Help Our Heroes Access Medicine Act of 2020

Bill: 116-hr-6573
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE-At Large]
Introduced: 2020-04-21
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Emergency medical services and trauma care

Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access

Infectious and parasitic diseases

Military medicine

Military personnel and dependents

Prescription drugs
Latest action: action_date: 2020-04-21
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2020-04-21
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Help Our Heroes Access Medicine Act of 2020</b></p> <p>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.<br /></p>

tv_txt: I 116th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 6573 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Help Our Heroes Access Medicine Act of 2020 . 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.