The analysis of TRICARE Navy obstetric delivery costs within continental United States military treatment facilities

Abstract

Navy medicine spends approximately $75 million on purchased obstetric (OB) care for Navy personnel and their dependents, a sum that continues to increase each year. The purpose of this research is to compare the cost of Navy OB medical care under TRICARE Prime (civilian sector) with similar care provided in four representative Navy Medical Treatment Facilities (MTF). Specifically, the study will examine (1) the quantity of selected deliveries in TRICARE and four specific MTF catchment areas; (2) the average delivery cost for the different types of Purchased Care (PC) deliveries, and (3) best practice techniques to increase the amount of Direct Care (DC) deliveries care in Navy Medicine. The goal of this study is to compare the benefits and drawbacks of each system to gain insights for providing better and more cost-effective OB care in the Navy.