Strengthening Preventive Health Care for Service Members Act

To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand preventive health care services under the TRICARE program. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Strengthening Preventive Health Care for Service Members Act 2. Expansion of TRICARE-covered preventive health care services (a) Expansion of preventive health care services Section 1074d of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and (2) by inserting after subsection (a) the following new subsection: (b) Additional preventive health care services (1) In addition to the preventive services provided under subsection (a), persons entitled to medical care under this chapter shall also be entitled, to the extent practicable, to the coverage of preventive health services comparable to the coverage required to be provided by a group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage under section 2713 of the Public Health Service Act ( 42 U.S.C. 300gg–13 (2) Persons entitled to medical care under this chapter shall also be entitled to other evidence-based preventive health care services and screenings, as may be prescribed in regulations by the Secretary of Defense. (3) The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to— (A) waive all copayments under sections 1074g, 1075, 1075a, 1079(b), and 1086(b) of this title for preventive services provided pursuant to this subsection for all beneficiaries who would otherwise pay copayments; and (B) ensure that a beneficiary pays nothing for such preventive services during a year without regard to whether the beneficiary has paid the amount necessary to cover the beneficiary’s deductible for the year. . (b) Conforming amendment Section 1077(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (18) The additional preventive health services described in section 1074d(b) of this title. . (c) Expanded well child care and access to health promotion and disease prevention visits Section 1079(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking schedule of immunizations schedule of immunizations, health promotion and disease prevention visits and immunizations (including the preventive care and screenings required pursuant to section 1074d(b) of this title) may be provided to dependents.

Summary: Strengthening Preventive Health Care for Service Members Act This bill expands preventive health care services under the Department of Defense's (DOD) TRICARE program to include services comparable to coverage provided by a group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage under the Public Health Service Act, including certain: (1) evidence-based items or services; (2) immunizations; (3) evidence-informed preventive care and screenings for infants, children, and adolescents; and (4) additional preventive care and screenings for women. Persons entitled to such medical care shall also be entitled to other evidence-based preventive health care services and screenings, as DOD may prescribe. DOD shall prescribe regulations to: (1) waive certain copayments for preventive services for beneficiaries, and (2) ensure that a beneficiary pays nothing for such preventive services without regard to whether the beneficiary has reached his or her annual deductible. The bill makes immunizations and health promotion and disease prevention visits available to all dependents. (Currently, different health care provisions apply to dependents based upon whether they are under, or at least, six years old.)