,,ii  #aaeth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #adfa  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #bh1     
#bjag,mrs4 ,ernst introduced the        
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,armed   
,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend title   
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 to provide  
for the eligibility of certain former   
members of the ,armed ,forces who are   
medically retired and who are entitled  
to hospital insurance benefits under    
,medicare part ,a by reason of previous 
entitlement to social security          
disability insurance benefits to enroll 
in the ,,tricare program regardless of  
whether such members decline enrollment 
under ,medicare part ,b1 and for other  
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,health ,equity and 
,access for ,returning ,troops and      
,servicemembers ,act or the ,,hearts    
,act4  #b4 ,modification of requirement 
for certain former members of the ,armed
 ,forces to enroll in ,medicare ,part ,b

 to be eligible for ,,tricare for ,life 
7a7 ,,tricare eligibility  7#a7 ,in     
general ,subsection 7d7 of section #ajhf
 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is
 amended by adding at the end the       
following new paragraph3  7#f7 7,a7 ,the
 requirement in paragraph 7#b77;,a7 to  
enroll in the supplementary medical     
insurance program under part ,b of title
 ,,xviii of the ,social ,security ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acie;j et seq47 shall   
not apply to a person described in      
subparagraph 7,b7 during any month in   
which such person is not entitled to a  
benefit described in subparagraph 7,a7  
of section #bbf7;b77#b7 of the ,social  
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#dbf7;b77#b77 if such person has        
received the counseling and information 
under subparagraph 7,c74  7,b7 ,a person
 described in this subparagraph is a    
person-- 7i7 who is under #fe years of  
age2  7ii7 who is entitled to hospital  
insurance benefits under part ,a of     
title ,,xviii of the ,social ,security  

,act pursuant to subparagraph 7,a7 or   
7,c7 of section #bbf7;b77#b7 of such    
,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dbf7;b77#b772      
7iii7 whose entitlement to a benefit    
described in subparagraph 7,a7 of such  
section has terminated due to           
performance of substantial gainful      
activity2 and  7iv7 who is retired under
 chapter #fa of this title4  7,c7 ,the  
,secretary of ,defense shall coordinate 
with the ,secretary of ,health and      
,human ,services to notify persons      
described in subparagraph 7,b7 of1 and  
provide information and counseling      
regarding1 the effects of not enrolling 
in the supplementary medical insurance  
program under part ,b of title ,,xviii  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #acie;j et seq471 as described
 in subparagraph 7,a74  4  7#b7         
,conforming amendment ,paragraph        
7#b77;,a7 of such subsection is amended 
by striking is enrolled and inserting   
except as provided by paragraph 7#f71 is
 enrolled4  7#c7 ,identification of     

persons ,section #aaaj;a of such title  
is amended by adding at the end the     
following new subsection3  7c7 ,certain 
individuals not required ,to enroll in  
,medicare ,part ,b ,in carrying out     
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of       
,defense shall coordinate with the      
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services and the ,commissioner of      
,social ,security to--  7#a7 identify   
persons described in subparagraph 7,b7  
of section #ajhf7;d77#f7 of this title2 
and  7#b7 provide information and       
counseling pursuant to subparagraph 7,c7
 of such section4  4  7b7               
,non-,application of ,medicare part ,b  
late enrollment penalty ,section        
#ahci7;b7 of the ,social ,security ,act 
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #acier7b77 is amended1 in
 the second sentence1 by inserting or   
months for which the individual can     
demonstrate that the individual is an   
individual described in paragraph       
7#f77;,b7 of section #ajhf7;d7 of title 
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 who is      

enrolled in the ,,tricare program       
pursuant to such section after an       
individual described in section         
#ahcg7k77#c74  7c7 ,report  7#a7 ,in    
general ,not later than one year after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act1 
the ,secretary of ,defense1 the         
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services1 and the ,commissioner of     
,social ,security shall jointly submit  
to the ,committee on ,armed ,services   
and the ,committee on ,finance of the   
,senate and the ,committee on ,armed    
,services and the ,committee on ,ways   
and ,means of the ,house of             
,representatives a report on the        
implementation of section #ajhf7;d77#f7 
of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 as 
added by subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,elements
 ,the report required by paragraph 7#a7 
shall include1 with respect to the      
period covered by the report--  7,a7 the
 number of individuals enrolled in      
,,tricare for ,life 7as defined in      
section #ajgb of title #aj1 ,united     

,states ,code7 who are not enrolled in  
the supplementary medical insurance     
program under part ,b of title ,,xviii  
of the ,social ,security ,act 7#db      
,u4,s4,c4 #acie;j et seq47 by reason of 
section #ajhf7;d77#f7 of title #aj1     
,united ,states ,code2 and  7,b7 the    
number of individuals who-- 7i7 are     
retired from the ,armed ,forces under   
chapter #fa of such title2  7ii7 are    
entitled to hospital insurance benefits 
under part ,a of title ,,xviii of the   
,social ,security ,act pursuant to      
receiving benefits for #bd months as    
described in subparagraph 7,a7 or 7,c7  
of section #bbf7;b77#b7 of such ,act    
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #dbf7;b77#b772 and  7iii7
 because of such entitlement1 are no    
longer enrolled in ,,tricare ,standard1 
,,tricare ,prime1 ,,tricare ,extra1 or  
,,tricare ,select 7as those terms are   
defined in section #ajgb of title #aj1  
,united ,states ,code7 under chapter #ee
 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code4   
7d7 ,application ,the amendments made by

 this section shall apply with respect  
to a person who1 on or after the date of
 the enactment of this ,act1 is a person
 described in section #ajhf7;d77#f77;,b7
 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 as
 added by subsection 7a74