(COLORADO SPRINGS) — Colorado lawmakers are asking the Secretary of Defense to look into a rule that has caused a huge financial burden to Children's Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs. A Defense Health Agency rule implemented in October 2023 changed the way Children's Hospitals are reimbursed for care they provide to military families covered by TRICARE, and hospitals located in military communities are being hit especially hard. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Children’s Colorado sues over reimbursement changes Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet, along with representatives Doug Lamborn and Jason Crow joined 16 other lawmakers in a letter to Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin asking him to change course. "Somebody in some little office, in some little building on the edge of Washington, thought they could find a little bit of savings. That's not a bad thing, I want bureaucrats looking for savings," said Hickenlooper. "But not at the expense of the hospitals that are providing direct care to the families of our active duty military personnel." Children's Hospital said one in five patients in their Colorado Springs facility pays with TRICARE, and this rule is expected to cost them more than $25 million a year.