Five Health Care Bills Military Families Should Be Tracking

Access to quality health care is one of the most important promises made to families who serve alongside our nation’s service members. At NMFA, we hear from military families every day as they navigate the realities of the Military Health System (MHS). From difficulty accessing specialty care to gaps in coverage for fertility treatments or young adult dependents, these challenges aren’t just abstract policy issues. They’re deeply personal experiences that affect the health, stability, and well-being of military families.

Advocating for better health care policies is a core part of NMFA’s work. We engage directly with lawmakers, share the real stories of military families, and push for solutions that will keep military families healthy. But advocacy is strongest when families understand what’s happening on the Hill, and how proposed legislation could affect them.

Several pieces of legislation currently before Congress could make meaningful improvements to health care access and coverage for military families. Here are five bills NMFA is watching closely and advocating for:

H.R. 6797: The Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act

Starting a family shouldn’t be out of reach for anyone, let alone those who serve our country. Yet for many service members and military families facing infertility, the cost of fertility treatments remains a significant barrier.

The Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act (H.R. 6797) would require TRICARE to cover fertility treatments, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), for active-duty service members and their dependents. Importantly, the bill would remove current barriers, (like the requirement that infertility be directly service-connected), expanding access to family-building care.

NMFA was surprised and deeply disappointed by Congress’ eleventh-hour decision a few months ago to remove IVF coverage language from the FY26 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). IVF coverage had been included in both the House and Senate versions of the bill amid growing bipartisan and public support for IVF nationwide, including from the President. Yet the provision was stripped from the final package, even as federal civilian employees, including members of Congress and their staff, continue to receive this benefit.

For military families facing infertility, this disparity is difficult to understand. The Bipartisan IVF for Military Families Act would restore momentum toward ensuring military families have equitable access to fertility care.

S. 2448 / H.R. 4768: The Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act

For civilian families, the Affordable Care Act guarantees that young adults can remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until age 26. Military families, however, face a very different reality.

Under current TRICARE policy, dependent children lose coverage at age 21 or age 23 if they’re enrolled as full-time students. After that, families must either pay steep premiums for the TRICARE Young Adult (TYA) program or risk leaving their young adult uninsured.

TYA premiums have increased dramatically over time. As of January 1, 2026, the monthly premium is $794 for TYA Prime and $363 for TYA Select, representing more than a 280 percent increase since 2015.

The Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act (H.R. 4768) would align TRICARE with civilian health care standards by allowing military-connected young adults to remain on their parents’ plan until age 26. This simple change would remove a significant financial burden from military families and ensure young adults do not lose access to health care during a critical transition period in their lives.

S. 2239 / H.R. 4381: The Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act

Pregnancy should never be a time when military families feel trapped in a health care system that is unable to meet their needs. Yet under current TRICARE rules, pregnancy isn’t considered a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).

This means families can only change their TRICARE plans during the annual Open Season or after certain life events such as a PCS move, marriage, job loss, or the birth of a child. Because pregnancy doesn’t qualify, many military spouses become effectively locked into their current TRICARE plan during pregnancy.

The Improving Access to Prenatal Care for Military Families Act (S. 2239) would address this gap by making pregnancy a Qualifying Life Event. This would allow TRICARE beneficiaries to switch between Prime and Select during pregnancy, ensuring families can access the right care at the right time.

This change is particularly important given the variability within the military health system. At some installations, Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs) provide excellent maternity care. At others, staffing shortages and long appointment wait times can make it difficult for families to receive timely care. Unfortunately, families don’t often discover these challenges until pregnancy has already begun, when it’s too late to switch plans. This legislation would give families the flexibility they need during an important and vulnerable time.

H.R. 1699: The TOTAL Care Act

For many female TRICARE beneficiaries, including female service members, accessing routine or specialized women’s health care can involve a litany of unnecessary hurdles.

Under TRICARE Prime, patients typically must receive a referral from their Primary Care Manager (PCM) before seeing a specialist such as an OB-GYN. In practice, this requirement leads to delays and administrative burdens, especially in a system where military families already face frequent health care disruptions due to frequent PCS moves and deployments.

The TRICARE OBGYN Treatment and Access without Lags in Care Act (TOTAL Care Act, H.R. 1699) proposes a five-year pilot program allowing female TRICARE Prime beneficiaries to access OB-GYN care without a referral.

The bipartisan legislation aims to reduce unnecessary red tape, improve continuity of care, and allow beneficiaries to designate an OB-GYN as their primary care manager if they choose. For many military women, this change could mean faster access to the care they need without additional administrative barriers.

H.R. 6796: The Military CARE Act

Military families often encounter obstacles when trying to access care at their local MTF. Appointment shortages, referral delays, and long wait times are common concerns reported by families across the force.

Despite these challenges, there’s often no clear or standardized way for beneficiaries to elevate access-to-care problems or ensure those concerns are tracked and addressed.

The Military CARE Act (H.R. 6796) would establish a centralized digital platform allowing TRICARE beneficiaries to report access-to-care issues at their MTF.

This system would route concerns to the appropriate patient advocate while also providing the Defense Health Agency (DHA) and Congress with aggregated data about systemic access challenges. By improving visibility into beneficiaries’ real experiences, policymakers would be better equipped to identify trends and address barriers to care across the MHS.

Why This Advocacy Matters

Health care policies shape the daily lives of military families. Whether it’s access to fertility treatments, affordable coverage for young adults, timely prenatal care, fewer barriers to women’s health services, or improved accountability within the MHS, these issues directly impact our service members and the families who support them.

At NMFA, our advocacy begins with listening to military families and translating those experiences into policy solutions. But lasting change requires continued engagement from the community we serve.

By staying informed and raising your voice alongside ours, you help ensure lawmakers understand what military families truly need from the health care systems designed to support them.

Together We’re Stronger®