In an effort to bolster health care access and services for military personnel and their families scattered throughout Alaska, the Pentagon on Feb. 1 plans to start a three-year test during which Tricare will offer physicians reimbursement at 1.35 times above standard Tricare rates. According to a Tricare Management Activity release, the decision to run the test stems from an “overall scarcity of providers, their reluctance to accept Tricare payment rates, transportation issues, and other factors.”
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.