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FDX ALPA Assists in Introduction of Veterans TRICARE Choice Act
[August 01, 2014]

FDX ALPA Assists in Introduction of Veterans TRICARE Choice Act


MEMPHIS, Tenn. --(Business Wire)--

The FedEx ALPA Legislative Affairs Committee is pleased to announce that the United States Senate has now addressed the inequities of current federal law concerning TRICARE and employer-provided health care. Senate bill S. 2707 was introduced late Wednesday afternoon on July 30, 2014 by Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). S. 2707 is the companion bill to H.R. 4682-The Veterans TRICARE Choice Act, which was introduced in the House in May 2014.

The Senate lead is Senator Jerry Moran (R-KS). The FedEx ALPA Legislative Affairs Team has conducted more than 350 meetings in the House and Senate over the past several months in support of these bills. There are currently 70 bipartisan cosponsors of H.R. 4682.

The Veterans TRICARE Choice Act is a bipartisan approach to solving an unintended inequality for our retired veterans. The law currently denies retired veterans the opportunity to particpate in their employer's health savings account (HSA) program due to their eligibility for TRICARE benefits. The Veterans TRICARE Choice Act eliminates the unintended inequality by providing retired veterans the choice to participate in their employer's HSA while voluntarily putting their TRICARE benefits on pause. Providing retired veterans with the option to either participate with their employer's health plan and HSA or remain on their TRICARE health plan not only benefits veterans, but also saves taxpayers money when their benefits are voluntarily paused.



"Members of the FedEx ALPA Retirement & Insurance Committee discovered a potential inequity with health-care options and their compatibility with TRICARE," FedEx Master Executive Council chairman Captain Scott Stratton stated. "Constrained by current law, it was determined that the best manner to resolve the conflicts was to change the law. We were able to garner the needed support within the House and now within the Senate to make this a reality. Our team drafted legislation allowing a more unfettered set of options. This bill, as its companion in the House, has the potential to benefit many veterans in and out of the piloting profession," Stratton added.

"There has been a tremendous amount of bipartisan support from legislators and Veteran Service Organizations in Washington D.C. because the Veterans TRICARE Choice Act makes sense for our retired veterans and for our country. The ability to influence the laws in our nation that affect our profession, our company and our lives is something that is essential for our pilot group to better provide for and protect our families," said Captain Fred Eissler, FedEx ALPA Legislative Affairs Committee Chairman.



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