Editorial Notes
Amendments
2021—Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 117–81 added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f).
2019—Pub. L. 116–92, § 702(b)(2)(A), struck out “; payment options” after “enrollments” in section catchline.
Subsecs. (c) to (f). Pub. L. 116–92, § 702(b)(1), redesignated subsecs. (d), (e), and (f) as (c), (d), and (e), respectively, and struck out former subsec. (c) which read as follows: “Payment Options for Retirees.—A member or former member of the uniformed services eligible for medical care and dental care under section 1074(b) of this title may elect to have any fee payable by the member or former member for an enrollment in TRICARE Prime withheld from the member’s retired pay, retainer pay, or equivalent pay, as the case may be, or to be paid from a financial institution through electronic transfers of funds. The fee shall be paid in accordance with the election. A member may elect under this section to pay the fee in full at the beginning of the enrollment period or to make payments on a monthly or quarterly basis.”
2016—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 114–328 struck out par. (1) designation before “An enrollment” and struck out par. (2) which read as follows: “Not later than 15 days before the expiration date for an enrollment of a covered beneficiary in TRICARE Prime, the Secretary concerned shall—
“(A) transmit a written notification of the pending expiration and renewal of enrollment to the covered beneficiary or, in the case of a dependent of a member of the uniformed services, to the member; and
“(B) afford the beneficiary or member, as the case may be, an opportunity to decline the renewal of enrollment.”
2013—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 112–239 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “Each dependent of a member of the uniformed services in grade E4 or below who is entitled to medical and dental care under section 1076(a)(2)(A) of this title and resides in the catchment area of a facility of a uniformed service offering TRICARE Prime shall be automatically enrolled in TRICARE Prime at the facility. The Secretary concerned shall provide written notice of the enrollment to the member. The enrollment of a dependent of the member may be terminated by the member or the dependent at any time.”
2001—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 107–107 substituted “section 1072(2)” for “section 1072”.
2000—Subsecs. (e), (f). Pub. L. 106–398 added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsec. (e) as (f).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date of 2000 Amendment
Pub. L. 106–398, § 1 [[div. A], title VII, § 752(b)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–195, provided that:
“The amendments made by subsection (a) [amending this section] shall take effect 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 30, 2000], and shall apply with respect to care provided on or after that date.”
Effective Date
Pub. L. 105–261, div. A, title VII, § 712(b), Oct. 17, 1998, 112 Stat. 2059, provided that:
“The regulations required under subsection (d) [now (c)] of
section 1097a of title 10, United States Code (as added by subsection (a)), shall be prescribed to take effect not later than
September 30, 1999. The section shall be applied under
TRICARE Prime on and after the date on which the regulations take effect.”
Future Availability of TRICARE Prime Throughout the United States
Pub. L. 112–239, div. A, title VII, § 732, Jan. 2, 2013, 126 Stat. 1816, as amended by Pub. L. 113–66, div. A, title VII, § 701, Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 789; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title VII, § 723, Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3417; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title VII, § 701, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 860, provided that:
“(a) Report Required.—
“(1) In general.—
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [
Jan. 2, 2013], the
Secretary of Defense shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the
Senate and the
House of Representatives a report setting forth the policy of the
Department of Defense on the future availability of
TRICARE Prime under the
TRICARE program for eligible beneficiaries in all TRICARE regions throughout the United States.
“(2) Elements.—The report required by paragraph (1) shall include the following:
“(A)
A description, by region, of the difference in availability of
TRICARE Prime for eligible beneficiaries (other than eligible beneficiaries on active duty in the Armed Forces) under newly awarded TRICARE managed care contracts, including, in particular, an identification of the regions or areas in which
TRICARE Prime will no longer be available for such beneficiaries under such contracts.
“(B)
An estimate of the increased costs to be incurred by an affected eligible beneficiary for
health care under the
TRICARE program.
“(C)
An estimate of the savings to be achieved by the Department as a result of the contracts described in subparagraph (A).
“(D)
A description of the plans of the Department to continue to assess the impact on access to
health care for affected eligible beneficiaries.
“(E)
A description of the plan of the Department to provide assistance to affected eligible beneficiaries who are transitioning from
TRICARE Prime to
TRICARE Standard, including assistance with respect to identifying
health care providers.
