(Washington, D.C.) – Today U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) praised Senate passage of the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which included his amendment to protect Nevada veterans from changes to TRICARE benefits.

Heller’s amendment, which was included in the final Conference report, requires the Department of Defense (DOD) to issue a report on the possible termination of TRICARE Prime health coverage. This termination could affect many military retirees and their families in Northern Nevada.  Representatives Greg Walden (OR-2) and Mark Amodei (NV-2) introduced similar legislation in the House of Representatives.  

“The men and women who served in the Armed Forces deserve the most comprehensive set of benefits we can provide. For the Department of Defense to make any changes to these benefits without a full explanation is simply unacceptable. With this legislation, Nevada’s heroes will finally get answers about any possible changes to their TRICARE Prime coverage. I would like to thank Representatives Amodei and Walden for their work on this issue,” said Senator Dean Heller. 

The Senate originally adopted Heller’s amendment into its version of the NDAA on November 29, 2011. On December 5, 2012, Heller sent a letter to the House and Senate Conference leadership urging them to include the language in the final version of the bill. Following today’s vote, the bill will be sent to President Obama for signature and therefore passed into law.

News reports have indicated that the Department of Defense does not plan on providing TRICARE Prime services. This action will cause more out-of-pocket expenses and longer drive times for many military families and veterans throughout Northern Nevada. Senator Heller’s amendment requires the Department of Defense to issue a report to the Senate and House Armed Services committees within 90 days. That report must:

• Identify areas where TRICARE Prime will no longer be available.
• Describe transition and outreach plans for beneficiaries who no longer have access to the TRICARE Prime benefits.
• Include the estimated increase in out of pocket expenses to affected beneficiaries.
• Include the estimated savings to the Department as a result of such changes.
• Describe how the Department will continue to assess the impact on access to care for beneficiaries who can no longer access the PRIME benefit.
• Provide a report on the effects of potential cuts to TRICARE Prime for these families.

###