“Sorry, but you can’t be seen at the military clinic for that anymore,” a health care provider told me last week when she prescribed physical therapy for my back pain. She explained that the clinic was drawing down staff, especially many of its specialists which will soon only treat active duty uniformed personnel.
One reason my husband and I decided to stay in Rhode Island after he transitioned out of the Navy two years ago was because we could keep our Tricare Prime insurance and use the military clinic for most of our healthcare. We bought a house a few miles from base, where we could see the base across the bay, be at the commissary in less than eight minutes, and hear the national anthem across the water each morning. We believed that having base services close by would help us transition into civilian life after being active duty for 28 years.
But the writing is on the wall. Literally.
The wall outside the clinic’s family practice desk displays nameplates of the practitioners who can see patients. The list was long when we got stationed here five years ago. Now, there are only a few names left. And active duty patients take priority, as they should.
From the drawdown of services at our medical clinic, one might think our military base must have less need. To the contrary, Naval Station Newport went through a major expansion as a result of the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure recommendations. But our rapidly shrinking medical clinic sits surrounded by the long-abandoned, crumbling buildings that once housed a thriving full-blown military hospital.
What gives?
In the past few years, both military and civilian contract doctor shortages were reported at military treatment facilities, prompting military hospitals and clinics to reduce services, refer patients to civilian doctors who are also in shortage, and send veterans to VA facilities for treatment.
However, the Pentagon, in its infinite wisdom, has recently declared that there are too many military doctors. Huh? So, they are planning to cut the total number of the combined military medical force by 13%. About 17,000 uniformed military billets will be converted to war fighting or combat billets, and the work will be heaped on the remaining military healthcare providers.
How does this make any sense? It doesn’t, but unnamed DoD officials claim that reducing the medical force and increasing the workload of the remaining military staff will make them “more suited for battlefield care.” DoD officials are asking us to take a leap across an empty abyss of reason and believe that, less doctors will improve quality of care and readiness.
Although senior defense officials claim that the cuts have nothing to do with the billions of dollars that will be saved from the defense budget, it admits that the decision will force more families to turn to civilian healthcare providers who are also in short supply.
History may be repeating itself, as evidenced by two Association of the United States Army editorials from 1979. One titled “The Military Doctor Shortage: Is It Real or Just a Management Problem” states, active duty military people, military retirees and their families have watched a succession of hospitals being downgraded to clinics or have been turned away from military treatment facilities to seek care from civilian sources.”
Another, “The Military Doctor Shortage — The Department of Defense Is Intent On Making It Worse,” could have been written today: “This ill-advised, peremptory action can only make a bad situation worse. The net result over the long run will be fewer doctors in uniform. more hospitals closed and more military families forced to seek medical care in expensive
and crowded civilian facilities.”
“We’re short staffed,” my health care provider confided after examining my back, and we both shook our heads at the sad state of military healthcare today.
“What will the families stationed here with sick kids, or the flu, or depression do if you can’t see them,” I asked her, wanting to hear that the military will somehow take care of its dependent families.
“They’ll go to urgent care,” she said, “or they simply won’t get care at all.”
Mrs Molinari,
Thank You for your article regarding “Military Medical” As a retire with Tricare, there have been a lot of changes…………….. unfortunately none good………..
From the changes like Naval Hospital Lemoore to “Naval Clinic Lemoore! I can only guess what that is about………..
As a Medicare Reciepient I could go where I want for my Medical Care , but I have enjoyed my “Navy Doc’s” and have trust and confidence in them……………
But I go to get an annual eye appointment, I get farmed out into town, because there is only one Opptomotrist……….
I hurt my shoulder, and am referred to Physical Therapy, and when I go to make an appointment, they tell me ” They are going to call you in a few days and refer you into “Town”
because we only have one Therapist………….j
So the question is Where is all the Money Going that we cant make enough Doctors, Opptomotrists, Therapists, etc.
Wow, Mr. Flores, you have experienced the medical force cuts personally, as have I. My husband and I find it ridiculous that this new lower standard of medical care for dependents and retired is supposed to increase “combat readiness.” I wonder, too, where all this money is really going.
Your articles are consistently good, but particularly spot-on today. This may be the first time that I haven’t laughed while reading you.
Thanks so much, Jon — your comment made my day!