S.Amdt. 282

SA 282. Mr. ROUNDS submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy,
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

At the end of subtitle A of title VII, add the following:

SEC. 710. EXCEPTION TO INCREASE IN COST-SHARING REQUIREMENTS
FOR TRICARE PHARMACY BENEFITS PROGRAM FOR
BENEFICIARIES WHO LIVE MORE THAN 40 MILES FROM
A MILITARY TREATMENT FACILITY.

(a) In General.--Notwithstanding paragraph (6) of section
1074g(a) of title 10, United States Code, as amended by
section 706(a), the Secretary of Defense may not increase
after the date of the enactment of this Act any cost-sharing
amounts under such paragraph with respect to covered
beneficiaries described in subsection (b).
(b) Covered Beneficiaries Described.--Covered beneficiaries
described in this subsection are eligible covered
beneficiaries (as defined in section 1074g(g) of title 10,
United States Code) who live more than 40 miles driving
distance from the closest military treatment facility to the
residence of the beneficiary.
(c) Report on Effect of Increase.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Defense shall
submit to the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and
the House of Representatives a report on the potential
effect, without regard to subsection (a), of the increase in
cost-sharing amounts under section 1074g(a)(6) of title 10,
United States Code, on covered beneficiaries described in
subsection (b).
(2) Elements.--The report required by paragraph (1) shall
include an assessment of how much additional costs would be
required of covered beneficiaries described in subsection (b)
per year as a result of increases in cost-sharing amounts
described in such paragraph, including the average amount per
individual and the aggregate amount.
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