br />
But the 12-month turnover required for the<br />
anticipated start date has yet to begin, with the<br />
dispute now under consideration in the U.S.<br />
Court of Federal Claims.<br />
"As of this date, no T5 Transition-In activities<br />
have taken place," DHA spokesman Peter<br />
Graves said in an email Tuesday, referring to the<br />
fifth generation of Tricare contracts, known as<br />
T5. "The Health Net Federal Services' protest<br />
filed with the Court of Federal Claims remains<br />
pending."<br />
DHA officials previously have said there will<br />
be no disruption to patient care, given that<br />
the current contracts will remain in place.<br />
But planned improvements to Tricare, such<br />
as allowing patients to transfer specialty care<br />
referrals after a move regardless of Tricare<br />
region and improvements to customer service,<br />
won't start until the new contract is in place.
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