The recent Supreme Court ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has ramifications for many Americans, but any servicemembers concerned that it will impact their benefits need not worry. TRICARE beneficiaries will see little to no difference in the way they receive their healthcare, Military Times reports.
Soldiers and veterans are protected from any change for a number of reasons. Chiefly, TRICARE was intentionally left out of the ACA when it was written in 2010. Not only that, but the Tricare Affirmation Act that was also passed that year ensured soldiers and Department of Defense employees that they were not subject to the penalties for not purchasing private insurance.
"TRICARE and TRICARE Young Adult are governed by an independent set of statutes and remain under sole authority of the Defense Department and the secretary of defense," spokesman Kevin Dwyer told the publication.
Although the ACA has no impact on TRICARE, there has been some speculation that the popular healthcare program could be tweaked in the coming months. As a way to cut spending, the Obama administration proposed raising the enrollment fee for military retirees earlier this year. However, both the Senate and House Armed Services Committees blocked the increase in fees, The News Tribune reports.