Military Officer - July 2006 - (Page 29) washingtonscene House OKs improved reserve health care in the FY 2007 Defense Authorization Bill. Concurrent receipt and Survivor Benefit Plan hopes hang on Senate action. 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 Defense Bill Kickoff T he full House passed the FY 2007 Defense Authorization bill (H.R. 5122) May 11, authorizing $512.9 billion for national security and weapon programs, $50 billion for the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, and a variety of compensation and benefit adjustments aimed mainly at active duty, Guard, and Reserve servicemembers. In the Senate, the Armed Services Committee approved its version of the defense bill (S. 2766) in early May. The committee adopted many of the same provisions but also included provisions that would implement 30-year paid-up Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage and end the deduction of VA survivor benefits from SBP annuities, effective Oct. 1, 2006. At press time, Hill sources indicated the Senate might take up the bill as early as mid-June. In step with recommendations by MOAA and The Military Coalition, both the House and Senate bills would bar DoD from imposing any increases in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Standard fees during FY 2007. But both call for a study of military health cost issues and alternatives that could lead to fee increases in future years. In an effort to encourage use of the TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy — which is significantly cheaper than other pharmacy sources for both the Pentagon and beneficiaries — both bills would eliminate most copayments for drugs in the mailorder system, while raising copayments for beneficiaries using retail pharmacies. See pages 38-39 for a comparison of major bill provisions approved by the full House of Representatives versus those adopted by the Senate Armed Services Committee. Some additional provisions of the two bills are summarized below. ■ Physical evaluation boards (PEB). Defense Bill Timetable ■ The House has com- House: Reform PEB process (which awards military disability ratings) to ensure consistency, timeliness, and full feedback for Guard, Reserve, and active duty servicemembers. Senate: no similar provision. ■ Voluntary separation incentives. Senate: Authorize military services to offer payments up to four times involuntary separation pay amounts to encourage voluntary separations to achieve force reduction requirements in designated skills or other populations. House: Similar provision, except maximum payment is two times involuntary separation pay. ■ Study of Army tour length. House: Require the Army to study potential benefits of converting from 12- to six-month deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Senate: not addressed. ■ Reserve housing allowance. Both bills authorize payment of additional housing allowances for mobilized Guard and Reserve members who are not provided housing while serving at a location far from home. [CONTINUES ON PAGE 36] J U LY 2 0 0 6 pleted action on the FY 2007 Defense Authorization bill, but the Senate timetable for action was uncertain at press time. Last year, the defense bill wasn’t finished until Christmas. Hopefully, Congress will do better in an election year. MILITARY OFFICER 29
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