S.Amdt. 5578

1. Adds SEC. 702. ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY PROHIBITIONS ON ADJUSTMENTS TO CERTAIN BENEFICIARY FEES FOR MILITARY HEALTH CARE at the end of subtitle A of title VII

   Adds a section

   In S. 3001 · Placed on Calendar Senate

   (b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall take effect on October 1, 2008.

   Inserted: SEC. 702. ONE-YEAR EXTENSION OF TEMPORARY PROHIBITIONS ON ADJUSTMENTS TO CERTAIN BENEFICIARY FEES FOR MILITARY HEALTH CARE.

   Inserted: (a) Findings.--Congress makes the following findings:

   Inserted: (1) Career members of the uniformed services and their families endure unique and extraordinary demands, and make extraordinary sacrifices, over the course of 20-year to 30-year careers in protecting freedom for all Americans.

   Inserted: (2) The nature and extent of these demands and sacrifices are never so evident as in wartime, not only during the current Global War on Terrorism, but also during the wars of the last 60 years when current retired members of the Armed Forces were on continuous call to go in harm's way when and as needed.

   Inserted: (3) The demands and sacrifices are such that few Americans are willing to bear or accept them for a multi-decade career.

   Inserted: (4) A primary benefit of enduring the extraordinary sacrifices inherent in a military career is a range of extraordinary retirement benefits that a grateful Nation provides for those who choose to subordinate much of their personal life to the national interest for so many years.

   Inserted: (5) Many private sector firms are curtailing health benefits and shifting significantly higher costs to their employees, and one effect of such curtailment is that retired members of the uniformed services are turning for health care services to the Department of Defense, and its TRICARE program, for the health care benefits in retirement that they earned by their service in uniform.

   Inserted: (6) While the Department of Defense has made some efforts to contain increases in the cost of the TRICARE program, a large part of those efforts has been devoted to shifting a larger share of the costs of benefits under that program to retired members of the uniformed services.

   Inserted: (7) The cumulative increase in enrollment fees, deductibles, and copayments being proposed by the Department of Defense for health care benefits under the TRICARE program far exceeds the percentage increase in military retired pay since such fees, deductibles, and copayments were first required on the part of retired members of the uniformed services.

   Inserted: (8) Proposals of the Department of Defense for increases in the enrollment fees, deductibles, and copayments of retired members of the uniformed services who are participants in the TRICARE program fail to recognize adequately that such members paid the equivalent of enormous in-kind premiums for health care in retirement through their extended sacrifices by service in uniform.

   Inserted: (9) Some of the Nation's health care providers refuse to accept participants in the TRICARE program as patients because that program pays them significantly less than commercial insurance programs, and imposes unique administrative requirements, for health care services.

   Inserted: (b) Sense of Congress.--It is the sense of Congress that--

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   Inserted: (1) the Department of Defense and the Nation have a committed obligation to provide health care benefits to retired members of the uniformed services that exceeds the obligation of corporate employers to provide health care benefits to their employees; and

   Inserted: (2) the Department of Defense has many additional options to constrain the growth of health care spending in ways that do not disadvantage retired members of the uniformed services who participate or seek to participate in the TRICARE program, and should pursue any and all such options rather than seeking large increases for enrollment fees, deductibles, and copayments for such retirees, and their families or survivors, who do participate in that program.

   Inserted: (c) One-Year Extension of Limitations on Certain Increases in Health Care Costs.--

   Inserted: (1) Pharmacy benefits program.--Section 702 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (Public Law 110-181; 122 Stat. 188) is amended by striking "September 30, 2008" and inserting "September 30, 2009".

   Inserted: (2) Premiums for tricare standard for reserve component members who commit to service in the selected reserve.--Section 1076d(d)(3) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by striking "September 30, 2008" and inserting "September 30, 2009".

   Inserted: (3) Copayments under champus.--Paragraph (3) of section 1086(b) of such title is amended in the first sentence by striking "September 30, 2008" and inserting "September 30, 2009".

   Inserted: (4) Prohibition on enrollment fees for certain persons under champus.--Section 1086(b) of such title is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

   Inserted: "(5) A person covered by subsection (c) may not be charged an enrollment fee for coverage under this section.".

   Inserted: (5) Premiums and other charges under tricare.--Section 1097(e) of such title is amended by striking "September 30, 2008" and inserting "September 30, 2009".

   Original wording

   At the end of subtitle A of title VII, add the following:

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As printed