In this task, you are given text for US Congressional and California state bills, your task is to generate a summary for this bill.
Q: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ''Military Health Care Protection
Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND SENSE OF CONGRESS.

(a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Career members of the uniformed services and their
families endure unique and extraordinary demands, and make
extraordinary sacrifices, over the course of 20-year to 30-year
careers in protecting freedom for all Americans.
(2) The nature and extent of these demands and sacrifices
are never so evident as in wartime, not only during the current
Global War on Terrorism, but also during the wars of the last
60 years when current retired members of the Armed Forces were
on continuous call to go in harm's way when and as needed.
(3) The demands and sacrifices are such that few Americans
are willing to bear or accept them for a multi-decade career.
(4) A primary benefit of enduring the extraordinary
sacrifices inherent in a military career is a range of
extraordinary retirement benefits that a grateful Nation
provides for those who choose to subordinate much of their
personal life to the national interest for so many years.
(5) Many private sector firms are curtailing health
benefits and shifting significantly higher costs to their
employees, and one effect of such curtailment is that retired
members of the uniformed services are turning for health care
services to the Department of Defense, and its TRICARE program,
for the health care benefits in retirement that they earned by
their service in uniform.
(6) In some cases, civilian employers establish financial
incentives for employees who are also eligible for
participation in the TRICARE program to receive health care
benefits under that program rather than under the health care
benefits programs of such employers.
(7) While the Department of Defense has made some efforts
to contain increases in the cost of the TRICARE program, a
large part of those efforts has been devoted to shifting a
larger share of the costs of benefits under that program to
retired members of the uniformed services.
(8) The cumulative increase in enrollment fees,
deductibles, and copayments being proposed by the Department of
Defense for health care benefits under the TRICARE program far
exceeds the 33-percent increase in military retired pay since
such fees, deductibles, and copayments were first required on
the part of retired members of the uniformed services 11 years
ago.
(9) Proposals of the Department of Defense for increases in
the enrollment fees, deductibles, and copayments of retired
members of the uniformed services who are participants in the
TRICARE program fail to recognize adequately that such members
paid the equivalent of enormous in-kind premiums for health
care in retirement through their extended sacrifices by service
in uniform.
(10) Some of the Nation's health care providers refuse to
accept participants in the TRICARE program as patients because
that program pays them significantly less than commercial
insurance programs, and imposes unique administrative
requirements, for health care services.
(11) The Department of Defense has chosen to count the
accrual deposit to the Department of Defense Military Retiree
Health Care Fund against the budget of the Department of
Defense, contrary to the requirements of section 1116 of title
10, United States Code.
(12) Senior officials of the Department of Defense leaders
have reported to Congress that counting such deposits against
the budget of the Department of Defense is impinging on other
readiness needs of the Armed Forces, including weapons
programs, an inappropriate situation which section 1116 of
title 10, United States Code, was intended expressly to
prevent.
(b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--
(1) the Department of Defense and the Nation have a
committed obligation to provide health care benefits to retired
members of the uniformed services that exceeds the obligation
of corporate employers to provide health care benefits to their
employees;
(2) the Department of Defense has many additional options
to constrain the growth of health care spending in ways that do
not disadvantage retired members of the uniformed services who
participate or seek to participate in the TRICARE program, and
should pursue any and all such options rather than seeking
large increases for enrollment fees, deductibles, and
copayments for such retirees, and their families or survivors,
who do participate in that program;
(3) any percentage increase in fees, deductibles, and
copayments that may be considered under the TRICARE program for
retired members of the uniformed services and their families or
survivors should not in any case exceed the percentage increase
in military retired pay; and
(4) any percentage increase in fees, deductibles, and
copayments under the TRICARE program that may be considered for
members of the uniformed services who are currently serving on
active duty or in the Selected Reserve, and for the families of
such members, should not exceed the percentage increase in
basic pay for such members.

SEC. 3. LIMITATIONS ON CERTAIN INCREASES IN HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR
MEMBERS OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES.

(a) Pharmacy Benefits Program.--Section 1074g(a)(6) of title 10,
United Stated Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new
subparagraph:
''(C) The amount of any cost sharing requirements under this
paragraph may not be increased in any year by a percentage that exceeds
the percentage increase of the most recent increase in retired pay for
members of the armed forces under section 1401a(b)(2) of this title. To
the extent that such increase for any year is less than one dollar, the
accumulated increase may be carried over from year to year, rounded to
the nearest dollar.''.
(b) Premiums for TRICARE Standard for Reserve Component Members Who
Commit to Service in the Selected Reserve.--Section 1076d(d)(3) of such
title is amended--
(1) by striking ''The monthly amount'' and inserting ''(A)
Subject to subparagraph (B), the monthly amount''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
''(B) Effective as of October 1, 2007, the percentage increase in
the amount of the premium in effect for a month for TRICARE Standard
coverage under this section may not exceed a percentage equal to the
percentage of the most recent increase in the rate of basic pay
authorized for members of the uniformed services for a year.''.
(c) Copayments Under CHAMPUS.--Paragraph (3) of section 1086(b) of
such title is amended in the first sentence by striking ''during the
period beginning on April 1, 2006, and ending on September 30, 2007.''
and inserting ''after March 31, 2006''.
(d) Prohibition on Enrollment Fees for Certain Persons Under
CHAMPUS.--Section 1086(b) of such title is further amended by adding at
the end the following new paragraph:
''(5) A person covered by subsection (c) may not be charged
an enrollment fee for coverage under this section.''.
(e) Automatic Enrollment for Certain Persons Under CHAMPUS.--
Section 1086(b) of such title is further amended by adding at the end
the following new paragraph:
''(6) A person covered by subsection (c) shall not be
subject to denial of claims for coverage under this section for
failure to enroll for such coverage. To the extent enrollment
may be required, enrollment shall be automatic for any such
person filing a claim under this section.''.
(f) Premiums and Other Charges Under TRICARE.--Section 1097(e) of
such title is amended--
(1) by inserting ''(1)'' before ''The Secretary of
Defense''; and
(2) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
''(2) Effective as of October 1, 2007, the percentage increase in
the amount of any premium, deductible, copayment or other charge
prescribed by the Secretary under this subsection may not exceed the
percentage increase of the most recent increase in retired pay for
members and former members of the armed forces under section
1041a(b)(2) of this title.''.
A:
Military Health Care Protection Act - Expresses the sense of Congress that: (1) the Department of Defense (DOD) and the nation have a committed obligation to provide health benefits to retired military personnel that exceeds the obligation of corporate employers to their employees; (2) DOD has many additional options to constrain the growth of health care spending in ways that do not disadvantage retirees, and should pursue such options rather than seeking large fee increases for retirees and their dependents; and (3) any percentage increase in health care fees, deductibles, or copayments for retirees and their families, and for members of the Selected Reserve currently serving on active duty and their families, should not exceed the percentage increase in military retired pay or basic pay, respectively.

Limits to the previous percentage increase in retired or basic pay the authorized annual fee increase under: (1) the DOD pharmacy benefits program; and (2) certain premiums and other charges under the TRICARE program (a DOD managed health care program).

Prohibits: (1) charges for DOD inpatient care from exceeding $535 per day after March 31, 2006 (currently, during the period beginning on April 1, 2006, and ending on September 30, 2007); (2) charging an enrollment fee under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services (CHAMPUS); and (3) a person from being denied a claim due to failure to enroll.