Sponsors
The bill preserves TRICARE for current non-regular retired pay recipients and clarifies eligibility rules but removes coverage for some reservists not yet receiving retired pay and delays implementation, shifting costs and uncertainty onto affected service members and their families.
Members of the Retired Reserve who are already receiving non-regular retired pay will retain TRICARE coverage under the current rules.
Clarifies TRICARE eligibility rules for Reserve members approaching retirement, reducing ambiguity and aiding retirement and health-care planning.
Reserve members under age 60 who are eligible for non-regular retired pay but are not yet receiving it will lose TRICARE eligibility, reducing health coverage for those individuals.
Those who lose TRICARE eligibility may face higher out-of-pocket medical costs or need to purchase private insurance, increasing financial strain on some military families.
An 18-month implementation delay creates uncertainty about when coverage changes take effect, complicating planning and budgeting for affected reservists.
Based on analysis of 4 sections of legislative text.
Introduced February 24, 2026 by Jefferson Van Drew · Last progress February 24, 2026
Changes TRICARE eligibility for members of the Retired Reserve (non‑regular retirees under chapter 1223) so that those under age 60 are eligible for TRICARE only if they are actually receiving their non‑regular retired pay. The change excludes from TRICARE those who are qualified for non‑regular retirement but have not begun receiving retired pay, with an exception when nonreceipt is caused by specific VA statutes. The rule takes effect 18 months after enactment.