[Congressional Record Volume 141, Number 207 (Friday, December 22, 1995)]
[Senate]
[Page S19270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE

  Mr. INOUYE. Mr. President, I join with my esteemed colleague 
from Texas Senator Gramm, to introduce this bill for Medicare 
reimbursement to the Department of Defense [DOD] for care provided in 
our military medical treatment facilities to Medicare eligible 
beneficiaries. When these dedicated men and women made a commitment to 
a career of service in the Armed Forces, a promise was made to them 
that upon retirement they and their family members would continue to 
receive health care for life in our superb Military Health Services 
System [MHSS]--if they so chose. In fact, approximately 230,000 of the 
1.2 million Medicare eligible retirees currently do choose to get their 
health care at military treatment facilities. Regrettably, as the 
military downsizes and Defense health budgets are cut, without Medicare 
reimbursement, the MHSS will no longer be able to provide health care 
for these retirees. Many of these retired servicemembers and their 
families made career-long sacrifices based in part on the expectation 
that they would have guaranteed health care. I believe it is important 
that our Nation continue its firm commitment and honor the promises 
made to those individuals and their families.
  Mr. President, this bill provides an additional benefit to the 
Nation--more cost effective health care for this population. If the 
MHSS can no longer provide their health care, 230,000 more retirees who 
are already Medicare eligible will be forced into the Medicare system--
at a substantially higher cost than that for DOD reimbursement. As a 
taxpayer, this just makes good business sense.
  Mr. President, these dedicated servicemembers kept their promise to 
our nation and now I believe it is right that the Nation keep its 
promise to them. This bill will enable the MHSS to continue to provide 
health care services to Medicare eligible retirees and their families 
as promised for those who choose to receive their care in our military 
facilities.

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