Some 60,000 US National Guard soldiers and airmen do not have medical coverage and the Healthcare for Our Troops Act, if passed by Congress, will guarantee medical care for members of the National Guard and Reserve without fees or co-pays, National Guard Bureau Gen. Daniel Hokanson said on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 24th January, 2023) Some 60,000 US National Guard soldiers and airmen do not have medical coverage and the Healthcare for Our Troops Act, if passed by Congress, will guarantee medical care for members of the National Guard and Reserve without fees or co-pays, National Guard Bureau Gen. Daniel Hokanson said on Tuesday.
"Some 60,000 National Guard soldiers and airmen have no medical coverage. That's why the Healthcare for Our Troops Act is on my radar, and, if passed, will allow every member of the reserves and National Guard to sign up for TRICARE Reserves Select with no fees or co-pays," Hokanson said during a press briefing.
Hokanson believes that providing medical insurance at no cost for National Guard members and their families is the right thing to do both morally and for the medical readiness of the US joint force.
The US National Guard strength is 430,000 or 20% of the active-duty US military personnel with more than 40,000 being engaged in missions around the world, Hokanson said.
On December 9, US Senators Susan Collins and Tammy Baldwin 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 act would provide premium-free medical insurance to 16% of Reserve and National Guard members or roughly 130,000 men and women who do not have private health insurance at the moment.�
