[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 3, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S1163]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. HUTCHISON:
  S. 350. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to improve the 
health care benefits under the TRICARE program and otherwise improve 
that program, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Armed 
Services.


            the military health care improvement act of 1999

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. Mr. President, today I am introducing the Military 
Health Care Improvement Act of 1999. This bill is a first step to 
reform the military health care system known as TRICARE. We are trying 
to recruit and retain the best people for our nation's military. To do 
this, we must pay them better, maintain good retirement benefits and 
improve the health care we provide them and their families.
  Mr. President, there is a growing perception among active duty 
military, their dependents and military retirees that the military 
health care benefit is no longer much of a benefit. We have not done a 
very good job of keeping the promise the government made to military 
personnel: That in return for their service and sacrifices, the 
government will provide health care to active-duty members and their 
families even after they retire. In the past 10 years, the military has 
downsized by over one-third, and the military health care system has 
downsized by one-third as well. While hospitals have been closed as a 
result of BRAC or downsized in the past decade, the number of personnel 
that rely on the military and the military health care system has 
remained constant. Today, our armed forces have more married service 
members with families than ever before. In addition, those who have 
served and are now retired were promised quality health care as well.
  In place of the promise, these individuals and families have been 
given, instead, a system called ``TRICARE.'' TRICARE is not health care 
coverage, but a health care delivery system that provides varying 
levels of benefits depending largely on where a member of the military 
or a retiree lives.
  Unfortunately, what we find is that the TRICARE program often 
provides spotty coverage. My offices and those offices of my colleagues 
in the Senate no doubt have received thousands of complaints regarding 
access to care, unpaid bills, inadequate providers and difficulties 
with claims.
  For their part, the doctors who participate in TRICARE complain about 
a host of administrative problems including delayed payments and a very 
cumbersome claims process. Many doctors have simply left the program, 
and in some locations, there are simply no providers at all in certain 
specialties. This is unacceptable.
  Mr. President, I am introducing this bill to improve the health care 
benefits under the TRICARE program by ensuring that the health care and 
dental coverage available under TRICARE is substantially similar to the 
health care coverage and dental care coverage available under the 
Federal Employees Health Benefits program. This bill will:
  Raise reimbursement levels for TRICARE, the military health-care 
delivery system, to attract and retain more participating doctors to 
the program.
  Expedite and reduce the costs of TRICARE claims processing, which has 
been a thorn in the side of both beneficiaries and providers.
  Require portability of benefits between regions. This would make it 
easier for military personnel and their families to receive health care 
benefits when they travel to different regions.
  Minimize the cumbersome pre-authorization requirements for access to 
care.
  Mr. President. This bill will help break down the bureaucracy that 
exists in the current system. There is no single solution to this 
problem, but we must begin now to ensure we honor our commitments. This 
is a critical issue to recruiting and retaining qualified people in the 
military--which is critical to the security of our country.
  I am pleased to be joined in this effort by Senators Allard and Hagel 
and look forward to working with my colleagues to keep the promise and 
improve the military health care system.
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