Bill Introduced to Expand TRICARE Coverage

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Bill Introduced to Expand TRICARE Coverage

Posted: 29 Mar 2010 10:00 AM PDT

The health care bill that recently passed the House allows children to stay on their parents health insurance policy until the age of 26, however TRICARE is exempt from several provisions of the bill, including this one. While I think it is absolutely appropriate, and even necessary in some cases, to exclude TRICARE from certain provisions in order to protect the outstanding coverage the benefit offers, I think most would agree this isn't one of them.
The children of service members deserve at least as good as what the children of civilians are entitled to, if not greater. Not only that, but insuring more young adults will expand the risk pool driving down the cost of providing health care to elderly retirees, who are more likely to need more expensive procedures.

With this in mind, Rep. Martin Heinrich (D-NM) has introduced a bill to expand TRICARE coverage to dependents from age 23 to age 26:


"Because of the new health reform bill passed by Congress, Americans who receive health insurance through a group plan will soon be able to provide coverage to dependent children up to age 26," he said in a statement. "Our military health coverage must meet that same standard and be nothing less.
"Allowing parents to provide health coverage to their dependent adult children is just one of the many small things we can do to show our military families how much we appreciate them and honor their service to our country."

Rep. Heinrich is doing the right thing by service members and their families. Let's hope this bill gets through Congress quickly.

http://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3881&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+VetvoiceBlog+%28VetVoice+-+Blog%29

[ShortnFiery]

1. Tri-Care covers Adult Children up to age 23 if they stay full time in college.

That, IMO, seems plenty long enough. :shrug:

[tinymontgomery]

3. So it's okay if civilian adults can stay on their parents

So it's okay if civilian adults can stay on their parents policy but not military ones. Gee, I'm glad you like two different standards. My son finished his BA in two and can't find a job, oh well, since his dad served 23 years in the military I guess he can just fend for himself since military kids are now 2nd class citizens.

edited to add a word.

[ShortnFiery]

5. No, it's just my opinion. Kids should be out of the nest by age 23 or 24 with rare execption.

That's just my take. I was a military kid once too. :shrug:

[tinymontgomery]

6. I agree, but the standard should be the same for everyone

All or none. I say universal health care or single payee

[Captain Hilts]

9. I agree. I think I read in Navy Times last night there are 4 million folks on TriCare. This

would expand it somewhat.

With a Public Option or military-style Single Payer, this would not be an issue. But since insured for lifetime Democrats don't think it's worth fighting for, it is.

[pinboy3niner]

8. I think now IS an exception

The kids want to get out, too, but with jobs so scarce now, they can't--and wind up staying beyond your cutoff standard. Your standard may be reasonable in normal times, but is it still practicable when the economy's down and no one's hiring?

[kestrel91316]

7. I was in college until I was 25 1/2 (8 years straight). It would have been

nice to have been covered by my retired USAF dad's insurance when I got thrown by a horse and seriously injured at age 24. My student fees covered a fair amount of the bills (student insurance) but I still went into my senior year of vet school saddled with over $1000 in medical bills (that was real money in 1981).

And I see no valid reason to discriminate against military dependents when it comes to coverage of children under 26 under the new law.

[ClarkUSA]

2. Democrats are firing on all cylinders. Let's see if Republicans stand united against veterans' HCR.

"Go for it," as President Obama said last week.

[midnight]

4. K&R