The draft of the FY 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed by the House Armed Services Committee last week included dozens of amendments touching on all facets of national defense – including your service-earned health care.

[RELATED: NDAA First Look]

Among the requirements put forth as amendments:

Coverage Complaints: Establishment of guidance regarding TRICARE coverage complaints covering a range of issues, including access to care, denials, inaccurate provider directories, payment irregularities, and others. This would include “a reporting tool that follows a simple flow chart for filing complaints and reporting issues,” as well as a comprehensive report to Congress outlining the number and nature of these complaints, as well as the steps taken by the department to address them.

Pharmacy Program Audit: A report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that would review a range of TRICARE pharmacy services, to include pricing, wait times, the “adequacy of the retail pharmacy network” – a long-standing MOAA priority – and the establishment of pharmacy access standards.

Physical Therapy Changes: Removal of the referral requirement for active duty servicemembers seeking physical therapy from a licensed TRICARE Prime provider. Another would require a Defense Health Agency (DHA) briefing on an ongoing virtual physical therapy pilot program underway on multiple Army and Navy installations, as well as in Puerto Rico.

Dental Coverage: A study of the reserve component dental program, which would evaluate any connections between out-of-pocket dental costs and delays in obtaining required pre-deployment dental care, along with other readiness concerns and potential gaps in coverage.

Chaperone Policy: One amendment requires the creation of a department-wide policy offering a medical chaperone to patients involved in “any sensitive medical examination … conducted at a military medical treatment facility,” while another would specifically require chaperones during sensitive procedures performed by an obstetrician-gynecologist.

The Bill So Far

The initial House legislation (“Chairman’s Mark”) already addressed several MOAA health care priorities, including:

• Mandating a feasibility study on a digital system allowing patients to report access to care barriers at military treatment facilities – the mechanism at the heart of the MOAA-backed Military CARE Act (H.R. 6796).
  
  
• Requiring a five-year pilot program to evaluate adding pregnancy as a TRICARE Qualifying Life Event, which would allow pregnant beneficiaries to switch plans outside of annual open season and access vital prenatal care.
  
  
• Increasing Congressional oversight of planned closures and cuts affecting more than 40 military hospitals and clinics.

What’s Next

The bill is far from final – the House version reportedly could reach the chamber’s floor in July, likely ahead of the Senate version, which did not begin its armed services committee markup process until June 10. More amendments are likely during floor sessions.

Most years, a conference committee crafts a single piece of legislation from the House and Senate versions, which is then voted on by each chamber and sent to the president.

MOAA will continue engaging with lawmakers and key staff throughout this process, protecting key provisions already included in the bill and encouraging the addition of other priorities during the various amendment processes. As always, our message will be stronger with your support – register at MOAA’s Legislative Action Center to ensure you can reach out to your legislators throughout this process.