[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 476 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 476

 To prescribe alternative payment mechanisms for the payment of annual 
  enrollment fees for the TRICARE program of the military health care 
                                system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 2, 1999

 Mrs. Mink of Hawaii introduced the following bill; which was referred 
                   to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To prescribe alternative payment mechanisms for the payment of annual 
  enrollment fees for the TRICARE program of the military health care 
                                system.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PAYMENT MECHANISMS FOR TRICARE ENROLLMENT FEES.

    (a) Monthly Payment Option.--The Secretary of Defense shall permit 
persons who enroll in the managed health care program of the uniformed 
services known as the TRICARE program to pay their annual enrollment 
fees on a monthly basis.
    (b) Alternative Payment Mechanisms.--In addition to existing 
methods by which an enrollee in the TRICARE program may pay enrollment 
fees, the Secretary of Defense shall establish mechanisms to provide 
for payment of enrollment fees using--
            (1) a deduction from military retired or retainer pay (or 
        equivalent pay), in the case of a member or former member of 
        the uniformed services entitled to such pay who is an enrollee;
            (2) a deduction from monthly benefits under section 202 or 
        223 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 402, 423), in the 
        case of a person entitled to such benefits who is an enrollee; 
        and
            (3) an electronic funds transfer from a checking or savings 
        account designated by the enrollee.
    (c) Coordination of Deduction With Other Agencies.--The Secretary 
of Defense shall enter into an agreement with the Commissioner of 
Social Security and the Secretary of the Treasury to conduct the 
deduction mechanism authorized by subsection (b)(2) in the same manner 
as provided in section 1840(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
1395s(a)) for the monthly deduction of premiums for the medicare 
program.
    (d) TRICARE Program Defined.--For purposes of this section, the 
term ``TRICARE program'' means the managed health care program that is 
established by the Secretary of Defense under the authority of chapter 
55 of title 10, United States Code, principally section 1097 of such 
title, and includes the competitive selection of contractors to 
financially underwrite the delivery of health care services under the 
Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Uniformed Services.
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