Referrals to Specialists

Using data from the 2015 Health Care Survey of Department of Defense Beneficiaries (HCSDB), this issue brief investigates patients’ experiences selecting specialists, obtaining referrals, and coordinating with PCMs 12 months prior to the survey (per Consumer Assessment of Health Plans and Systems—CAHPS, protocol). The analysis is limited to MHS beneficiaries who live within the continental United States, and compares the experiences of military health beneficiaries by four health plans—TRICARE Prime, other TRICARE, civilian, and VA.