Boozman Gets To Business Fixing Health Care Overhaul

Press Release

Boozman Gets To Business Fixing Health Care Overhaul

The House of Representatives approved a trillion dollar government takeover of the U.S. health care system Sunday, but unintended consequences are already evident as Members of Congress work to protect the treatment of America's military and veteran health care programs.

The House passed health care bill, excludes military health care benefits from meeting the criteria of a qualified plan to fulfill the new insurance mandate, exposing our nation's veterans and active duty service members to the risk of tax penalties or having to buy additional health insurance. Health care programs that benefit our nation's warriors were left out of the bill that is now sitting on President Obama's desk awaiting his signature. Members of Congress are working to correct this egregious mistake.

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR), member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, is standing up for American veterans and military personnel by co-sponsoring and fighting for legislation that preserves and protects the integrity of Military TRICARE and VA health benefits. Boozman is an original cosponsor of H.R. 4894 which amends the Reconciliation Act of 2010, to ensure appropriate treatment of the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) health programs from the health care bill.

"Our military personnel, veterans and their families have sacrificed a great deal to protect the freedoms of our nation. We have an obligation to honor our commitment to providing these selfless Americans with quality of health care they need, deserve and have grown to expect. With all the taxes on small business and middle class Americans that Obama, Pelosi and Reid are using to pay for this bill, surely they don't need to tax our service members, veterans and their families to pay for their government takeover of healthcare," Boozman said.

Nearly 10 million active duty members of the U.S. military, retirees and family members receive military health care and TRICARE benefits in addition to eight million veterans enrolled in VA health care.

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