Military Officer - March 2007 - (Page 31)

washingtonscene Reps. Edwards and Jones reintroduce legislation that would eliminate DoD’s authority to impose TRICARE fee increases and establish health care principles in law. L E G I S L AT I V E N E W S T H AT A F F E C T S Y O U A Healthy Response T aking up the cudgel where ■ the principle that the percentage inthey left off last year, House crease in health care fees in any year TRICARE champions Reps. should not exceed the percentage increase Chet Edwards (D-Texas) in beneﬁciaries’ military compensation. and Walter Jones (R-N.C.) MOAA endorses this legislation and reintroduced their Military Retirees Health remains grateful to Edwards and Jones Care Protection Act (H.R. 579) Jan. 19. for their continuing strong leadership on The new bill is virtually identical this very important issue. to their H.R. 4949 from MOAA strongly believes last year, which gathered the law should explicitly 164 cosponsors and helped acknowledge the role of Now the prevent imposition of secretary of health care beneﬁts in the Pentagon-proposed TRImilitary compensation sysdefense has tem and outline reasonable CARE fee increases of up virtually to $1,000 a year for retired standards for any fee adservicemembers, family unbounded justments. That’s essential members, and survivors to protect servicemembers authority under age 65. against large increases to increase aimed simply at achievThe Edwards-Jones bill fees for would remove the Pentaing some arbitrary level of gon’s authority to increase budget savings that might TRICARE TRICARE fees, specifying change from year to year, Prime. that that authority should depending on the whim reside only with Congress. of the party or people in It also would establish cercharge at the time. Under tain principles in law, including: current law, the secretary of defense ■ acknowledgement that military servicehas virtually unbounded authority to inmembers pay very large premiums for crease fees for TRICARE Prime enrollees their future health care up front through and considerable latitude in establishing decades of arduous service and sacriﬁce; pharmacy copayments. ■ acknowledgement that the primary As this article was being written, offset for enduring the extraordinary MOAA’s government relations staff was working with staff members for Sens. sacriﬁces inherent in a military career is Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Chuck a package of retirement and health care Hagel (R-Neb.) on companion legislation beneﬁts that must be considerably better to be introduced in the Senate in February. than that afforded civilian workers; and MARCH 2007 Your Help Is Needed Now! ■ If you agree that quadrupling retired servicemembers’ TRICARE fees is a bad idea, please sign, stamp, and mail to your legislators the postcards that appear on the back cover of this magazine. Please ask your spouse or a friend to sign the extra card(s). MILITARY OFFICER 31

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - March 2007

From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Forward, March 10 Top Cities Tell Us About It Fly the Plan Cover Story: The War Poster One Percent Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Member Services Member Books Sounding Taps MOAA Calendar Encore

Military Officer - March 2007

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