MRGRG-MS - Message from Congressman James Langevin regarding H. R. 602
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Since 01-25-06

From: Floyd Sears
Sent: Jan 24, 2006 11:43 PM
To: !CAG/MRGRG e-mail network
Cc: rsmoak3@tampabay.rr.com
Subject: [MRGRG-MS] [Fwd: Message from Congressman James Langevin]
 

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-------- Original Message --------
Subject:  Message from Congressman James Langevin
Date:     Tue, 24 Jan 2006 15:38:01 -0500
From:    Bob Smoak <rsmoak3@tampabay.rr.com>
 

At the bottom is Congressman Langevin's response to my email/fax and
immediately following this intro is my response:

Dear Congressman Langevin:

I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for not only your response
but the contents of your email.  I have sent hundreds of emails to various
House members regarding H. R. 602 and have received very few responses, most
of which were clearly canned pre-prepared responses.  The contents of your
email were heartwarming.

I belong to a group of retired military personnel all of whom have served
for over 20 years.  Most of them currently are disheartened because we
together have sent over 58,000 pieces of correspondence to Congress and the
President and we feel as though we are being shoved in a corner and
forgotten.  Take for example the millions of dollars set aside by Congress
to repay hospitals for the health care they provide to ILLEGAL ALIENS.  I
don't deny that is an honorable thing to do, but when they tell us they
can't find enough money to fulfill the promise to us of free healthcare for
life it makes us feel like second or third class citizens.  Also, there was
millions set aside to care for CHIMPANZEES which have been used as guinea
pigs for investigating possible health care treatment for civilians.  And
just one more comes to mind - the millions of dollars that have been set
aside for PORK BARREL projects of many members of Congress.

You state that you will support H. R. 602 and I hope that also means you
will join in and be a cosponsor.  As of this past week there have been 237
Congressmen who have agreed to cosponsor this bill.  However, we do not know
of anyone by name who is going to do all in their power to get this bill on
the floor for debate and vote.  That is the crucial issue now.

If you or your staff members could review the Power Point presentation
regarding our overall problem, it would be greatly appreciated.  It can be
downloaded from http://mrgrg-ms.org/swindle.ppt.  We have tried to get this
message to members of Congress but apparently have not been very successful.

Thank you again.

ROBERT V. SMOAK


----Original Message-----
From:    Congressman Jim Langevin 
         [mailto:james.langevin@mail.house.gov]
Sent:    Tuesday, January 24, 2006 1:00 PM
To:      rsmoak3@tampabay.rr.com
Subject: Message from Congressman James Langevin

Dear Mr. Smoak, Sr.:

Thank you for contacting me regarding health care benefits for our nation's
military retirees.  This is an important issue, and I welcome the
opportunity to correspond with you.

The promise of accessible health care for retired service members is one
that must be fulfilled.  As you may know, many current and former military
personnel were promised lifetime medical coverage for them and their
dependents at the time of their enlistment.  Unfortunately, the only
coverage currently offered to all military retirees is the TRICARE pharmacy
benefit, though retirees over 65 are also eligible for TRICARE for Life.

The Keep our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act, H.R. 602, would
allow those who retired after 20 years of service to continue to receive
medical coverage as promised.  Benefits would be provided either at military
facilities under TRICARE or through the Federal Employee Health Benefits
Plan (FEHBP).  Currently, the FEHBP provides health insurance coverage for
nearly 11 million individuals, including federal and postal employees and
dependents.  
Allowing retirees access to FEHBP would provide a greater
choice in health care plans and would not affect the delivery of military
medical care to the active duty population.  In addition, FEHBP plans would
ensure the availability of care in geographic areas that might not be
reached by TRICARE options.  
H.R. 602 is currently awaiting consideration in several committees, including House 
Armed Services.  As a member of that committee, I look forward to supporting this 
important legislation and will continue to work toward fulfilling a long overdue promise 
to countless military retirees.

Thank you again for contacting me, and please feel free to share your
thoughts on other pressing issues as the legislative session continues.

Sincerely,

James R. Langevin
Member of Congress

***
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