This bill adds a new section (10 U.S.C. 1076g) to require changes to how TRICARE is run for people in Puerto Rico. It directs the Secretary of Defense to: treat Puerto Rico the same as the States when setting TRICARE Prime service areas; make sure people in Puerto Rico who would qualify for travel and transportation allowances if they lived in a State are eligible for those allowances; and allow the Secretary to update regulations to make this happen. The bill also directs the Director of the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office to work with the Puerto Rico Department of Health to share health data through the Joint Health Information Exchange (or a successor). It defines the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization Office by reference to the Wounded Warrior Act. The bill requires the Secretary of Defense to send a report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees within 180 days on progress implementing these changes.
If this bill becomes law, TRICARE beneficiaries located in Puerto Rico would be covered by rules that require the Secretary to treat service areas and travel allowances more like those in the States. Health data sharing between federal military health records and Puerto Rico health authorities would be coordinated through the Joint Health Information Exchange. The Department of Defense must report back to Congress within 180 days about implementation.
No publicly available information on costs, budget estimates, or financial effects is included in the bill text or metadata.
The bill's stated purpose is to "improve the administration of the TRICARE program in Puerto Rico." It therefore directs equal treatment for TRICARE Prime designations, extends eligibility for travel and transportation allowances for people in Puerto Rico, and promotes health information sharing with Puerto Rico health officials.
No publicly available information on opposition, objections, or counterarguments is included in the bill text or metadata.