[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 344 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 344

To require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to 
     provide chiropractic health care services for certain covered 
             beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 8, 2019

  Mr. Rogers of Alabama (for himself and Mr. Loebsack) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Secretary of Defense to develop and implement a plan to 
     provide chiropractic health care services for certain covered 
             beneficiaries as part of the TRICARE program.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Chiropractic Health Parity for 
Military Beneficiaries Act''.

SEC. 2. CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CARE SERVICES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF 
              DEFENSE FOR CERTAIN COVERED BENEFICIARIES.

    (a) Plan Required.--Not later than 30 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall complete 
development of a plan to provide chiropractic health care services and 
benefits for eligible covered beneficiaries as a permanent part of the 
TRICARE program.
    (b) Contents of Plan.--The plan developed under subsection (a) 
shall require that a contract entered into under section 1097 of title 
10, United States Code, for the delivery of health care services 
shall--
            (1) include the delivery of chiropractic services to 
        eligible covered beneficiaries;
            (2) require that chiropractic services may be provided only 
        by a doctor of chiropractic; and
            (3) provide that an eligible covered beneficiary may select 
        and have direct access to a doctor of chiropractic without 
        referral by another health practitioner.
    (c) Implementation of Plan.--The plan developed under subsection 
(a) shall provide for implementation of the plan to begin not later 
than 60 days after the date on which the plan is completed.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) The term ``chiropractic services''--
                    (A) includes diagnosis (including by diagnostic x-
                ray tests), evaluation and management, and therapeutic 
                services for the treatment of a patient's health 
                condition, including neuromusculoskeletal conditions 
                and the subluxation complex, and such other services 
                determined appropriate by the Secretary of Defense and 
                as authorized under State law; and
                    (B) does not include the use of drugs or surgery.
            (2) The term ``covered beneficiary'' has the meaning given 
        that term in section 1072(5) of title 10, United States Code.
            (3) The term ``eligible covered beneficiary'' means a 
        covered beneficiary excluding a dependent of a member or former 
        member of a uniformed service.
            (4) The term ``dependent'' has the meaning given that term 
        in section 1072(2) of title 10, United States Code.
            (5) The term ``doctor of chiropractic'' means only a doctor 
        of chiropractic who is licensed as a doctor of chiropractic, 
        chiropractic physician, or chiropractor by a State, the 
        District of Columbia, or a territory or possession of the 
        United States.
            (6) The term ``TRICARE program'' has the meaning given that 
        term in section 1072(7) of title 10, United States Code.
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