|
|
 |
FY 2006 Defense Authorization Act
Health Care Issues
| Issue |
House (H.R. 1815) |
Senate (S. 1042) |
Final Outcome |
|
TRICARE Standard requirements |
Require expanded surveys on provider participation in TRICARE
Standard. Direct GAO review of Standard improvement efforts.
|
Similar survey provisions; require TRICARE Standard coordinator
in each regional office to encourage participation and help
beneficiaries. |
House provisions adopted. TRICARE regional offices are
responsible for TRICARE Standard support and must submit annual
report to Congress on this topic. |
| TRICARE coverage
for Selected Reserve |
Allow sign-up within
120 days after leaving active duty. Continue eligibility if
involuntarily separated; six months family coverage if member
dies.
|
Authorize permanent
coverage for virtually all drilling members, with premium set at
28% of cost.
|
Those not mobilized
since Sept. 11, 2001, pay larger premium (50% to 85% of cost).
Allows sign-up within 90 days; continues survivor coverage, but
not for separatees/retirees. |
|
Pretax treatment of health expenses |
No
provision
|
Direct plan to allow pretax payment of premiums and
out-of-pocket expenses
by active duty and reserve members. |
Not included in law, but Senate Armed Services Committee
direction to Pentagon to submit plan remains binding. |
TRICARE
interaction with other health
insurance (OHI) |
Direct study on
restoring
TRICARE Standard as true
second-payer to OHI (as TRICARE For Life is to Medicare).
Report due March 31, 2006.
|
No similar provision |
Not included in law,
but House Armed Services Committee direction to Pentagon to
submit study remains binding. |
Pharmacy benefits for
nursing-home residents
|
No
similar provision |
Bar imposing nonnetwork deductible/copayments on nursing-home
residents. |
Not adopted. |
| Mental health/PTSD
awareness efforts |
Authorize campaign
on availability of mental health services and early
identification and treatment.
|
Require pilot
projects to destigmatize PTSD and other combat-related
conditions and encourage early treatment. |
Similar provisions
adopted. |
Report on health
care delivery through military health care
system (MHS) |
No
similar provision
|
Require study of MHS organization, cost, retention and
recruitment, and ways to improve efficiency/quality. |
Senate provision adopted. |
Non-Health Care Issues
| Issue |
House (H.R. 1815) |
Senate (S. 1042) |
Final Outcome |
Survivor Benefit
Plan (SBP) annuity
|
No provision |
End deduction of VA
survivor benefits from SBP annuities in cases of
service-connected deaths, effective Oct. 1, 2005. |
Not adopted. |
Paid-up SBP coverage
|
No
provision |
Implement 30-year, paid-up SBP coverage Oct. 1, 2005 (vs. Oct.
1, 2008). |
Not adopted. |
Concurrent
receipt of military retired pay
and VA disability
compensation |
Restore full retired
pay as of Oct. 1, 2009 (vs. 10-year phase-in), for disabled
retirees deemed “unemployable.” |
Restore full retired
pay for unemployables, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2005. |
House provision
adopted. |
|
Military pay raise |
3.1% raise for active duty, Guard, and Reserve. |
Similar provision |
Adopted. |
| Guard and Reserve
housing allowance |
Pay full housing
allowance if member is mobilized more than 30 days. |
Similar provision |
Adopted. |
Military manpower
levels (versus FY
2005 levels) |
Increase Army strength by 10,000 and Marine Corps
by 1,000. Reduce Navy strength by 13,200 and
Air Force by 2,300. |
Same, except increase Army strength by 20,000. |
House provisions adopted. |
| Servicemembers’
Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and death gratuity |
Raise death gratuity
to $100,000, retroactive to Oct. 7, 2001, for combat-
related deaths only. |
Increase SGLI
coverage to $400,000 and gratuity to $100,000 (both are
retroactive to Oct. 7, 2001). |
Senate provisions
adopted for all active duty deaths since Oct. 7, 2001. |
|
Commissary |
Bar new commissary privatization studies before 2011. |
No
similar provisions |
Bars privatization studies through 2008. |
| Guard/Reserve pay
differential |
Pay a differential
(up to $3,000/month) after 18 months on active duty, 24 of
previous 60 months, or if remobilized involuntarily within six
months of last tour. |
Similar, except pay
after 180 days on active duty. |
House provision
adopted. |
|
