Volume XIII, Issue 7

Page 3

MOAA LEGISLATIVE UPDATES

September 5, 2003:


Issue 1: Beware Invasive DoD Retiree Survey

In mid-August, the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) mailed out a new survey instrument to an unknown number of military retirees. MOAA has obtained a copy of the survey. The survey probes the retiree community to reveal information on a wide range of subjects-some good, some bad, and some downright ugly. Consider these:

  • In 2002, how much did you earn, including bonuses and overtime pay, from your principal employer before taxes and deductions?
  • In 2002, how much income did you receive from the following sources: stocks or bonds, paid up life insurance, IRAs, savings, annuities, estate or trust payments, or rental income from property?
  • In 2002, how much income did you receive in supplemental security income, unemployment insurance, civilian or military disability, worker's compensation, GI Bill, Food Stamps, Aid to Families with Dependent Children or welfare, and child support or alimony?

The survey asks for the same information on spouse income.

MOAA is deeply disappointed and troubled by this unseemly effort and we strongly recommend that military retirees refrain from answering those questions that pertain to their personal finances.

September 12, 2003:

Issue 1: Medicare Therapy Caps Go Into Effect

     Back in the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, Congress reduced the limits on how much Medicare could pay for these services. But every year since, Congress has delayed action to implement the lower caps. This year, Congress missed the September 1 deadline for passing another extension, despite multiple warnings.

For more information on the therapy caps, go to www.apta.org/govt_affairs/cap_resourcectr.

Issue 2: Don't Bill Hospitalized Wounded for Food Costs

For years, service members have been billed a subsistence charge during periods of hospitalization, because they're considered to be furnished government meals.

Rep. Bill Young (R-FL), Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, was incensed to learn that this is even true for troops who are hospitalized for combat wounds. He has introduced a bill (H.R. 2998) to exempt such members from paying for meals received in a military hospital. The bill, if enacted, would apply to current active duty members injured in combat, hazardous duty, war games and certain other conditions.

     Hospitalized troops face a charge of $8 per day for their meals. In the course of a lengthy stay, this figure can amount to hundreds of dollars upon their discharge from the hospital.

     Although service members receive the Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS) as a part of their monthly pay, they're not always charged when they're provided government meals. For example, troops deployed on contingency operations aren't charged for meals even though they receive BAS. If other members of a wounded soldier's combat unit don't have to pay for their food (and we agree they shouldn't), why should the wounded member?

MOAA strongly supports H.R. 2998, and we hope Chairman Young will use his influence to secure quick passage.

September 19, 2003:

Issue 3: What's Still on the Table?

H.R. 1588 -- the FY2004 Defense Authorization Act -- is still pending House and Senate conference action. As mentioned above, the final bill should include substantive measures to improve health care delivery for TRICARE Standard beneficiaries. Other issues to be resolved include:

  • Authority for concurrent receipt of retired pay and VA disability compensation
  • Authority for eligible disabled Guard and Reserve retirees to participate in the Combat-Related Special Compensation program
  • 2004 uniformed services pay raise and long-term pay comparability principles
  • Health care options for drilling Guard and Reserve members
  • Eligibility of Gray Area Reserve retirees for federal long-term care insurance
  • Hazardous Duty Pay and Family Separation Allowance rate adjustments
  • Survivor Benefit Plan coverage for Reserve members who die while on inactive-duty for training status.

S. 1/H. 1 -- the Prescription Drug and Medicare Improvement Act of 2003 -- also is pending House and Senate conference action. In addition to the larger prescription drug authority provisions that have been in the news, the conferees need to resolve proposals to:

  • Increase Medicare payment rates to providers and prevent a 4.1% payment cut now projected for next January
  • Waive late-enrollment premium penalties for older military beneficiaries who didn't enroll in Medicare Part B when first eligible, but now need to be enrolled to qualify for TRICARE For Life coverage.

H.R. 1307 -- the Armed Services Tax Fairness Act -- has been pending House and Senate conference action since last spring. The somewhat less-favorable House version also was included in the House-passed H.R. 1308, the All-American

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