Reps. Kelly, Rosen Introduce Health Coverage for Reservists, Guardsmen Act

WASHINGTON, March 1 -- Rep. Trent Kelly, R-Mississippi, issued the following news release:

Today, Congressman Trent Kelly (R-MS), and Congresswoman Jacky Rosen (D-NV), announced the introduction of the Health Coverage for Reservists and Guardsmen Act. Under current law, guardsmen and reservists are eligible for health insurance through TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS), a health insurance system created for them. However, federal employees who are also guardsmen or reservists are ineligible for TRS coverage. This bill would bring parity for these federal employees.

"The men and women in the National Guard and Reserves and their families deserve the same access to available healthcare choices," Rep. Kelly said. "I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this legislation and make a straight-forward and smart fix to an unfair bureaucratic restriction. This bill will provide dual-status military technicians in the National Guard and Reserves with the choice to purchase TRICARE Reserve Select coverage instead of the Federal Employee Benefit option."

"Expanding access to affordable healthcare for our service members is one of the most important steps we can take to ensure those who have sacrificed so much to serve our country are taken care of," Rep. Rosen said. "I'm proud to work across the aisle and co-lead this legislation which would allow all service members in the reserve component, regardless of whether they are a federal employee, access to affordable, quality care under the TRICARE Reserve Select health program. Granting our service members the ability to choose their own healthcare plans based on quality and cost of care is the very least we can do to help the brave men and women who serve our country."

BACKGROUND: Currently, federal employees who are guardsmen or reservists can get their health coverage through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). However, the FEHBP plans are expensive for some, even with the federal cost-share. TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS), which is also a quality coverage program, is more affordable, but unavailable to guard/reserve federal employees, including thousands of dual-status military technicians. The limitation does not exist for reservists and guardsmen working in the private sector, even though they may have access to alternative health insurance through their employer. In addition to expanding the coverage, this change would save the federal government $1.3 billion over ten years by lowering the cost to the government for the FEHBP and broadening the risk pool for TRS by bringing in new participants who are younger and healthier than the average enrollee.

Congressman Trent Kelly represents Mississippi's First Congressional District. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee, the House Committee on Agriculture and he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations for the House Small Business Committee. This is his second term.