Renewing legislation first introduced in the last Congress, U.S. Reps. Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Dean Phillips (D-MN) last week brought up the TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act (H.R. 3668) to open up healthcare options for retired Reserve personnel.
They were joined in this effort in the Senate as well by U.S. Sens. JD Vance (R-OH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).
“When Congress authorized a reduction in the retirement age to below 60 for our National Guard and Reserve members in 2008, it erred by not ensuring that eligibility ages for the TRICARE Standard, TRICARE Extra, and TRICARE Prime healthcare plans were also lowered,” Johnson said. “This bipartisan legislation would align the age that many Retired Reserve personnel begin receiving retired pay with the age at which they become eligible for the less costly TRICARE healthcare plans.”
The oversight, Johnson said, could force National Guard and Reserve members to wait up to 10 years before being eligible for the less costly TRICARE healthcare plans under current law. Presently, members of the Reserve can retire once they reach 50 years old, based on active-duty performance, but until they reach 60 years old, they can only draw from the more costly TRICARE Retired Reserve plans.
Instead, Johnson and Phillips proposed that Reserve personnel who are not yet 60 years old but are drawing retirement pay could purchase lower-cost TRICARE health coverage meant for retired military personnel.
“As a Gold Star Son, I know that our service members deserve our utmost support,” Phillips said. “Providing affordable, high-quality health care should be the very minimum standard of support afforded to our service members, especially those in the National Guard and Reserve who have earned early retirement.”
According to its supporters, the bill could save individuals thousands of dollars each year in healthcare costs.
The efforts were backed by the Reserve Organization of America, the Military Officers Association of America, and the Enlisted Association of the National Guard of the United States.