,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dhia  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,july #ca1     
#bjbd,mr4 ,casey 7for himself1 ,mr4     
,brown1 ,mrs4 ,gillibrand1 ,ms4         
,stabenow1 ,mr4 ,welch1 and ,ms4        
,klobuchar7 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 direct the ,secretary 
of ,defense to limit copayments for     
outpatient visits for mental health or  
behavioral health under the ,,tricare   
program1 and for other purposes4  #a4   
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,stop ,copay ,overpay ,act4  #b4    
,limitation on copayments for outpatient
 visits for mental or behavioral health 
under tricare program  7a7 ,limitation  
on mental or behavioral health          
copayments  7#a7 ,limitation ,chapter   
#ee of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1
 is amended by inserting after the item 
relating to section #ajge;a the         

following new section3  #ajge;b4        
,,tricare program3 limitation on        
copayments for certain mental or        
behavioral health visits  7a7           
,limitation on copayments               
,notwithstanding any other provision of 
this chapter1 the ,secretary of ,defense
 may not charge to a covered individual 
a copayment in an amount greater than   
the amount described in subsection 7b7  
for an outpatient visit for mental      
health or behavioral health under the   
,,tricare program1 regardless of whether
 such outpatient visit is furnished by a
 specialty care provider4  7b7 ,amount  
described ,the amount described in this 
subsection with respect to a covered    
individual is the amount of a copayment 
that would be charged to the covered    
individual under the ,,tricare program  
for an outpatient visit for primary care
 services during the year in which the  
covered individual is being charged     
pursuant to subsection 7a74  7c7        
,covered individual defined ,in this    

section1 the term covered individual    
means an individual enrolled under the  
,,tricare program1 regardless of the    
beneficiary category of the individual  
with respect to such program or the duty
 status of the individual4  4  7#b7     
,clerical amendment ,the table of       
sections for such chapter is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to    
section #ajge;a the following new       
section3  #ajge;b4 ,,tricare program3   
limitation on copayments for certain    
mental or behavioral health visits4  4  
7#c7 ,applicability ,the amendments made
 by this subsection shall apply with    
respect to outpatient visits for mental 
or behavioral health occurring on or    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act4  7b7 ,temporary limitation on     
other specialty care copayments  7#a7   
,temporary limitation ,during the       
one-year period beginning on the date of
 the enactment of this ,act1 the        
,secretary of ,defense may not increase 
the amount of a copayment charged to a  

covered individual for any service      
described in paragraph 7#b7 beyond the  
amount that the ,secretary would have   
charged to the covered individual for   
such service during fiscal year #bjba4  
7#b7 ,services described ,a service     
described in this paragraph is a        
service-- 7,a7 that is furnished to a   
covered individual by a specialty care  
provider under the ,,tricare program2   
and  7,b7 that is not covered under     
section #ajge;b of title #aj1 ,united   
,states ,code1 as added by subsection   
7a74  7#c7 ,applicability ,the          
limitation on copayments specified in   
paragraph 7#a7 shall apply with respect 
to specialty care received on or after  
the date of the enactment of this ,act4 
7c7 ,report on effects of limitations   
7#a7 ,in general ,not later than one    
year after the date of the enactment of 
this ,act1 the ,secretary of ,defense   
shall submit to the ,committee on ,armed
 ,services of the ,senate and the       
,committee on ,armed ,services of the   

,house of ,representatives a report on  
how the limitation under section #ajge;b
 of title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code 7as
 added by subsection 7a771 has affected1
 or may affect1 the health care system  
of the ,department of ,defense4  7#b7   
,elements ,the report required under    
paragraph 7#a7 shall include-- 7,a7 any 
findings by the ,secretary as to whether
 the limitation under section #ajge;b of
 title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code 7as   
added by subsection 7a771 may result in 
an increase in copayments charged for   
services described in subsection 7b77#b7
 after the period specified in          
subsection 7b77#a7 concludes2 and  7,b7 
recommendations by the ,secretary on how
 to avoid such an increase1 as          
applicable4  7d7 ,definitions ,in this  
section3 7#a7 ,covered individual ,the  
term covered individual has the meaning 
given that term in section #ajge;b of   
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 as    
added by subsection 7a74  7#b7 ,,tricare
 program ,the term ,,tricare program has

 the meaning given that term in section 
#ajgb of such title4