Cord Byrd: “the Senate is making important strides in working to improve health care benefits for our military retirees. A case in…”

“the Senate is making important strides in working to improve health care benefits for our military retirees. A case in point is the Defense Authorization measure before the Senate today, which includes significant improvements in pharmacy benefits for military beneficiaries as well as several demonstration projects intended to evaluate long range health care solutions for military retirees. But more needs to be done. We recognize that, and we are working to remedy the current situation. Senator Warner's proposal to permit military retirees aged 64 or older to remain under CHAMPUS and TRICARE by requiring these plans to be secondary payers to Medicare is a good step in the right direction, a responsible step, and I strongly support it. I also commend Senator Johnson for the laudatory goal of his amendment, but absent a plan to pay for such a sweeping reform, I fear that we are getting ahead of ourselves. The Senate has not set aside any money to pay for this proposal, and without a sure source of funding, we are offering our military retirees little more than an empty promise. For this reason, I am opposed to waiving the budget point of order against the Johnson amendment. The Senate has been moving toward improved medical benefits for all members of the military, active and retired, over the past several years. Health care benefits remain a top priority.”