Full Concurrent Receipt Bill # H.R.303 Original Sponsor: Michael Bilirakis (R-FL 9th) Cosponsor Total: 241 (last sponsor added 09/29/2006) 147 Democrats 1 Independents 93 Republicans About This Legislation: Purpose: This bill would authorize the full concurrent receipt of retired pay and veterans' disability compensation for retirees with regular or Guard/Reserve retirements. Currently, those with combat-related or 100% disabilities are authorized full concurrent receipt (e.g., combat related special compensation/full concurrent receipt); and those with 50% or higher non-combat disabilities will see their disability offsets phased out over the next 8 years. Status: On 5/24/2005, a motion was filed to discharge the Rules Committee from consideration of H.Res. 270. H.Res. 270 provides for the consideration of H.R. 303. A discharge petition requires 218 signatures for further action. (Discharge Petition text with signatures http://clerk.house.gov/109/lrc/pd/Petitions/Dis2.htm). No provision was included in the FY2006 NDAA. It's likely that Congress will defer action on any major advances until the Veteran's Disability Commission completes its report next year. In the mean time, the most likely possibilities for progress include immediate payments for retirees designated as "unemployable". So far only Ms. Jo Ann Emerson and Mr. Emanuel Cleaver are supporting this bill.

 Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act Bill # S.2617 Original Sponsor: Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) Cosponsor Total: 10 (last sponsor added 06/19/2006) 8 Democrats 2 Republicans About This Legislation: S. 2617 would establish annual caps for any fee or co-payments increases that the Pentagon puts in place.  It would affect any increases in four specific areas: *Enrollment fees for retired members and survivors in TRICARE Prime, the military managed care plan. *Pharmacy co-payments. *Enrollment fees for the TRICARE Reserve Select program that helps maintain health coverage continuity for Guard and Reserve families. *Retiree and survivor co-payments for inpatient care. None of our representatives from Missouri find worth supporting.

Save Medicare Act of 2008 Bill # S.2785 Original Sponsor: Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) Cosponsor Total: 14 (last sponsor added 04/24/2008) 7 Democrats 1 Independents 6 Republicans About This Legislation: This bill would reverse a projected 10% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors that otherwise would take place on July 1.  Instead, the bill would authorize modest increases in payments to doctors for the remainder of 2008 and for 2009.

Pretax Health Care Premiums Bill # S.773 Original Sponsor: John Warner (R-VA) Cosponsor Total: 62 (last sponsor added 04/22/2008) 31 Democrats 2 Independents 29 Republicans About This Legislation: S. 773 would let uniformed services retiree beneficiaries, their family members and survivors pay TRICARE Prime enrollment fees and TRICARE Standard supplemental insurance premiums with pre-tax dollars. It would also allow federal retirees to purchase their Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHBP) premiums in pre-tax dollars.  In 2000, a Presidential directive extended the same tax benefit to current Federal employees who participate in FEHBP. Also, this benefit already is available to many private sector employees. S. 773 would extend the same privilege to all active and retired servicemembers and federal civilians.

Military Health Care Protection Act Bill # S.604 Original Sponsor: Frank Lautenberg D-NJ) Cosponsor Total: 22 (last sponsor added 04/14/2008) 9 Democrats 3 Republicans About This Legislation: S. 604 would bar the TRICARE Prime enrollment fee and TRICARE pharmacy copays from being increased in any year by a percentage that exceeds the percentage increase in military retired pay. And bar TRICARE Reserve Select premiums from being increased by a percentage that exceeds the most recent basic pay increase. Additionaly it would bar any enrollment fee for TRICARE Standard or any increase in the TRICARE Standard inpatient copay. This legislation would also establish in law the unique role of military health benefits in offsetting the extraordinary demands inherent in a military career. And establishes that military people pre-pay large up-front premiums for their lifetime health

Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act Bill # H.R.579 Original Sponsor: Chet Edwards (D-TX 17th) Cosponsor Total: 204 (last sponsor added 04/23/2008) 143 Democrats 61 Republicans About This Legislation: H.R. 579 would establish the principle that it's Congress's responsibility, not the Pentagon's, to establish when and by how much military health fees will be increased. In doing so, it would remove the Secretary of Defense's current authority to make virtually unlimited increases in four specific areas: Enrollment fees for retired members and survivors in TRICARE Prime, the military managed care plan. Pharmacy copayments. Enrollment fees for the TRICARE Reserve Select program that helps maintain health coverage continuity for Guard and Reserve families.Retiree and survivor copayments for inpatient care.

Paid Up SBP Bill # H.R.784 Original Sponsor: Jim Saxton (R-NJ 3rd) Cosponsor Total: 120 (last sponsor added 04/01/2008) 63 Democrats 57 Republicans About This Legislation: This bill would move up the current 2008 implementation date for 30-year paid-up Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage. Current law provides that members who have paid SBP premiums for at least 360 months and who also have attained age 70 will be able to stop paying SBP premiums while retaining SBP coverage for their survivors. Because of budget constraints at the time of its 1998 enactment, Congress delayed the effective date of this provision until October 1, 2008. This legislation would make the provision effective as of October 1, 2007.