[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 587 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 587

To amend title 10, United States Code, to prescribe alternative payment 
mechanisms for the payment of annual enrollment fees under the TRICARE 
              program of the military health care system.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 13, 2001

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to prescribe alternative payment 
mechanisms for the payment of annual enrollment fees under 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) In General.--Chapter 55 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended in section 1097a--
            (1) by striking the section heading and inserting the 
        following new section heading:
``Sec. 1097a. TRICARE Program: enrollment and payment options'';
            (2) by striking subsection (c);
            (3) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) as 
        subsections (f) through (h), respectively; and
            (4) by inserting after subsection (b) the following new 
        subsections:
    ``(c) Monthly Payment Option.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
permit persons who enroll in the TRICARE program to pay their annual 
enrollment fees on a monthly basis.
    ``(d) 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.
    ``(e) 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 (d)(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.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning 
of such chapter is amended striking the item relating to section 1097a 
and inserting the following new item:

``1097a. TRICARE Program: enrollment and payment options.''.
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