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Current Status Bill Number:View additional legislative information at the LPITS web site.730 Type of Legislation:Concurrent Resolution CR Introducing Body:Senate Introduced Date:19990415 Primary Sponsor:Leventis All Sponsors:Leventis, Giese and Leatherman Drafted Document Number:l:\council\bills\ggs\22279djc99.doc Companion Bill Number:3991 Date Bill Passed both Bodies:19990527 Subject:Military retirees, Congress requests to provide lifetime health care when over sixty- five; Veterans', Aging, Retirement History Body Date Action Description Com Leg Involved ______ ________ ______________________________________ _______ ____________ Senate 19990527 Received from House House 19990526 Adopted, returned with concurrence House 19990525 Committee report: Favorable 24 HIMR House 19990421 Introduced, referred to Committee 24 HIMR Senate 19990420 Adopted, sent to House Senate 19990415 Introduced, placed on Calendar without reference Versions of This Bill Revised on April 15, 1999 - Word format Revised on May 25, 1999 - Word format
COMMITTEE REPORT
May 25, 1999
S. 730
S. Printed 5/25/99--H.
Read the first time April 21, 1999.
To whom was referred a Concurrent Resolution (S. 730), to memorialize the President, the Congress, and the government of the United States to maintain its commitment to America's military retirees, etc., respectfully
That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:
RICHARD M. QUINN, JR., for Committee.
TO MEMORIALIZE THE PRESIDENT, THE CONGRESS, AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES TO MAINTAIN ITS COMMITMENT TO AMERICA'S MILITARY RETIREES BY PROVIDING LIFETIME HEALTH CARE FOR MILITARY RETIREES OVER THE AGE OF SIXTY-FIVE YEARS, TO PROVIDE AMERICA'S MILITARY RETIREES AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH THE HEALTH CARE THEY WERE PROMISED AND EARNED BY ENACTING COMPREHENSIVE LEGISLATION THAT AFFORDS MILITARY RETIREES ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE THROUGH MILITARY TREATMENT FACILITIES OR THE MILITARY'S NETWORK OF HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND BY ENACTING LEGISLATION OPENING THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFIT PROGRAM TO UNIFORM SERVICES BENEFICIARIES ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICARE ON THE SAME BASIS AND CONDITIONS THAT APPLY TO FEDERAL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES.
Whereas, military retirees who have served honorably for twenty or more years constitute a significant part of the aging population in the United States; and
Whereas, these retirees were encouraged to make the United States Armed Forces a career, in part by the promise and an implied contract of lifetime health care for themselves and their families; and
Whereas, prior to the age of sixty-five years, these retirees are provided health care services by the United States Department of Defense's TRICARE Prime program, but those retirees who reach the age of sixty-five years lose a significant portion of the promised health care due to Medicare eligibility; and
Whereas, many of these retirees are also unable to access military treatment facilities for health care and life maintenance medications because they live in areas where there are no military treatment facilities or where these facilities have downsized so significantly that available space for care has become nonexistent; and
Whereas, the loss of access to health care services provided by the military has resulted in the government breaking its promise through an implied contractual agreement on all recruitment brochures of lifetime health care; and
Whereas, without continued affordable health care, including pharmaceuticals, these retirees have limited access to quality health care and significantly less care than other retired federal civilians have under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP); and
Whereas, it is necessary to enact legislation that would restore health care benefits equitable with those of other retired federal workers; and
Whereas, several proposals to meet this requirement are currently under consideration before the United States Congress, the federal Department of Defense (DoD), and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Of these proposals, the federal government has already begun to establish demonstration projects around the country to be conducted over the next three years, that will not include South Carolina, which would allow Medicare to reimburse DoD for the costs of providing military retirees and their dependents health care. This project would allow a limited number of Medicare-eligible beneficiaries to enroll in DoD's TRICARE Prime program and receive all of their health care under that program. Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring:
That the members of the General Assembly of South Carolina, by this resolution, hereby memorialize the President, the Congress, and the government of the United States to maintain its commitment to America's military retirees by providing lifetime health care for military retirees over the age of sixty-five years, to provide America's military retirees and their families with the health care they were promised and earned by enacting comprehensive legislation that affords military retirees access to health care through military treatment facilities or the military's network of health care providers, and by enacting legislation opening the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program to uniform services beneficiaries eligible for Medicare on the same basis and conditions that apply to federal civilian employees.
Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be forwarded to President Bill Clinton, Vice-President Al Gore, the Honorable Charles Grassley, Chairman, Senate Special Committee on Aging, the Honorable Denny Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and to each member of the South Carolina Congressional Delegation.
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