Title: Help Our Heroes Access Medicine Act of 2020
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Help Our Heroes Access Medicine Act of 2020
This bill allows the Department of Defense to waive cost-sharing requirements under the TRICARE pharmacy benefits program during a declared national or public health emergency.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6573 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6573

 To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
  Defense to temporarily waive cost-sharing amounts under the TRICARE 
     pharmacy benefits program during certain declared emergencies.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 21, 2020

 Ms. Blunt Rochester (for herself, Mrs. Luria, Mr. Carson of Indiana, 
Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire, Mr. Rush, Mr. Soto, Mr. Case, Ms. Jackson 
Lee, and Mr. Heck) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
                    the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of 
  Defense to temporarily waive cost-sharing amounts under the TRICARE 
     pharmacy benefits program during certain declared emergencies.

    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 ``Help Our Heroes Access Medicine Act 
of 2020''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY WAIVER OF COST-SHARING AMOUNTS UNDER TRICARE PHARMACY 
              BENEFITS PROGRAM DURING DECLARED EMERGENCY.

    (a) Temporary Waiver.--Section 1074g of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)(6)--
                    (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking ``In the 
                case'' and inserting ``Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (D), in the case'';
                    (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``For any 
                year'' and inserting ``Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (D), for any year''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
    ``(D) During a covered emergency, the Secretary may waive a 
requirement for eligible covered beneficiaries to pay cost-sharing 
amounts under this subsection. In determining whether to waive such 
requirement, the Secretary may consider whether the waiver would--
            ``(i) promote use of the national mail-order pharmacy 
        program by eligible covered beneficiaries;
            ``(ii) reduce movement of eligible covered beneficiaries to 
        facilities of the uniformed services;
            ``(iii) promote adherence by eligible covered beneficiaries 
        to policies of the Federal, State, or local government relating 
        to social distancing for reduced transmission of communicable 
        diseases; or
            ``(iv) facilitate any other policy of the Federal, State, 
        or local government relating to emergency response during a 
        covered period.''; and
            (2) in subsection (i), by adding at the end the following 
        new paragraph:
            ``(5) The term `covered emergency' means a period--
                    ``(A) beginning on the date on which the President 
                declares a national emergency pursuant to the National 
                Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) and ending on 
                the date of the termination of such emergency; or
                    ``(B) beginning on the date on which the Secretary 
                of Health and Human Services declares a public health 
                emergency pursuant to section 319 of the Public Health 
                Service Act (42 U.S.C. 247d) and ending on the date of 
                the termination of such emergency.''.
    (b) Application.--The amendment made in subsection (a) shall 
apply--
            (1) with respect to purchases under the pharmacy benefits 
        program established under section 1047g of title 10, United 
        States Code, occurring on or after the date of the enactment of 
        this Act; and
            (2) with respect to covered emergencies in effect on or 
        after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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