HEALTH CARE ISSUES
Repealed 4.4% reduction in 2006 Medicare/TRICARE provider payments
Defeated proposal to charge enrollment fee/raise prescription co-pays for VA care
Added $1.5 billion to FY2005 veterans health care budget
Extended fee-based TRICARE eligibility to all drilling Guard-Reserve members
Added $35 million to military health programs to meet war requirements
Expanded TRICARE Standard provider participation survey requirement
ACTIVE/RESERVE FORCE ISSUES
3.1% 2006 pay raise for Active Duty/Guard/Reserve (.5% above private sector)
Increase Army strength by 10,000 and USMC by 1,000.
Won full housing allowance for Guard-Reserve members activated 30+ days
Won continuation of combat-zone pays during hospitalization for wounded troops
Authorized payment for room and board under ROTC Scholarship program
Improved Impact Aid for school districts with military children affected by BRAC
Barred any further studies on commissary privatization through 2008
Authorized limited income replacement plan for mobilized Guard/Reserve members
Raised maximum hardship duty pay from $300 to $750 per month
Authorized licensing and certification tests under MGIB for mobilized members
Won traumatic injury disability insurance rider to SGLI
Increased PCS weight allowances for senior NCOs/POs
RETIREMENT/SURVIVOR ISSUES
4.1% COLA for retired pay/SBP/disability compensation
Minimum SBP annuity raised to 40% of covered retired pay (as of 1 Oct 05)
Began one-year open enrollment window for SBP (started 1 Oct 05)
Reduced 10-year phase-in schedule to 6 years for restoring full retired pay for members designated as “unemployable” by the VA
Increased death gratuity to $100,000 for all active duty deaths
Increased maximum SGLI coverage to $400,000
Expanded eligibility for retroactive SGLI and death gratuity to all deaths since 10/7/01 (previously limited to combat- or operations-related deaths)
Won statutory requirement to upgrade military casualty assistance program
