Lawmakers debate scrapping TRICARE

Members of Congress are taking a serious look at abolishing TRICARE, the insurance option provided to members of the military and their families.

The future of the program became a hot topic on Capitol Hill after a blue-ribbon panel released a series of recommendations for changing the way the military compensates service members.

One of the recommendations was replacing TRICARE with a new system that allows members of the military to choose a private insurance plan, with the cost of premiums shouldered by the government. The insurance has been veering toward less choice and access since it was created and now falls far behind other networks in its number of providers and ability to incorporate new types of medical care.