Rep. John Kline (R-MN) has introduced H.R 1971 – Keep Faith with TRICARE Prime Act. On October 1, 2013, over 171,000 military retirees will lose access to TRICARE Prime under a DOD policy. The change will affect beneficiaries who live outside 100 miles of a Prime Service Area. Beneficiaries who lose access to TRICARE Prime will be automatically switched to TRICARE Standard which is a fee-for-service option that typically costs more because it requires users to pay higher out-of-pocket. Many retirees will not have the ability to cover the increased cost because they are on fixed incomes. This legislation would allow those retirees affected a one-time opt in to retain their TRICARE Prime. This legislation would reduce the immediate impact imposed by the new policy, allowing military retirees to make informed decisions on how to utilize their military retirement healthcare benefits.
Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV2) has signed on as a co-sponsor to this bill.