Sec. 755. REPORT ON LAPSES IN TRICARE COVERAGE FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE COMPONENTS

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## SEC. 755 REPORT ON LAPSES IN TRICARE COVERAGE FOR MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL GUARD AND RESERVE COMPONENTS ###

(a)Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Secretary of a military department, in consultation with the Director of the Defense Health Agency, shall submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the House of Representatives and the Senate a report containing an analysis of each of the following with respect to the military department of the Secretary: ####

(1)Any lapses in coverage under the TRICARE program for a member of a reserve component that occurred during the eight-year period ending on the date of the enactment of this Act and were caused by a change in the duty status of such member, including an identification of the total number of such lapses. ####

(2)The factors contributing to any such lapses, including— #####

(A)technological factors, including factors relating to outdated systems; #####

(B)human errors in processing changes in duty status; #####

(C)shortages in the level of administrative staffing of the reserve component; and #####

(D)integration of systems of the reserve component with Integrated Pay and Personnel Systems. ####

(3)How factors contributing to any such lapses were identified under paragraph

(2)and whether actions have been taken to address the factors. ####

(4)The effect of any such lapses on— #####

(A)the delivery of health care benefits to members of the reserve components and the eligible dependents of such members; or #####

(B)force readiness and force retention. ####

(5)The parties responsible for identifying and communicating to a member of a reserve component issues relating to eligibility under the TRICARE program. ####

(6)The methods by which a member of a reserve component, an eligible dependent of such member, or the Secretary of Defense may verify the status of enrollment in the TRICARE program regarding the member before, during, and after a deployment of the member. ####

(7)The comparative effectiveness, with respect to the delivery of health care benefits to a member of a reserve component and eligible dependents of such member, of— #####

(A)continuing the current process by which a previously eligible member must transition from coverage under TRICARE Reserve Select to coverage under TRICARE Prime after a change to active service in the duty status of such member; and #####

(B)establishing a new process by which a previously eligible member may remain covered by TRICARE Reserve Select after a change to active service in the duty status of such member (whether by allowing a previously eligible member to pay a premium for such coverage or by requiring the Federal Government to provide for such coverage). ####

(8)Whether the current process referred to in paragraph (7)(A) negatively affects the delivery of health care benefits as a result of transitions between network providers. ####

(9)The current status and expected completion of duty status reform for personnel of the reserve components. ####

(10)The actions necessary to prevent future occurrences of such lapses, including legislative actions. ###

(b)Definitions In this section: ####

(1)The term “active service” has the meaning given that term in section 101(d) of title 10, United States Code. ####

(2)The term “eligible dependent” means a dependent of a member of a reserve component— #####

(A)described in subparagraph (A), (D), or

(I)of section 1072(2) of title 10, United States Code; and #####

(B)eligible for coverage under the TRICARE program. ####

(3)The term “previously eligible member” means a member of a reserve component who was eligible for coverage under TRICARE Reserve Select pursuant to section 1076d of title 10, United States Code, prior to a change to active service in the duty status of such member. ####

(4)The terms “TRICARE Prime” and “TRICARE program” have the meanings given those terms in section 1072 of title 10, United States Code. ####

(5)The term “TRICARE Reserve Select” has the meaning given that term in section 1076d(f) of title 10, United States Code.