H.R. 1971 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1971 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 14, 2013 Mr. Kline (for himself and Mr. Thornberry) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services A BILL To direct the Secretary of Defense to provide certain TRICARE beneficiaries with the opportunity to retain access to TRICARE Prime. 1. Future availability of TRICARE Prime for certain beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Prime Section 732 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (Public Law 112–239; 126 Stat. 1816) is amended— (1) by redesignating subsection (b) as subsection (c); and (2) by inserting the following new subsection: (b) 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 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 in a ZIP code that is in a region described in subsection (c)(1)(B). .