HASC Completes FY 2011 NDAA Markup

House Armed Services Committee Marks FY 2011 (HR 5136) NDAA

On Wednesday, the full House Armed Services Committee completed its markup of H.R. 3561, the FY 2011 National Defense Authorization Act. Highlights include:

Manpower-Personnel Highlights:

• Across the board 1.9 percent pay raise, a half-percentage point higher than President's request.
• TRICARE-26, Extends health care to adult dependent children, requires premium for their coverage, and maintains full funding of TRICARE; no increase in TRICARE fees.
• TRICARE; clarifies that the Secretary of Defense has sole jurisdiction over the administration of military health care under HR 3590 Health Care Reform - no other department or agency involved.
• Mental Health, TBI, PTSD - 25 percent increase in mental healthcare providers.
• Directs DoD to pay retired annuities on the first day of the month, thus eliminating delayed payments when paydays fall on weekends.
• Concurrent receipt; unfortunately HASC was unable to find funding for either the Chapter 61 concurrent receipt as called for in President Obama's Budget request or for the SBP/DIC Offset eliminations despite 330 House cosponsors and a discharge petition.
• Reserve Retirement - retroactive provision; unfortunately again; the House failed to find a way to include this provision that HR 208 provided for; with 146 co-sponsors. We still have a chance to pass this issue in the Senate. Please continue to write your Senators.

Equipment Highlights: (AUSN wrote several letters in support of some of these issues and lobbied Congress in support of these)

• Funded two Virginia class submarines-the first time the Committee has ever authorized two ships in one year-and $1.7 billion for advance procurement of two additional vessels in FY12.
• First increment of funding for the amphibious assault vessel LHA7.
• $3 billion to fully fund two DDG 51 Arleigh Burke?class destroyers and continue the Committee's support to restart construction of these vessels.
• Fully fund two Littoral Combat Ships and related efforts in R&D and mission module procurement.
• Funded one Joint High Speed Vessel.
• $3.3 billion for 30 F?18 strike fighters and 12 EA?18 expeditionary electronic warfare aircraft.
• Funds for 20 Navy and Marine Corps F?35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft.
• Increased NGREA by $700 million to $7.2billion. Hopefully increased NR NGREA

Other Congressional items:

• Dr's 21% Cut - Fix; Congress voted several times over the recent past to avoid a scheduled 21.2 percent cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors and push it down the road. The most recent reprieve expires June 1, and there is a growing sense of urgency among lawmakers to get another fix in place prior to the upcoming Memorial Day recess.
• This week, House and Senate leaders drafted a three-year proposal that prevents the steep cut from occurring. The measure would provide a 1.3 percent raise this year and an additional 1 percent in 2011. In 2012 and 2013, rates would not be reduced and extra increases would be allowed for primary care and preventive services doctors. Congress hopes this change in reimbursement policy will help steer more doctors toward the field of general practice-an area where significant shortfalls in the number of practicing physicians exists.
• The much larger Tax Extender Bill (H.R. 4213) slated for floor action in the House early next week should include this measure. This could be problematic because of the extremely large price tag the legislation carries. Although the Congressional Budget Office has not scroed this bill, experts say it could top $150 billion. Congress remains unsettled on how to pay for this change let alone many of the other programs contained in the tax bill. Unless these concerns are addressed, Congress will be hard-pressed to have a solution in place prior to June 1 deadline.
• There is still time to weigh in on the issue if you wish to do so. We have asked our members to address this critical issue (Dr's Fees and 21% Cut) before. We ask that you keep the pressure on by using our CAPWiz system to write, email Congress. www.ausn.org
• Chapter 61 Retiree Concurrent Receipt
  A provision extending Concurrent Receipt of both VA Disability Pay and Retired pay for years served to some Chapter 61 Medically Retired military personnel was added to the Tax Extenders Bill (H.R. 4213). However, because sufficient offsets were not found, the provisions would only be funded for two years. In FY 2011, individuals who are 90 to100 percent disabled will be covered and in FY 2012, those who are 70 and 80 percent will be added. Further funding will have to be found in order to extend this plan beyond 2012. Congress needs to find the necessary funding to extend Concurrent Receipt to all Chapter 61 retirees as well as 20 year military retirees with under 50 percent disabilities.