SEC. 
2. 
FUTURE 
AVAILABILITY 
OF 
TRICARE 
PRIME 
THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. 
(a) REPORT REQUIRED.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed 
Services of the Senate and the House of Representa-
tives a report setting forth the policy of the Depart-
ment of Defense on the future availability of 
TRICARE Prime under the TRICARE program for 
eligible beneficiaries in all TRICARE regions 
throughout the United States. 
(2) ELEMENTS.—The report required by para-
graph (1) shall include the following: 
(A) A description, by region, of the dif-
ference in availability of TRICARE Prime for 
eligible beneficiaries (other than eligible bene-
ficiaries on active duty in the Armed Forces) 
under newly awarded TRICARE managed care 
contracts, including, in particular, an identifica-
tion of the regions or areas in which TRICARE 
Prime will no longer be available for such bene-
ficiaries under such contracts. 
(B) In accordance with paragraph (3), a 
plan to ensure that an affected eligible bene-
ficiary identified under subsection (b) retains 
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access to a primary care provider that meets 
the TRICARE access standards. 
(C) An estimate of the increased costs to 
be incurred by an affected eligible beneficiary 
for health care under the TRICARE program. 
(D) An estimate of the savings to be 
achieved by the Department as a result of the 
contracts described in subparagraph (A). 
(E) A description of the plans of the De-
partment to continue to assess the impact on 
access to health care for affected eligible bene-
ficiaries, including the plan to carry out sub-
section (b). 
(3) DEVELOPMENT
OF
PLAN.—In developing 
the plan described in paragraph (2)(B), the Sec-
retary shall include the following actions under such 
plan: 
(A) The establishment of a navigator serv-
ice to assist an affected eligible beneficiary 
identified under subsection (b) in locating a pri-
mary care provider. 
(B) Allowing an affected eligible bene-
ficiary to enroll in TRICARE Prime Remote if 
the Secretary determines that the beneficiary 
would not otherwise have access to a primary 
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care provider that meets the TRICARE access 
standards, regardless of whether such eligible 
beneficiary would otherwise be eligible for such 
program. 
(C) Any other action the Secretary con-
siders appropriate. 
(b) IDENTIFICATION OF BENEFICIARIES WITHOUT 
ACCESS TO A PRIMARY CARE PROVIDER.—The Secretary 
shall identify the affected eligible beneficiaries whom the 
Secretary determines, because of the contracts described 
in subsection (a)(2)(A), will not retain access to a primary 
care provider that meets the TRICARE access standards. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION OF PLAN.— 
(1) INITIAL IMPLEMENTATION.—Beginning on 
the date that is 60 days after the date on which the 
Secretary submits the report under paragraph (1) of 
subsection (a), the Secretary shall implement the 
plan described in paragraph (2)(B) of such sub-
section. 
(2) DURATION.—The Secretary shall carry out 
the implementation of the plan under paragraph (1) 
until the earlier of the following dates: 
(A) Any date after the date that is one 
year after the date on which the Secretary be-
gins to carry out such implementation if the 
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Secretary determines that each affected eligible 
beneficiary identified under subsection (b) will 
have access to a primary care provider under a 
contract described in subsection (a)(2)(A) that 
meets the TRICARE access standards. 
(B) The date that is two years after the 
date on which the Secretary begins to carry out 
such implementation. 
(d) MONITORING OF ACCESS.—Section 711 of the 
National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 
(Public Law 110–181; 122 Stat. 190; 10 U.S.C. 1073 
note) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) in paragraph (1), by adding at the end 
the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) The access available for affected eli-
gible beneficiaries to a primary care provider 
that meets the TRICARE access standards.’’; 
and 
(B) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end 
the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(D) In the case of the surveys required by 
subparagraph (D) of that paragraph, in each 
region or area in which TRICARE Prime will 
no longer be available for eligible beneficiaries 
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under newly awarded TRICARE managed care 
contracts in each of fiscal years 2013 through 
2015.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (2) of subsection (b), by add-
ing at the end the following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(I) An assessment of the access available 
for affected eligible beneficiaries to a primary 
care provider that meets the TRICARE access 
standards.’’; and 
(3) in subsection (e), by adding at the end the 
following new paragraphs: 
‘‘(8) The term ‘affected eligible beneficiary’ 
means an eligible beneficiary under the TRICARE 
Program (other than eligible beneficiaries on active 
duty in the Armed Forces) who, as of the date of 
the enactment of this paragraph— 
‘‘(A) is enrolled in TRICARE Prime; and 
‘‘(B) resides in a region of the United 
States in which TRICARE Prime enrollment 
will no longer be available for such beneficiary 
under a contract described in subsection 
(a)(3)(D) that does not allow for such enroll-
ment because of the location in which such ben-
eficiary resides. 
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‘‘(9) The term ‘TRICARE access standards’ 
means the standards developed under the TRICARE 
Program to ensure that beneficiaries do not experi-
ence excessive wait times or travel times to access 
health care.’’. 
(e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 
(1) The term ‘‘affected eligible beneficiary’’ 
means an eligible beneficiary under the TRICARE 
Program (other than eligible beneficiaries on active 
duty in the Armed Forces) who, as of the date of 
the enactment of this Act— 
(A) is enrolled in TRICARE Prime; and 
(B) resides in a region of the United 
States in which TRICARE Prime enrollment 
will no longer be available for such beneficiary 
under a contract described in subsection 
(a)(2)(A) that does not allow for such enroll-
ment because of the location in which such ben-
eficiary resides. 
(2) The term ‘‘TRICARE access standards’’ 
means the standards developed under the TRICARE 
Program to ensure that beneficiaries do not experi-
ence excessive wait times or travel times to access 
health care. 
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(3) The term ‘‘TRICARE Prime’’ means the 
managed care option of the TRICARE program. 
Æ 
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