Top OfFicers Urge Higher TriCare Fees

GovernmentExecutive.com ^ | 3 May 2010 | Otto Kreisher

[Sarajevo]

The leaders of the three naval services on Monday argued for an increase in the fees retired military personnel and their families pay for health care, something Congress has refused to approve for more than a decade.

Adm. Gary Roughead, the chief of naval operations; Gen. James Conway, the Marine Corps commandant; and Adm. Thad Allen, Coast Guard commandant, all complained about the soaring costs of healthcare and said increased contributions by the retirees for their TRICARE coverage is overdue.

Speaking at the Navy League's annual symposium at the National Harbor convention center, Roughead disagreed strongly with the demand by House Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee Chairman Gene Taylor, D-Miss., that the Navy retain its aging Perry-class frigates, which are at or near their expected service life limits.

And Allen, whose service is heavily engaged in fighting the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, rejected criticism that the Defense Department was not doing its part to address the massive environmental crisis.

Responding to a question about the impact of healthcare costs on their increasingly tight financial conditions, all three leaders said that was a growing problem. Roughead noted that on top of the expense for his active-duty force the expense of the half a million retirees "eats into our other programs."

Conway was more direct, saying there has not been an adjustment in the retirees payments for TRICARE in two decades "and that needs to be addressed."

Allen, who is a month from retirement, said he had just signed up for TRICARE Prime, the top-level defense medical coverage, for himself and his wife and paid only $465. "Something needs to be done about that."

Asked whether he would keep the frigates in service past their 30-year service life, Roughead said if the Navy "is not able to remove ships on plan, the only place to look for the money [to maintain them] is procurement."

Keeping old ships "means we don't build anything new," he said.

Taylor has complained that the retirement of existing ships keeps the Navy from increasing its fleet and has demanded that the Navy maintain the frigates.

Allen, in his opening comments, provided an update on the oil spill and warned that the only solution to the massive pollution threat would be to drill a new well to reduce the pressure on the well and then cap it. That would take at least 90 days, he said.

But Allen sharply disputed claims that the military was not helping. He said the Navy's salvage experts were called in immediately after the explosion on the offshore oil rig and other assistance was provided by the military.

[verity]

Was yours in a written contract?

[verity]

Makes sense to me.

[RFEngineer]

“Try thinking about the veteran every once in a while.”

We don’t have the money to pay everyone everything that they want, or things that they were promised at all levels of government.

It really has nothing to do with veterans, per se. In the grand scheme, paying higher copays and deductibles is something that reasonable veterans would not object to doing.

In the case of combat-disabled (actually disabled, not the scam of seeing the doctor the day before you retire) I think that their medical needs should be taken care of for their lifetime, as I’ve stated.

For you? Why do you think you deserve anything if you didn’t serve at least 20 years?

[csmusaret]

First it was all veterans. Then it became disabled or retired. Now it includes people who are neither. Apparently your views are still evolving, so maybe you should abstain from further comment for a few weeks.

[Venturer]

I dont have any doubts that Tricare will dissappear when Obamacare gets rolling.

[verity]

You may be correct, Venturer. The philosophy of Obamacare is to eventually role up everything under one "tent."

Of course, Congress would exempt itself. :-(

[TSgt]

My views haven’t changed.

I should have qualified them so people like you could understand them better.

[GailA]

Which is why I had to pay for my Synthroid. Yet all the government or ins. wants you to buy is generic...which causes mouth ulcers and your hair to fall out because of the fillers. It is NOT an expensive drug, my .1 mg is $22 per month, TFL copay would make it $9. Yet it took contacting my Senator, and jumping through hoop after hoop to get TFL to cover it. It needed ‘prior’ approval. You need your doctor sending in Clinical detailed appeals because of the bad reactions, or not working. And assigning him as your rep in the matter.

Less testing involved with the name brand too. Cheaper in the long run. DUH!

Express Scripts stinks as far as appeal service goes. We get our meds from a local pharmacy, because they change frequently, especially for me who reacts badly to a lot of meds.

[TSgt]

or things that they were promised at all levels of government.

I expect that you would be the first FReeper to lead the charge against those who might want to modify a CEO's pay since it would be a breach of contract.

For you? Why do you think you deserve anything if you didn’t serve at least 20 years?

