Health Care 146 training, equipment, and resources they need to carry out their missions. The 62nd annual NDAA has supported a total of $857.46 billion in fiscal year 2023 funding for national defense. The legislation authorizes $817.15 billion for the Department of Defense (DOD) and $29.71 billion for national security programs within the Department of Energy (DOE). On the Military Health Care front, NDAA: • Authorizes improvements to the TRICARE Dental Program by requiring functions such as enrollment, eligibility, and premium payment processing to be handled by a third-party administrator, and ensures beneficiaries have three dental insurance enrollment options from multiple carriers • Requires establishment the Warfighter Brain Health Initiative to improve cognitive performance and brain health of servicemembers • Requires a review and report on suicide rates in the Armed Forces by military occupational specialty during the time period from Sept.11, 2001 to present day, broken down by military occupational specialty, service and grade • Requires a capability assessment of potential improvements to DoD activities to reduce the effects of environmental exposures (burn pits and other environmental hazards) to servicemembers and development of an action plan to implement such improvements. Check out full details at www.armed-services.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/fy23_ndaa _agreement_summary.pdf. REGIONAL CONTRACTOR UPDATE At press time, Hawaii continues to fall in the 21-state TRICARE West Region, where Health Net Federal Services (HealthNetFederalServices.com) serves as the regional contractor. In December 2022, the Defense Health Agency (DHA) awarded
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTcxMjMwNg==