TRICARE versus FEHBP
Subtitle: a pilot study of comparative inpatient costs in region 10
Publisher: Naval Postgraduate School; Available from National Technical Information Service
Published: 1997
Place of publication: Monterey, Calif; Springfield, Va
Language: eng
Number of pages: 81
Subjects: HEALTH MAINTENANCE ORGANIZATIONS; COST MODELS
Description: Approximately 3.5 billion dollars of the Defense Budget for Fiscal Year 1997 was allocated for the care of      non-active duty beneficiaries. This thesis is a pilot study exploring one option to restructure the military      beneficiary health system. Two methods of health care delivery are examined: traditional fee-for-service plans,      and health maintenance organizations (HMO) . The advantages, disadvantages, and cost implications associated      with%inpatient care, in TRICARE Region 10, under the TRICARE Program and the Federal Employees Health      Benefits Program are explored, using some recent historical data. The FEHBP fee-for-service costs were found      to be higher than TRICARE Standard costs. It is inferred that allowing non-active duty military beneficiaries to      participate in the HMO option of the FEHBP reduces out-of-pocket inpatient cost to the enrollee, and maintains      or improves access to and quality of care. Costs to the government for inpatient care are reduced. Four cases      are examined, determining out-of- pocket enrollee cost as well as savings to the government. Lastly, a Health      Care Demands and Cost Probability model is developed; the model generalizes and is consistent with      assumptions made for previous calculations, and could be adapted to determine outpatient costs as well. It      allows government estimates of random variations in health care costs to be made.
Notes: Thesis advisors, Donald P. Gaver, James A. Scaramozzino.

Thesis (M.S. in Operations Research) Naval Postgraduate School, June 1997.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 77-79).

Also available online.

System requirments: Adobe Acrobat reader.

dk/dk cc:9116 02/04/98.