MOAA's top legislative goals for 2019 will be featured in an upcoming edition of Military Officer magazine, which is available to MOAA Life and Premium members. Here's a preview of one key issue; see the links below for the rest, including ways you can make your voice heard.

The Goal: End concurrent receipt penalties for military retirees.

Background: Retirees with a 40-percent or lower disability rating and those with a 30-percent or higher disability rating who are forced to retire before completing a full 20-year military career, are prohibited from receiving military retired pay concurrent with VA disability compensation. Political pressure to keep budget costs down has remained the main threat to getting legislation passed to end these financial penalties.

MOAA's Stance: All eligible retirees should receive both retirement and disability compensation.

Actions: Ensure legislation is introduced in the 116th Congress to address Chapter 61 inequities. Educate legislators and congressional staff about the impact these financial penalties have on some of our most vulnerable retirees. Mobilize our membership and The Military Coalition to engage Capitol Hill.

[TAKE ACTION: Visit MOAA's Legislative Action Center]

More key goals:

• Ensure any TRICARE reform sustains access to top-quality care.
• Prevent disproportional TRICARE fee increases
• Sustain military pay comparability with the private sector.
• Stop erosion of compensation and non-pay quality-of-life benefits.
• End financial penalties for military survivors.
• Achieve equity of benefits for Guard and Reserve members with their active duty counterparts.
• Strengthen DoD-VA collaboration and services to support wounded warriors and an expanding population of women veterans.
• Ensure timely access to service-earned VA benefits.
• Protect military and veteran family support programs and policies.