For currently serving families, timely access to health care is essential to mission success and family well-being. Yet many beneficiaries face barriers when seeking care, whether it’s waiting weeks for an appointment or struggling to secure a referral.

These challenges add stress to already demanding lives and erode confidence in the military health care benefit, a core element of the support promised to those in uniform.

MOAA has been clear: These problems demand solutions. MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret), addressed some of these solutions in a letter to key legislators urging them to preserve critical health care provisions in the FY 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).

This legislative effort is part of MOAA’s ongoing Summer Advocacy in Action (AiA) campaign, which mobilizes thousands of members to engage with their lawmakers. Health care access is one of our top priorities, and your voice can make a difference.

[TAKE ACTION: Improve TRICARE Access for Servicemembers and Their Families]

Two provisions in the NDAA could significantly improve TRICARE access:

1. Referral Flexibility for OB-GYN Care: A pilot program would eliminate the referral requirement for TRICARE Prime beneficiaries, including servicemembers, seeking OB-GYN care. Many patients wait weeks just for a referral before they can even schedule an appointment; removing this barrier ensures faster, more direct access to critical women’s health services.
   
   
2. Pregnancy as a Qualifying Life Event (QLE): Another provision would allow pregnancy to serve as a QLE, permitting families to adjust their TRICARE coverage outside the annual open season. Existing rules lock some expectant parents into plans that don’t meet their needs, with change impossible until months after critical care decisions must be made.

[ISSUE PAPERS: OB-GYN Care | Pregnancy as a QLE]

These improvements matter not only to individual families, but also to mission readiness. When servicemembers can’t access timely care for themselves or their dependents, readiness suffers. Barriers to care contribute to frustration and drive talent out of the uniformed services —undermining long-term retention.

Provisions like those outlined above will address this critical issue, but because they are less visible than other NDAA offerings, they risk being stripped as the bill moves forward. When Congress returns to Washington after Labor Day, passing a budget (or a continuing resolution) before the fiscal year ends Sept. 30 will be the top priority. In this environment, there will be pressure to pare back or eliminate “nonessential” provisions in the NDAA to secure passage.

[STAY UP TO DATE: MOAA.org/SummerAiA]

How Can I Help?

Your voice is essential to keep this issue front and center. Thousands of MOAA advocates already have taken action, but it will take many more to make an impact. Here’s how you can help:

• Send a message through MOAA’s Legislative Action Center. In just minutes, you can urge your elected officials to preserve these critical TRICARE provisions. Signing up also ensures you’ll receive priority alerts on breaking issues affecting those in uniform.
  
  
• Call your lawmakers directly via MOAA’s Capitol Hotline: (866) 272-MOAA (6622).
  
  
• Engage locally by contacting your nearest MOAA chapter to join grassroots advocacy efforts in your community.

MOAA will continue its fight to protect and strengthen the health care benefit earned through service. But advocacy is most effective when lawmakers hear directly from their constituents. Don’t wait — add your voice today to ensure the TRICARE benefit remains strong for those currently serving and military families to come.