119-s2575

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2575 Introduced in Senate

    (IS) ]

<DOC>

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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