Research for Health Care

The Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission (the Commission) has asked The CNA Corporation (CNAC) to provide a study of the issues involved in offering a one time lump sum payment instead of the current lifetime monthly compensation payments to selected disabled veterans. This topic is of great interest because of the potential benefits both to veterans and to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

The Deputy Chief BUMED, Resource Management/Comptroller, asked CNA to examine the delivery of primary care to beneficiaries at a selected set of Navy clinics. We examined six primary care clinics and two family practice clinics within naval hospitals engaged in the graduate medical education of interns and residents. We explored several issues, including understanding clinic management practices, developing measures of productivity and costs associated with clinic visits, and the implications of other influences, such as the incentives on managing demand associated with the managed care support contracts.