Area military retirees won't have to worry about cost increases in their health care any time soon. The Department of Defense has told Tricare contractors to cancel plans for an Oct. 1 rate hike.

Last week, Rep. Chet Edwards (D-Texas) and Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) introduced the Military Retirees' Healthcare Protection Act to block increases in Tricare health care fees for military retirees under age 65. The bill quickly garnered 77 cosponsors and support from 13 organizations representing military retirees within days of its introduction to the House.

Following the strong bipartisan support for the legislation, DoD announced that they would halt the proposed increases for now.

“This is great news for military retirees,” said Edwards, ranking member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans Affairs. “We look forward to working with the Pentagon on our subcommittee to help find health care savings, but we intend to move forward with our legislation requiring congressional approval of any fee hikes in Tricare because we want to make sure that large hikes aren't put in place right after the November elections."

The bill establishes the principle that it is the responsibility of Congress, not the Pentagon, to establish when and by how much military health fees will be increased.

“This legislation is about offering protection for the men and women who are willing to protect our nation from its enemies, and keeping promises to those who have promised to put themselves in harm's way when called upon,” Jones said. “The families of our armed forces deserve consistent health care benefits.”

The bill would block the Pentagon from dramatically raising health care fees on military retirees by removing the Secretary of Defense's current authority to make virtually unlimited increases in four specific areas:

• Enrollment fees for retired members and survivors in TRICARE Prime
• Pharmacy co-payments
  
• Enrollment fees for the new TRICARE Reserve Select program that was implemented last year to maintain health coverage continuity for Guard and Reserve families
  
• Retiree and survivor co-payments for inpatient care
  

If enacted, the bill would block a proposal to double and triple health care premiums for about 3 million enlisted and officer retirees under Tricare, the military's health insurance system, and require requests for future increases to pass through Congress.