MOAA-endorsed, bipartisan legislation would ease TRICARE beneficiary access to obstetric and gynecologic care, eliminating the need for referrals and aligning TRICARE coverage with commercial plans.

The TRICARE OBGYN Treatment and Access Without Lags in Care Act (TOTAL Care Act) would require DoD to launch a five-year pilot program eliminating the need for OB-GYN referrals and would allow TRICARE Prime beneficiaries to select an OB-GYN provider “as an additional designated primary care manager.” This second provision would allow for greater continuity of care among military family members as well as active duty servicewomen, who have reported OB-GYN access barriers under the existing system.

[TAKE ACTION: Ask Your House Member to Support the TOTAL Care Act]

“Military personnel, and their loved ones serving alongside them, deserve the best care we can provide – not red tape for fundamental medical services,” said Rep. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) in a press release announcing the introduction of the legislation (H.R. 1699) alongside Reps. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) and Maria Salazar (R-Fla.).

The Affordable Care Act eliminated the need for OB-GYN referrals as part of private-sector preventive health coverage. Removing the requirement for TRICARE beneficiaries would bring greater parity between TRICARE and private-sector plans – a long-standing goal of MOAA’s health care advocacy.

The Latest Step Forward

Initial language in the Servicemember Quality of Life Improvement Act – the bill which became the vehicle for the House version of the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act – would have removed the referral requirement for servicewomen seeking “primary and preventive health care services” at military treatment facilities. This passage was struck from the final legislation, according to an explanatory statement, because such care is already available for active duty servicemembers without a referral.

While these members can access such care, they may only do so through their primary care manager – not an OB-GYN – which could prevent them from accessing comprehensive care.

The TOTAL Care Act would require a report after the five-year pilot outlining any change in TRICARE Prime enrollment and the costs to provide OB-GYN care over the course of the program.

“With the increase in women joining the military, they shouldn’t face added burdens for their service,” Houlahan said in the release. “This bipartisan effort makes clear our servicemembers’ health matters, and their care is essential to our national security. Quality health care builds stronger forces and keeps us mission-ready.”

Ask your lawmaker to support this bipartisan, commonsense legislation today. Keep up with the bill, and with other MOAA legislative priorities, at MOAA’s advocacy news page.