Sponsors (14)
The bill improves timely, in-network maternity access and may lower costs for pregnant military families, but does so at added administrative and taxpayer expense and could leave beneficiaries uncertain if only implemented as a time-limited pilot.
Pregnant servicemembers and their dependents can switch into TRICARE Select when pregnancy occurs, improving timely access to in-network civilian maternity care.
Pregnant beneficiaries may face lower out-of-pocket costs by allowing a pregnancy-timed switch to TRICARE Select network coverage.
The Department of Defense will collect and annually report data on enrollments driven by pregnancy, giving policymakers and taxpayers clearer information about beneficiary access and program use.
DoD health spending and administrative costs could rise to implement and manage the pilot and new reporting requirements, increasing costs for taxpayers.
Additional enrollment changes and monthly disaggregated tracking may create administrative complexity for DoD and TRICARE contractors, risking processing delays or increased burden on federal staff and health systems.
If the change is limited to a pilot, servicemembers and families may face uncertainty about long-term access to pregnancy-tied enrollment changes after the pilot ends.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Requires a five‑year DOD pilot to treat pregnancy as a qualifying event allowing eligible beneficiaries to enroll in TRICARE Select, with briefing and annual reporting requirements.
Official title: Direct the Secretary of Defense to establish a pilot program regarding treating pregnancy as a qualifying event for enrollment in TRICARE Select.
Introduced July 10, 2025 by Tammy Duckworth · Last progress July 10, 2025
Requires the Secretary of Defense to begin a five‑year pilot program, within 180 days of enactment, that treats pregnancy as a qualifying life event so eligible beneficiaries can enroll in TRICARE Select. The Department must brief relevant congressional committees within one year and submit annual reports on enrollment changes (including those triggered by pregnancy) for the duration of the pilot, with monthly counts beginning January 2026 and disaggregated categories specified by the law.