Letter: A Solution for TRICARE?

To the Editor:

I read with interest the TRICARE article posted to AAFP News Now online Nov. 17. I loved my TRICARE patients; however, I found the TRICARE system so cumbersome that the only way I could figure out how to bill was to outsource to a billing firm.

The reimbursement was horrible, but I didn't mind that as much as I did the fact that when I tried to locate a specialist, not only was it nearly impossible to find one, it was even more of an obstacle to navigate through TRICARE's referral system. In the end, the hospital was losing money on TRICARE patients, and I was tired of apologizing to my patients for the delays in their care. Finally, most of the patients and my clinic elected to part ways.

I have since left the private world and serve in a community health clinic and hospital with a largely indigent patient base, and I have "seen the light." Socialized medicine is the way to go -- fewer hassles and happier patients with reasonable expectations.

The AAFP should initiate a program that creates clinics for TRICARE patients and offers training for staff on efficiently navigating TRICARE. These clinics should have a streamlined referral process. It would be a win-win for the AAFP, FPs, TRICARE and -- most importantly -- our military families.

John Krueger, M.D.
Tulsa, Okla.