South Carolina Radio Network: Wilson reviews defense health plan budget request

Wilson says he was pleased that the Defense Department did not propose raising fees on TRICARE, the military health insurance plan.

The fees are not to be raised. That’s encouraging. Additionally, I was very interested in what planning there was for the pre-deployment care of our troops, and then post-deployment in regard to determining by a medical exam whether persons had suffered from traumatic brain injury.

Wilson says that military medicine informs civilian medical treatments.

There are studies being done and they relate not to just troops who have been in combat, but it actually relates to persons who have been injured in sports activities, people who have been involved in automobile accidents. One of the extraordinary advances is that military medicine now is leading the way in working with the civilian community.

Wilson says what else he’ll be looking into with this appropriation bill.

Today we have the highest percentage of married troops than ever before. And, so it’s very important as we’re looking out for the troops, that we find out what programs there are to provide for the health and safety of military families.

Wilson added that he is anxious to hear about the progress the Defense Department has made in developing a comprehensive approach to providing world class health care.