Dear John,

This week, Senators Tammy Baldwin and Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Healthcare for Our Troops Act, bipartisan legislation to provide premium-free medical insurance coverage for members of the National Guard and Reserve.

The bipartisan Healthcare for Our Troops Act addresses the Chief of the National Guard Bureau’s most pressing concern: healthcare for our troops, no matter the duty status. Sixteen percent of Reserve and National Guard members – roughly 130,000 men and women who have volunteered to serve our country – do not have private health insurance.

“Our National Guard and Reserve members make sacrifices every day to keep us safe, and yet too many of them struggle to access affordable health care. By providing these benefits, our service members will lead healthier lives, improve their readiness for deployment and devote more time to valuable training,” said Senator Baldwin. “Providing all service members with the health coverage they deserve is not only an investment in our national security, it is also the right thing to do.”

Senator Baldwin's bipartisan Healthcare for Our Troops Act would provide premium-free, zero cost-sharing medical coverage for Selected Reserve members eligible for TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) and address financial barriers to seeking mental health care. In addition to providing health insurance, the legislation would require a study on eliminating annual physicals during drill and replacing them with forms to be completed by civilian providers to assess medical readiness – giving commanders back valuable training days and saving over $162 million annually in contracted medical assessments.

The legislation would also create an incentive for employers to hire Guard and Reserve members by lessening demand for employer-sponsored healthcare plans. Senator Baldwin's bill is a companion to bipartisan legislation introduced in the House, led by Rep. Kim (D-NJ) and Rep. Trent Kelly (R-MS) with a group of 27 bipartisan cosponsors.