washington scene
LEGISLATIVE NEWS THAT AFFECTS YOU
Priority Push
MOAA and The Military Coalition have urged legislators to resolve defense bill provisions on pharmacy copayments, retirement reform, and force levels in ways that don’t punish servicemembers.
MOAA and The Military Coalition (TMC) sent House and Senate leaders a letter Oct. 12 highlighting TMC priorities for resolving differences between the House-passed and Senate Armed Services Committee versions of the FY 2013 Defense Authorization Bill.
At press time, the full Senate had not yet considered the defense bill. Senate leaders were planning to address it during the lame-duck session after the election but were expecting an expedited process with limited amendments.
Because House and Senate leaders likely will have only a couple of weeks after Senate action to finalize and pass a compromise defense bill, House and Senate Armed Services Committee staffs already were beginning negotiations on possible compromises to resolve differences between the two bills.
That delayed, compressed schedule prompted TMC to provide its input to committee leaders immediately.
“If we waited to offer our input until the Senate finishes action on the bill, most of the substantive negotiations on our issues could already be wrapped up,” says MOAA Government Relations Director Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF (Ret), who also serves as cochair of TMC. “You can’t hope to influence the process if it’s already over.”
“If we waited to offer our input until the Senate finishes action on the bill, most of the substantive negotiations on our issues could already be wrapped up.”
TMC’s letter urged Hill leaders to:
■ adopt House-passed language to limit current and future TRICARE pharmacy copayment increases in return for requiring a one-year test of mail-order (or military pharmacy) refills of maintenance medications for TRICARE For Life-eligibles;
■drop restrictive provisions concerning a Senate-proposed special commission to consider changes to military retirement and compensation systems. The proposal would allow the administration to pick all the commissioners, bar participation by current or recent military association representatives, and require a congressional vote on the proposals with little debate and no amendments;
■ retain House-approved language recognizing the unique and extraordinary demands inherent in a multi-decade service career constitute a very large pre-paid premium for career health benefits — over and above the cash fees paid in retirement;
■ retain a House-passed provision that limits annual Army and Marine Corps force reductions. The letter also expressed concern about ongoing cuts to the Navy Reserve;
retain Senate-passed consumer protection enhancements for servicemembers and their family members; and
■ support a House proposal to authorize applied behavior analysis therapy as a TRICARE benefit for autism treatment, but extend the benefit equally to all uniformed services and make it available to family members with other diagnoses that benefit from such therapy. As written, the House language would deny coverage for TRICARE beneficiaries of the Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service, and NOAA.
Your Action Is Needed Now! The lame-duck Congress is making decisions right now that will affect your compensation and benefits. Use MOAA’s latest legislative alert at
http://capwiz.com/moaa/home to urge your legislators to oppose disproportional funding cuts for the military community.
DECEMBER 2012 MILITARY OFFICER 31
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84