[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 44 (Monday, March 22, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Page S1814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WEBB:
  S. 3148. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
for the treatment of Department of Defense health coverage as minimal 
essential coverage; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. WEBB. Mr. President, today I introduced a bill that speaks 
directly to the welfare of our military service members and their 
families. TRICARE, TRICARE for Life, and the nonappropriated fund 
health plans are the programs that provide health care for our men and 
women in uniform, their families, retirees, and other eligible 
individuals. These programs, as well as today's military veterans 
health care system, exceed the minimum essential coverage for 
individual health insurance required by the health care reform bill 
passed yesterday by the House of Representatives.
  I am pleased to offer a companion bill to one introduced last week by 
my good friend, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, 
that explicitly protects TRICARE and NAF health plans. Representative 
Skelton's bill, which passed Saturday by a vote of 403 to 0, makes it 
perfectly clear that no TRICARE or NAF health plan beneficiary will be 
required to purchase additional coverage beyond what they already have.
  My companion legislation to Chairman Skelton's provides a similar 
reassurance to our servicemembers and their families. It will amend the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 in a way that stipulates that Department 
of Defense TRICARE health-care coverage will be treated as minimal 
essential coverage under the health care reform bill when it is signed 
into law by the President.
  There has been a great deal of confusion over the past year 
surrounding the future of TRICARE and other military health care 
programs. False allegations have been raised, for example, that the 
administration planned changes to TRICARE for Life that would 
jeopardize its future or substantially raise its cost for 
beneficiaries. It is important to set the record straight.
  In my capacity as the chairman of the Personnel Subcommittee of the 
Senate Committee on Armed Services, I am committed to protecting the 
health care coverage programs in place for the military today.
  Supporting this bill will reassure our service members that the 
coverage provided by TRICARE and nonppropriated health plans is 
properly protected in law as meeting the requirements for individual 
health insurance mandated by the new health care reform bill. I urge my 
colleagues to join me in supporting this legislation.
                                 ______