Executive Mosaic is pleased to introduce Navy Vice Adm. Raquel Bono, director of the Defense Health Agency, as an inductee into the 2018 edition of the Wash100 — Executive Mosaic’s annual selection of influential leaders in the government contracting arena–for her work on improving interoperability between health and those on the battlefield.
The Defense Department introduced this year an interim final rule that will implement changes to the Tricare military health care program on Jan. 1.
Bono said in September that under the new rule, DHA will transition the Tricare program’s administration from fiscal year to calendar year and implement the Tricare Select self-managed health plan that seeks to replace Tricare Standard and Extra plans by January.
“The rule also sets up an automatic enrollment process, so on January 1 beneficiaries in Prime will automatically be enrolled in Prime or automatically be enrolled in Select if they are enrolled in Standard or Extra,” Bono noted.
“We will also be broadening access for beneficiaries by setting out the requirements that at least 85 percent of our beneficiaries have access to network providers in Tricare Select,” she added.
In an April interview with Stars and Stripes, Bono said the Tricare support contracts, launch of the MHS Genesis electronic health records system and a package of reforms that Congress passed in December 2016 provide opportunities to integrate medical readiness with efforts to build up health care delivery.
“This is historic because we have the opportunity here to redesign our system of health,” Bono said.
“At the heart of it, I believe, is a growing recognition, both in the military health system and the commercial and private health care system, that our patients truly need to be co-designers.”
She said she believes DHA should respond to administrative challenges through a “streamlined” Military Health System and implement a new EHR system designed to facilitate interoperability between warfighters and health providers.
Bono previously served as chief of the Navy Medical Corps and director of DHA’s national capital region medical directorate.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Vice Admiral Raquel Bono and the Defense Health Agency for their selection to receive this award.
Click here to view the full list of leaders recognized in the Wash100.
Sign in to cast your vote for those executives with the greatest impact on government contracting.
About The Wash100
This year represents our fifth annual Wash100 award selection. The Wash100 is the premier group of private and public sector leaders selected by Executive Mosaic’s organizational and editorial leadership as the most influential leaders in the GovCon sector. These leaders demonstrate skills in leadership, innovation, reliability, achievement, and vision.
