Legislative News

TRICARE and Health Care Refrm

As we all know on March 23rd, 2010, President Obama signed health reform into law. An historical event that will expand coverage to an estimated 32 million people who currently uninsured. Now the question is, how will health reform affect Tricare.

April 14, 2010
From TSgt Gary Thompson, Chapter 872
As we all know on March 23rd, 2010, President Obama signed health reform into law. An historical event that will expand coverage to an estimated 32 million people who currently uninsured. Now the question is, how will health reform affect Tricare. The immediate answer is, it will not. Three days before the health reform was signed into law, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) introduced legislation to exempt Tricare from the health reform bill. The measure was unanimously approved, 403-0 by the House.

H.R. 4887 applies to the health care coverage provided by the Defense Department to military service members, retirees and their families. It clarifies the tax code to stipulate that coverage provided by Defense is treated as minimal essential coverage, ensuring that service members and their families will not need to purchase additional coverage to meet new health insurance requirements.

Simply, H.R. 4887 states that our health plan (Tricare) meets the minimum requirements for individual health insurance. We will not face any penalties, Tricare rates will not increase because of this reform or be subject to any new taxes. H.R 4926 has been introduced in the House by Rep. Martin Heinrich, NM to amend title 10 of the United States Code, to extend TRICARE coverage to certain dependents under the age of 26.


Listed below are some informative links about the legislation passed by the house and the official White House website for health reform.