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House Bill: Expanded Drugs for Military Retireees

Wed, 05/24/2000 - 12:00am — Karen Stevenson
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The House has passed H.B. 4205, the Defense Authorization Bill, which expands drug coverage for 1.4 million Medicare-eligible retirees and family members who are entitled to prescription drug benefits but can't get them because they live far from military bases. Under this legislation, they would be able to subscribe to a mail order service with an $8 co-payment, and they also could use network retail pharmacies with a 20% co-payment.

The legislation, which now goes to the Senate, includes improvements of TRICARE, the military health care plan for retirees and dependents, by reducing limits on catastrophic expenses, reimbursing travel expenses for those who must go more than 100 miles to see a specialist and eliminating cost inequities for family members living apart from military health facilities.

The House has passed H.B. 4205, the Defense Authorization Bill, which expands drug coverage for 1.4 million Medicare-eligible retirees and family members who are entitled to prescription drug benefits but can't get them because they live far from military bases. Under this legislation, they would be able to subscribe to a mail order service with an $8 co-payment, and they also could use network retail pharmacies with a 20% co-payment.

The legislation, which now goes to the Senate, includes improvements of TRICARE, the military health care plan for retirees and dependents, by reducing limits on catastrophic expenses, reimbursing travel expenses for those who must go more than 100 miles to see a specialist and eliminating cost inequities for family members living apart from military health facilities.