Jim Inhofe: “Without Medicare subvention, military treatment facilities cannot receive reimbursement from Medicare for care the…”

“Without Medicare subvention, military treatment facilities cannot receive reimbursement from Medicare for care the facilities provide to military retirees who are also eligible for Medicare. With Medicare subvention, we can continue to improve the quality of life for military personnel, their families, and retired service members and their families by providing them with alternative access to treatment. Because health care is such an important aspect of quality of life in the military, it is imperative that we continue to provide our military personnel and retirees with the access which they were promised. Currently, because the access of military retirees age 65 and over is on a space-available basis and due to overcrowding of military treatment facilities, finding adequate medical care has proven increasingly difficult if not impossible. Clearly, this is not a trend we want to continue if we hope to retain and recruit the quality and quantity of men and women needed to fight and win wars in the future. Medicare subvention would fulfill the commitment made to our former service members by allowing Medicare to reimburse the Department of Defense [DOD] for care provided to members who are Medicare-eligible beneficiaries.”