I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7081 
To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress 
a report on lapses in coverage under the TRICARE program for certain 
members of the National Guard and reserve components. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 1, 2020 
Mr. ROUDA (for himself, Mr. GREEN of Tennessee, Mr. CISNEROS, Ms. FOXX 
of North Carolina, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. NORTON, Mr. YOUNG, Mr. 
AUSTIN
SCOTT
of Georgia, Mr. MCNERNEY, Mr. PAPPAS, Mrs. 
RADEWAGEN, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. RYAN, Mr. CARSON of Indiana, Mr. CASE, 
Mr. BABIN, Mr. FITZPATRICK, Mr. CORREA, Mr. HARDER of California, 
Mr. MCGOVERN, and Mr. CA´RDENAS) introduced the following bill; which 
was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To direct the Comptroller General of the United States to 
submit to Congress a report on lapses in coverage under 
the TRICARE program for certain members of the Na-
tional Guard and reserve components. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Protecting Our 
Servicemembers’ Care Act of 2020’’. 
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SEC. 2. REPORT ON LAPSES IN TRICARE COVERAGE FOR 
MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RE-
SERVE COMPONENTS. 
(a) REPORT.—Not later than one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of 
the United States shall submit to the appropriate congres-
sional committees a report containing an analysis of each 
of the following: 
(1) Any lapses in coverage under the TRICARE 
program for a member of a reserve component that 
occurred during the eight year period ending on the 
date of the enactment of this Act and were caused 
by a change in the duty status of such member, in-
cluding an identification of the total number of such 
lapses. 
(2) The factors contributing to any such lapses, 
including— 
(A) technological factors, including factors 
relating to outdated systems; 
(B) human errors in processing changes in 
duty status; and 
(C) shortages in the level of administrative 
staffing of the National Guard. 
(3) How factors contributing to any such lapses 
were identified under paragraph (2) and whether ac-
tions have been taken to address the factors. 
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(4) The effect of any such lapses on— 
(A) the delivery of health care benefits to 
members of the reserve components and the eli-
gible dependents of such members; or 
(B) force readiness and force retention. 
(5) The parties responsible for identifying and 
communicating to a member of a reserve component 
issues relating to eligibility under the TRICARE 
program. 
(6) The methods by which a member of a re-
serve component, an eligible dependent of such mem-
ber, or the Secretary of Defense may verify the sta-
tus of enrollment in the TRICARE program regard-
ing the member before, during, and after a deploy-
ment of the member. 
(7) The comparative effectiveness, with respect 
to the delivery of health care benefits to a member 
of a reserve component and eligible dependents of 
such member, of— 
(A) continuing the current process by 
which a previously eligible member must transi-
tion from coverage under TRICARE Reserve 
Select to coverage under TRICARE Prime after 
a change to active service in the duty status of 
such member; and 
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(B) establishing a new process by which a 
previously eligible member may remain covered 
by TRICARE Reserve Select after a change to 
active service in the duty status of such mem-
ber (whether by allowing a previously eligible 
member to pay a premium for such coverage or 
by requiring the Federal Government to provide 
for such coverage). 
(8) Whether the current process referred to in 
paragraph (7)(A) negatively affects the delivery of 
health care benefits as a result of transitions be-
tween network providers. 
(9) The actions necessary to prevent future oc-
currences of such lapses, including legislative ac-
tions. 
(b) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘active service’’ has the meaning 
given that term in section 101(d) of title 10, United 
States Code. 
(2) The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the congressional defense commit-
tees (as defined in section 101(a) of title 10, United 
States Code) and the Committees on Veterans’ Af-
fairs of the House of Representatives and the Sen-
ate. 
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(3) The term ‘‘eligible dependent’’ means a de-
pendent of a member of a reserve component— 
(A) described in subparagraph (A), (D), or 
(I) of section 1072(2) of title 10, United States 
Code; and 
(B) 
eligible 
for 
coverage 
under 
the 
TRICARE Program. 
(4) The term ‘‘previously eligible member’’ 
means a member of a reserve component who was el-
igible for coverage under TRICARE Reserve Select 
pursuant to section 1076d of title 10, United States 
Code, prior to a change to active service in the duty 
status of such member. 
(5) 
The 
terms 
‘‘TRICARE 
Prime’’ 
and 
‘‘TRICARE program’’ have the meanings given 
those terms in section 1072 of title 10, United 
States Code. 
(6) The term ‘‘TRICARE Reserve Select’’ has 
the meaning given that term in section 1076d(f) of 
title 10, United States Code. 
Æ 
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