In this issue:
Fulton Testifies Before VA Committees
Support Repeal of TRICARE Select Fee
Senate Passes Veteran Vaccine Bill
Hearing on Military Privatized Housing


FRA NP Fulton Testifies Before Joint Veterans Affairs Committees
The FRA’s National President Michael J. “Mick” Fulton testified before a virtual joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee expressing FRA member concerns on veteran’s issues. National President Fulton thanked Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Tester and Rep. Gus Bilirakis for re-introducing the Major Richard Star Act, expanding concurrent receipt to include Combat Related Special Compensation veterans who are medically retired with less than 20 years of service. NP Fulton expressed support for the “Saves Lives Act” and “VA Vaccines Act” that would order the VA to vaccinate any veteran for COVID. He also urged both committees to pass veterans toxic exposure legislation this year. 

Shipmate Fulton thanked both committees for enacting the Agent Orange Blue Water Navy Act and expanding the presumptions for benefits under the Act in the last session of Congress.  The Agent Orange legislation helped vets that served during the Vietnam conflict and now Congress needs to protect those veterans who more recently served or are currently serving.  That is why FRA wants to ensure that no veteran who had exposure to burn pits or other environmental toxins goes without access to VA health care benefits. 

He urged the Committees to provide oversight of the ongoing implementation of VA technology upgrades that will provide a joint Electronic Health Record (EHR) that is vital to ensuring improvements to the system. FRA wants to ensure adequate funding for Department of Defense (DoD) and the VA health care resource sharing in delivering seamless, cost-effective, quality services to personnel wounded in combat and other veterans and their families. The cost and the long time for implementation notwithstanding, FRA believes there is a tremendous opportunity with the two departments using the same EHR.  



Support Repeal of TRICARE Select Enrollment Fee
To protect military retirees' earned health care, Sens. Jon Tester (Mont.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) introduced bipartisan legislation, the “TRICARE Select Restoration Act” (S. 625) to eliminate TRICARE Select enrollment fees for retirees who retired prior to 2018. The Senators' would eliminate enrollment fees for retired beneficiaries using TRICAE Select, ensuring that these retirees are not subject to these burdensome costs. FRA strongly opposed the new TRICARE Select enrollment fee in 2016 when it was added to the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) as part of military health system reform, because it diminishes the earned health care benefit for military retirees. FRA efforts reduced and delayed the fee. 

On January 1, 2021, an annual enrollment fees for TRICARE Select beneficiaries went into effect, increasing the financial burden on countless military retirees. Under this law, beneficiaries who retired before January 1, 2018 are subject to health care enrollment fees under TRICARE Select health plans. “No military retiree should ever be at risk of losing their health care coverage-especially during a global pandemic,” said Tester. “Our bipartisan bill will ensure that retired veterans aren't burdened by costly enrollment fees that put themselves and their family's health care in jeopardy.”

“Because the vast majority of Alaska’s retired veterans have never paid for TRICARE, the charges that started on January 1, 2021 come as a surprise to many. Service men and women were guaranteed medical care without cost as part of their military service. Enforcing an application fee for access to care goes back on that promise.” said Murkowski.

FRA believes that retirees, in large part, paid for their TRICARE healthcare with 20 or more years of arduous military service. Members are strongly urged to go to the FRA Action Center to weigh in on this issue.

Senate Passes Veteran Vaccine Bill
The Senate passed the “Strengthening and Amplifying Vaccination Efforts to Locally Immunize all Veterans and Every Spouse (SAVE LIVES) Act” (S.682) that would allow the VA to provide no-cost COVID vaccination services to all veterans, veteran spouses, caregivers, and Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) recipients to the extent that such vaccines are available. The legislation also urges the Department of Health and Human Services to adjust VA’s vaccine allocation based on this increased eligibility pool, as much as the supply chain allows. The bill now moves to the House for further consideration. 

Similar legislation (H.R.1276) sponsored by House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano (Calif.) has passed the House. This bill provides vaccines to veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system, and veteran caregivers. Members can use the FRA Action Center to weigh in on these proposals.


Hearing on Military Privatized Housing
Two subcommittees (Readiness and Military Personnel) of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) held a joint oversight hearing on implementation of housing reform provisions (Tenant’s Bill of Rights) in the FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and the frustration on the slow progress on implementation by private military housing companies. 

Readiness Subcommittee Chairman Rep. John Garamendi (Calif.) said “I want to make sure the base commanders are held responsible for the well-being of all personnel on their base.” Garamendi pledged to include provisions in the upcoming FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act to ensure service members and their families have safe and clean housing. Military Personnel Subcommittee Chairwoman Rep. Jackie Speier (Calif.) said some of the companies have failed their primary responsibility to provide personnel with safe and secure housing. 

The FRA will work to ensure service members and their families have safe, quality homes and communities. The Association is supporting an increase in the accountability of privatized housing companies by putting more oversight authority in the hands of local military leaders. Members can weigh in on this issue by going to the FRA Action Center.

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