H.R. 3148 — SALUTE Act

This section establishes a pilot program, to be implemented by September 30, 2026, under which covered individuals—active-duty members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, or Space Force, and their TRICARE-enrolled dependents (as defined in 10 U.S.C. 1072)—may voluntarily elect fixed indemnity supplemental insurance plans offered by up to two companies selected by the Secretary of Defense to cover noncovered cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment expenses. The Secretary must enter at least three-year agreements with licensed companies based on expertise, negotiate plan terms (including no coordination of benefits with TRICARE, separate policies, and communication restrictions), provide enrollment information via the TRICARE portal, enable payroll deduction of premiums, and verify eligibility; no appropriated funds may subsidize premiums, and selected companies are not treated as federal contractors. (As background, TRICARE is the health care program under 10 U.S.C. chapter 55 for approximately 9.4 million uniformed services members, retirees, and dependents.) The section preempts state laws except those on insurer licensing and solvency; requires a report to the House and Senate Armed Services Committees three years after commencement—including plan descriptions, enrollment numbers, feedback, and a permanence recommendation—and sunsets the program five years after enactment unless made permanent.