To amend title 10, United States Code, to waive cost-sharing under the TRICARE program for three mental health outpatient visits per year for certain beneficiaries, and for other purposes.
Analysis under review: This bill has generated analysis that may be too generic or incomplete. Clause-level evidence remains available below.
Summary
What This Bill Does
This bill, known as the "Military Families Mental Health Services Act," allows the Secretary of Defense to waive cost-sharing requirements (copays and deductibles) for the first three mental health outpatient visits each year for certain military family members under the TRICARE program. It aims to reduce financial barriers to mental health care for military families who may otherwise delay or avoid seeking help due to out-of-pocket costs.
Who Benefits and How
- Active-duty family members (spouses, children, and other dependents): They would no longer have to pay out-of-pocket costs for up to three mental health visits per year, making it easier to seek mental health care without financial concerns.
- Beneficiaries covered under section 1110b (survivors and certain former dependents of service members): They receive the same waiver of cost-sharing for mental health visits under TRICARE.
Who Bears the Burden and How
- Department of Defense: Will absorb the costs previously paid by beneficiaries as cost-sharing, increasing program expenses for TRICARE mental health services.
Key Provisions
- Amends Section 1075(c) of Title 10 to add a new paragraph allowing cost-sharing waivers for three outpatient mental health visits per year under TRICARE Prime
- Covers both active-duty family members and section 1110b beneficiaries
- Amends Section 1075a(a) to extend the same waiver to beneficiaries under TRICARE Select
- The Secretary of Defense has discretion to implement the waiver ("may waive") and must prescribe requirements for the program
- Applies to the first three visits each calendar year, resetting annually
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
This bill amends Title 10, United States Code to waive cost-sharing requirements for three mental health outpatient visits per year under the TRICARE program for certain beneficiaries.
Key Policy Areas
Healthcare, Defense
Primary Purpose
This bill amends Title 10, United States Code to waive cost-sharing requirements for three mental health outpatient visits per year under the TRICARE program for certain beneficiaries.
Policy Domains
Sponsors
Jon Ossoff
D-GA | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
IntroducedMr. Ossoff (for himself and Mr. Cramer) introduced the following …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Active-duty military family members, TRICARE beneficiaries covered under section 1110b
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "the_secretary"
- → Secretary of Defense
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A healthcare program for military personnel and their families.
The portion of medical costs that beneficiaries are responsible for paying.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
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