NARFE supports the Servicemember Healthcare Freedom Act, H.R. 3547/S. 1861, introduced by Rep. Jen Kiggans, R-VA, and Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-CT. This legislation would allow members of the Selected Reserve and National Guard who work as federal employees in a civilian capacity the option to utilize the Tricare Reserve Select plan instead of being restricted to solely FEHB plans. 

Currently, there are thousands of federal employees who serve in the Select Reserve and National Guard while inactive. Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) is a health insurance plan available exclusively for inactive individuals and their families in the Reserves and Guard. Due to their civilian positions within the federal government, reserve and Guard members are ineligible to enroll in TRS as the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program prohibits TRS enrollment. This proposal would allow those in the Reserves and Guard the option of enrolling in TRS or FEHB depending on their preference instead of being restricted to solely FEHB plans. As federal employees who also serve in our National Guard and Select Reserve, this Act will help expand access to our service members who work as civil servants even while inactive. 

Please use the sample letter below to urge your members of Congress to support healthcare expansion for our Guardsmen and Reserve members under the Servicemember Healthcare Freedom bill. If your lawmakers are already cosponsors, the system will prompt you to send a thank you letter instead.  
  
Personalized and unique messages are more effective in influencing a legislator's perspective. Please add a few sentences to this letter about how this legislation would affect you or the greater federal community.