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Proposals to cap annual COLAs below inflation or to redefine and depress the Consumer Price Index for the purpose of geometrically depressing successive annual adjustments would break long-standing statutory commitments to them. MOAA will continue to exert every ef-
fort to preserve the congressional intent, as expressed in the House Armed Services Committee Print of Title 37, U.S. Code, “to provide every military retired member the same purchasing power of the retired pay to which he was entitled at the time of retire- ment [and ensure it is] not, at any time in the future ... eroded by subsequent increases in consumer prices.”
Concurrent receipt
MOAA strongly supports a plan to phase out the disability offset to retired pay for all disabled retired servicemembers, with initial priority for those who were prevented from serving 20 years solely because they became severely disabled in service. MOAA will work with Congress, DoD, and the administration to advance this proposal as a further important step toward the goal of ending the offset for all disabled retirees.
Eliminate the SBP/DIC offset
MOAA will continue to fight for full re- peal of the deduction of VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annui- ties for survivors of servicemembers who died of service-connected causes. MOAA strongly believes when military service caused a servicemember’s death, DIC should be paid in addition to SBP rather than being subtracted from it. To the extent funding cannot be obtained for immediate, full repeal, MOAA will seek interim steps to extend and substantially upgrade compensation for these most deserving survivors, as indicated below.
Extend SSIA authority
MOAA supports legislation to extend the Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) beyond the current statutory expira- tion date of Oct. 1, 2017. Congress enacted SSIA as an interim means of easing finan- cial penalties for survivors affected by the deduction of DIC from SBP. Since October 2008, qualifying surviving spouses have received gradually increasing monthly pay- ments. The FY 2017 monthly allowance will be $310. It will be essential to include an extension provision in next year’s (FY 2018) defense bill to keep these survivors from ex- periencing a significant income loss.
Permanent ID card reform
MOAA will seek to lower the age of eli- gibility (currently 75) for permanent ID cards for spouses and survivors.
Final retired pay for survivors
MOAA supports legislation to authorize payment of a full month’s retired pay for the month of a servicemember’s death. Under current law, the last month’s re- tired pay is summarily recouped from a survivor and then a separate prorated check is issued for the days the retiree was alive. MOAA believes it’s wrong to impose such unexpected and insensitive financial penalties on survivors.
DIC continuation
MOAA will advocate to lower the age at which survivors in receipt of DIC retain this benefit upon remarriage from 57 to 55. Continuation of benefits on remarriage at age 55 is authorized for all other federal survivor programs, including SBP. DIC survivors deserve equal treatment.
TRICARE eligibility continuation
MOAA will seek restoration of TRICARE coverage to remarried SBP annuitants
JANUARY 2017 MILITARY OFFICER 45
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