[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 117 (Thursday, June 25, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Page S3578]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 2186. Ms. CORTEZ MASTO submitted an amendment intended to be 
proposed by her to the bill S. 4049, to authorize appropriations for 
fiscal year 2021 for military activities of the Department of Defense, 
for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department 
of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal 
year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as 
follows:

       At the end of subtitle C of title VII, add the following:

     SEC. __. REPORT ON BILLING PRACTICES FOR HEALTH CARE FROM 
                   DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE.

       (a) Findings.--Congress finds the following:
       (1) Through the TRICARE program, the Department of Defense 
     provides health care benefits and services to approximately 
     9,500,000 beneficiaries.
       (2) The Department of Defense is not structured as a 
     typical health care provider, which can lead to complicated 
     billing practices and strict deadlines for members of the 
     Armed Forces, former members of the Armed Forces, and their 
     dependents, as well as for providers.
       (3) Numerous findings issued by the Inspector General of 
     the Department of Defense between 2014 and 2019 describe the 
     third-party collection program of the Department as 
     inadequately managed, resulting in substantial uncollected 
     funds that could be used to improve the quality of health 
     care at military medical treatment facilities.
       (4) Numerous press reports have found that the Federal 
     Government aggressively collects unpaid debts from uninsured 
     or low-income civilian patients who happen to receive 
     treatment at a military medical treatment facility, even 
     though providing that treatment often benefits military 
     readiness by providing experience to military medical 
     professionals.
       (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that it 
     is in the national interest of the United States to ensure 
     members of the Armed Forces, former members of the Armed 
     Forces, and their dependents receive high-quality health 
     care, and that Federal agencies prioritize fairness and 
     accessibility when administering health care.
       (c) Report.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the 
     United States shall submit to Congress a report assessing the 
     billing practices of the Department of Defense for care 
     received under the TRICARE program or at military medical 
     treatment facilities.
       (2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall 
     include the following:
       (A) A description of the extent to which data is being 
     collected and maintained on whether beneficiaries under the 
     TRICARE program have other forms of health insurance.
       (B) A description of the extent to which the Secretary of 
     Defense has implemented the recommendations of the Inspector 
     General of the Department of Defense to improve collections 
     of third-party payments for care at military medical 
     treatment facilities and a description of the impact such 
     implementation has had on such beneficiaries.
       (C) A description of the extent to which the process used 
     by managed care support contractors under the TRICARE program 
     to adjudicate third-party liability claims is efficient and 
     effective, including with respect to communication with such 
     beneficiaries.
       (d) TRICARE Program Defined.--In this section, the term 
     ``TRICARE program'' has the meaning given that term in 
     section 1072 of title 10, United States Code.
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