Lawmakers Push for Tricare Flexibility for Pregnant Service Members

Lawmakers want to give Tricare users, especially pregnant service members and their families, more freedom to change their health plans so that they can get better prenatal care. The idea, which is already in the House's version of the yearly defense policy bill, would test adding pregnancy as an event that makes it possible to change your Tricare plan.

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Tricare, the health care program for U.S. military troops and their families, only lets plan changes happen when certain life events happen like being deployed, getting married, or moving permanently. The suggested policy would add pregnancy to this list, letting service members who are pregnant and their dependents choose plans that better meet their medical and prenatal needs.

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A group of lawmakers has proposed a separate bill that calls for this change. The goal is to get the negotiators to keep the language from the House in the final military bill. People who support the idea think that it will improve the health of military families by making prenatal care more comprehensive and available at better times.

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Supporters say that the current rules can make it harder for some women to get certain prenatal services and experts. If changes could be made while a woman is pregnant, military health care would be more like civilian systems, which value giving pregnant women a variety of care choices. If the trial goes well, it could lead to lasting changes in policy that help service members and their families.

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