Contact: Shana Stribling
Friday, October 3, 2003

WASHINGTON, DC Senator Kit Bond today announced that late yesterday evening the U.S. Senate included an historic provision in the defense emergency supplemental bill that will provide medical coverage to Reservists and members of the National Guard currently without coverage.

"This provision will provide medical coverage to the neediest of our Reservists and Guardsmen who until now had no where to turn if they were unable to access quality medical care," said Senator Bond, who helped to craft the proposal.

The proposal will provide active-duty medical coverage to Reservists and members of the National Guard who are unemployed or not eligible for health care benefits under an employer-sponsored health benefits plan. Reservists and members of the National Guard are not currently eligible for active duty medical coverage unless recalled to active duty.

A much broader provision that seeks to provide active duty medical coverage, known as TRICARE, to the entire Reserve population is part of the fiscal year 2004 Defense Authorization bill currently being debated. The provision has been challenged over the high cost of such a broad provision. Senator Bond has worked to gain support from colleagues in crafting an alternative, lower-cost plan that has a better chance of surviving the House-Senate conference where the House and Senate reconcile the differences between their respective bills.

Reservists called to active duty who choose to keep their private coverage will also benefit. Under the plan any Reservist recalled to active duty who chooses to keep his or her private medical coverage will be reimbursed at an amount not to exceed the cost the cost of providing TRICARE coverage and benefits to those who choose to receive TRICARE.

The legislation just accepted also provides that any Reservist recalled to active duty for a period exceeding 30 days can access TRICARE 90 days before their active duty period commences or the date the Reservist is issued orders to report to active duty, if the period of active duty is in excess of 30 days. Reservists whose orders expire will be eligible to retain their TRICARE benefit for six months after their orders are terminated.

"We cannot sustain the war on terrorism without the support of the National Guard and the Reserve and we cannot afford to allow those Reservists with no medical coverage to fend for themselves when they are prepared to sacrifice everything to defend the freedoms we hold dear," said Senator Bond.

Kit Bond is Missouri’s senior Senator and is now in his third term after having served the state previously during two terms as Governor.