“(F)
Any other matter the Secretary considers appropriate.
“(b) Additional Report.—
“(1) Report required.—
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of the Carl Levin and Howard P. ‘Buck’ McKeon National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 [
Dec. 19, 2014], the Secretary shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the
Senate and the
House of Representatives a report on the status of reducing the availability of
TRICARE Prime in regions described in subsection (d)(1)(B).
“(2) Matters included.—The report under paragraph (1) shall include the following:
“(A) A description of the implementation of the transition for affected eligible beneficiaries under the TRICARE program who no longer have access to TRICARE Prime under TRICARE managed care contracts as of the date of the report, including—
“(ii)
the number of eligible beneficiaries who transferred their
TRICARE Prime enrollment to a more distant available Prime service area to remain in
TRICARE Prime, by State;
“(iii)
the number of eligible beneficiaries who were eligible to transfer to a more distant available Prime service area, but chose to use
TRICARE Standard;
“(iv)
the number of eligible beneficiaries who elected to return to
TRICARE Prime pursuant to subsection (c)(1); and
“(v)
the number of affected eligible beneficiaries who, as of the date of the report, changed residences to remain eligible for
TRICARE Prime in a new region.
“(B)
An estimate of the increased annual costs per affected eligible beneficiary incurred by such beneficiary for
health care under the
TRICARE program.
“(C)
A description of the efforts of the Department to assess the impact on access to
health care and beneficiary satisfaction for affected eligible beneficiaries.
“(D)
A description of the estimated cost savings realized by reducing the availability of
TRICARE Prime in regions described in subsection (d)(1)(B).
“(c) Access to TRICARE Prime.—
“(1) One-time election.—
Subject to paragraph (3), the Secretary shall ensure that each affected eligible beneficiary who is enrolled in
TRICARE Prime as of
September 30, 2013, may make a one-time election to continue such enrollment in
TRICARE Prime, notwithstanding that a contract described in subsection (a)(2)(A) does not allow for such enrollment based on the location in which such beneficiary resides. The beneficiary may continue such enrollment in
TRICARE Prime so long as the beneficiary resides in the same ZIP code as the ZIP code in which the beneficiary resided at the time of such election.
“(2) Enrollment in tricare standard.—
If an affected eligible beneficiary makes the one-time election under paragraph (1), the beneficiary may thereafter elect to enroll in
TRICARE Standard at any time in accordance with a contract described in subsection (a)(2)(A).
“(3) Residence at time of election.—
“(A) Except as provided by subparagraph (B), an affected eligible beneficiary may not make the one-time election under paragraph (1) if, at the time of such election, the beneficiary does not reside—
“(i)
in a ZIP code that is in a region described in subsection (d)(1)(B); and
“(ii)
within 100 miles of a military medical treatment facility.
“(B) Subparagraph (A)(ii) shall not apply with respect to an affected eligible beneficiary who—
“(i)
as of December 25, 2013, resides farther than 100 miles from a military medical treatment facility; and
“(ii)
is such an eligible beneficiary by reason of service in the Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine Corps.
“(4) Network.—
In continuing enrollment in
TRICARE Prime pursuant to paragraph (1), the Secretary may determine whether to maintain a TRICARE network of providers in an area that is between 40 and 100 miles of a military medical treatment facility.
“(d) Definitions.—In this section:
“(1) The term ‘affected eligible beneficiary’ means an eligible beneficiary under the TRICARE Program (other than eligible beneficiaries on active duty in the Armed Forces) who, as of the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 2, 2013]—
“(B)
resides in a region of the United States in which
TRICARE Prime enrollment will no longer be available for such beneficiary under a contract described in subsection (a)(2)(A) that does not allow for such enrollment because of the location in which such beneficiary resides.
[Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title VII, § 723(b), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3418, which directed amendment of subsec. (b)(3)(A) of section 732 of Pub. L. 112–239, set out above, by substituting “subsection (d)(1)(B)” for “subsection (c)(1)(B)”, was executed by making the substitution in subsec. (c)(3)(A) of section 732 of Pub. L. 112–239, to reflect the probable intent of Congress and the prior amendment by section 723(a)(1) of Pub. L. 113–291, which redesignated subsec. (b) as (c).]
