BILL ANALYSIS
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SJR 10
Author: Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
Amended: As introduced
Vote: 21
WITHOUT REFERENCE TO COMMITTEE OR FILE
SUBJECT : Military: health care
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This resolution requests that the President and
the Congress of the United States pass H.R. 816 which will
prohibit certain increases in fees for military health
care.
ANALYSIS :
This resolution makes the following legislative findings:
1.Career uniformed service members and their families
endure unique and extraordinary demands and sacrifices
during the course of a decades-long career protecting
freedoms for all Americans.
2.The primary offset for enduring the extraordinary
sacrifices inherent in a military career is a system of
extraordinary retirement benefits, including health care
coverage considerably better than the afforded civilian
workers, that a grateful nation provides for those who
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choose to subordinate much of their personal life to the
national interest for so many years.
3.While the Department of Defense has made some efforts to
constrain TRICARE programs costs, a large part of the
department's efforts has been aimed at shifting a larger
share of cost burdens to retired service members.
4.The beneficiary cost increases proposed by the Department
of Defense fail to recognize adequately that career
service members paid enormous in-kind premiums through
their extended service and sacrifice.
5.A significant share of the nation's health care providers
refuse to accept new TRICARE patients because TRICARE
pays them significantly less than commercial insurance
programs and imposes unique administrative requirements.
6.The significant majority of the savings that the
Department of Defense associated with the proposed fee
increases is expected to result from deterring a large
portion of TRICARE beneficiaries from using their earned
military health benefits.
7.The Department of Defense has chosen to count the accrual
deposit to the Department of Defense Medicare-Eligible
Retiree Health Care Fund against the budget of the
Department of Defense, contrary to the amendments made by
Section 725 of Public Law 108-375.
8.Leaders of the Department of Defense have reported to
Congress that counting these deposits against the budget
of the Department of Defense is impinging on other
readiness needs, including weapons programs, an
inappropriate situation that Section 725 of Public Law
108-375 was expressly intended to prevent.
9.The Department of Defense has many additional options to
constrain the growth of health care spending in ways that
do not disadvantage beneficiaries and should pursue any
and all such options rather than seeking large fee
increases for beneficiaries.
This resolution requests the President and the Congress of
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the United States to pass H.R. 816 that prohibits certain
increases in fees for military health care.
FISCAL EFFECT : Fiscal Com.: No
TSM:cm 6/22/09 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: NONE RECEIVED
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