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Departments - Washington Scene

2007 Defense Authorization Bill Provisions

Health Care Issues

Drug Class  Senate (S. 2766)  House (H.R. 5122) MOAA Position
TRICARE fee increases Bar any TRICARE Prime or Standard fee increases before Sept. 30, 2007. Require GAO review of DoD cost-saving efforts. Similar provisions, but bar increases through Dec. 31, 2007. Establish commission to review fee issues and alternatives. Support House version.
TRICARE pharmacy copayments Eliminate copayments for most drugs in TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP). Authorize DoD to implement $5 generic and $15 retail copayments. Eliminate most TMOP drug copayments. Increase retail copayments to $6 and $16 for generic and brand-name drugs, respectively. Support zero TMOP copayments to promote its use. Oppose such large retail copayment increases, especially for drugs not available in TMOP.
TRICARE coverage for Selected Reserve Limit TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) premium increases to 2.2% for 2007.
 		 Bar premium increases through Dec. 31, 2007. Make all drilling servicemembers eligible for same premiums (as members mobilized since Sept. 11, 2001), as of Jan. 1, 2008. Support House version.
TRICARE Standard enrollment Bar employers from paying TRICARE-eligible employees to use TRICARE versus employer plan. Require one-time $25 TRICARE Standard enrollment fee ($40 for families). Bar employers from paying TRICARE-eligible employees to use TRICARE rather than employer plan.
 		 MOAA does not support a TRICARE Standard enrollment fee. Restriction on employer payments is preferable to large retiree fee increases.
 
Civilianization of military medical
positions		 Bar conversion unless DoD certifies it won’t affect access, quality, or costs. No similar provision Support Senate provision.
Incentive payments for medical providers in underserved areas No provision


 		 Authorize 5% or 10% payment increase in areas with provider shortages. Support House version.
Military health care funding No similar provision

 		 Clarify that no TRICARE For Life (TFL) costs should be charged against Defense budget Support House provision. $10 billion TFL charge led Pentagon to propose large retiree fee increases.

 

Non-Health Care Issues

Drug Class Senate (S. 2766)    House (H.R. 5122) MOAA Position
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity End deduction of VA survivor benefits from SBP annuities if service caused death, eff. Oct. 1, 2006. No provision Support Senate provision.
Paid-Up SBP coverage Implement 30-year, paid-up SBP coverage as of Oct. 1, 2006 (versus Oct. 1, 2008, in current law). No provision Support Senate provision.
Military pay raise 2.2% for active duty, Guard, and Reserve Jan. 1, 2007. Additional targeted increases for warrant officers April 1, 2007. 2.7% raise Jan. 1, 2007, with similar targeted increases April 1, 2007. Support House-proposed raise.
Military manpower levels Increase Army strength by 30,000, Marine Corps by 1,000, Army National Guard by 17,000 versus budget. Reduce Navy by 12,000 and Air Force by 23,200 versus FY 2006. Similar provisions
 		 Support increases for Army, Marine Corps, and Army National Guard. MOAA is concerned that Navy and Air Force reductions are driven by budget versus mission.
Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance (SGLI) No similar provision


 		 Require services to provide free $400,000 coverage for members deployed on contingencies. Support House version.
Military ID card issues Require issuance of permanent ID cards to military retirees’ dependents who are medically certified as permanently disabled. Pentagon must report on:

* permanent ID card for disabled dependents

* member option to request removal of SSN.

 Support Senate provision on permanent ID card and House provision on option to remove SSN from ID card.
Military dependent education Authorize $45 million for schools serving dependents, including those affected by base realignment and closure or serving severely disabled dependents. Authorize $65 million for similar purposes. Support House version.