[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 50 (Thursday, March 27, 2003)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E596]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            MOBILIZED RESERVE FAMILY HEALTH CARE ACT OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL E. CAPUANO

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 27, 2003

  Mr. CAPUANO. Mr. Speaker, since the tragic events of September 11, 
2001, America has relied heavily upon the men and women of the National 
Guard and Reserves. Whether protecting and defending the nation here at 
home, or as part of an overseas deployment, these citizen soldiers have 
made tremendous sacrifices in support of our national security 
interests.
  At the same time, the families of these brave men and women are also 
making enormous sacrifices. Currently, over 215,000 members of the 
guard and reserve are mobilized. Many of these individuals are deployed 
to assignments that will likely last anywhere from six months to more 
than a year. For the family members of those deployed for such long 
durations, the challenge of maintaining a stable home environment can 
be daunting. This is especially true when considering the issue of 
health insurance.
  Employers are not legally required to provide health insurance 
coverage for an employee and his/her family once that employee is 
called to active duty. As a result, the family in many cases must make 
the switch to TRICARE in order to continue receiving health benefits. 
This can be extremely burdensome since many hospitals and family 
doctors outside the military health system do not participate in 
TRICARE. In addition, individuals with pre-existing conditions face an 
uncertain future with respect to their ability to regain employer-
sponsored health insurance once the mobilized family member returns 
from active duty.
  To address this problem, I am introducing today, the Mobilized 
Reserve Family Health Care Act of 2003. This legislation will provide 
families of reservists and guard personnel with the option of 
continuing their private health insurance coverage while their family 
members are called to serve lengthy active duty deployments. Under this 
bill, these families will have the ability to retain their private 
health insurance coverage by utilizing the continuation-of-coverage 
rule offered by COBRA. While the family would assume the cost of 
retaining the private health insurance, the legislation would provide 
tax credits to cover the cost of the insurance. A substantial portion 
of the tax credits will be refundable, while the remaining amount can 
be included as part of the family's itemized tax deductions. The tax 
credits will enable these families continue their private health 
insurance coverage without a financial burden.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope you will join me and my fellow cosponsors in 
assisting the families of our mobilized National Guard and Reserve 
personnel and address this important health coverage issue.

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