[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2575 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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119th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2575
To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate certain health care
charges for members of the Selected Reserve eligible for TRICARE
Reserve Select, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31, 2025
Ms. Baldwin introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Armed Services
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate certain health care
charges for members of the Selected Reserve eligible for TRICARE
Reserve Select, and for other purposes.
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 ``Healthcare for Our Troops Act''.
SEC. 2. ELIMINATION OF CERTAIN HEALTH CARE CHARGES FOR MEMBERS OF THE
SELECTED RESERVE.
(a) TRICARE Reserve Select.--Section 1076d of title 10, United
States Code, is amended to read as follows:
``Sec. 1076d. TRICARE program: TRICARE Reserve Select coverage for
members of the Selected Reserve
``(a) Members of Selected Reserve.--
``(1) In general.--A member of the Selected Reserve of the
Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the Armed Forces is
eligible for health benefits under TRICARE Reserve Select as
provided in this section.
``(2) Termination of coverage.--Eligibility for TRICARE
Reserve Select coverage of a member under this section shall
terminate upon the termination of the member's service in the
Selected Reserve.
``(b) TRICARE Reserve Select Family Coverage.--
``(1) In general.--While a member of a reserve component is
covered by TRICARE Reserve Select under this section, the
members of the immediate family of such member are eligible for
TRICARE Reserve Select family coverage as dependents of the
member.
``(2) Continuation of coverage.--If a member of a reserve
component dies while in a period of coverage under this
section, the eligibility of the members of the immediate family
of such member for TRICARE Reserve Select family coverage shall
continue for six months beyond the date of death of the member.
``(c) Premiums.--
``(1) No premiums for individual coverage.--A member of a
reserve component covered by TRICARE Reserve Select individual
coverage shall pay no premium for such coverage.
``(2) Family coverage.--
``(A) In general.--A member of a reserve component
covered by TRICARE Reserve Select under this section
shall pay a premium for any member of the immediate
family of such member covered under TRICARE Reserve
Select family coverage. Such premium shall apply
instead of any enrollment fees required under section
1075 of this title.
``(B) Uniform application.--The Secretary of
Defense shall prescribe for the purposes of this
section one premium for TRICARE Reserve Select family
coverage of immediate family members of members of the
reserve components, that shall apply uniformly to all
such immediate family members.
``(C) Premium amount.--
``(i) In general.--The monthly amount of
the premium in effect for a month for TRICARE
Reserve Select family coverage under this
section shall be the amount equal to 28 percent
of the total monthly amount determined on an
appropriate actuarial basis as being reasonable
for that coverage.
``(ii) Appropriate actuarial basis.--The
appropriate actuarial basis for purposes of
clause (i) for each calendar year after
calendar year 2009 shall be determined by
utilizing the actual cost of providing benefits
under this section to dependents of members of
the reserve components during the calendar
years preceding such calendar year.
``(D) Payment of premiums.--
``(i) In general.--The premiums for TRICARE
Reserve Select family coverage payable by a
member of a reserve component under this
subsection may be deducted and withheld from
basic pay payable to the member under section
204 of title 37 or from compensation payable to
the member under section 206 of such title.
``(ii) Requirements and procedures.--The
Secretary shall prescribe the requirements and
procedures applicable to the payment of
premiums under this subsection.
``(E) Collection of premiums.--Amounts collected as
premiums under this subsection shall be credited to the
appropriation available for the Defense Health Program
Account under section 1100 of this title, shall be
merged with sums in such account that are available for
the fiscal year in which collected, and shall be
available under subsection (b) of such section for such
fiscal year.
``(d) Cost-Sharing Amounts.--
``(1) Network individual coverage.--Except as provided in
paragraph (2), a beneficiary covered by TRICARE Reserve Select
individual coverage shall pay no charge for any health care
service to which the beneficiary is entitled pursuant to such
coverage.
``(2) Out-of-network individual coverage.--With respect to
out-of-network health care services, a beneficiary covered by
TRICARE Reserve Select individual coverage shall be subject to
the same out-of-network cost-sharing requirements as those to
which beneficiaries described in section 1075(c)(1) of this
title in the active-duty family member category are subject to
for the corresponding year.
``(3) Family coverage.--A beneficiary covered by TRICARE
Reserve Select family coverage shall be subject to the same
cost-sharing requirements as those to which beneficiaries
described in section 1075(c)(1) of this title in the active-
duty family member category are subject to for the
corresponding year.
``(e) Regulations.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with
the other administering Secretaries, shall prescribe regulations for
the administration of this section.
``(f) Definitions.--In this section:
``(1) The terms `active-duty family member category',
`network', and `out-of-network' have the meanings given such
terms in section 1075(i) of this title.
``(2) The term `immediate family', with respect to a member
of a reserve component, means all of the member's dependents
described in subparagraphs (A), (D), and (I) of section 1072(2)
of this title.
``(3) The term `TRICARE Reserve Select' means--
``(A) medical care, excluding dental care, at
facilities of the uniformed services to which a
dependent described in section 1076(a)(2) of this title
is entitled; and
``(B) health benefits under the TRICARE Select
self-managed, preferred provider network option under
section 1075 of this title made available to
beneficiaries by reason of this section and subject to
the cost-sharing requirements set forth in subsection
(d).
``(4) The term `TRICARE Reserve Select family coverage'
means coverage under TRICARE Reserve Select of any members of
the immediate family of a member of a reserve component, as
described in subsection (b).
``(5) The term `TRICARE Reserve Select individual coverage'
means coverage under TRICARE Reserve Select of a member of a
reserve component, as described in subsection (a).''.
(b) Conforming Amendments to TRICARE Select.--Paragraph (3) of
section 1075(c) of title 10, United States Code, is amended to read as
follows:
``(3) With respect to beneficiaries in the reserve and
young adult category--
``(A) for beneficiaries covered by section 1076e or
1110b of this title, the cost-sharing requirements
shall be calculated pursuant to subsection (d)(1) as if
the beneficiary were in the active-duty family member
category or the retired category, as applicable, except
that the premiums calculated pursuant to section 1076e
or 1110b of this title shall apply instead of any
enrollment fee required under this section; and
``(B) for beneficiaries covered by section 1076d of
this title, the cost-sharing requirements shall be
calculated pursuant to subsection (d) of such
section.''.
(c) Applicability.--This section shall apply with respect to the
provision of health care under the TRICARE program beginning on the
date that is one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. DEVELOPMENT OF FORMS FOR TRICARE RESERVE SELECT.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall develop forms to
be used by civilian health care providers under the purchased care
component of the TRICARE program for medical care for members of the
Selected Reserve of the Ready Reserve of a reserve component of the
Armed Forces eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select.
(b) Information To Include.--Forms developed under subsection (a)
shall include opportunities for a civilian health care provider to
indicate, with respect to a member of the Selected Reserve, the
following information:
(1) Medical Readiness Classification.
(2) Fitness for deployment.
(3) Any other information the Secretary determines
necessary.
(c) Definitions.--In this section, the terms ``TRICARE program''
and ``TRICARE Reserve Select'' have the meanings given those terms in
section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.
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