FederalDaily - September 1, 2006
Lawmakers Call for TRICARE Drug Discounts
A contingent of 42 House Democrats sent a letter to House and Senate conferees for the Fiscal Year 2007 National Defense Authorization Bill on Aug. 30, urging them to adopt a Senate provision requiring pharmaceutical companies to give TRICARE beneficiaries discounts on retail prescription drugs. Rep. Marion Berry, D-Ark., said the provision would generate savings and ensure that the Department of Defense (DoD) does not have to raise co-payments for active-duty and retired military personnel. The Senate version of the defense spending bill would clarify old rules and force pharmaceutical companies to extend discounts to the TRICARE retail program. This would lower costs and eliminate the need for a provision in the House defense spending bill to increase retail co-payments for TRICARE. The pending House provision would increase the price of generic drugs from $3 to $6 a month, and the price of brand name drugs from $9 to $16 a month. For the press release, go to www.house.gov/list/press/ar01_berry/TRICAREdiscounts.html.
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GSA Awards Credit Monitoring Agreements
The General Services Administration (GSA) announced on Aug. 29 that it has awarded Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) to three private credit-monitoring firms to assist federal agencies in protecting the confidentiality of personal credit and payment information. GSA said the BPAs were awarded to two of the largest credit-monitoring service providers—Equifax and Experian—as well as to Bearak Reports, a small, woman-owned firm in Framingham, Mass. The BPAs will give agencies access to commercial-off-the-shelf credit monitoring services at reduced unit prices and volume discounts. There is no limit on the dollar value of purchases made under the BPAs. To see more, go to www.gsa.gov.
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Military University Elects Gay Student President
Students at the Uniformed Services University (USU), a Department of Defense military medical, nursing and graduate school, elected Patrick M. High as its first openly gay student council president, according to an organization that works for the rights of gay and lesbian members of the armed forces. High was elected by a student body that includes uniformed personnel, said the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which issued a statement on Aug. 30 applauding High’s selection. High, who will represent graduate students at the university, previously served nine years in the Illinois Army National Guard and is currently a Ph.D. candidate at USU in Bethesda, Md. High says he hopes to “change military students’ perspective that gays can and have served in the military and worked well with their straight counterparts.” For more info, www.sldn.org/templates/press/record.html?section=2&record=3177
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