Retired military critical of ins. increase

United Press International ^ | Jan 27, 2006 | UPI

[Tyche]

WASHINGTON, Jan. 27 (UPI) -- Military advocacy groups are criticizing a Pentagon proposal that could triple the insurance cost for U.S. military retirees.

The plan, under consideration as part of the 2007 budget request to be unveiled Feb. 6, would increase Tricare fees for retirees under age 65 beginning Oct. 1 -- with fees rising by as much as $1,200 more a year by 2009, the Army Times reported Friday.

Because of the controversy, the Joint Chiefs of Staff are considering sending a rare joint letter to Congress explaining why the fee increases are important if needed weapons programs are to be funded.

Active-duty members of the military would not be directly affected by the fee increases, but military advocacy groups say the program will have an impact on morale.

"Don't try to tell us that a country that can afford hundreds of billions of dollars in pork spending and tax cuts can't afford to pay for both military weapons and retiree health care," said Steve Strobridge of the Military Officers Association of America.

[Tyche]

This was hit on a little earlier in the Month.

I wonder what the figures are going to be from the soilders who are going to claim disability compensation from Iraq and Afganistan, when most of the forces get back.

I learned long ago to never expect anything in return from the service.

[SkyPilot]

The TRICARE Fee is proposed to increase from about $470 to $800, then skyrocket up to about $1,200 the year after.

The halls of the Pentagon are filled this week with massive proposed cuts in troops, civilians, and contractors all over the DoD, as well as huge slashes in equipment, aircraft, and ships.

[grania]

Health insurance and medical care should be free, for life, for anyone who served in a combat zone. We can't afford that as "compassionate Republicans", we can't afford these wars.

Meanwhile, there is a totally awful prescription benefit that a huge percentage of seniors don't even want that will cost uncontrolled billions of dollars?? Time to prioritize.

[NavVet]

I remember my recruiter promising me medical for life if I stayed in for twenty. I actually believed that for the first ten years. Now a few years after retirement, you're forced to switch to Medicade. 20+ years of service and you get put on the same system you would be on if you had spent twenty years in pan handling in central park. And now for the few years you are on tricare before you get shunted off to medicade, you have to pay an ever increasing amount out of pocket.

Shameful in an era where we are spending hundreds of millions on bridges to nowhere.

[NavVet]

While I don't think that military retirees should be divided into classes. In other words the benefit should be the same for all military retirees, I do agree that if we can afford the multi-billion dollar prescription drug program that almost nobody wanted, including seniors, we can afford not to charge military reitrees for health care.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

The govt. is happy to pull this crap on the military guys while the illegal aliens continue to get free healthcare. Nothing wrong here.

[Lokibob]

And don't try to go to the VA if you don't have a service connected disability.

We put up with 20 years of low pay, low respect, and terribly long separations from our families on the promise that the Government would help us the rest of our lives. Now we are finding out that they had their fingers crossed (tempering my anger here).

Don't you dare be a Viet Nam vet. Since WE lost that war, we get no respect.

[Pio]

I guess they have to pay for Iraq somehow

Think of it: they paid $20 million to giv wireless internet and cell phone service to Bagdhad.

This same technology is being used against our troops.

[jcparks]

Since WE lost that war, we get no respect

With all respect, sir, the politicans lost that war...it was not your fault.

Ever wonder why "government employees" get more health/retirement benefits than the people who FOUGHT AND DIED for this country?

[YOUGOTIT]

"Don't try to tell us that a country that can afford hundreds of billions of dollars in pork spending and tax cuts can't afford to pay for both military weapons and retiree health care," said Steve Strobridge of the Military Officers Association of America."

Since the MOOA, as far as I can determine and I am a life member, has gone the same route as the AARP in supporting left-wing democrats I do not believe anything they say. I used and my spouse still uses TRICARE, never had to pay a fee, so do not know what they are talking about. If you are disabled, from service or combat, then the VA takes care of your health care so what is the problem?

And if you are employed TRICARE is the secondary payer for your employer health insurance. What are these fees that they are talking about??????

[Tyche]

http://www.armytimes.com/content/editorial/pdf/012606_tricarecosts.pdf

[elfman2]

I sympathize but compare it to civilian insurance.

We pay about $220 per month for what’s touted as a “great plan” by most at work that doesn’t kick in until we pay the first $250 per family member each calendar year, then we pay 20%. My wife HAD to have a c-sections with both our kids that cost us about $5k each (after $2,500/year premiums). We can’t afford a 3rd kid so we tied the tubes. My 16 month needs a dermatologist. I’m not willing to pay the $250 right now, so he’s going to have to just put up with the little bumps on his arms for now (he's not in pain).

That’s about what the rest of the America faces. $800-$1200 per year for unlimited care would be a dream.

I know, vets were promised “free” medical for life, in exchange for 20. I was in the service for 4 years in the early 80s as well and it was tempting, but even then we knew VA healthcare was hit and miss. Who could foresee the way lawyers and consultants raped the medical field by forcing them to practice defensive medicine, driving the price up 10 times after inflation? (Actually the people and legislators did it by letting the lawyers do it.) Vets are still getting as good a deal as they thought when they signed up, it’s just not free.

