Democratic lawmakers Sen. Richard Blumenthal and Rep. Andy Kim have partnered up with Republican Rep. Jen Kiggans to introduce legislation aiming to give army reservists and members of the National Guard that also work for the federal government options on the type of health care plans they can receive.
The bill, which could impact thousands of federal employees that are also in the U.S. Army, plans to give this group of Americans the ability to decide whether they want military or civilian health care.
The lawmakers said in a shared statement that their proposal will fix current regulations that limit service members who also work for the government to enroll in the cheaper Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) health plan when they also qualify for federal health plans.
"Servicemembers and their families make sacrifices every day in service to our country, and we have an obligation to make sure they have access to affordable, quality healthcare," Blumenthal, a three-term senator from Connecticut, said in the statement. "With the Servicemember Healthcare Freedom Act, we provide servicemembers the ability to choose which care plans best suit their needs, ensuring they are able to receive essential care while avoiding costly plans and expensive out-of-pocket costs."
Kiggans, a Congresswoman from Virginia and who served in the Navy, suggested that the proposal will provide personnel with services they should already be able to access.
"My bipartisan bill will give eligible members of the National Guard and Reserves the access to TRICARE they should already have," she said. "As a former Navy helicopter pilot, Navy wife, and now Navy mom, I will always fight to take care of our men and women in uniform!"
Meanwhile, for Kim who represents the 3rd District in New Jersey, the proposed legislation was about to give service members what they deserve.
"I am proud to help introduce this legislation to urgently ensure thousands of federally employed servicemembers can access TRICARE coverage and select the healthcare plan that is best for them and their families," Kim said in the statement. "This important step would not only lower servicemembers' healthcare costs and look after military families' healthcare needs, but improve overall military retention and readiness."
The bill has received the support from Democratic Sens. Tina Smith from Minnesota and John Fetterman from Pennsylvania along with the independent Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona who are co-sponsoring the legislation.
Other supporters of the proposals came from the National Guard Association of the United States (NGUAS), the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS), and the Reserve Organization of America (ROA).
"Guardsmen have an unparalleled commitment to serving our country," retired Major General Francis M. McGinn and the president of NGAUS, said in the statement. "Those who are also federal employees should not be penalized and forced into a more expensive healthcare plan."
Update 4/15/24, 11:05 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to clarify that Congresswoman Kiggans served in the Navy.
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