As a retired member of the Army National Guard, I would have to pay $1400 for the same insurance that retired active duty pays $300 for. I would like to see a policy that changes that. I gave 20 years of my life to the military and I feel like National Guardsmen get the shaft on this sort of stuff. No offense to active duty, but we are all retired. I can’t draw my retirement check until I’m 58 but I would love to have Tricare for my family for my service. Thank you for your time and this platform!
I am no policy writer so I put in my findings and thoughts on this issue into an AI generator and this is what came out. Please consider offering TRICARE free or at least the same price as the active duty.
Title: The National Guard Retirement Parity Act
Purpose: To ensure equitable treatment of retired members of the National Guard by aligning their healthcare insurance costs with those of retired active-duty service members.
Section 1: Short Title
This Act may be cited as the National Guard Retirement Parity Act.
Section 2: Findings and Declaration of Policy
Congress finds the following:
- Retired National Guard service members, especially those in the “gray area” of retirement eligibility, face significantly higher healthcare costs compared to retired active-duty service members.
- National Guard gray area retirees pay monthly healthcare premiums of $585.24 for individual coverage and $1,406.22 for coverage including dependents under TRICARE Reserve Select, compared to retired active-duty members, who pay a deductible of $150 per individual (no more than $300 per family) for TRICARE Select coverage.
- National Guard members who have served 20 or more years deserve equitable access to healthcare at the same rates provided to their active-duty counterparts, recognizing their contributions to national and state security.
Section 3: Equalization of Healthcare Insurance Premiums
(a) Reduction of Premiums for National Guard Retirees:
(1) Effective immediately, the Department of Defense shall adjust healthcare insurance premiums under TRICARE Reserve Select (or any applicable program) for retired members of the National Guard to align with the costs for retired active-duty personnel.
(2) National Guard retirees in the “gray area” shall be eligible for the same TRICARE Select coverage at the same deductible rates as active-duty retirees, which are currently $150 per individual and no more than $300 per family annually.
(3) The current healthcare premiums of $585.24 per month for individual coverage and $1,406.22 per month for coverage including dependents shall be adjusted to reflect these deductible-based rates, bringing parity between National Guard and active-duty retirees.
(b) Funding and Implementation:
(1) The Secretary of Defense shall report annually to Congress on the budgetary requirements to implement this parity, ensuring that no reductions in healthcare service quality occur.
(2) Funds for this adjustment shall be drawn from existing defense appropriations, reallocating resources to ensure equal treatment for all military retirees.
Section 4: Implementation Timeline
This Act shall take effect on the first day of the fiscal year following its enactment.