Release #: 14.FDX5
May 20, 2014

FDX MEC Assists in Introduction of Veterans TRICARE Choice Act

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The FedEx ALPA Legislative Affairs Committee is pleased to announce that Congress has started to address inequities in the current federal law concerning TRICARE and employer-provided health care. H.R. 4682, the Veterans TRICARE Choice Act, was introduced yesterday in the House.

The lead cosponsors of this bill are service veterans Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah 2nd) and Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii 2nd). The FedEx ALPA Legislative Affairs team has conducted more than 120 meetings in the House and Senate over the past several months in preparation for the introduction of this bill.

The Veterans TRICARE Choice Act is a bipartisan approach to solving an unintended inequality for our retired veterans. The law currently denies retired veterans the opportunity to participate in their employer’s health savings account (HSA) program due to their eligibility for TRICARE benefits. The Veterans TRICARE Choice Act eliminates this inequality by providing retired veterans with the choice to participate in their employer’s HSA while voluntarily putting their TRICARE benefits on pause. This option not only benefits veterans, but also saves taxpayers money while TRICARE benefits are voluntarily paused.

“During FedEx ALPA’s current round of bargaining with FedEx management, an issue with our health-care options and their compatibility with TRICARE was identified,” FedEx Master Executive Council chairman Capt. Scott Stratton stated. “Constrained by current law, it was determined that the best manner to resolve the conflicts was to change the law. Our team drafted legislation allowing a more unfettered set of options. This bill has the potential to benefit many veterans, both in and out of the piloting profession,” Stratton added.

The FedEx ALPA Legislative Affairs Committee needs your continued support. “It took a lot of work to get this initiative started, and it is going to take even more to see it to a successful conclusion. I strongly encourage that those interested in this issue stay with us until this bill becomes law,” said Capt. Fred Eissler, FedEx ALPA Legislative Affairs Committee chairman.

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