Military Officer - April 2007 - (Page 34) washingtonscene Senate Champs Fight Against TRICARE Fees New bill would put health care principles and fee caps in law. ■ bar any enrollment fee for TRICARE Standard or any increase in the TRICARE Standard inpatient copayment. Last year, a similar initiative by Lautenberg and Hagel was crucial in defeating large Pentagon-proposed TRICARE fee hikes. Both senators spoke passionately at the news conference about their continuing determination to reject and defeat the latest defense budget proposal, which assumes TRICARE costs would be cut $1.9 billion in FY 2008 by raising fees for retirees under age 65 by up to $1,000 a year. Hagel, who sits on the Armed Services Committee, called the proposal “ridiculous.” Lautenberg pledged to use his seat on the Appropriations Committee to prevent the fee hikes. Ryan and Master Chief Joe Barnes, USNRet., national executive secretary of the Fleet Reserve Association, expressed their associations’ and The Military Coalition’s gratitude to the two senators and pledged support to promote and enact the new bill. MOAA strongly believes that it’s essential to establish standards in law for TRICARE benefits, just as they already exist O n Feb. 15, MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., joined Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) at a press conference to announce the two senators’ introduction of their “Military Health Care Protection Act” (S. 604) to protect the uniformed services community against arbitrary and disproportional health care fee increases. S. 604 proposes to: ■ establish in law the unique role of military health benefits in offsetting the extraordinary demands inherent in a military career; ■ establish that, in addition to their cash cost-shares, servicemembers prepay large, up-front premiums for their lifetime health coverage through decades of service and sacrifice; ■ bar the TRICARE Prime enrollment fee and TRICARE pharmacy copayments from being increased in any year by a percentage that exceeds the percentage increase in military retired pay; ■ bar TRICARE Reserve Select premiums from being From left, Sens. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Frank Lautenberg increased by a per(D-N.J.) were joined by Master Chief Joe Barnes, USN-Ret., centage that exceeds of the Fleet Reserve Association and MOAA President Vice the most recent basic Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., at a Feb. 15 press conference pay increase; and against TRICARE fee hikes. PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT 34 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2007
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