washingtonscene
dod Issues
reasonable terms and conditions still will
receive 95 percent of PfM V.
HAP rules
Unfortunately, HaP benefits are taxable
under current law because of an inadver-
Processing starts on
tent error in the february 2009 legislation.
However, Moaa strongly supports House
homeowner help.
Ways and Means committee chair charles
rangel’s (D-N.y.) Service Members Home
T
he Pentagon finally started ownership tax act of 2009 (H.r. 3590)
processing applications for the that would restore the benefit’s tax-exempt
expanded Homeowner assistance status. this bill could save affected service-
Program (HaP) in october — more than members thousands of dollars.
seven months after congress authorized the bill passed the House oct. 8 and at
partial reimbursement to certain military press time was awaiting Senate action.
homeowners for losses on sales of their additional information on HaP can be
primary residences. found at
http://hap.usace.army.mil.
the Pentagon program provides ben-
efits in the following priority order for
certain categories of people who suffer Senate Punts
losses on the sale of their homes in con-
junction with a military relocation: on Payment Fix
n wounded servicemembers relocating
a 21-percent Medicare,
for treatment or medical retirement
tricare cut looms.
n survivors of those who died while on
deployment
n military and DoD civilians affected by the
2005 base realignment and closure round
n those making qualifying military per- d
espite a strong push from Sen. debbie
Moaa, the aMa, and others, the
Stabenow
Senate failed to muster enough
(d-mich.)
manent-change-of-station (PcS) moves votes in october to repeal the flawed
to qualify in conjunction with a PcS statutory formula scheduled to impose a
move, active duty servicemembers must 21-percent cut in Medicare and tricare
have purchased their residence before payments to doctors in January 2010.
July 1, 2006, and received military orders on oct. 20, Moaa President Vice adm.
to relocate between feb. 1, 2006, and Norb ryan Jr., USN-ret., was one of three
Dec. 31, 2009, with a reporting date on or major association leaders invited by Sen.
before feb. 28, 2010. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) to speak at a
losses on private home sales will be capitol Hill press conference in support of
reimbursed at 90 percent of prior fair Stabenow’s “Medicare Physician fairness
market value (PfMV) — normally the pur- act” (S. 1776), which would fix the formula.
chase price, for those making a PcS move. “access to health care already is the
Wounded warriors and surviving spouses single biggest problem for military benefi-
will be reimbursed at 95 percent of PfM V. ciaries of all ages,” ryan said. “the 21-per-
if a servicemember can’t sell his or cent payment cut called for under current
her home and the government has to law would make that problem exponentially
take it over, the reimbursement rate for worse by causing large numbers of doctors
PcS moves will be 75 percent of PfM V. to stop seeing elderly and military patients.”
Wounded warriors, civilians, and sur- Stabenow said, “We need to stop the
viving spouses who cannot sell under [one-year-at-a-time] Band-aid approach
december 2009 Military officer 35
Dec_Scene.indd 35 11/6/09 2:03 PM
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