Bill > HR4630

This bill, the Caring for Military Children with Developmental Disabilities Act of 2014, amends the TRICARE program, which is the health care program for uniformed service members, retirees, and their families, to include behavioral health treatment, such as applied behavior analysis (ABA), for developmental disabilities, including autism spectrum disorder, when prescribed by a doctor or psychologist. ABA is a type of therapy that helps individuals improve their social, communication, and behavioral skills. The bill specifies that this treatment must be provided by licensed or certified professionals, or by individuals under their supervision, and it clarifies that this provision does not apply to Medicare-eligible beneficiaries. Importantly, while this expanded coverage is for all TRICARE beneficiaries, it is only available to retired members of the Coast Guard, the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service, or their dependents, if specific funds are appropriated for their coverage within the Defense Health Program Account. Finally, it expresses the sense of Congress that funding should be appropriated to ensure all TRICARE beneficiaries have appropriate and equal access to this behavioral health treatment.