Senator Hassan Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Expand Health Care Access to National Guard and Reserve Retirees

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) cosponsored the TRICARE Fairness for National Guard and Reserve Retirees Act, bipartisan legislation introduced by Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to expand health care coverage to National Guard and Reserve retirees who are eligible to receive retirement pay before age 60.

Under current law, Reserve Component personnel may retire younger than age 60, but not younger than 50, based on active duty service. These 50 - 59 year old retirees currently are eligible for costly TRICARE Retired Reserve plans. This bipartisan bill allows retirees 50 and older to become eligible for much less costly TRICARE health care plans that are currently only available to those 60 or older. This change could save Reserve Component retirees and their families who rely on this coverage thousands of dollars per year in premiums.

“After retiring from the Reserve or National Guard, service members deserve quality health care at an affordable cost,” said Senator Hassan. “It is the least we can do after the sacrifices they have made for our country. This bipartisan bill is a commonsense solution that would grant retirees more affordable health care coverage.”  

The National Guard Association of the United States also supports this legislation. Companion legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Bill Johnson (R-OH) and Dean Phillips (D-MN).

Senator Hassan is focused on making sure that veterans have access to quality, affordable health care. Last month, the Senator introduced a bipartisan bill to fundamentally reform and improve how veterans exposed to toxic substances receive health care and benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). She also led a bill that was signed into law which expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to all veterans, their spouses, and their caregivers through the VA. Senator Hassan also helped secure key priorities for Granite State veterans in the bipartisan veterans package that was signed into law earlier this year, including the Deborah Sampson Act, which Senator Hassan joined in introducing to eliminate barriers to care and services that many women veterans face. The bipartisan package also included a number of other measures cosponsored by Senator Hassan, including supporting veterans experiencing homelessness, helping veterans safely dispose of unwanted medication, and helping address the high rate of unemployment among veterans as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, last year Senator Hassan cosponsored bipartisan legislation, which is now law, to improve veterans’ access to mental health care in New Hampshire and across the country.

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