Today, Republican Leaders on the Education and Labor Committee, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), Rep. James Comer (R-KY), and Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), submitted a comment letter to Secretary Scalia supporting the Department of Labor’s (DOL) proposed rule that will increase access to health care services for uniformed service members, veterans, and their families. Specifically, the proposed rule clarifies that DOL’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) does not have authority over TRICARE participants.
In the letter, Reps. Foxx, Comer, and Walberg write: “It is incumbent on DOL to ensure its policies and interpretations of law do not interfere with health care access for our uniformed service members, veterans, and their families. As such, we support DOL’s proposed rule which will increase access to health care services for TRICARE beneficiaries, and we urge DOL to issue a final rule swiftly that will provide certainty to health care providers and those who depend on TRICARE.”
Background: TRICARE is the federal health care program for uniformed service members, veterans, and their families. OFCCP has previously attempted to assert enforcement authority over health care providers who serve TRICARE beneficiaries. This assertion of authority has been in litigation since 2007, but in 2014, OFCCP instituted a moratorium on enforcement activities directed toward health care providers deemed to be TRICARE subcontractors, which expires in May 2021.
To read the full letter sent to Secretary Scalia, click here.
