Joe Wilson Fights to Protect TRICARE from Government Health Care Takeover

TRICARE will receive protection from the health care takeover if Congressman Joe Wilson's (SC-02) amendment is approved in tomorrow's House markup of the National Defense Authorization Act of 2011.

Government officials have publically stated that TRICARE, the health care program for America's military personnel, military retirees, and their dependents, will not be negatively impacted by the government takeover of health care. However, Wilson's amendment takes the necessary steps to ensure the legislative language reflects these public statements and promises.

"The health care system for America's military retirees, veterans, and those currently serving in uniform must be protected from any loopholes in the overreaching health care takeover law. One such ambiguity that concerns me is the potential to transfer the military system of delivering health care services from the Department of Defense. The President has promised this is not the case under the government takeover of healthcare, and my amendment explicitly clarifies this in statute.

"While government officials have stated that TRICARE will be protected from the new health care law, I believe a meticulous effort, like my amendment, is necessary to ensure legislative language reflects these public statements and promises of protection.

"This amendment simply dots all of our ‘I's' and crosses all of our ‘T's,'" said Congressman Joe Wilson.

A copy of Congressman Joe Wilson's TRICARE amendment can be found here.