(a) Automatic Enrollment of Certain Dependents.—(1) In the case of a dependent of a member of the uniformed services who is entitled to medical and dental care under section 1076(a)(2)(A) of this title and resides in a catchment area in which TRICARE Prime is offered, the Secretary—(A) shall automatically enroll the dependent in TRICARE Prime if the member is in pay grade E–4 or below; and
(B) may automatically enroll the dependent in TRICARE Prime if the member is in pay grade E–5 or higher.
(2) Whenever a dependent of a member is enrolled in TRICARE Prime under paragraph (1), the Secretary concerned shall provide written notice of the enrollment to the member.
(3) The enrollment of a dependent of the member may be terminated by the member or the dependent at any time.
(b) Automatic Renewal of Enrollments of Covered Beneficiaries.—An enrollment of a covered beneficiary in TRICARE Prime shall be automatically renewed upon the expiration of the enrollment unless the renewal is declined.
(c) Regulations and Exceptions.—The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe regulations, including procedures, to carry out this section. Regulations prescribed to carry out the automatic enrollment requirements under this section may include such exceptions to the automatic enrollment procedures as the Secretary determines appropriate for the effective operation of TRICARE Prime.
(d) No Copayment for Immediate Family.—No copayment shall be charged a member for care provided under TRICARE Prime to a dependent of a member of the uniformed services described in subparagraph (A), (D), or (I) of section 1072(2) of this title.
(e) Authority for Multiple Networks in the Same Geographic Area.—(1) The Secretary may establish a system of multiple networks of providers under TRICARE Prime in the same geographic area or areas.
(2) Under a system established under paragraph (1), the Secretary may require a covered beneficiary enrolling in TRICARE Prime to enroll in a specific provider network established pursuant to such system, in which case any provider not in that specific provider network shall be deemed an out-of-network provider with respect to the covered beneficiary (regardless of whether the provider is in a different TRICARE Prime provider network) for purposes of this section or any other provision of law limiting the coverage or provision of health care services to those provided by network providers under the TRICARE program.
(f) Definitions.—In this section:(1) The term “TRICARE Prime” means the managed care option of the TRICARE program.
(2) The term “catchment area”, with respect to a facility of a uniformed service, means the service area of the facility, as designated under regulations prescribed by the administering Secretaries.
Structure US Code
Subtitle A— General Military Law
CHAPTER 55— MEDICAL AND DENTAL CARE
§ 1071. Purpose of this chapter
§ 1073. Administration of this chapter
§ 1073a. Contracts for health care: best value contracting
§ 1073b. Recurring reports and publication of certain data
§ 1073c. Administration of Defense Health Agency and military medical treatment facilities
§ 1073d. Military medical treatment facilities
§ 1073e. Protection of armed forces from infectious diseases
§ 1073f. Health care fraud and abuse prevention program
§ 1074. Medical and dental care for members and certain former members
§ 1074c. Medical care: authority to provide a wig
§ 1074d. Certain primary and preventive health care services
§ 1074f. Medical tracking system for members deployed overseas
§ 1074g. Pharmacy benefits program
§ 1074h. Medical and dental care: medal of honor recipients; dependents
§ 1074i. Reimbursement for certain travel expenses
§ 1074j. Sub-acute care program
§ 1074k. Long-term care insurance
§ 1074l. Notification to Congress of hospitalization of combat wounded members
§ 1074n. Annual mental health assessments for members of the armed forces
§ 1074o. Provision of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for certain members
§ 1075a. TRICARE Prime: cost sharing
§ 1076. Medical and dental care for dependents: general rule
§ 1076a. TRICARE dental program
§ 1076c. Dental insurance plan: certain retirees and their surviving spouses and other dependents
§ 1076d. TRICARE program: TRICARE Reserve Select coverage for members of the Selected Reserve
§ 1077. Medical care for dependents: authorized care in facilities of uniformed services
§ 1077a. Access to military medical treatment facilities and other facilities
§ 1078. Medical and dental care for dependents: charges
§ 1078a. Continued health benefits coverage
§ 1079. Contracts for medical care for spouses and children: plans
§ 1079a. TRICARE program: treatment of refunds and other amounts collected
§ 1079c. Provisional coverage for emerging services and supplies
§ 1080. Contracts for medical care for spouses and children: election of facilities
§ 1081. Contracts for medical care for spouses and children: review and adjustment of payments
§ 1082. Contracts for health care: advisory committees
§ 1083. Contracts for medical care for spouses and children: additional hospitalization
§ 1084. Determinations of dependency
§ 1085. Medical and dental care from another executive department: reimbursement
§ 1086. Contracts for health benefits for certain members, former members, and their dependents
§ 1086a. Certain former spouses: extension of period of eligibility for health benefits
§ 1088. Air evacuation patients: furnished subsistence
§ 1089. Defense of certain suits arising out of medical malpractice
§ 1090. Identifying and treating drug and alcohol dependence
§ 1090a. Identifying and treating eating disorders.
§ 1090b. Commanding officer and supervisor referrals of members for mental health evaluations
§ 1091. Personal services contracts
§ 1092. Studies and demonstration projects relating to delivery of health and medical care
§ 1092a. Persons entering the armed forces: baseline health data
§ 1093. Performance of abortions: restrictions
§ 1094. Licensure requirement for health-care professionals
§ 1094a. Continuing medical education requirements: system for monitoring physician compliance
§ 1095a. Medical care: members held as captives and their dependents
§ 1095b. TRICARE program: contractor payment of certain claims
§ 1095c. TRICARE program: facilitation of processing of claims
§ 1095d. TRICARE program: waiver of certain deductibles
§ 1095e. TRICARE program: beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinators
§ 1095f. TRICARE program: referrals and preauthorizations under TRICARE Prime
§ 1095g. TRICARE program: waiver of recoupment of erroneous payments caused by administrative error
§ 1096. Military-civilian health services partnership program
§ 1097a. TRICARE Prime: automatic enrollments
§ 1097b. TRICARE program: financial management
§ 1097c. TRICARE program: relationship with employer-sponsored group health plans
§ 1097d. TRICARE program: notice of change to benefits
§ 1098. Incentives for participation in cost-effective health care plans
§ 1099. Health care enrollment system and payment options
§ 1100. Defense Health Program Account
§ 1101. Resource allocation methods: capitation or diagnosis-related groups
§ 1102. Confidentiality of medical quality assurance records: qualified immunity for participants
§ 1103. Contracts for medical and dental care: State and local preemption
§ 1104. Sharing of health-care resources with the Department of Veterans Affairs
§ 1104a. Shared medical facilities with Department of Veterans Affairs
§ 1105. Specialized treatment facility program
§ 1106. Submittal of claims: standard form; time limits
§ 1107. Notice of use of an investigational new drug or a drug unapproved for its applied use
§ 1107a. Emergency use products
§ 1109. Organ and tissue donor program
§ 1110. System for tracking and recording vaccine information; anthrax vaccine immunization program
§ 1110a. Notification of certain individuals regarding options for enrollment under Medicare part B