Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Military Readiness topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee advances bill to reimburse TRICARE premiums for Tennessee National Guard members
Summary
HB 479, the Tennessee National Guard Service Members Medical Readiness Act, was advanced to full committee. Sponsor said the program would reimburse TRICARE premiums to improve medical readiness after noting about 19% of authorized guard members are non-deployable due to medical/dental issues.
Chairman Hicks explained House Bill 479, which would create the Tennessee National Guard TRICARE Premium Reimbursement Program within the Military Department to award reimbursement grants to Tennessee National Guard members who meet application requirements established by the Adjutant General.
Hicks described four policy goals: improve military readiness, assist recruiting and retention, ensure continuity of care and expand access to care. He told the committee that roughly 19% of the 12,475 authorized Tennessee National Guard service members are non-deployable due to medical or dental issues, and said access to insurance and reimbursement would enhance readiness for federal and state missions such as disaster response.
The committee had no substantive questions and voted to move HB 479 to full committee (5-0).
