Zero-Cost Tricare

The Issue

National Guard and Reserve service members continue to face challenges in obtaining health care access to meet medical readiness requirements and ensuring continuity of care, especially when deploying overseas. Significant numbers of service members without health care directly impacts National Guard deployability, as no-notice deployments have increased to record-highs over the last several years.

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Recommendation

• Support the Healthcare for Our Troops Act, H.R. 4221, and the Dental Care for Our Troops Act, S. 2046 / H.R. 4420, to provide zero-cost TRICARE and dental to all Reserve component service members.

• Authorize TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) eligibility for National Guard and Reserve service members who are federal employees in their civilian capacity.

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Take Action

Immediately notify your congressional delegation and ask them to support H.R. 4221, the Healthcare for Our Troops Act, introduced by Reps. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Trent Kelly (R-MS) to provide zero-cost TRICARE health benefits to National Guard service members. Additionally, support S. 2046 / H.R. 4220, the Dental Care for Our Troops Act, introduced by Sens. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Reps. Andy Kim (D-NJ) and Trent Kelly (R-MS) to provide zero-cost dental for National Guard service members.