A Defense Health Agency (DHA) decision to severely limit federal employee access to healthcare in Japan has raised a lot of questions, and we want you to be aware of the ongoing issue if you or an employee of yours is considering a position in that country.

Department of Defense (DOD) regulations require military treatment facilities (MTFs) to prioritize active-duty servicemembers and other TRICARE patients as a first priority. The DHA, which now controls MTFs, determined those facilities were not providing enough appointments for these recipients, leading to a reiteration of the policy that civilians are treated on a “space-available” basis, and changes to what “space available” means. Please see this article by Jared Serbu for Federal News Network for a detailed description of the issue.

The bottom line is DOD civilians in Japan – upwards of 6,000 of them – have reduced healthcare options and face uncertainty on where and how they can access healthcare. DOD has advised these civilians to seek healthcare from Japanese providers, which provides a host of other challenges for these employees.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, has taken the lead on expressing concern about the DHA decision and questioning the process, rollout, and communication of the decision. She sent a letter on January 23 to the Pentagon and the DHA outlining many of her concerns. As of the time this article was published she had not yet received a reply to her letter.

FMA is working with Sen. Warren to learn more about the DHA decision and how it has impacted federal managers in Japan. Separately, as we prepare for future communications with Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, your feedback will be vital. If you or someone you know has been impacted by this issue, please share your story with the FMA National Office by emailing Greg Stanford, FMA Director of Government and Public Affairs, at gstanford@fedmanagers.org. We can keep names anonymous if preferred.