Representatives Terri Sewell (D-AL-7), Andy Kim (D-NJ-3) and Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) have introduced a bill that will reportedly improve access to prenatal care for military families.
An announcement from Sewell's office on Friday said that the bill would create a Department of Defense (DoD) pilot program designating pregnancy as a "Qualifying Life Event" or QLE under the TRICARE program, which would allow dependents of military members to choose a health care plan to address their pregnancy needs.
It is titled the Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act.
“Our military families take on extraordinary challenges each and every day,” said Sewell. “Accessing quality maternal health care services should not be one of them. This legislation offers greater flexibility to our expectant military families by empowering pregnant military spouses to choose the health care plan that best meets their needs. I thank Senator Duckworth and Congressman Kim for the partnership and look forward to getting this bill passed and signed into law.”
The announcement said that the legislation would work by making it easier for military families to navigate the military health system.
A TRICARE plan can be changed during the annual Open Season or if they experience a QLE, which covers marriage, divorce, a job change, a move, and the birth or adoption of a child but not pregnancy.
The legislation would reportedly designate pregnancy as an QLE.
“For their dedicated service and sacrifices on behalf of our nation, military families deserve healthcare options that can meet their evolving needs,” said Kim. “I am proud to work with Senator Duckworth and Congresswoman Sewell on this legislation to give some peace of mind to servicemembers, military spouses, and their growing families. As they continue to be there for us, this designation would help look after them in a time when having the maternal care they need couldn’t be more important.”
“After all the sacrifices they make for our nation each and every day, our military families should never have to face arbitrary, needless barriers just to access prenatal care,” said Duckworth. “I’m proud to work with Senator-elect Kim and Congresswoman Sewell to introduce this bicameral legislation, which would help make it easier for our brave servicemembers and military spouses to access the high-quality care they need and deserve as they build their families. It’s the right thing to do, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure this commonsense policy is included in the final defense bill."
Read the full announcement here.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.