washingtonscene
The Interstate Compact is one of 10 key mittee have no intention of making any
initiatives DoD is encouraging to help mil- changes to military or VA health coverage
itary families. MOAA members are work- in any way under national health care re-
ing alongside them to promote passage. form and have no intention of taxing mili-
School transitions should be as seam- tary or VA benefi ts.
less as possible, and military children Discussions with Democratic and Re-
shouldn’t be disadvantaged for graduation publican contacts on the House side also
or other accreditation because their par- indicated no intent to alter or tax military
ents serve our country. or VA health benefi ts.
MOAA salutes the states that already When Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) offered
have passed the compact and, like the Sen- an amendment aimed at explicitly protect-
ate, encourages other states to adopt this ing TRICARE benefi ts during consideration
important legislation as quickly as possible. of the Education and Labor Committee’s
version of the national health care reform
Health Reform
bill, it was adopted unanimously.
Does this mean we all can rest easy on
and You
this topic? Not by a long shot.
There are multiple cooks in the kitchen
Baucus: “No effect on military,
in both the House and the Senate and
many, many more adjustments to come
VA care.”
before any consensus will be reached on
a fi nal health care reform bill — if there is
Sen. Max n June and July, MOAA and The any consensus. And there can be no hard
Baucus
Military Coalition lobbied Congress assurance that any protective language ad-
(D-Mont.)
Ito protect against any adverse effects opted now won’t be interpreted differently
for military or VA benefi ciaries under any or amended at some time in the future.
national health care reform initiative that We accept at face value the assurances
might be enacted. of legislators and their staff that there’s no
In addition to sending coalition letters to intent to diminish military or VA health
every senator and representative, MOAA’s care benefi ts in any way.
grassroots campaign generated nearly Still, our mantra will continue to be
35,000 messages to Congress on this topic. “trust, but verify.”
These messages got the attention of
Rep. Joe
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chair of the
Wilson
Senate Finance Committee and one of the New TRICARE
(R-S.C.) most powerful Hill leaders with jurisdic-
tion over health care reform. Contractors
MOAA has maintained a good relation-
ship with Baucus’ staff after working with Coming
them last year to win legislation prevent-
How will this affect you?
ing a major cut in Medicare and TRICARE
payments to doctors — an issue that re-
mains a core element of every national
health care reform bill draft.
In early July, Baucus’ staff invited T
RICARE announced in mid-July
Aetna Government Health Plans
will replace Health Net Federal
MOAA’s Government Relations team for Services in the North region (from Vir-
a meeting and assured us in very strong ginia north to New England) and United
terms that Baucus and the Finance Com- Health Military & Veterans Services will
38 MILITARY OFFICER SEPTEMBER 2009
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