II 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4396 

To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study on providing benefits 

under TRICARE Reserve Select and the TRICARE dental program 

to members of the Selected Reserve and their dependents. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 14, 2022 

Ms. DUCKWORTH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Defense to conduct a study 

on providing benefits under TRICARE Reserve Select 

and the TRICARE dental program to members of the 

Selected Reserve and their dependents. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Access to Healthcare 

5 for Reservists Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. STUDY ON PROVIDING BENEFITS UNDER TRICARE 

2 RESERVE SELECT AND TRICARE DENTAL 

3 PROGRAM TO MEMBERS OF THE SELECTED 

4 RESERVE AND THEIR DEPENDENTS. 

5 (a) STUDY.—The Secretary of Defense shall conduct 

6 a study on the feasibility, potential cost effects to the 

7 budget of the Department of Defense, changes in out-of8 pocket costs to beneficiaries, and effects on other Federal 

9 programs of expanding eligibility for TRICARE Reserve 

10 Select and the TRICARE dental program to include all 

11 members of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of 

12 a reserve component of the Armed Forces, their depend13 ents, and their non-dependent children under the age of 

14 26. 

15 (b) SPECIFICATIONS.—In conducting the study under 

16 subsection (a), the Secretary shall include an assessment 

17 of the following: 

18 (1) Cost-shifting to the Department of Defense 

19 to support the expansion of TRICARE Reserve Se20 lect and the TRICARE dental program from— 

21 (A) health benefit plans under chapter 89 

22 of title 5, United States Code; 

23 (B) employer-sponsored health insurance; 

24 (C) private health insurance; 

25 (D) insurance under a State health care 

26 exchange; and 


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1 (E) the Medicaid program under title XIX 

2 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et 

3 seq.). 

4 (2) New costs for the Department of Defense to 

5 enroll in TRICARE Reserve Select and the 

6 TRICARE dental program members of the Selected 

7 Reserve of the Ready Reserve of a reserve compo8 nent of the Armed Forces who were previously unin9 sured. 

10 (3) The resources needed to implement 

11 TRICARE Reserve Select and the TRICARE dental 

12 program for all such members, their dependents, and 

13 their non-dependent children under the age of 26. 

14 (4) Anticipated cost-savings or cost-avoidance 

15 of the expansion of TRICARE Reserve Select and 

16 the TRICARE dental program with regard to in17 creased training days performed in support of mass 

18 medical events during battle assemblies of the re19 serve components, including an assessment of the 

20 impact of such expansion on— 

21 (A) medical readiness; 

22 (B) overall deployability rates; 

23 (C) deployability timelines; 

24 (D) fallout rates at mobilization sites; 


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1 (E) cross-leveling of members of the re2 serve components to backfill medical fallouts at 

3 mobilization sites; and 

4 (F) any other readiness metrics affected by 

5 such expansion. 

6 (5) Any impact of such expansion on recruit7 ment and retention of members of the Ready Re8 serve of the reserve components of the Armed 

9 Forces. 

10 (6) Any changes to out-of-pocket costs for such 

11 members and their dependents resulting from such 

12 expansion. 

13 (7) Anticipated cost-savings or cost-avoidance 

14 in contracts that implement the Reserve Health 

15 Readiness Program of the Department of Defense. 

16 (c) DETERMINATION OF COST EFFECTS.—In study17 ing the potential cost effects to the budget of the Depart18 ment of Defense under subsection (a), the Secretary of 

19 Defense shall study the cost effects for the following sce20 narios of expanded eligibility for TRICARE Reserve Select 

21 and the TRICARE dental program: 

22 (1) Premium free for members of the Selected 

23 Reserve of the Ready Reserve of a reserve compo24 nent of the Armed Forces, their dependents, and 

25 their non-dependent children under the age of 26. 


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1 (2) Premium free for such members and sub2 sidized premiums for such dependents and non-de3 pendent children. 

4 (3) Subsidized premiums for such members, de5 pendents, and non-dependent children. 

6 (d) USE OF A FEDERALLY FUNDED RESEARCH AND

7 DEVELOPMENT CENTER.—The Secretary shall contract 

8 with a federally funded research and development center 

9 that is qualified and appropriate to conduct the study re10 quired under subsection (a). 

11 (e) BRIEFING; REPORT.— 

12 (1) BRIEFING.—Not later than one year after 

13 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

14 shall provide to the Committee on Armed Services of 

15 the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of 

16 the House of Representatives a briefing on the 

17 methodology and approach of the study required 

18 under subsection (a). 

19 (2) REPORT.—Not later than two years after 

20 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 

21 shall submit to the Committee on Armed Services of 

22 the Senate and the Committee on Armed Services of 

23 the House of Representatives a report on the results 

24 of the study required under subsection (a). 

25 (f) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 


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1 (1) TRICARE DENTAL PROGRAM.—The term 

2 ‘‘TRICARE dental program’’ means dental benefits 

3 under section 1076a of title 10, United States Code. 

4 (2) TRICARE RESERVE SELECT.—The term 

5 ‘‘TRICARE Reserve Select’’ means health benefits 

6 under section 1076d of such title. 

Æ 


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