[August 01, 2014] |
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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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