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5-18-2012

TRICARE Legislation Introduced

Senators Frank Lautenberg (N.J.) and Marco Rubio (Fla.) introduced legislation (S. 3203) this week that seeks to protect TRICARE beneficiaries from excessive and unfair enrollment fee increases and significant hikes in pharmacy co-pays.  The Military Health Care Protection Act of 2012 will emphasize that military service in unlike other civilian occupations and associated healthcare benefits are earned through 20 or more years of arduous service and sacrifice. 

FRA strongly supports Senator Lautenberg’s efforts, which have been ongoing since 2007 when he introduced similar legislation and amendments to curb TRICARE fee increases.  His previous efforts included bill language that would have limited such increases to no more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is the basis for annual cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for military retired pay, Social Security and VA benefits.