Congress Explicitly Exempts Military Care from HCR
Apr 13 2010
Good News Out of Congress
It is rare that I get a chance to say that. But this is definitely good news. I’ll share with you the information provided by our director of Government Relations:
Military Care Exempt from Health Care Reform
Colonel Strogridge provided a Congressional Quarterly article and highlighted the important parts. Reprinted here and is available to CQRollCall subscribers, which can you can sign up for here:
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Senate Sends President Bill Affirming Military Health Insurance Plans As ‘Minimum Coverage’
By Niels Lesniewski, CQ Staff
The Senate cleared a measure Monday designed to reaffirm that military health benefits programs qualify as minimum coverage under the recently enacted health care overhaul legislation.
The health care overhaul law (PL 111-148) sets up a new definition of “minimum essential coverage.” The law requires all individuals to obtain this minimum level of health insurance or be subject to a penalty tax.
The legislation (HR 4887), which cleared by voice vote, would ensure that certain Defense Department health programs, including Tricare coverage for military families, fit the definition.
In an April 2 message to colleagues, Charles L. Rice, acting director of Tricare, reiterated the Obama administration’s interpretation that the Tricare program already met the essential coverage definition.
“Some unfortunate misinformation began to spread that somehow Tricare benefits would be lost. I continue to work with our public affairs office and beneficiary organizations to squelch those rumors, and I think we are succeeding,” the letter stated. “But, I ask that you and your staffs remain vigilant and respond quickly to basic errors of fact, or misunderstandings.”
Senate budget rules prevented the Tricare protection from being added to the reconciliation law (PL 111-152) that changed provisions of the original health care overhaul.
Rep. Ike Skelton, a Democrat from Missouri, said that although he voted against the health care overhaul legislation, he felt it was his duty as chairman of the Armed Services Committee to protect servicemembers and their families. The House passed the bill, 403-0, on March 20.
Sen. Jim Webb, a Democrat representing Virginia and the sponsor of the Senate companion measure (S 3148), wanted to clear the House measure before the two-week spring recess, but senators left Washington without taking up the bill.
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Note: emphasis added
An End to the Email Saga?
We hope so. But reality being what it is, the battle will probably now shift to private armies, gun control and other hot button issues.
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