The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is urging Congress to enact the Fair Access to Insurance for Retired (FAIR) Heroes Act to support affordable health care choices for wounded U.S. soldiers.
"Wounded Warrior Project thanks Senators Bill Nelson and Richard Blumenthal for recognizing this problem and introducing the FAIR Heroes Act," Rene Bardorf, WWP’s senior vice president of government and community relations, said in a press release. "For far too long, some of our most severely injured veterans have been forced to participate in more expensive Medicare coverage instead of being allowed to use the TRICARE they have earned. This new legislation will finally help our warriors choose which health care plan works best for them and their families."
Specifically, former combat personnel would be able to select either Medicare or TRICARE for coverage. The latter is an insurance plan open to current and retired service individuals and their families. According to a report by the independent nonprofit group Center for New American Security (CNAS), close to 29,000 U.S. veterans could benefit from the cost-saving measure.
"It is our hope that this legislation will move quickly through the process to fix this issue for our warriors," Bardorf said. “They and their families deserve a choice between TRICARE and Medicare, rather than having that decision made for them.”
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