1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov October 10, 2018Defense Health Primer: TRICARE Extended Care Health Option (ECHO)Since the 1950s, Congress has been creating various programs to support military quality of life, including TRICARE, Transition Assistance Program, Department of Defense (DOD) schools, ch
2、ild care centers, and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation programs. Military families who have special needs also encounter additional challenges with accessing and maintaining consistent health care, child care, and education across frequent moves. To address those issues, Congress created the TRICARE
3、Extended Care Health Option (ECHO) in 2001. The purpose of ECHO is to provide supplemental services for military families with special needs, similar to home and community-based services offered by state Medicaid programs (e.g., rehabilitative services, durable equipment, assistive technology device
4、s, institutional care, home health, autism therapies). Background From 1967-2004, DOD administered the Program for Persons with Disabilities (PFPWD), which offered health services for military family members with special needs. The purpose of PFPWD was to provide additional non-medical services, not