What Is The Defense Health Agency (DHA)? | TRICARE.com

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## Quick answer The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is a joint, integrated "Combat Support Agency" that manages the global TRICARE health care program. It oversees the medical assets of all military branches, manages the TRICARE contractors (Humana Military and TriWest), and ensures that service members are medically ready for deployment.

Details

The DHA was established in 2013 to centralize the management of military medicine, which was previously fragmented across the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Based in Falls Church, Virginia, the DHA is the operational "engine" behind your health benefits.

### Core Responsibilities The DHA is responsible for several critical functions that directly impact beneficiaries: * **Contract Management:** The DHA awards and manages the multi-billion dollar managed care support contracts. As of 2026, these include **Humana Military** (TRICARE East) and **TriWest Healthcare Alliance** (TRICARE West). * **Pharmacy Program:** It oversees the TRICARE Pharmacy Program, currently managed by **Express Scripts**. This includes the 2026 pharmacy copay tiers for retail and home delivery. * **Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs):** The DHA manages the administration of all Army, Navy, and Air Force hospitals and clinics worldwide. * **Health Information Technology:** They maintain the electronic health records (MHS GENESIS) and the DEERS portal.

### Budget and Directives For the 2026 fiscal year, the DHA manages a Unified Budget that covers the healthcare for roughly 9.6 million beneficiaries. They are responsible for implementing congressional mandates from the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), such as changes to enrollment fees for Group A vs. Group B retirees or the introduction of new statutory benefits (e.g., expanded doula coverage or chiropractic pilot programs).

### Regional Oversight While the DHA provides the high-level policy, they delegate the local execution to regional offices: 1. **TRICARE East:** Humana Military serves approximately 6 million beneficiaries in the eastern half of the U.S. 2. **TRICARE West:** TriWest Healthcare Alliance serves approximately 3.6 million beneficiaries in the western half of the U.S. 3. **TRICARE Overseas:** Managed by International SOS under DHA oversight.

## Who this affects The DHA's policies and management affect every person eligible for TRICARE, including: * **Active Duty Service Members (ADSMs):** Who must follow DHA-directed medical readiness protocols. * **Active Duty Family Members (ADFMs):** Impacted by DHA's contract oversight of civilian provider networks. * **Retirees and their Families:** Subject to DHA enrollment fee schedules and pharmacy copayments. * **National Guard and Reserve members:** Specifically those enrolled in TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS). * **Survivors and Medically Retired:** Beneficiaries utilizing transitional or long-term DHA-managed benefits.

## Sources * **Defense Health Agency (DHA):** [health.mil/About-MHS/OATBID/Defense-Health-Agency](https://health.mil/About-MHS/OATBID/Defense-Health-Agency) * **TRICARE.mil Official Site:** [tricare.mil](https://www.tricare.mil) * **Humana Military (East Contractor):** [humanamilitary.com](https://www.humanamilitary.com) * **TriWest Healthcare Alliance (West Contractor):** [triwest.com](https://www.triwest.com)