Was anything included in the FY2009 Defense Authorization Act to expand concurrent receipt?
No. Unfortunately, a flap over pork-barrel spending and a tight schedule forced the Senate to drop consideration of over 300 amendments – including two MOAA had pushed to expand concurrent receipt eligibility. Renewing those initiatives will still be a top MOAA priority next year. – Is it possible the SBP-DIC offset could still be eliminated this year? Unfortunately, no. Congress may convene a short lame-duck session that would be only to work on broader legislation to boost the economy. There again, we’ll have to renew that battle next year. – I heard that the FY2009 Defense Authorization Bill waives co-pays for preventive services and Medicare-eligible beneficiaries could be reimbursed for co-pays? Is this true? The new defense legislation includes several options to improve incentives to use preventive care services. Those under 65 would see their copays and deductibles waived for things like mammograms, immunizations, and colonoscopies. Congressional budget rules kept Congress from
