[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 6]
[House]
[Page 8880]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          EXTEND TAMP COVERAGE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Thompson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, for those serving our 
country in uniform, transitioning to civilian life can be a stressful 
process, especially when the transition is involuntary or unexpected.
  Currently, the Transitional Assistance Management Program, or TAMP, 
offers 180 days of health care coverage to certain servicemembers 
transitioning from military service to help bridge the insurance gap 
until coverage can be secured through employment or outside the 
service.
  In many instances, traumatic brain injury symptoms do not appear 
until 8 to 10 months after deployment, and it is important that these 
individuals have mental health care access during that time.
  This week, during the debate over the National Defense Authorization 
Act, I've offered two amendments, one of which would extend the TAMP 
coverage for servicemembers by an additional 180 days for any treatment 
provided through telemedicine.
  Through the expansion of telemedicine, we can offer greater access to 
health care while lowering the cost. It's time we fully utilize these 
new technologies, which is why I encourage my colleagues to support 
this amendment. This commonsense, zero-cost reform will help those who 
serve our country transition to civilian life without unnecessary 
burden or undue delay.

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