Equal Health Benefits for Federal Employees who Serve in the National Guard and Reserves
I urge you to co-sponsor S. 1086 - introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), and H.R. 5121 - introduced by Representative Trent Kelly (R-MS). These bills seek to remove the prohibition on eligibility for TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) for members of the Guard and Reserve (Reservists) who are also eligible to enroll in the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) Plan. TRS provides Reservists access to quality, low-cost, health insurance. However, since Federal Employees Reservists are eligible for FEHB, they are prohibited from purchasing TRS, even though they are subject to all of the requirements of being a Reservist, including combat deployments.
From an individual-perspective, TRS is a much more affordable program. The average FEHB monthly employee premium for family coverage in 2018 for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Standard plan (the most popular FEHB plan since 1990) is $590.00 per month compared to $222.00 per month for TRS. This means that on average a Federal Employee Reservist is ‘penalized’ nearly $4,500 more per year for health coverage than their part-time counterparts.
It's important to note that these bills do not shift all Federal Employee Reservists to TRS. Rather, it allows them the option of purchasing TRS coverage in addition to FEHB. This is a benefit they would otherwise have available to them as part of their Reserve commitment were it not for legal technicalities. For these reasons, I urge you to co-sponsor Sen. Hatch's bill, S. 1086 or Rep. Kelly's bill, H.R. 5121. Thank you for your attention and support to this very important matter.
From an individual-perspective, TRS is a much more affordable program. The average FEHB monthly employee premium for family coverage in 2018 for the Blue Cross Blue Shield Standard plan (the most popular FEHB plan since 1990) is $590.00 per month compared to $222.00 per month for TRS. This means that on average a Federal Employee Reservist is ‘penalized’ nearly $4,500 more per year for health coverage than their part-time counterparts.
It's important to note that these bills do not shift all Federal Employee Reservists to TRS. Rather, it allows them the option of purchasing TRS coverage in addition to FEHB. This is a benefit they would otherwise have available to them as part of their Reserve commitment were it not for legal technicalities. For these reasons, I urge you to co-sponsor Sen. Hatch's bill, S. 1086 or Rep. Kelly's bill, H.R. 5121. Thank you for your attention and support to this very important matter.
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