[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 45 (Thursday, March 28, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3158-S3159]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. WARNER:
  S. 1651. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit 
covered beneficiaries under the military health care system who are 
also entitled to medicare to enroll in the Federal Employees Health 
Benefits program; to the Committee on Armed Services.


             military retirees health benefits legislation

  Mr. WARNER. Mr. President, today I am pleased to introduce 
legislation which will return a sense of fairness to the military 
health care system by providing Medicare-eligible uniformed services 
retirees the same health care plan that is currently available to every 
other retired federal employee. This proposed legislation would allow 
all Medicare-eligible military retirees and family members to 
participate in the Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan [FEHBP].
  Under the current system, military retirees are the only group of 
Federal employees whose health plan is taken away at age 65, requiring 
them to rely exclusively on Medicare. This is a broken promise, one 
made as they took their oath of office. I am sure that my colleagues 
would agree that this situation is not only inherently unfair, but that 
it also breaks a long standing health care commitment to our military 
retirees. It is worth noting that

[[Page S3159]]

nearly all of the largest U.S. corporations, such as General Motors, 
IBM and Exxon, provide their retirees with substantial employer-paid 
health coverage in addition to Medicare. The commonly held belief that 
the health care provided for military retirees is second to none is a 
myth. The truth is that when compared to what is provided by other 
large employers including the rest of the Federal Government, the 
health care that is provided to our Medicare-eligible military retirees 
and their family members has become second to almost all others.
  This legislation is a major step toward the application of equitable 
standards of health care for all Federal Employees and honors our 
commitments to those veterans who served our Nation faithfully through 
many years of arduous military service. I invite my colleagues to join 
me as cosponsors of this bill. I would like to thank Jack Hoggard, 
Commander, USN(RET) and Mike Matthes, Commander, USN for their efforts 
in producing this important legislation.
                                 ______