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FY 2013 Defense Authorization Bill Issues TRICARE fee increases
Health Care Issues Issue
Senate (S. 3254)*
TRICARE Standard and TRICARE For Life (TFL) fees would remain unchanged; TRICARE Prime fee would rise by 2012 COLA (3.6 percent)
TRICARE pharmacy copayment changes
Allow the administration’s plan to triple copayments over five years, with big- gest hikes in 2013 (see chart on page 34 for details); drop non-for- mulary medications from retail pharmacy
Non-cash TRICARE premiums
No similar provision
House (H.R. 4310) Similar provision
MOAA Position Support both provisions
Allow smaller copayment hikes for 2013, and cap future increases at COLA percentage; to make up lost revenue, require TFL ben- eficiaries to use mail order for maintenance drug refills for at least one year
Acknowledge career ser- vicemembers pay steep up-front premiums through decades of sacrifice
Mental health screenings
TRICARE special- needs issues
No similar provision
Require mental health/ PTSD/TBI assessment dur- ing each 180 days deployed
No similar provision
Provide behavioral health coverage to dependent chil- dren with autism (excludes Coast Guard, Public Health Service, and NOAA)
Unified medical command
TRICARE for Selected Reserve separatees
No similar provision
Authorize 180 days of TRICARE and dental tran- sition coverage if involun- tarily separated
Pediatric care No similar provision
Require DoD to establish a unified medical command
Similar provision
Support House’s lower copayments and COLA cap; one-year TFL mail-order refill requirement is unat- tractive but buys important long-term protections
Support House provision
Support House provision
Support House provision, but expand to include all services and certain other diagnoses
Support House provision Support both provisions
Establish group to improve TRICARE pediatric care
36 MILITARY OFFICER AUGUST 2012
Support House provision
*Note: The House of Representatives passed H.R. 4310 in May. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved S. 3254 in May; full Senate action still was pending at press time.
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