Military Health Care: Families Face Challenges Accessing Care for Special Needs, Defense Has Not Reviewed Coverage , June 1 , 2026
Military Health Care: Families Face Challenges Accessing Care for Special Needs, Defense Has Not Reviewed Coverage , June 1 , 2026
From the report: "The Department of Defense (DOD) offers eligible military families with special needs dependents coverage for additional services beyond what is covered by TRICARE health plans through the TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) program and its ECHO Home Health Care (EHHC) benefit. EHHC provides coverage for additional services to enrollees who are homebound with medically complex conditions. Together, ECHO and its EHHC benefit provide coverage for habilitative services (provided to help individuals keep, learn, or improve skills and functioning for daily living) and respite care (in which a provider temporarily cares for the individual with special needs). EHHC also covers skilled nursing care.
Military families with special needs dependents also may be eligible for coverage for home- and community-based services, such as skilled nursing care and respite care, through their state Medicaid program. GAO found that 14 of the 24 programs in seven states it reviewed offered coverage for all three services, and some programs covered more respite care than currently provided by ECHO."
Authors - Government Accountability Office (GAO)Related Resources
