from the successes of former demonstration programs." I ask you "Where is this careful evaluation? Where is this documentation?" Recently, I received a letter from the military coalition expressing their grave concern that the Defense Department was going to replace CRI with an unproven and untested new health care system. I forwarded this letter to the Deputy Secretary of Defense with a cover letter expressing this Committee's strong support for the CRI program. I would like to include these letters at this time. 30. WISCONSIN WARD R. ROYBAL CALIFORNIA US STOKES, OPRO #BEVILL, ALABAMA ALEXANDER ARKANSAS P. MURTHA, PENNSYLVANIA TRAILER, MICHIGAR 44PH 3. EARLY, MASSACHUSETTS WARLES WILSON, TEXAS MAN G. DICKS, WASHINGTON ATTHEW F. MACHRIGH, NEW YORK ARTEN OLAY SABO, MINNESOTA UAN C. DEXON CALIFORNIA : FADIO, CALIFORNIA GILL HEFNER, NORTH CAROLINA SANCON OREGON ARD JOWYER NEW JERSEY EN HOVER MARYLAND 10 CARR, MICHIGAN BERT JMRAZER NEW YORK CHARD J. DURBIN ILLINOIS WALD & COLEMAN TEXAS AN OLLOHAN WEST VIRGINIA DSAY THOMAS, GEORGIA ESTER & ATKINS, MASSACHUSETTS ARCY CAPTUR, ONIO JWRENCE J. SMITH, FLORIDA UNDE SKAGGS, COLORADO VID & PRICE, NORTH CAROLINA ICY PELOSI, CALIFORNIA TER A VISCLOSKY, INDIANA Congress of the United States January 14, 1992 MINORITY MEMBERS JOSEPH M. MCDADE, PENNSYLVANIA JOHN T. MYERS. INOLANA CLARENCE & MILLER OHIO LAWRENCE COUGHLIN, PENNSYLVANIA CARLO PURSELL, MICHIGAN JIM KOLBE, ARIZONA DEAN A GALLO, NEW JERSEY BARBARA F. VUCANOVICH, NEVADA JIM LIGHTFOOT, KOWA CLEAK AND STAFF DIRECTOR TELEPHONE Honorable Donald J. Atwood, Jr. Dear Mr. Secretary: As a follow-on, to our telephone conversation last week on The Committee and I continue to believe it is necessary to services. The Committee remains supportive of the CRI program and it is gratifying to know that so many associations who represent service members and their families agree with our position on CRI. It would be appreciated if you would keep the Committee apprised of any actions proposed by the Department on the CRI program. Sincerely, :./5) John P. Murtha Subcommittee on Defense The Military Coalition previously expressed strong support for continuing the CHAMPUS Reform Initiative (CRI) as currently structured in California and Hawaii. Because of considerable media hype about the fate of the CRI program in those states our members are concerned that the proven, highly popular CRI program will be changed or replaced by an inferior system. The Coalition reiterates its support for continuing CRI with the current benefits structure, particularly the incentives in CHAMPUS Prime and Extra, until at least February 1994. We would be hard pressed to defend a change of benefits to our members in California and Hawaii who have voiced a better than 90% satisfaction rate with the current plan and respectfully request your concurrence in continuing this vital program with the current incentives intact. Respectfully, Paved. Ascasi Paul W. Arcari Coalition signatures enclosed C.A. "Mack" McKinney Angula V M. Namara Air Force Association Save H. Arcani Sydney T. Hickey) National Military Famil Association th. John M. Jolame The Retired officers Association Stater Huk Navy League of the U.S. LauveveR Galramy の Marine Corps Reserve Officers E. Para Fleet Reserve Association Don Hear U.S. Army Warrant Officers Herb Ronablest Jewish War Veterans of the Bonald L. Marti Marine Corps League William I Lucca Commissioned Officer's Association The Retired Enlisted Association Non-Commissioned officers Aspire Cartidge National Association for Uniformed Mr. MURTHA. This letter prompted me to call for this important hearing. Again, I welcome each of you here today. We are interested in hearing from you on assessment of military health care, the Coordinated Care program, the CHAMPUS Reform Initiative, and the recently released Coordinated Care support program request for proposals. We will begin with Mrs. Dorsey Chescavage, Assistant Director of Government Relations for the National Military Family Association. Mrs. Chescavage. STATEMENT OF MRS. CHESCAVAGE Mrs. CHESCAVAGE. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. NMFA represents military families, active duty, retired, survivors, Reserve and Guard. We represent those people who sit around the kitchen table talking about their dreams, careers, their children, their health and their budget. Right now in California and Hawaii, military families are sitting around their kitchen tables in shock. They are being told that CRI will end. Those families in CHAMPUS PRIME will probably have to give up their doctor, they could be forced into PRIMUS or NAVCARE clinics which they know very well are-walk-in Doc in the Box-clinics known primarily for their long waits, medical care by the number. They are being told that even if they are allowed to stay in a civilian network, no more $5.00 a visit. They will then have to pay the actuarial equivalent of standard CHAMPUS. I can assure you, Mr. Chairman, most of those families at the kitchen table know instinctively and immediately that they cannot afford the actuarial equivalent of standard CHAMPUS. Those 300,000-plus families who have been able to form relationships with their doctors in CHAMPUS Extra are finding out the entire program will be abolished, gone, wiped out. Around the kitchen table, the main question is why? Why are they doing this to us. Did Congress make them do it? Is it costing the government too much money? I know of no other group of beneficiaries in the world who would worry more about the Defense budget than worry about themselves, but I can promise you this is a question military families are asking. When we tell them no, Congress is not making them do this, and no, this is not costing the government too much money, as a matter of fact, it has saved the government money, they are stunned, they feel betrayed. They feel betrayed by their own, and I can tell you, Mr. Chairman, that really hurts. I had a call from a Marine wife who told me that before CHAMPUS PRIME, she would go to Balboa Naval Hospital when she was sick. She would have to be in line at Balboa at 5:30 in the morning because the clinic opened at 7:00 a.m.. This line was not to see a doctor. This line was for getting an appointment. If all the appointments for the day were gone by the time she got to the front of the line, she would have had to come back the next day. I remind you that she was sick or she wouldn't have been there. She is now enrolled in CHAMPUS PRIME. Her doctor is five minutes from her house. She knows she can always have enough |