Annual Reports

In the annual reports, each year label in the report refers to the fiscal year in which the surveys were fielded. 

• Starting with FY 2013, scores combine results from surveys fielded in 3 quarters of the fiscal year into a single score which describes a period from October 2011 to March 2013. 
• Scores from 2012 or earlier combine results from 4 quarters and describe the fiscal year time period from October to June. 
• For the FY 2017 and FY 2018 annual reports, an additional survey based on Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) was fielded around the same time as quarter 2 in each year. This HEDIS survey data was also included in the FY 2017 and FY 2018 annual reports.

Annual Trends

Trends are calculated as the difference between the scores for the current year and 2 years prior. Because benchmarks are adjusted based on characteristics of TRICARE users, they may change slightly from year to year. To measure the change not caused by changes in age or health status, compare the trend in a region's or MTF's score to the trend in the benchmark.

Quarterly Reports

Though the survey is fielded each quarter, beneficiaries are asked about their care in the past 12 months. In the quarterly reports, the dates in the title of a page or in a column heading are the months during which the survey fielding began, while the reference period is the preceding 12 months. The Quarterly Beneficiary Reports show the current quarter and the three previous quarters.

Quarterly Trends

Trends pages show the scores for the four most recent quarters so the current results can be compared with previous results. The column labeled 'Rate of Change' shows a regression-based estimate of the average rate of change between quarters and indicates whether the change has been statistically significant compared to the benchmark, which also changes due to changes in the age and health of survey respondents. Trends pages for composites and ratings are viewed by clicking on the button marked 'Trend.' Trends for components that make up a composite are accessed by clicking on the column heading for that component on the components page.