Reps. Joe Cunningham & Pete Visclosky Call Attention to Negative Impacts of Reforms to the Military Health Care System on House Floor

Press Release

Today, Rep. Joe Cunningham and Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, Pete Visclosky, held a colloquy on the House floor to call attention to the negative impacts recent military health system reforms are having on underserved communities across the country, including in Beaufort county.

Naval Hospital Beaufort provides care to 35,000 servicemembers, retirees, and military families in the Lowcountry. In 2017, Congress mandated that military service branches consolidate their medical activities under the Defense Health Agency. Due to these reforms, the Department of Defense eliminated the Naval Hospital's urgent care services and further cuts are possible in the coming year.

While these reforms were intended to eliminate redundancies and reduce costs, Rep. Cunningham raised his concern that Lowcountry families are being left behind as a result.

Highlights from Rep. Cunningham's comments are below:

Rep. Cunningham called attention to the fact that, "just last month, the Department eliminated the Naval Hospital's urgent care services. And given the Administration's plan to eliminate another 18,000 medical billets nation-wide, I am deeply concerned about the effect further cuts may have on our military and their families."

[…] "As a result, military families in underserved communities face an uncertain future. In Beaufort County, my constituents already face unreasonable wait times to see their doctors. And given the high concentration of veterans in my district, any reduction in services on Naval Hospital Beaufort is certain to further reduce access to care and degrade unit readiness in the Lowcountry."

Rep. Cunningham also expressed his apprehension with the Department of Defense's lack of transparency into how they are making these decisions and their failure to provide analysis on how these cuts may impact surrounding communities.

Rep. Pete Visclosky, Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, shared Cunningham's concern, saying, "The Committee has requested the Department provide details of the analysis used to determine changes to medical services at the military treatment facilities. This analysis would include details on the capacity of the local community, cost, impacts on providers, and risks to the served population. I want to assure the Gentleman that the Committee will continue to monitor these issues closely."

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