Motion to Instruct Conferees on H.R. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, I have a motion to instruct conferees at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, this motion would bring TRICARE contraception on par with the Affordable Care Act by prohibiting cost sharing for any method of contraception provided in the TRICARE retail pharmacy network or mail order.

Mr. Speaker, our Nation's servicemembers should be provided the same access to preventive healthcare as those insured under the Affordable Care Act.

Currently, TRICARE beneficiaries, including non-Active servicemembers and their dependents, and certain Active military members, do not have the same access to cost-free preventive care as civilians do.

By requiring coverage for contraceptives with no out-of-pocket costs, the ACA increases women's access to contraceptives and saves women $255 per year, on average. This is a benefit we currently deny our female servicemembers. One-third of our U.S. military are women. Currently, about 15 percent of Active Duty servicemembers and 19 percent of the Reserve forces are comprised of women.

Women are bravely serving in all parts of the military, including infantry and other combat units. Servicewomen are continuing to break barriers across the military, proving again and again that they are indispensable when it comes to defending this Nation.

Unfortunately, this House continues to refuse these brave servicemembers access to the same healthcare that all civilian females have access to.

Preventive healthcare services, including contraception, should be provided to all TRICARE beneficiaries without any copays. Access to preventive healthcare is vital for the health and quality of life of all women serving this Nation, but it is also critical to the readiness of our military.

In 2008, researchers found that the rate of unintended pregnancy was roughly 50 percent higher among servicemembers compared to the general population. This problem is made worse by the fact that it is often difficult for female servicemembers to access this preventive medication in the field.

Another recent study found that, among servicemembers who use contraceptives, only 24 percent brought enough medication to last their entire deployment. Forty-one percent of those needing refills found them difficult to obtain while deployed on Active Duty.

We should not make it more difficult for these women to access contraception by asking them to pay for medication that the civilian population already receives at no cost. We are doing an absolute disservice to those who are willing to sacrifice their lives to defend our Nation every day by denying them preventive healthcare that is critical to treat certain health conditions and for family planning.

The Senate has included this TRICARE provision in their bill for the past 2 years because they understand this issue goes beyond political parties and personal views. This is about the health and well-being of those who are sacrificing their lives every day to defend our Nation. This is about providing the resources and delivering policies to the military that will increase readiness.

This motion would provide all servicemembers access to preventive healthcare, which they not only deserve, but are entitled to, and I would say earned.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues, today, to put politics aside and follow in the Senate's footsteps and support this motion.

Mr. Speaker, I appreciate those comments from my good friend and chairman of the Armed Services Committee, but the fact of the matter is that, for 2 years, we have not been able, in conference, to address this very important issue. There is always one excuse or a barrier raised at one time or another. And, in fact, what ends up resulting is our servicewomen, who are putting their lives on the line for our country, are being treated as second-class citizens. They are not afforded the same equality as their male counterparts and those in the civilian world.

Mr. Speaker, what this motion does is simply achieve parity with prevailing law. I want to point out that TRICARE beneficiaries want this parity, and it is time we finally deliver.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this motion. Let us finally provide all servicemembers with the same access to preventive healthcare that we all have access to.

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Mr. CARBAJAL. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

The yeas and nays were ordered.

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