Ike Skelton (D), HASC Chairman, admits Obamacare doesn't protect servicemembers, families

Skelton Press Release ^ | March 18, 2010 | Rep Skelton

[GailA]

This still does NOT answer the question of whether the NEW FEES from a 2008 DOD bill which are scheduled to go into effect in 2011 have been repealed?

Congress plans to block Tricare fee increases (same article 2 sources)

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2009/10/military_tricarefees_blocked_100709w/

By Rick Maze - Staff writer, Oct 7, 2009
Tricare fee increases imposed last week by the Defense Department will be repealed by a provision of the compromise 2010 defense authorization bill unveiled Wednesday by House and Senate negotiators.

The fee increases were announced on Sept. 30 and took effect on Oct. 1, but the defense bill, HR 2647, includes a provision barring any fee increases until the start of fiscal 2011.

Retired Army Maj. Gen. Bill Matz, president of the National Association for Uniformed Services, said the announcement of fee increases was shocking considering that the Obama administration promised earlier this year to hold off on any new fee Tricare fee increases until fiscal 2011.

“President Obama and DOD assured NAUS and the entire military family earlier this year that there would rightly be no increases in any Tricare fees” in fiscal 2010, Matz said. We took them at their word, and I can’t believe that a co-pay increase like this was allowed to go forward,” he added.

[GailA]

See post 53

TRI CARE FOR LIFE This from a google search:

http://economicspolitics.blogspot.com/2009/05/tricare-for-life-is-obama-trying-to.html

Option 96 pg 187 (i made page correction)

This option would help reduce the costs of TFL, as well as costs for Medicare, by introducing minimum out-of pocket requirements for beneficiaries. Under this option, TFL would not cover any of the first $525 of an enrollee’s cost-sharing liabilities for calendar year 2011 and would limit coverage to 50 percent of the next $4,725 in Medicare cost sharing that the beneficiary incurred. (Because all further cost sharing would be covered by TFL, enrollees could not pay more than $2,888 in cost sharing in that year.) http://www.cbo.gov/ftpdocs/99xx/doc9925/12-18-HealthOptions.pdf

Impact of Medicare Reimbursement Rate Decrease on TRICARE

http://www.tricare.mil

On March 3, Congress passed emergency legislation delaying the 21.2 percent decrease in Medicare reimbursement rates for an additional 30 days. The TRICARE Management Activity greatly appreciates Congress’ swift action as it allowed more time to fully evaluate the impact the decrease in Medicare reimbursement rates will have on the TRICARE program.

Whatever the outcome, TRICARE will take at least 30 days to fully understand the impact on TRICARE and take appropriate action. While federal law requires TRICARE reimbursement rates to be equal to Medicare rates to the extent practical, the law does permit TRICARE to make exceptions to ensure an adequate network of providers or to eliminate a situation of severely impaired access to care.

More information about this legislation and its impact on TRICARE will be posted on the TRICARE.mil website as soon as it becomes available.

[GailA]

Not just the failure to cover the Military and retired Military but the HUGE NEW FEES they are going to be socked with along with that cheesy 1.9% phony pay raise along with NO COLA’s for those retired Military over 65 who are on SS and Military retirement. Yet are being asked for MORE taxes at state, federal and local level. We Seniors are taking the brunt of obamacare.!