TRICARE and Our Children

The new health care bill allows you to keep your children on your health care plan until age 26.  There is a problem with this: If you are retired military on TRICARE and have kids that fall into this category who are either not in college or have recently graduated, this new law does not effect you!

Now this just sucks for those of us that fall into this category.  But all is not lost, I wrote a letter to all of my Colorado senators and I got responses back from 1 democrat and 1 republican so far.  As usual, the democratic senators are making their support clearly known.  Of course, the republican is clear that he has no spine or the will to vote for what is best for America and will vote with the majority of his party.  Basically giving the finger to all retired military personnel.  When are they going to wake up.

Here are the contents of these responses:

The Democrat response:

Dear Ron:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act (S.3201). I appreciate hearing from you.

I strongly support ensuring that our military personnel, veterans, and their spouses have access to high-quality health care. I oppose establishing enrollment fees and increasing copayments and premiums for military health care, and I will work to improve health care benefits available to military retirees under the TRICARE system. It is important to note that the recently-passed health care legislation does not affect the services offered under TRICARE.

Nevertheless, we can do more to ensure that families using TRICARE have the same options as families participating in other health care plans going forward. That is why I am an original cosponsor of S.3201, which was introduced by Senator Mark Udall of Colorado on April 14, 2010.

As you may know, S.3201 would allow children of active duty service members and retirees enrolled in the TRICARE program to stay on their parents’ policies until they are 26. Currently, TRICARE covers children to age 21, or 23 if they are full-time students.

Although this new benefit was already provided to civilian families under the new health care legislation, due to the nature of the Department of Defense health care system, families under TRICARE were not included. This important legislation corrects the disparity.

By extending TRICARE coverage to children until they are 26, we honor the sacrifice of those who have served in our military and provide much-needed coverage for many young people struggling to enter the workforce.

S.3201 was referred to the Committee on Armed Services. Although I am not a member of this Committee, I will continue to push for swift passage of this important legislation.

For more information about my priorities as a U.S. Senator, I invite you to visit my website at http://bennet.senate.gov/. Again, thank you for contacting me.

Sincerely,

Michael Bennet
United States Senator

Now for the Republican response:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me to share your support of HR 4923, the TRICARE Dependent Coverage Extension Act. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to respond to you.

As a Marine combat veteran of the Iraq and Persian Gulf wars, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and military retiree, veterans and dependent issues are very important to me.

With the recent passage of the new Healthcare bill, President Obama and his Democrat allies in the Congress have fundamentally changed the healthcare system of our country.  Reforming this system was a top priority of mine, but unfortunately this plan seeks to do so in entirely the wrong fashion. As you may know, one of the requirements of the Healthcare bill that was recently passed in Congress is that commercial health insurance
firms allow family plans to cover children until age 26. Currently, TRICARE covers children until age 21 or, if they are full-time college students, until age 23. HR 4923 was introduced to extend dependent benefits until age 26.

I did not vote in favor of the current Healthcare bill. I find it disturbing that the bill provides lesser benefits to veterans and their dependents than to Americans at large.

HR 4923 was referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Although I am not a member of that subcommittee, if it comes up for a vote please be assured that I will closely consider your views.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. For more information on my work in Congress on your behalf, please sign up for my newsletter at https://forms.house.gov/coffman/webforms/enews.html.

Sincerely,

Michael Coffman

Well, if your like me, then you see the same thing I do from these responses.  The democrats are supporting and fighting for our men and women in uniform and for those of us who have served and retired.  The republicans, not so much.  If you, Mike Coffman, wanted more in the health care bill for veterans, then you should have worked with the democrats and got it done.  But you are in the party of NO, and that is all that you know.