The Obama administration’s 2012 defense bill will likely call for an increase in fees and copayments for some beneficiaries of TRICARE, the military’s managed medical care plan. Though details are not yet available, the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) reported Aug. 27 that the administration wants to implement the hikes as part of a plan to cut the Defense Department budget by $100 billion during the next five years. Meanwhile, FRA reported, a bill in the House, H.R. 816, would bar any such increases without congressional approval. The measure is sponsored by Reps. Chet Edwards, D-Texas, and Walter Jones, R-N.C.
