Boxer Efforts to Help Military Families Set to Become Law

Washington, DC– The U.S. Senate today passed the Department of Defense (DOD) Authorization bill, which includes provisions championed by U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) to help make health care more affordable for military families. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature.

Boxer’s provisions will:

Allow more military families to be reimbursed for travel costs associated with needed health care not available on base or in neighboring communities.

Under current law, spouses and children of service members must travel more than 100 miles each way in order to be reimbursed. Now families such as those stationed at Edwards Air Force Base in California – some of whom must travel 96.5 miles each way to UCLA Medical Center – may request reimbursement for travel costs.

Urge DOD to create flexible spending accounts for military families.

Flexible spending accounts – a benefit currently available to Federal employees and many private-sector employees – will help military families lessen out-of-pocket health care and child care costs. These accounts allow individuals and families to set aside a portion of their income before taxes, resulting in significant savings.

Boxer said, “Our military men and women put their lives on the line for our country, and their families need all the support they can get. This will help them afford the high costs of traveling to the doctor and out-of-pocket medical costs. I look forward to watching President Obama sign this bill into law.”

The bill also includes Boxer legislation to expand access to the Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial. Boxer’s bill designates the memorial site as a unit of the National Park system and authorizes the Department of the Interior to work with the region to run a visitor’s center. Boxer’s legislation also allows for the Secretary of Defense to transfer the memorial to the National Park Service.

Boxer said, “By expanding access to the Port Chicago National Memorial, we will ensure that future generations can pay tribute to those who served, paid the ultimate sacrifice and helped push our country to desegregate the armed forces.”

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