Resources for Veterans
Veterans have a special place in our society because of their service to our country. Our government, in return, has an obligation to provide those individuals with the help that they may need, particularly as they grow older. Congressman Tierney is committed to upholding our obligations to our veterans.
Congressman Tierney is a strong supporter of protecting and expanding military retiree benefits for our veterans. He is a co-sponsor of H.R. 515, legislation that seeks to provide health care coverage to all military retirees by making money available to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to meet the needs of the new veterans of our most recent wars. He is also an original co-sponsor of H.R. 2131, the New GI Bill of Rights for the 21st Century, which seeks to improve benefits for members of the Armed Forces, veterans, and their dependents and survivors.
In addition, he has consistently worked with like-minded colleagues in Congress to substantially increase the number and quality of health insurance options for veterans. In October 2000, Public Law 106-398 established permanent TRICARE eligibility for Medicare-eligible military retirees and their families, beginning October 1, 2002. As the program is structured, beneficiaries will pay no co-payments or deductibles under this program. The coverage will be available to any service member who served at least 20 years on active duty. Congressman Tierney will continue to closely monitor the state of the TRICARE program to ensure that military retirees are appropriately protected in the years to come.
Moreover, he helped secure funding for 3 VA clinics in Gloucester, Lynn, and Haverhill. These clinics provide primary care to veterans enrolled in VA programs and may also have staff to help veterans sort through emotional problems. Recently, news articles have recounted concerns over rumored V.A. interest in reviewing CBOC facilities. Congressman Tierney acted on these concerns and the Regional V.A. has given a commitment to our office and veterans that any such consideration will not proceed without active input from our office, veterans’ representatives and local and state officials.
