WASHINGTON — More than 113,000 drilling National Guardsmen and Reservists who are full-time federal employees would be eligible to purchase TRICARE Reserve Select health care.
The Servicemember Healthcare Freedom Act of 2024 would allow members of the Selected Reserve and National Guard who are employed by the federal government to choose between military and civilian healthcare plans.
Currently, federal law restricts National Guard and Reserve members who work as federal employees from receiving TRS benefits.
Rep. Jen Kiggans (R-Virginia, 2nd District) is a co-sponsor of the measure.
"Just giving the option for them to participate in the TRICARE program. I think that's important right now they didn't have that option," Kiggans said in an interview with 13News Now. "So, we'd like to be able to provide that option for our National Guardsmen, making sure we're providing health care for those guys. They serve as well. So, we were proud to introduce that bill."
Cost is the big difference.
The average family of four spent over $657 each month on health care through the current Federal Employees Health Benefits program--according to the National Guard Association of the United States website.
Family plans through TRICARE Reserve Select cost less than $247 a month.
That is nearly a $5,000 difference over the course of one year.
The bill has been referred to the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.