[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 41 (Wednesday, April 5, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Page S2228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   HEALTH CARE FOR MILITARY RETIREES

  Mr. GORTON. Over the past few weeks, I have had the opportunity to 
sit down and listen to military retirees during their veterans service 
organizations' annual visit to Washington, DC. Without exception, 
access to health care was a priority for each and every group. As a 
retired officer in the Air Force Reserve, I understand the interest in 
and importance of this issue to those who dedicated a career to serving 
and defending our Nation--I speak not only of the service members 
themselves, but their spouses and dependent family members as well.
  After listening to retirees' personal stories and policy 
presentations, as well as reading the numerous letters on health care 
legislation I receive each week from military retirees across 
Washington State, I am convinced that Congress, the President and the 
Department of Defense must address the issue of retirees' access to 
health care. In response to the requests of my military retiree 
constituents, I am cosponsoring Senate bills 915 and 2003, the ``Keep 
Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act.''
  In the past several years, I cosponsored and supported efforts to 
establish the Medicare subvention demonstration program, now known as 
Tricare Senior Prime, and the FEHBP demonstration program. The Tricare 
Senior Prime demonstration program allows Medicare-eligible retirees to 
receive care at military facilities with Medicare paying the Department 
of Defense for the costs of that care. Some retirees in my State of 
Washington have been able to participate in the Tricare Senior Prime 
demonstration program as Madigan Army Medical Center was one of the 
designated test sites. I have spoken with the Commanding Officer at 
Madigan, my staff has met at length with those overseeing the test at 
Madigan, as well as the participating retirees, and it appears the test 
is a significant success.
  Two concerns I have heard about the Tricare Senior Prime program are 
that this is a demonstration and is scheduled to end in December of 
this year, and that Medicare's current reimbursement scheme to the 
Defense Department will not fiscally support a permanent program. 
Senate bill 915 will make the Tricare Senior Prime test program 
permanent and expand it nationwide to facilities not in the test. It is 
important for the Defense Department and Congress to act to ensure 
Tricare Senior Prime demonstration program does not expire at the end 
of this year and I will be working hard to ensure Tricare Senior Prime 
is maintained. I also intend to work to see that Medicare fairly 
reimburses the Defense Department so that the costs of the Tricare 
Senior Prime program do not impact the services' ability to care for 
active duty service members and their families.
  Senate bill 2003, sponsored by Senators Tim Johnson, Paul Coverdell, 
and 24 other Senators, would entitle all retirees, and their widow or 
widower, access to the Federal Employee Health Benefit Plan (FEHBP), to 
which all federal non-military retirees have access. As I stated 
previously, I supported establishing the current FEHBP demonstration 
program. My support for the demonstration and my decision to cosponsor 
this bill is driven, to a great degree, by the fact that there are many 
retirees who do not live in close proximity to a military treatment 
facility, some due to base closures that shut down facilities in their 
area of the country. This legislation would provide retirees access to 
health care regardless of where they choose to live. S. 2003 will also 
expand access to Tricare to allow Medicare-eligible retirees.
  One other issue that I know is of considerable concern to military 
retirees is the cost of prescription drugs. This concern is heightened, 
in a border State like Washington, by the disparity in drug prices 
between the United States and Canada--an issue on which I am working 
for a common-sense, straight-forward solution. Of interest to Medicare-
eligible retirees is access to prescription drugs from DoD facilities 
or a mail-order program. I believe that it is only fair and appropriate 
for Congress to consider military retirees when debating the creation 
of a Medicare prescription drug benefit, which I support.
  My cosponsorship of Senate bill 2003 and 915 is driven by the firm 
belief that Congress must address the current health care situation of 
military retirees. The President and Defense Department must be active 
participants in this matter. Military retirees dedicated their lives to 
defending our Nation and protecting our interests around the world--
they are due a serious legislative response.

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