Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), alongside Reps. Steven Horsford (NV-04), Jen Kiggans (VA-02), Chrissy Houlahan (PA-06), and Don Bacon (NE-02) introduced the Military Care Access, Reporting, and Evaluation (Military CARE) Act, bipartisan legislation to modernize how TRICARE beneficiaries report and resolve health care access challenges at military treatment facilities.
The Military CARE Act addresses access-to-care gaps by creating a secure, standardized digital platform for TRICARE beneficiaries to submit and monitor care issues, requiring real-time notifications to patient advocates, directing the Defense Health Agency to analyze complaint trends each quarter, and mandating annual reports to Congress that outline challenges and corrective actions.
“Today, America’s servicemembers, veterans, and military families are forced to fight endless red tape and navigate a confusing and deeply frustrating system to get the healthcare they have earned,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “That’s not right. Our commonsense bipartisan bill will cut senseless red tape, restore basic accountability, and return the power back where it belongs: with patients. This bill is about ensuring accountability, strengthening readiness, and keeping the sacred promise we make to those who serve our country.”
“Military families serve our nation and sacrifice so much for it, and they deserve a health care system that serves them just as well,” Rep. Horsford said. “Too many families struggle to get timely appointments or clear information, and they’re left without a reliable way to raise concerns or track whether problems are fixed. This bipartisan bill gives military families a real voice, gives providers the tools to respond quickly, and gives Congress the oversight needed to ensure servicemembers and their loved ones are never left behind. When we support our families, we strengthen the entire force.”
“Access to timely, reliable health care is both a personal issue and a readiness issue. Too often, military families hit administrative roadblocks or long delays with no clear way to raise concerns or track whether problems are being fixed,” Rep. Houlahan said. “The Military CARE Act brings transparency and accountability to the system by giving TRICARE beneficiaries a straightforward way to report access issues and ensures those concerns reach patient advocates and senior leaders. This bipartisan, commonsense bill helps Congress identify systemic gaps and ensures our military health system works for the people it’s meant to serve.”
“Our military families deserve timely care and a clear path to raise concerns when the system falls short. The Military CARE Act gives service members and their families a direct line to report care access issues and track their resolution, while ensuring Congress has the data needed to identify and fix systemic problems across the military health system,” Rep. Bacon said. “I’m pleased to co-lead this vital effort with Rep. Horsford to strengthen access to care for the families who sacrifice so much in service to our nation.”
Read the full text of the Military CARE Act here.
Goodlander, a member of the For Country Caucus and House Armed Services Committee who served for more than a decade in the United States Navy Reserve, has been a vocal advocate for our servicemembers and military families. Earlier this year, she helped introduce the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act, a bipartisan landmark bill to extend health care coverage to TRICARE (Active Duty and Retired) beneficiaries who have adult children younger than 26 years old, lowering costs and ensuring access for hundreds of thousands of military families across the country.
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