TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act

Bill: 117-hr-1997
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Johnson, Bill [R-OH-6]
Introduced: 2021-03-18
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Subjects: Health care costs and insurance

Health care coverage and access

Military medicine

Military personnel and dependents

National Guard and reserves
Latest action: action_date: 2021-03-18
text: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-03-18
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act</b></p> <p>This bill aligns eligibility for TRICARE health coverage with the age at which personnel of the Retired Reserve (former National Guard and Reserve members) begin receiving retired pay. Specifically, personnel of the Retired Reserve who are not yet age 60 but are receiving their retirement pay may purchase TRICARE health coverage for retired military personnel, rather than the presently allowed TRICARE Retired Reserve.</p> <p> Under current law, Reserve Component personnel may retire below age 60, but not below 50, based on active duty performance.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1997 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 18, 2021 Mr. Johnson of Ohio (for himself and Mr. Phillips ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To amend title 10, United States Code, to improve the TRICARE program for certain members of the Retired Reserve of the reserve components.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act . 2. TRICARE for members of the retired reserve (a) Adjustment of eligibility Paragraph (2) of section 1074(b) of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: (2) Paragraph (1) does not apply to a member or former member eligible for retired pay for non-regular service under chapter 1223 of this title who is under 60 years of age unless such member or former member is in receipt of such pay (or would be in receipt of such pay but for section 5304 or 5305 of title 38). . (b) TRICARE Retired Reserve Section 1076e(a) of title 10, United States Code, is amended— (1) in paragraph (1), by striking who is qualified for a non-regular retirement at age 60 under chapter 1223 of this title, but is not age 60, and inserting described in paragraph (3) ; and (2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph: (3) A member of the Retired Reserve of a reserve component of the armed forces is described in this paragraph if the member— (A) is qualified for a non-regular retirement at age 60 under chapter 1223 of this title; (B) is not age 60; and (C) is not in receipt of retired pay under such chapter, unless the member is not in receipt of such retired pay due to the application of section 5304 or 5305 of title 38. . (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall take effect January 1, 2022.