SE Ohio Times

Congressman Bill Johnson (R-Marietta) released the following statement after introducing H.R. 3668, the TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act, with Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN). The pair introduced the same legislation in the previous session of Congress:

This legislation would permit Retired Reserve personnel (former National Guard and Reserve members) who are not yet age 60, but are receiving retirement pay, to purchase lower-cost TRICARE health coverage specifically designed for retired military personnel. Under current law, Reserve Component personnel may retire before age 60, but not before 50, based on active-duty performance. These retirees are currently eligible for the costly TRICARE Retired Reserve plans – but not the less costly TRICARE healthcare plans. 

“When Congress authorized a reduction in the retirement age to below 60 for our National Guard and Reserve members in 2008, it erred by not ensuring that eligibility ages for the TRICARE Standard, TRICARE Extra, and TRICARE Prime healthcare plans were also lowered,” said Bill Johnson. “That’s why I’ve introduced H.R. 3668, the TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act with my colleague Congressman Dean Phillips (D-MN). This bipartisan legislation would align the age that many Retired Reserve personnel begin receiving retired pay with the age at which they become eligible for the less costly TRICARE healthcare plans.

“As a Gold Star Son, I know that our service members deserve our utmost support,” said Rep. Phillips. “Providing affordable, high-quality health care should be the very minimum standard of support afforded to our service members, especially those in the National Guard and Reserve who have earned early retirement. H.R. 3668 brings our nation one step closer to this goal, which is why I am proud to have introduced it alongside Rep. Johnson.”

Johnson added: “With everything our National Guard and Reserve members do for us, the least we can do is ensure that when they finish their service to our country and retire, they are not forced to wait up to ten years before being eligible for the less costly TRICARE healthcare plans they have earned. We owe it to them to get this legislation across the finish line and signed into law.”

Companion legislation in the Senate is being sponsored by Senator Vance of Ohio and Senator Warren of Massachusetts.

Additional support for this legislation:

Reserve Organization of America (ROA): "There is no plausible reason for early-age retirees of the Reserve and National Guard to pay thousands of dollars more for health care than all other military retirees. The Reserve Organization of America thanks Rep. Johnson and Rep. Phillips for sponsoring the TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act. This bill brings us one step closer to achieving equity in the military health system and puts an end to punishing servicemembers who earned their early retirement status with deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan," said Maj. Gen. Jeff Phillips, U.S. Army (Ret.), Executive Director of the Reserve Organization of America.

Military Officers Association of America (MOAA): Over the last two decades, our nation relied heavily on the National Guard and Reserve, including significant use in overseas operations. Some Reserve Component members earned retired pay early due to extended deployments, yet their TRICARE benefits don’t start until they reach age 60. We appreciate efforts by Reps. Bill Johnson and Dean Phillips to address this parity issue by extending TRICARE coverage to those who earn early retirement pay. MOAA supports this fix and urges Congress to ensure early Reserve Component retirees receive the same health care benefit as all other uniformed services retirees, said Lt. Gen. Brian T. Kelly, USAF (Ret.), MOAA President and CEO.

Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States (EANGUS): “EANGUS wants to thank Rep. Bill Johnson and Rep. Dean Phillips for their work to align the age at which retired Reserve and National Guard Servicemembers become eligible for affordable Tricare and their retirement pay date.” Said MSgt (Ret.) Daniel Reilly, President of EANGUS. “Affordable Healthcare is critical when considering your retirement. Although Congress did recognize the dedication of the National Guard Servicemember by allowing them to earn early retirement pay, aligning their eligibility of affordable Tricare with the age they are eligible for retirement pay relieves the strain on their finances, allowing them the benefit to retire at the appropriate age they earned just like their active duty counterparts.”

Click here to read the full text of the bill.

Original source can be found here.