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for all beneficiaries to pursue healthy life- styles and follow prescribed regimens for chronic conditions.  Increase access to civilian providers by reducing administrative deterrents to par- ticipation, attract more providers to partici- pate in TRICARE Standard, and ensure aid for Standard beneficiaries who need help finding TRICARE-participating providers.  Eliminate preauthorization and referral hassles and other administrative inconve- niences to promote doctor participation in TRICARE and improve beneficiary access. Work closely with DoD and TRICARE contractors to ensure Prime access stan- dards are met and appointment, specialty- care authorization, and referral processes are upgraded to meet beneficiary needs.  Reinstate TRICARE benefits for remar- ried survivors when the subsequent mar- riage ends. The Veterans Benefits Act of 2002 restored similar VA benefits for sur- vivors of veterans who died of service-con- nected causes. Military survivors deserve the same.  Upgrade programs, and ensure improved DoD policy and implementation for families with special-needs children.

Bar disproportionate TRICARE fee hikes A unique military health care plan is an es- sential offset to the arduous conditions in a military career. Any fee-adjustment formula must recognize that military beneficiaries prepay very large premiums for their life- time coverage through decades of service and sacrifice, and the country must have a higher obligation to them than what corpo- rate employers demonstrate for their em- ployees. To that end, a percentage increase in military beneficiaries’ health care fees in any year should not exceed the percentage increase in their military compensation. MOAA adamantly will resist propos- als to make military health care programs

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more like those offered by civilian employ- ers and that add thousands of dollars a year to military beneficiaries’ costs.

Oppose health care means-testing MOAA will oppose proposals to base mili- tary health care fees on grade, retired pay, or income. Virtually no civilian or federal employee health care plans include such a concept, which violates the principle that health care coverage is a service-earned benefit provided equally to all full-time em- ployees and all who qualify for retired pay.

Safeguard wounded warriors and families/caregivers Providing care for wounded warriors and their families and caregivers remains a high priority. MOAA will continue to press to im- prove the system to provide seamless care and services. A recent RAND Corp. study of caregivers found more than 1 out of 6 of our nation’s 5.5 million caregivers are caring for post- 9/11 veterans. Nearly 40 percent of these caregivers are under the age of 30 and will remain in the role of caregiver for decades to come. We must do more to support these caregivers who are providing an estimated $3 billion a year in services to our wounded, ill, and injured servicemembers and veter- ans. Improvements to respite care, employ- ment accommodations, and health care are a priority. Full-time caregivers of severely disabled veterans from conflicts prior to Sept. 11, 2001, must be included in Caregiv- er Act services, support, and respite care. More must be done to ensure medical and benefit systems are providing conti- nuity of care and coverage for wounded warriors of all services and components, including reasonable assistance, training, mental health and family-marital counsel- ing, and compensation for their dependent and nondependent caregivers.