What is the Defense Health Agency?

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is a combat support agency within the Department of Defense responsible for managing the Military Health System (MHS) and the TRICARE health care program. Established in 2013, the DHA oversees healthcare delivery for approximately 9.6 million TRICARE beneficiaries worldwide. The DHA's responsibilities include administration of the TRICARE health benefit, management and operation of military hospitals and clinics (transferred from the individual service branches), oversight of the TRICARE pharmacy program through Express Scripts, management of regional contractor relationships (Humana Military and TriWest), development of health policy and clinical standards, and operation of health information technology systems including MHS GENESIS. The DHA director reports to the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. The agency works to ensure the medical readiness of the armed forces while providing high-quality, accessible healthcare to all eligible beneficiaries. The DHA also manages special programs such as the National Capital Region medical directorate and various health research initiatives.