Duncan Faircloth: “today I am introducing the Improved Military Medical Plan Act, IMMPACT for short, to ensure that military retirees and…”

“today I am introducing the Improved Military Medical Plan Act, IMMPACT for short, to ensure that military retirees and their families will continue to be given proper medical care. This past May 1, the Defense Department implemented its new health care program, known as TRICARE, in two more regions of the country, including in North Carolina. As the number of TRICARE enrollees increases and as the Military Health Services System is downsized, military retirees will have an even harder time finding space available at military facilities. Effectively, those military retirees over 65 are left with no military medical benefit, since they are unlikely to get into military facilities. Mr. President, this is a far cry from the promise that our government made to these retirees when they put in a full career in uniform risking their lives for our freedom. They were promised medical care for life, and everyone believed that it would be at base medical facilities. It just is not right to renege on that promise after all that these men and women have done for our country. We can and must do better. IMMPACT will allow Medicare-eligible military retirees, their dependents, and their survivors to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits program.”