Access to Healthcare for Reservists Act
Bill: S.4396 | Sponsor: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy (D-IL)
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Access to Healthcare for Reservists Act
This bill requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to study the feasibility of expanding eligibility for TRICARE Reserve Select and the TRICARE dental program to include all members of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the Armed Forces, their dependents, and their non-dependent children under the age of 26. The study must also assess potential cost effects, changes in out-of-pocket costs to beneficiaries, and effects on other federal programs.
DOD must contract with a federally funded research and development center that is qualified and appropriate to conduct the study.
Additionally, DOD must brief Congress on the methodology and approach of the study and submit a report on the results.

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.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Access to Healthcare for Reservists 
Act''.

SEC. 2. STUDY ON PROVIDING BENEFITS UNDER TRICARE RESERVE SELECT AND 
              TRICARE DENTAL PROGRAM TO MEMBERS OF THE SELECTED RESERVE 
              AND THEIR DEPENDENTS.

    (a) Study.--The Secretary of Defense shall conduct a study on the 
feasibility, potential cost effects to the budget of the Department of 
Defense, changes in out-of-pocket costs to beneficiaries, and effects 
on other Federal programs of expanding eligibility for TRICARE Reserve 
Select and the TRICARE dental program to include all members of the 
Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the 
Armed Forces, their dependents, and their non-dependent children under 
the age of 26.
    (b) Specifications.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall include an assessment of the following:
            (1) Cost-shifting to the Department of Defense to support 
        the expansion of TRICARE Reserve Select and the TRICARE dental 
        program from--
                    (A) health benefit plans under chapter 89 of title 
                5, United States Code;
                    (B) employer-sponsored health insurance;
                    (C) private health insurance;
                    (D) insurance under a State health care exchange; 
                and
                    (E) the Medicaid program under title XIX of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.).
            (2) New costs for the Department of Defense to enroll in 
        TRICARE Reserve Select and the TRICARE dental program members 
        of the Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of a reserve 
        component of the Armed Forces who were previously uninsured.
            (3) The resources needed to implement TRICARE Reserve 
        Select and the TRICARE dental program for all such members, 
        their dependents, and their non-dependent children under the 
        age of 26.
            (4) Anticipated cost-savings or cost-avoidance of the 
        expansion of TRICARE Reserve Select and the TRICARE dental 
        program with regard to increased training days performed in 
        support of mass medical events during battle assemblies of the 
        reserve components, including an assessment of the impact of 
        such expansion on--
                    (A) medical readiness;
                    (B) overall deployability rates;
                    (C) deployability timelines;
                    (D) fallout rates at mobilization sites;
                    (E) cross-leveling of members of the reserve 
                components to backfill medical fallouts at mobilization 
                sites; and
                    (F) any other readiness metrics affected by such 
                expansion.
            (5) Any impact of such expansion on recruitment and 
        retention of members of the Ready Reserve of the reserve 
        components of the Armed Forces.
            (6) Any changes to out-of-pocket costs for such members and 
        their dependents resulting from such expansion.
            (7) Anticipated cost-savings or cost-avoidance in contracts 
        that implement the Reserve Health Readiness Program of the 
        Department of Defense.
    (c) Determination of Cost Effects.--In studying the potential cost 
effects to the budget of the Department of Defense under subsection 
(a), the Secretary of Defense shall study the cost effects for the 
following scenarios of expanded eligibility for TRICARE Reserve Select 
and the TRICARE dental program:
            (1) Premium free for members of the Selected Reserve of the 
        Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the Armed Forces, their 
        dependents, and their non-dependent children under the age of 
        26.
            (2) Premium free for such members and subsidized premiums 
        for such dependents and non-dependent children.
            (3) Subsidized premiums for such members, dependents, and 
        non-dependent children.
    (d) Use of a Federally Funded Research and Development Center.--The 
Secretary shall contract with a federally funded research and 
development center that is qualified and appropriate to conduct the 
study required under subsection (a).
    (e) Briefing; Report.--
            (1) Briefing.--Not later than one year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide to the 
        Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives a briefing on 
        the methodology and approach of the study required under 
        subsection (a).
            (2) Report.--Not later than two years after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit to the 
        Committee on Armed Services of the Senate and the Committee on 
        Armed Services of the House of Representatives a report on the 
        results of the study required under subsection (a).
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) TRICARE dental program.--The term ``TRICARE dental 
        program'' means dental benefits under section 1076a of title 
        10, United States Code.
            (2) TRICARE reserve select.--The term ``TRICARE Reserve 
        Select'' means health benefits under section 1076d of such 
        title.
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