The TRICARE Equality Act would amend title 10 of the U.S. Code to improve how the TRICARE health program is run in Puerto Rico. It creates a new provision (Sec. 1076g) that treats Puerto Rico more like U.S. states in several ways: making TRICARE Prime available in Puerto Rico, expanding travel and transportation benefits for Puerto Rico residents to match those available elsewhere, and strengthening health information sharing between Puerto Rico’s Department of Health and the federal health IT system. It also requires a progress report to Congress within six months of enactment. The goal is to increase benefit parity for military families and retirees in Puerto Rico with those in the mainland United States and to improve health information interoperability.
Key Points
- 1Establishes a new provision, Sec. 1076g, within Chapter 55 of title 10 to govern TRICARE administration in Puerto Rico.
- 2Availability of TRICARE Prime: requires the Secretary of Defense to designate Puerto Rico in TRICARE Prime area designations in a manner similar to how areas are designated in the states.
- 3Expansion of travel benefits: requires that Puerto Rico residents who would be eligible for travel and transportation allowances under TRICARE be eligible for those allowances, with the secretary empowered to revise related regulations to implement this.
- 4Health information exchange: directs coordination between the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office and the Puerto Rico Department of Health to share health information through the Joint Health Information Exchange (or its successor).
- 5Oversight and definition: defines the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office for this provision and requires a progress report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees within 180 days of enactment.