Because I served my country for 10 years with some of that service in a designated combat zone. The VA has a list of benefits that I'm eligible for and should follow-through. Who are you to say that me or any other veteran is not deserved of those benefits?

[csmusaret]

People like me? People who read better than you write? People like me who rely on the written word as opposed to speculation about what the author really meant to say? Or people like me who spent 23+ years wearing a uniform and defending your right to display your intellectual shortcomings in a public forum? People like me, indeed.

[RFEngineer]

“Who are you to say that me or any other veteran is not deserved of those benefits?”

You started out in the thread by saying you, as a veteran, should be able to go anywhere, anytime, to any doctor or hospital and receive care without paying.

Who are you kidding? yourself?

[katiedidit1]

What a great incentive to “enlist” and know that the top brass are screwing their own. However, they don’t have to worry as they have free access to Bethesda as do their families and some of their wives have even had plastic surgery.
If the Navy can give my husband back the 24 yrs he served while making less money as a CPO than he could have made in the private sector AND doing 2 tours in Nam and 3 tours in Korea....they can stick the tricare where the sun don’t shine.
Needless to say that my husband lost part of his hearing on the deck of an aircraft carrier and he NEVER filed for disability. He has the papers but he wanted to continue work in the private sector after his retirement. He also lost his right kidney and the bottom third of his lung and I wonder if it was due to toxins during the bombings and Adm Z days.
I would tell any young person considering the military today to forget it.

[katiedidit1]

Your post which includes military retirees IN with welfare recipients is an insult and slap in the fact to every career military man and woman in this country. Many could have made a considerable amount of money in the private sector but stayed in for a few perks. NOW, you feel they are over compensated? also, do NOT lump career military in with the rest of the govt employees. Many do clerical work and never go into harms way...you have slammed those who sacrificed much for this nation

[TSgt]

People like me? People who read better than you write? People like me who rely on the written word as opposed to speculation about what the author really meant to say? Or people like me who spent 23+ years wearing a uniform and defending your right to display your intellectual shortcomings in a public forum? People like me, indeed.

Perhaps you should try DU?

[RFEngineer]

“Your post which includes military retirees IN with welfare recipients is an insult and slap in the fact to every career military man and woman in this country. “

BS. They are both paid with taxpayer money - that’s what I said, something we don’t have enough of. Feign insult if you wish, but you feign insult with the reality that taxpayers pay for everything.

We do not have the money to pay everybody everything they think they are promised.

[TankerKC]

We do not have the money to pay everybody everything they think they are promised.

Do we have enough money for everything we KNOW we were promised...and then earned?

[katiedidit1]

Your lumping welfare recipients in with men and women that fought for this nation is very insulting. I retract nothing from my previous post and I feign nothing. Don’t you think it is a little late for some 70 yr old retirees to pay MORE out of pocket now? they have sacrifcied 24 yrs of their lives? while many on welfare have not made a contribution.
Your entire reasoning is disgusting

[TankerKC]

Have you tried finding a primary care provider for Tricare?

My local choice was a doc at a free clinic that services all of the illegals in the area.

[RFEngineer]

“Your entire reasoning is disgusting”

It’s not my reasoning. We don’t have the money to pay long-term. You can argue with that, and you can be disgusted with that, but it doesn’t make it any less a reality.

You should show a little less disdain for the folks who are paying the bill. While nobody argues that folks who served in combat sacrificed a lot (I’m not arguing that) you don’t seem to understand that taking American’s hard-earned money is no small sacrifice. Not that we’ve run out, you can’t just demand your benefits be paid and expect to be taken seriously.

[katiedidit1]

In order to save taxpayer money: we should stop all foreign aid until our nation’s economy is solvent; get out of the UN as they are no friend of ours; stop all immigration both legal and illegal until our nation’s economy is solvent and our borders are safe; cut all the porkulus and earmarks out of legislation; make serious cuts in the welfare program including housing. If someone defaces and damages public housing they should be evicted and forced to do clean up; stop overpaying govt contractors and consider implementing a flat tax or fair tax; stop bailing out automakers and rewarding banks that made bad loans.
The military retirees are the last people that should be cut unless you want to give them their 24 yrs of life back as many are elderly now and living off pensions they are ENTITLED to and earned thru work and less pay than many civillians made or made and they are NOT in the same category as white collar pencil pushers or welfare recipients.