Access to Healthcare for Reservists Act

Bill: 117-s-4396
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Introduced: 2022-06-14
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security
Latest action: action_date: 2022-06-14
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

Summaries:
action_date: 2022-06-14
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Access to Healthcare for Reservists Act</strong></p> <p>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.</p> <p>DOD must contract with a federally funded research and development center that is qualified and appropriate to conduct the study.</p> <p>Additionally, DOD must brief Congress on the methodology and approach of the study and submit a report on the results.</p>

tv_txt: II 117th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 4396 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES June 14, 2022 Ms. Duckworth introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL 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.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Access to Healthcare for Reservists Act . 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.