A proposed House bill would eliminate prescription copayments for military personnel and their families during the coronavirus outbreak.
The Help Our Heroes Access Medicine Act was introduced by Reps. Elaine Luria, D-Va., and Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., on Tuesday, The Hill reports.
“It is critical that we protect those who have fought and served our country," Luria said in a statement.
It would “give the Secretary of Defense the authority to waive TRICARE copays on prescription drugs during a public health emergency or national emergency,” Luria said, referencing the military healthcare system managed by the Department of Defense.
TRICARE beneficiaries currently pay a $10 copay for a 90-day supply of a generic drug and $29 for name brand drugs through mail order.
Beneficiaries who get their prescriptions at Military Treatment Facilities do not pay a copay. But since the outbreak those facilities have seen an uptick in patients and they have suspended access for retirees and other beneficiaries.
“The copays on mail-order prescriptions can be an unexpected financial burden during this time of uncertainty,” Luria said.
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