[OldSmaj]

I used and my spouse still uses TRICARE, never had to pay a fee, so do not know what they are talking about.

I don't know what Tricare you had/have, but unless you have other insurance, you paid a fee for doctors visits, hopital stays and a yearly premium of at least $460.00.

No one gets free Tricare.

If you are disabled, from service or combat, then the VA takes care of your health care so what is the problem?

The problem is that the VA treats vets like cattle and mentally retarded children.

Even the largest VA Med Centers are overworked and overcrowded and staffed by the most incompetent bunch of idiots and non-english speaking so-called doctors, that to enter one makes one feel as though he stepped through a third-world portal of some sort.

I have used the VA system for a service/combat-connected disability.

I was treated as though I was an infectious leper (My apologies to any infectious lepers) and received care at what I can best describe as "low-bidder" quality.

I will never set foot in a VA facility again, unless it is to visit a friend who had the dire misfortune to be hospitalized in a VA facility.

As far as medical care for life, I was told specifically by the POS that recruited me, that if I gave them 20, they'd give me lifetime, free medical care for me and my family, along with commissary/PX privileges, access to all on-post facilities, etc, etc, etc.

Why the hell shouldn't I hold them to their promise?

I sure as hell upheld my side of it.

A stinking ass politician can pork barrel a damn bridge to nowhere for millions of dollars, pork barrel a road to nowhere for millions of dollars, build useless parks and "green" areas, just to get their name on the damn things, grant themselves raise after raise, enact tax after tax on the necessities of life, threaten to cut off my Social Security (assuming I live to collect one damn dime of it), grant free med care and welfare for a criminal invader of my country, all for a vote from some birkenstock-wearing, kumbaya chanting, nitwitted dumbass with all the sense and sensibility of a damn telephone pole and then have the temerity to tell me, that I should "sacrifice" for the good of the country.

The title of this thread has got it right, for damn sure.

I am extremely critical of any insurance increase and I have written and faxed over 80 letters and communications to every one of the stinking, rotten politicians that I know of that is involved in this, and have also written at least 12 letters to JCS staffers and other staff-wienies that are proposing this.

All I get in return is pulchritudinous platitudes and bovine excrement and a never-fail request from the politician, to send money for future election campaigns.

You betcha I'm critical.

Nearly critical mass, truth be told.

[xzins]

The Assoc. of the US Army (AUSA) reported the same thing in their latest paper, that these costs are going up IF THE PENTAGON PROPOSAL gets approved.

You would not yet see an increase.

The question is this: IS there really such a proposal going forward?

If so, we should oppose it. The military truly did promise us lifetime health care. They did. Everyone knows it.

[dakine]

"afford hundreds of billions of dollars in pork spending and tax cuts "

Lost me there...

[No Surrender No Retreat]

Morning YGI,
I think this is all demo-commie hysteria propaganda.

The commies are always trying to cause problems with their lies and subterfuge.( The Blame Bush Crowd)

Probably there may be a proposed cut in the demo-commies free handouts for votes program. This is the only way they can stay in office by their socialized hypocrisy.

I am military retiree and no one ever promised me free health-care for life.

How soon they forget it was commie-klintoon who started us paying for the tri-care program during his 8 year reign of terror.

Organizations like the aarp, unions, and others are full of feeble minded fools who will quickly embrace any lie or distortion of their commie-left leaders.

I believe our military retirees should be worried about the use of taxes on their military retired pay.

I wonder how much of this money is used to provide public assistance to those who have been living on the public assistance dole of welfare&free medical care for more than four generations.

Taking care of the free-loaders, scam artists, $$$$ for unlimited (baby producers) is the goal of the demo-commies and they will lie for infinity to take care of those plantation votes.

I believe this alleged "tri-care scare" alert has about as much integrity as j. skerry kerry and jabba kennedy.(NONE-ZERO)

In closing, it is good to see others here who are not hoodwinked by the liberal commie lies of the left.

Color Me, "Red White and Blue"
NSNR-THM

[verity]

"but military advocacy groups say the program will have an impact on morale."

Hysterical hyperbole.

Every time there is some change to any program, the same nonsense is rolled out.

[rbg81]

My experience with Tricare is that it's like not having health insurance. About half the claims that we submit get bounced back and you end up arguing with them about it. In fact, if we didn't have health insurance, at least I wouldn't have to spend so much time on the phone with them. If fees go up that much, I will probably just join my health insurance at work. More $$ out of pocket, but it may be worth it.

The other thing that burns me is that new retirees who have no service connected disability are totally ineligible for VA health care benefits. Basically, they put you in a low-priority category and then tell you they are not enrolling people in that category.

[TADSLOS]

What you said! (Love the tagline BTW)

[YOUGOTIT]

"If so, we should oppose it. The military truly did promise us lifetime health care. They did. Everyone knows it."

I still do not know what you are talking about for increased fees for TRICARE, (I never paid any fees since retirement in 1982) what fees or are we talking about increased co-payments? When you reach 65 and TRICARE for Life kicks in it is the best health care system in the world as your health care is virtually free except for the monthly Medicare cost for part B. So I am at a loss to understand the problem. Is this the same as saying the VA was cut because it was only increased by 3.2% rather that 4% or some such number?