The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which President Obama signed into law in March, would require civilian health plans to provide coverage to children until they reach age 26 – unless they are TRICARE beneficiaries. “The act did not give the Department of Defense the authority to offer this benefit through TRICARE,” the agency said in a statement on its Web site. But that could change. Both the House and Senate versions of the pending 2011 defense bill contain provisions that would include extend the same coverage to TRICARE beneficiaries, for an additional premium. “If enacted into law, [DoD] will make every effort to implement its provisions as soon as possible,” TRICARE said.
