About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

GAO-11-837R 1 (2011-09-26)

handle is hein.gao/gaobacfib0001 and id is 1 raw text is: GAO Acona ity * Integrity * Reliability United States Government Accountability Office Washington, DC 20548 September 26, 2011 The Honorable Carl Levin Chairman The Honorable John McCain Ranking Member Committee on Armed Services United States Senate The Honorable Howard P. Buck McKeon Chairman The Honorable Adam Smith Ranking Member Committee on Armed Services House of Representatives Subject: DOD Health Care: Cost Impact of Health Care Reform and the Extension of Dependent Coverage The Department of Defense (DOD) offers health care to eligible beneficiaries through TRICARE, its health care program.1 Recently enacted health care reform legislation-the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA)2-has implications for much of the nation's health care system, including TRICARE.3 One particular health reform provision directed certain health insurance plans to extend coverage to dependents up to age 26.4 Though this provision does not apply to TRICARE because it is not considered a health insurance plan,5 the subsequent Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011 (NDAA 2011) included a similar provision that extends TRICARE coverage to certain dependent children of TRICARE beneficiaries.6 In response, in May 2011, DOD began implementing 1Eligible beneficiaries include active duty personnel and their dependents, medically eligible National Guard and Reserve personnel and their dependents, and retirees and their dependents and survivors. Active duty personnel include members of the National Guard and Reserves on active duty for at least 30 days. 2See Pub. L. No. 111-148, 124 Stat. 119 (2010); Pub. L. No. 111-152, 124 Stat. 1029 (2010). Several sections of HCERA amended sections of PPACA. 3PPACA and HCERA include a wide range of provisions, such as those that will require individuals, large employers, and health insurers to meet certain health care coverage requirements and other provisions that make changes to Medicare reimbursement rates. 4See Pub. L. No. 111-148, § 1001,124 Stat. 119, 132 (2010) (amended by Pub. L. No. 111-152, § 2301 (b), 124 Stat. 1029, 1082 (2010) and to be codified at 42 U.S.C. § 300gg-14). 5See 42 U.S.C. § 300gg-21 (limiting the applicability of certain provisions of the Public Health Service Act, including coverage for dependents up to age 26). 6See Pub. L. No. 111-383, § 702, 124 Stat. 4137, 4244-45 (2011) (to be codified at 10 U.S.C. § 111Ob). GAO-11-837R Impact of Health Care Reform Legislation on the Department of Defense

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most