"H.R. 1540 - fy12 national defense authorization bill chairman's mark

Section 701 - Annual Enrollment Fees for Certain Retirees and Dependents

This section would express the sense of Congress that career members of the uniformed services and their families make extraordinary sacrifices to protect freedom for all Americans and that those sacrifices constitute pre-payment for health care during retirement. This section would also limit any annual increase in TRICARE Prime enrollment fees to the amount equal to the percentage by which retiree pay is increased beginning October 1, 2012.

704 - Transition Enrollment of Uniformed Services Family Heath Plan Medicare-Eligible Retirees to TRICARE for Liffe.

This section would prohibit a Medicare eligible military retiree from enrolling in the managed care program of a designated provider after September 30, 2012."

Senator Webb Speaks Out Against Degradation of Military Healthcare Benefits.

As regards the Administration’s TRICARE increase proposals for “working age military retirees,” Senator Jim Webb, D-Va., who chairs the important Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, had some strong comments in support of military retirees. He recently said, “I think most of you know that I start from the presumption that lifetime healthcare for career military personnel is part of a moral contract between our government and those who step forward to serve. In my view, they have earned that benefit through their years of service, and it would be wrong to change that benefit after they’ve held up their end of a moral contract. I’ll keep an open mind about discussion on this and other initiatives to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of our military healthcare benefits.”

It is important to note that any Administration proposals can be blocked by Congress.

The full house will vote on HR1540 on 23 May 2011. If passed as written, 2012 Retiree COLA will be at 1.6 percent.

Rick, thanks for participating so actively in the democratic process and keeping everyone up to date on this important issue for all of us.

Cheers Chris. Seems like we have a continuing fight for the benefits we earned through the years. You know me... never back away from what we know to be right and fair. I'm sure they are tired of hearing from me by now.

This vote will affect your medical care for years to come. Looking good for approval.
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May 16, 2011



Honorable Howard P. “Buck” McKeon
Chairman
Committee on Armed Services
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Mr. Chairman:

The Congressional Budget Office has completed a preliminary estimate of the direct
spending effects of H.R. 1540, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year
2012, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Armed Services on May 11, 2011.
CBO’s complete cost estimate for H.R. 1540, including discretionary costs, will be
provided shortly.

Based on legislative language for H.R. 1540 that was provided to CBO from May 9th
through May 11th, CBO estimates that this bill would have an insignificant effect on
direct spending in 2012 and would, on net, decrease such spending by $1 million over the
2012-2016 period and $3 million over the 2012-2021 period. The largest costs over that
10-year period would result from an increase in the special survivor allowance paid to
certain beneficiaries of the military Survivor Benefit Plan, and from a change in the
growth rate of enrollment fees charged to certain retirees who use TRICARE Prime, a
health benefit plan for both active-duty and retired members of the uniformed services
and their dependents.

Those costs would be offset by new receipts from additional sales of material in the
National Defense Stockpile and savings from a provision to limit enrollment in the
Uniformed Services Family Health Plan.
Honorable Howard P. “Buck” McKeon
Page 2


Enacting the bill would not affect revenues.

If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO
staff contact is Matthew Schmit.

Sincerely,



Douglas W. Elmendorf
Director
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FINAL WORDING

"SEC. 701. ANNUAL ENROLLMENT FEES FOR CERTAIN RETIREES AND DEPENDENTS.

(a) Sense of Congress- It is the sense of Congress that--

(1) career members of the uniformed services and their families endure unique and extraordinary demands and make extraordinary sacrifices over the course of a 20- to 30-year career in protecting freedom for all Americans; and

(2) those decades of sacrifice constitute a significant pre-paid premium for health care during a career member's retirement that is over and above what the member pays with money.

(b) Annual Enrollment Fees- Section 1097(e) of title 10, United States Code, is amended--

(1) by striking `The Secretary of Defense' and inserting `(1) The Secretary of Defense';

(2) by striking `A premium,' and inserting `Except as provided by paragraph (2), a premium,'; and

(3) by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

`(2) Beginning October 1, 2012, the Secretary of Defense may only increase in any year the annual enrollment fees described in paragraph (1) by an amount equal to the percentage by which retired pay is increased under section 1401a of this title.'."
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If approved by the House, the Senate approval IS NOT a given. Contact your Senator advocating your desires. CBO letter as revenue neutral should be sufficient for Senate Approval, but this is a cutting environment.

Vote is delayed by infighting over other areas of the Bill. Seems the efforts to bypass the war powers act by the administration aren't liked by a lot of people.

"May 25, 2011: Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union rises leaving H.R. 1540 as unfinished business."

After Memorial Day they will debate the bill again and vote on remaining amendments.

I have read a little about HR1540 and it seems a lot of people are afraid of this bill transferring too much power to the executive branch. The way this bill is put together makes you wonder if 20 people didnt just have a bunch of ideas and they threw them all together in one bill for a signature. This bill covers so many different areas of funding that it appears nobody has read and understands it. It covers funding for a jet engine, storage for parts of another aircraft platform, border security funding, end limits for personnel of Air Force, army, etc, funding for ten different areas of judication and it seems like endless adding or subtracting of funds for twenty different things. This almost seems like the 112th congress is throwing ideas around and putting things down as a bill. I can see why there is disagreement. This bill is so far from transparent it is ridiculous. How any congressional member can vote for this is beyond me. It does cover funding for military health but also fifty other things. I cant see how it ever got out of committee. It is a mess when you look at all of it.

H.R. 1540 passed the House via voice vote on the 26th of May. On Jun 6, 2011 it was received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services. That is where it remains.

I am hoping that this bill doesnt just die there. that is the norm of late. There was also a piece of legislation in there that would allow for fairness in disability pay so that the individuals who are 50% disabled have there disability pay not taken from their retired pay and allow those with less than 50% disablity the equal fairness of receiving their full retirement check plus disability pay. I am told this will never pass as it has been in committee since the 107th session of congress.

H.R. 1540 will not die in the senate, it is the bill that funds the military. However, the changes made to link Tricare increases to COLA increases could be changed. The change might not be to the benefit of Tricare recipients. Let your opinions be heard! Contact your Senators.

it looks like any future pay raise will go directly to pay for the increase in TRICARE. that sucks. see the link.
http://militaryadvantage.military.com/2011/06/senate-okays-pay-and-tricare-fee-increase/

Hal, What the Senate mark-up does is link any increase in Tricare fees to the COLA rate increase. So if we get a 3.0% increase in pay, the Tricare Fee will increase 3.0%

Calculating that out on a $24,000 annual retainer, the pay increase amounts to $720 annually or $60 a month. The Tricare individual rate increase approved is $2.50 per month or an increase from $230 to $260 for FY2012. In the hypothetical above a 3.0% linked increase would Move the annual individual rate from $260 to $267.80... a $7.80 per year increase.

That isn't bad IMHO.

Status: Bill passed both chambers. Next: The bill may now proceed to a conference committee of senators and representatives to work out differences in the versions of the bill each chamber approved. [Last Updated: Dec 6, 2011 6:11AM]