Congress is currently weighing legislation that would expand access to health care for National Guard members and military reservists, and local lawmakers want to throw in their support.
The โHealthcare for Our Troops Act of 2021โ would expand coverage of the military TRICARE Reserve Select insurance plan to guardsmen and reservists who are not on active duty status at no cost.
Sen. Tony Ada introduced Resolution 290, which would express the Legislatureโs support on behalf of more than 2,600 members of the Guard and Reserves here.
โUnder the current law, National Guard and reserve service members who are federal employees in their civilian capacity are ineligible to enroll,โ Ada said during a public hearing for the resolution on Monday.
โThis creates confusion and coordinating benefits for service members and their families and prevents service members from establishing continuity of care and treatment as they deploy or transition in or out of federal government.โ
โAn estimated 130,000 guardsmen and reservists do not have health care insurance under the current disjointed system of third party health contractors and periodic health assessments,โ he added.
According to Sen. Telena Nelson, a member of the National Guard, an estimated 16% of all guardsmen have no health insurance.
Sen. Pedo Terlaje, a veteran, supports the measure, which he said could help to shore up some of the problems faced by residents who were not on active duty.
โOnly active personnel can be afforded services on the dental clinic on base,โ and not โpart-time soldiers,โ he said.
