How does the proposal plan on making this happen? By amending section 1789 of title 38, United States Code, the bill intends to provide hospital care and mental health services to members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces during periods when they are not covered by TRICARE Prime, the Department of Defense’s health care program. In essence, this legislation is designed to be a much-needed band-aid, wrapping around the health service gaps faced by members of the reserve often found in between active orders.
The bill, however, pencils in a caveat. This expanded care coverage will materialize each fiscal year only if advance appropriations are provided in the requisite Acts. This ensures that the service expansion would not lead to budgetary overruns, keeping a close eye on the purse strings at an administrative level.
Since everything health-related concerning the Armed Forces falls within two portfolios, the proposed law expressly articulates that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should consult the Secretary of Defense in implementing this expanded coverage. This underlines the necessity of multi-lateral dialogue when it comes to rolling out large-scale changes.
The bill doesn’t just stop at benefits expansion. It digs in deeper, aiming to reassess how beneficiaries are enrolled in the Patient Enrollment System. The words “veterans” are to be replaced with “individuals.” This may seem cosmetic, but it’s a significant shift indicating the aspiration to widen the net of who can access VA services. Moreover, members of the reserve components would now follow the same enrollment priority path as veterans for hospital care and medical services.
The catch-up game of enrolling members, the bill proposes, should not drag along. Utilizing a phased approach, it calls for all uninsured members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces to be enrolled by late 2023, with all others catching up just a year later.
To ensure that the process is continuously optimized, the proposal mandates a study to explore ways of improving healthcare access for the reserve components. The findings of this study, which are due to be submitted to Congress within 180 days of the passing of the Act, could act as a guiding lighthouse for fine-tuning the service delivery model.
The tale of this bill serves as a broader metaphor for expanded access to a life-important public service for a key demographic group. It highlights the efforts ingrained in Washington to keep tinkering under the hood of federal laws with the specific intention of addressing gaps in welfare provisions. With the immediate future of the bill resting on the shoulders of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, it is now up to these lawmakers to determine whether the sword of change will cut through to positively reshape the current system.
