Out-of-pocket costs for mental health care appointments for patients in the military health care system would be capped under a bill introduced in Congress on Wednesday.
Under the Stop Copay Overpay Act, Tricare users' out-of-pocket fees for outpatient behavioral and mental health visits would not be allowed to cost more than those for primary care visits. The limitation could cut patients' costs by an average of 48%, according to a news release from the office of Rep. Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., one of the bill's sponsors.
"As a veteran, I've seen too many brave men and women struggle to access the mental health care they need and deserve. It's not right," Houlahan, a retired Air Force captain, said in a statement. "Mental health care is health care, and creating cost parity between primary care visits and behavioral and mental health visits would be one giant leap forward in ending the stigma to seek treatment."
Houlahan and fellow Pennsylvania Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, a Republican, previously introduced the bill in 2021, but it went nowhere. This year, they are being joined in introducing the legislation by Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey, a Democrat, possibly giving the measure a boost of bicameral momentum.
In 2018, Tricare copays across the board increased as the health insurance for service members, their families and military retirees retooled its plans.
For example, in 2017, a retiree on Tricare Prime faced a copay of $12 for a behavioral or mental health appointment, according to a 2022 letter from The Military Coalition, an umbrella group for 35 military and veterans organizations. Today, an outpatient visit for specialty care, under which mental health falls, costs retirees on Tricare Prime $37.
Rebecca Kheel specializes in covering Congress for Military.com, holding lawmakers accountable for how their decisions affect military personnel and veterans. She has covered the intersection of Congress and the military for nearly a decade, previously working as a defense reporter at The Hill. Kheel’s award-winning work has been recognized with the 2022 Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation Honorable Mention for National Defense Reporting and the 2023 Joe Galloway Award from Military Reporters & Editors, among other honors. Read Full Bio
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