U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber (R-MN) unveiled bipartisan legislation on Tuesday that would eliminate or cap enrollment fees for U.S. servicemembers who signed up for the TRICARE Select healthcare benefits program.
Administered by the U.S. Department of Defense, TRICARE provides healthcare benefits to active-duty and retired servicemembers and National Guard Reserve members when services can’t be provided at a military treatment facility. During the Obama Administration, the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act implemented enrollment fees for TRICARE Select, totaling $150 per individual and $300 per family, the congressman’s office explained.
To rectify the issue, Rep. Stauber on Nov. 9 introduced the Restore TRICARE Select Act, H.R. 5942, with cosponsor U.S. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME). The bill, if enacted, would eliminate the TRICARE Select enrollment fees for servicemembers who retired prior to Jan. 1, 2018, and would cap enrollment fees for veterans who retired after Jan. 1, 2018, according to a summary of the bill.
“Despite promises made to America’s heroes, President Obama signed legislation that enabled his Department of Defense to place burdensome enrollment fees on military retirees who signed up for TRICARE,” Rep. Stauber said on Nov. 9. “This broken promise came as a surprise to American veterans as they were never required to pay for TRICARE before. That’s why I am proud to join my colleague Jared Golden in introducing legislation to help correct this wrong and reinstate important healthcare protections for countless veterans.”
H.R. 5942 is supported by the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and the American Legion.