The Official Website of Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo

Bordallo Presses DoD on Retiree Medical Referral Travel

Proposes Medical Space-A as Interim Solution

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—March 21, 2007– Washington, D.C. –

During a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) today, Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo continued to question top Defense Department officials on the travel policy for military retirees who receive TRICARE referrals for off-island treatment. After questioning Dr. William Winkenwerder, DoD’s Assistant Secretary for Health Affairs on March 8, Congresswoman Bordallo raised the issue again with General Norton A. Schwartz, USAF Commander of the U.S. Transportation Command.

“Military retirees who live on Guam who are referred off island for specialty care are forced to travel to those locations at their own expense. Prior to 2005, however, the Department of Defense reimbursed retirees for the travel expenses they incurred as a result of such medical referrals or retirees were able to move on MIL-AIR flights between Guam and Honolulu that flew on a regular, routine basis,” Congresswoman Bordallo said during the hearing. “As a result of the loss of this MIL-AIR service and the change in policy and practice to no longer reimburse travel costs associated with referred specialty care, the costs are borne solely by the retiree. These trips to access referred specialty care in Hawaii or California cost in the thousands of dollars.”

Congresswoman Bordallo added that while she awaits word from Dr. Winkenwerder and the Pentagon, she urged General Schwartz to examine the need to better facilitate travel for military retirees on Guam who are referred through TRICARE off-island to access specialty care, and offered an interim solution until the underlying policy can be adequately resolved.

What I have proposed as an interim solution…is that Department revise its policy to afford our military retirees – who are medically referred away from Guam to receive specialty care – access to aircraft on a space-available basis,” Congresswoman Bordallo said. “I have proposed that retirees should qualify for Space-A travel at the “Category 2” priority level and therefore treated the same as authorized personnel on Environmental Morale Leave status.”

General Schwartz replied that he would investigate this matter and report back to Congresswoman Bordallo. He noted that military retirees, regardless of their medical condition, can travel on a space available at the “Category 3” level, which is the lowest level of priority. General Schwartz added that, because of the increased military operational tempo as a result of events in the Middle East region, the military is more and more utilizing commercial aircraft to transport equipment and personnel in the Pacific, which places a premium on space available flight opportunities in the Pacific region. In response to this, General Schwartz said that the military has issued instructions to military aircraft in the Pacific to maximize their capacity for passengers to fly on a space available basis.

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Contact: Joseph E. Duenas in Washington, D.C. at 202-225-1188 or Cathy Gault at 671-477-4272/4

joseph.duenas@mail.house.gov or cathy.gault@mail.house.gov

www.house.gov/bordallo

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