[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 77 (Wednesday, June 6, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1031]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      INTRODUCTION OF THE TRICARE RETIREES OPPORTUNITY ACT OF 2001

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENJAMIN L. CARDIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 6, 2001

  Mr. CARDIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on the 57th anniversary of the 
D-Day Invasion of Normandy, to introduce federal legislation that will 
help military retirees access the health care benefits to which they 
are entitled. The TRICARE Retirees Opportunity Act will help retirees 
fully participate in the Department of Defense's (DOD) health care 
program, TRICARE. Since 1995, DOD has coordinated the medical care 
efforts of the military branches within TRICARE.
  In an effort to fully meet America's promises to the military, last 
year Congress authorized expanding TRICARE to Medicare-eligible 
retirees and their dependents. Starting Oct. 1, 2001, all military 
retirees and their dependents who are age 65, or who are otherwise 
eligible for Medicare will be able to use TRICARE as a second payer.
  In the past, military retirees who reached the age of 65 lost their 
TRICARE eligibility and were required to purchase supplemental 
policies, which are often prohibitively expensive, to cover Medicare's 
deductibles and coinsurance. By expanding TRICARE to the 65 years of 
age and older population, Congress can ensure that these men and women 
who served our nation are eligible for the best health care this nation 
can offer.
  I recently became aware of an inequitable situation facing many 
military retirees. Under current law, seniors who failed to enroll in 
Medicare Part B when they first became eligible are subject to a 
premium penalty of 10 percent for every year they did not enroll, 
effectively increasing the monthly premium for a 70-year-old first-time 
enrollee from $50 to $75 for the rest of his or her life. Because 
military retirees could not have anticipated how their benefits would 
change, tens of thousands of retirees are now subject to these late 
penalties. The legislation I am introducing today would waive the 
penalty for military retirees who enroll between January 1, 2001 and 
December 31, 2002.
  There is another barrier to full participation facing our military 
retirees. Current law permits late enrollees to sign up only during 
Medicare's annual open enrollment period--January 1 through March 31--
with benefits beginning on July 1. My legislation will create a 
continuous open enrollment period through the end of 2002 for military 
retirees so that these prospective beneficiaries may access their new 
coverage immediately.
  Mr. Speaker, this country has done a good job of meeting the health 
care needs of our active duty military. The Floyd A. Spence National 
Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2001 was a milestone in our 
efforts to help the military retirees who devoted years of their lives 
to defend this nation. My bill takes one more important step to ensure 
that these retirees, their spouses, and their survivors have full 
access to the benefits we enacted for them last year. I urge all my 
colleagues to join me in support of this key legislation so that we may 
truly fulfill our promise to the nation's military retirees this year.

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