Two clear victories for MOAA and its members stemming from the FY 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) come from what’s not in either the House or Senate version of the bill, or any of the thousand-plus proposed amendments (and that’s just the House version).

First, the NDAA drafts include no TRICARE For Life enrollment fees or deductibles, a key priority for MOAA’s advocacy efforts. And second, the legislation includes no mention of planned staffing cuts at military treatment facilities (MTFs), as last year’s NDAA included MOAA-backed language shelving such moves for at least five years.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your Lawmakers to Protect TRICARE For Life]

That doesn’t mean the bill won’t affect your health care benefit. While many pieces of the NDAA puzzle remain unsolved – the Senate just released the full text of its version July 11, the date the House Rules Committee begins its work on the House version – here are some areas where changes could be coming.

TRICARE Pharmacy

The TRICARE retail pharmacy network fell from about 55,000 locations in 2022 to about 42,000 as of February 2023. These cuts disproportionately impact some of the most vulnerable TRICARE beneficiaries – those with complex medical needs; beneficiaries with limited access to transportation; those in long-term care or other situations where pharmacy options are limited; and rural military families and retirees.

Restoring the network was part of MOAA’s spring Advocacy in Action Campaign, and we have made progress on our short-term goal of a report on beneficiary access to retail pharmacies. A committee report accompanying the Senate bill directs the Comptroller General to review the pharmacy program under the new TRICARE contract and “TRICARE beneficiaries’ ability to obtain the medications they need in a timely matter.”

Also, a proposed House floor NDAA amendment asks for a DoD report to Congress “evaluating beneficiary access” to the pharmacy network under the two most recent TRICARE contracts to help quantify reductions in beneficiary access to retail pharmacies.

The fate of these proposals remains unclear. MOAA will continue its work both within and outside the NDAA process to restore this earned benefit for all TRICARE users.

[JULY 19 WEBINAR: MOAA's Legislative Update]

Guard and Reserve

The House NDAA would provide a no-premium TRICARE dental plan to National Guard and Reserve servicemembers – a bipartisan, MOAA-backed proposal which would help ensure the readiness of the reserve component.

Neither bill includes a related, MOAA-supported proposal expanding no-premium TRICARE Reserve Select coverage to all reserve component members, more than 100,000 of whom do not have private health insurance.

[LEARN MORE: Healthcare for Our Troops Act]

Other TRICARE-Related Provisions

• A provision in the House NDAA would require a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on the timeliness and accuracy of payments to TRICARE network behavioral professionals.
• A provision in both House and Senate versions would extend the TRICARE Reserve Select eligibility period for survivors of Selected Reserve members to three years, up from six months.
• The Senate version would waive cost shares for the first three outpatient mental health visits every year for dependents of active duty servicemembers and those in the TRICARE Young Adult program. A House amendment would provide a similar waiver.

Visit MOAA.org/Advocacy-News for the latest on all aspects of the NDAA along with other MOAA advocacy updates.