REP. EMERSON BACKS VETERANS

When young men and women signed on for a military career, the government promised free health benefits for life. But two years ago the law changed, and veterans were left looking for health insurance.

Thursday, U.S. Rep. Jo Ann Emerson introduced legislation to make additional Medicare benefits available to veterans.

She is working on another veterans' benefit bill slated to be introduced later this summer that would let veterans and military retirees to join the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan.

"The government has reneged on that contract, and it just isn't right," Emerson said Saturday after speaking about veterans benefits to the 200 delegates at this weekend's AMVETS convention in Cape Girardeau.

"Those who served in the military did not let their country down in its time of need, and we should not let the military retirees down in theirs," she said.

The Military Retiree Health Care Relief Act would make a refundable tax credit available to all military retirees and their spouses for Medicare Part B services. The bill would also waive the 10 percent penalty for late enrollment into the Medicare Part B program.

Military retirees older than 65 automatically qualify for Medicare Part A, which covers inpatient services. However, Medicare Part B's services, which cover outpatient services, are optional and may be obtained for $525 a year or $43 a month.

The proposal would deem the annual fee as a refundable tax credit so military retirees and their spouses would obtain outpatient services free.

"I have heard from so many veterans who were concerned about the government making changes in health care benefits," Emerson said.

She held a series of town hall meetings for veterans throughout the Eighth District. Veterans repeatedly expressed concerns about their inability to obtain quality health care.

"This is just a little down payment," Emerson said. "They have done so much for us."

Veterans' issues have been high on Emerson's agenda since a high school trip to the Soviet Union in 1968. She spent two weeks behind the Iron Curtain, an experience she says opened her eyes to the importance of freedoms at home.

"I have always felt strongly about these people and the sacrifices they have made so I can be here," Emerson said.

Because of her concern for veterans' issues, the Cape Girardeau Republican was the sole member of Missouri's congressional delegation to vote against the federal highway bill.

She said she couldn't support a $15.5 billion cut over six years in funding for veterans' programs to make up for the amount the highway funding exceeds caps set last year in the balanced-budget agreement.