,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #cigi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,june #ag1     
#bjbj,mr4 ,wicker 7for himself and ,ms4 
,sinema7 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 authorize the         
,secretary of ,defense to temporarily   
waive cost-sharing amounts under the    
,,tricare pharmacy benefits program     
during certain declared emergencies4    
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,,tricare ,prescription ,relief 
,act4  #b4 ,temporary waiver of         
cost-sharing amounts under ,,tricare    
pharmacy benefits program during        
declared emergency  7a7 ,temporary      
waiver ,section #ajgd;g of title #aj1   
,united ,states ,code1 is amended-- 7#a7
 in subsection 7a77#f7-- 7,a7 in        
subparagraph 7,a71 by striking ,in the  
case and inserting ,except as provided  
in subparagraph 7,d71 in the case2  7,b7

 in subparagraph 7,b71 by striking ,for 
any year and inserting ,except as       
provided in subparagraph 7,d71 for any  
year2 and  7,c7 by adding at the end the
 following new subparagraph3  7,d7 7i7  
,during a covered emergency1 the        
,secretary may waive a requirement for  
eligible covered beneficiaries to pay   
cost-sharing amounts under this         
subsection4  7ii7 ,in determining       
whether to waive a requirement under    
clause 7i71 the ,secretary may consider 
whether the waiver would-- 7,i7 increase
 affordability of all pharmacy          
alternatives to military medical        
treatment facilities for eligible       
covered beneficiaries2  7,,ii7 promote  
prescription adherence by eligible      
covered beneficiaries2 or  7,,iii7      
facilitate any policy of the ,federal1  
,state1 or local government relating to 
emergency response during a covered     
emergency4  2 and  7#b7 in subsection   
7i71 by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph3  7#e7 ,the term covered  

emergency means-- 7,a7 a period         
beginning on the date on which the      
,president declares a national emergency
 pursuant to the ,national ,emergencies 
,act 7#ej ,u4,s4,c4 #afja et seq47 and  
ending on the date of the termination of
 such emergency2  7,b7 a period         
beginning on the date on which the      
,secretary of ,health and ,human        
,services declares a public health      
emergency pursuant to section #cai of   
the ,public ,health ,service ,act 7#db  
,u4,s4,c4 #bdg;d7 and ending on the date
 of the termination of such emergency2  
7,c7 with respect to geographic areas   
covered by the ,robert ,t4 ,stafford    
,disaster ,relief and ,emergency        
,assistance ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #eaba et
 seq471 a period beginning on the date  
on which the ,president designates a    
major disaster or emergency under such  
,act and ending on the termination of   
such major disaster or emergency2 or    
7,d7 such other emergency period as     
determined by the ,secretary of         

,defense4  4  7b7 ,application ,the     
amendments made by subsection 7a7 shall 
apply-- 7#a7 with respect to purchases  
under the pharmacy benefits program     
established under section #ajgd;g of    
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1       
occurring on or after the date of the   
enactment of this ,act2 and  7#b7 with  
respect to covered emergencies 7as      
defined in subsection 7i7 of such       
section #ajgd;g1 as amended by          
subsection 7a7 of this section7 in      
effect on or after the date of the      
enactment of this ,act4