The Military Health System provides health care services and benefits to more than 9 million beneficiaries throughout the world. Managing those services and benefits requires careful planning and programming. The MCFAS was developed by Altarum to forecast eligible beneficiaries and TRICARE enrollees throughout the 6-year planning and budgeting period used by the Department of Defense.

The tool incorporates forecasts of recruiting, retention, relocation, aging, separation and retirement of active-duty military beneficiaries; tracks and forecasts changes in the number of their eligible family members over time and continues to monitor and forecast the retiree population and their dependents as they move into Medicare eligibility and eventually leave the beneficiary pool through death. These forecasts are essential to accurate planning and budgeting for direct and purchased care services, including the Medicare Eligible Retiree Health Care Fund used to pay for TRICARE for Life benefits.