As ordered reported by the House Committee on Armed Services on May 9, 2012
CBO’s complete cost estimate for H.R. 4310, including discretionary costs, will be provided shortly.
Based on legislative language for H.R. 4310 that was provided to CBO from May 2 through May 10, CBO estimates that enacting this bill would decrease net direct spending by $33 million in 2013, $554 million over the 2013-2017 period, and $44 million over the 2013-2022 period. Because the bill would affect direct spending, pay-as-you-go procedures apply. Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.
The largest cost over that 10-year period results from a provision that would limit the ability of the Department of Defense to increase the copayments charged to beneficiaries who use the TRICARE pharmacy program. Those costs would be offset by savings from a provision that would require certain TRICARE beneficiaries to obtain refills of maintenance medications through TRICARE’s national mail-order pharmacy.
H.R. 4310 also would increase spending from the Military Retirement Fund for the increased number of military retirements that would result from several new authorities. Additional savings would be achieved by reducing the amount of funds available to be spent from the Pentagon Reservation Maintenance Revolving Fund.