| Sponsor | Rep. Skelton, Ike |
| Committee | Ways and Means |
| Date | March 20, 2010 (111th Congress, 2nd Session) |
| Staff Contact | Adam Hepburn |
H.R. 4887 is expected to be considered on the floor of the House on Saturday, March 20, 2010, under suspension of the rules, requiring a two-thirds majority vote for passage. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO) on March 19, 2010.
H.R. 4887 would amend the yet-to-be-passed Democrat health care legislation to clarify that the TRICARE program and the Nonappropriated Fund Health Benefits Program of the Department of Defense qualify as minimal essential coverage.
On March 19, 2010, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) introduced legislation to preemptively state that TRICARE and the Department of Defense non-appropriated fund (NAF) health plans meet all of the health care requirements currently under consideration by Congress for individual health insurance. TRICARE and the NAF health plans programs provide health coverage to members of the military and their families, military retirees and their families, and employees of U.S. military post/base exchanges.
Members may be concerned that this is an explicit admission that the final Democrat health care bill does not protect these plans. Additionally, Members may be concerned that during the 111th Congress, the House has passed hundreds of bills which have not been taken up for by the Senate. There is little reason to believe this legislation would be an exception to that rule.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has not produced a cost estimate for H.R. 4887.