Posted on 02/07/2009 6:30:18 PM PST by pabianice
In my “Another Innuendo Over a CBO Report: TRICARE For Life,” I pointed to a message from a “BG Bob Clements, USAF Ret (P38 Bob)” that is making the rounds through the internet, claiming:
Seems as though our President has placed a priority on cutting [TRICARE For Life] out of the budget as a means to provide funding for those things he promised during the campaign…Just another move to slight those of us who dedicated much of our adult lives to the defense of our country.
Tricare For Life (TFL) was instituted just a few years ago to correct the broken promise that veteran military retirees would receive free healthcare coverage for life. It covers the Medicare co-pay amount.
A heavy assault has begun on military veteran's retiree benefits in order to pay for the things the current democratic president promised during his campaign . It's a high priority of this administration.
It should be an item of high interest to the retired military community. If approved by congress this first assault wave would hit in 2011 and it would hit hard. It would initiate TFL cost sharing requiring military retirees over 65 to pay the first $525 of medical cost and then 50% of the next $4,725. This could amount to a first year cost of $2,888 per person. It would be indexed to increase with inflation. A reason given for this action (for PR effect) is "overuse" by retirees.
For those of you who are covered by TFL you'll want to pay attention (below) to what has surfaced about the future of TFL.
On page 189 of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report, (see the note below on how to get to that spot), there is a strong recommendation to eventually eliminate the TFL program as it is too expensive.
Another move to slight those who dedicated much of their adult lives to the defense of the country.
It's strongly recommended that all retired military vets contact their elected officials and register strong opposition to the addition of fees or the elimination of the TFL program.
At the CBO web site, please see:
a. Budget, Options, Volume 1: Health Care (http://www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=9925)
For those who have never opened one of these web sites from OMB : 1. double click on the above URL 2. click on PDF 3. click on the binoculars 4. do a search for TFL It's guaranteed that if you sit on your behind and do nothing as these options are brought forward in the coming year, you'll lose a great health care benefit that Medicare eligible retired military have. It's a bit short of promises made that were fought so hard for back in the late 90s and early 2000s, but it's still one of the best health care programs anyone in the United States has.
Washington's professionals always look for the channel of least resistance when it comes to cutting programs and budgets. Military retirees are one of those channels of least resistance. They're noted for sitting around, doing nothing, and waiting for 'old Joe' to do something for them. They need to wake up and take action. Their medical benefits are a prime target. Don't lose out due to apathy.
One way to secure the TFL benefit is to write your elected congressional representatives -- those in both the House and the Senate. And, keep writing, and writing, and writing. ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH!! Keep repeating until you are blue in the face. Remember the old adage, 'the squeaky wheel gets the grease'.
Now, this concerns the younger military retirees out there, those who aren't on Medicare and TFL yet. Health care will eventually become a dominating factor in your life! Remember that -- it will impact you big time in your later years, unless you're fortunate(?) enough to die young from a heart attack or being run over by a truck. By acting now you can save that TFL benefit you'll be eligible for when you reach Medicare age.
The various service organizations that we belong to will put up a fight, but, they can't do it alone. They'll need your help.
If you're an Obama fan, and believe that change cometh, the TFL option proposed by OMB is change in the wrong direction. And, it won't fade away of its own accord. The current in-power administration needs to save the money they now spend on TFL in order to finance their other programs. Yes, programs for people who produce nothing but votes to keep the politicians in office.
Please forward this on to those you know that are Retired Military.
Who is “we”?
Sorry, but this statement bothers me.
I have been a FReeper for a while now, so does that “we” include me?
I am a veteran. My husband is a retired veteran. We use the military “benefit” of Tri-Care.
We, husband, myself and son, did NOT vote for BO.
Please don't make blanket statements. If this affected you, would you like me to say, “told you so”?
We’re not reading the same stuff or talking to the same soldiers - that’s for sure.
Please post your resources. I believe many of us want to know where you’ve received this info. Because it is important to back up this sort of opinion.
That may be your problem right there: What do you expect from Google?
Try Cuil: Bush Vets - you’ll get a whole different set of links.
See post above yours. That is my experience too. A high percentage voted for McCain but there were more on the Dem side than ever before this year.
Please don’t take offense. “I told you so” doesn’t apply to anyone who didn’t vote for him, now does it?
Already done.
I’m not saying this is the way it actually is, I’m asking. At the same time, I’m not looking for propaganda from either side. I’m no more interested in pro-Bush propaganda than I am in anti-Bush propaganda.
Republicans and Democrats would do our service men and women a big favor by raising all active duty pay 10% across the board.
That money would get into the economy quicker than anything else, and it would correct a long standing injustice, that being not paying our soldiers as much as they are worth.
The Moderate Voice? LOL!
Tricare and Tricare for life serve you wherever you are. You don’t have to live near any “facility”. It is just like most insurance programs. You see a network provider and pay a co-pay. If you are on Medicare you don’t pay anything. Tricare isn’t free but it is dirt cheap. I might be forced to shoot someone if they end either one of these programs.
It might be “cheap” but finding a doctor who accepts it is not an easy task. We have experienced this. I can find a doctor easy because I have insurance through work but my husband has only TriCare and has not always been able to find a local doctor who is authorized to be a Primary Care Provider.
If there is no PCP you can use any doctor who will accept Tricare. If there are any. Where do you live?
How does that work? We were not allowed to use my doctor here in Texas because he was not authorized as a PCP. He accepted TriCare. We were told we could not use him. How does that work? We made many calls to the TriCare office and we were told we could not use him. In fact, they helped us find a doctor that was about 40 miles away and we were told that was the only doctor we could use. When my husband called to sign up he found out that they were moving and not going to be able to accept him.
I believe, that by law, if a physician accepts Medicare they must accept Tricare. Now it could be that a physician is not accepting any new patients, regardless of their insurance coverage. That does happen.
I've counseled many a young man and women about the service. I've always tried to give the less than pleasant as well as positive. I don't know if I can do that anymore.
My doctor wanted to accept him but TriCare said they would not pay. Does it have anything to do with the fact that we have TriCare Prime?
TriCare has been one of the most frustrating things we have ever dealt with. My husband has had a stroke (he’s fine now and you would never know it by looking at him or talking to him) but we would feel much better with a close doctor. We had the same problem with the doctors in Maryland when we lived there. My PCP wanted to take him and TriCare said they were mailing her the package for her to be on the TriCare approved list but it never came. I worked on that for the 18 months that I lived there.
So true. Here in the Little Rock area, I challenge anyone to find a Primary Care Physican who will take "tricare".
Our wonderful PCP isn't taking any new Tricare patients. He says the "reimbursment" is less than Medicare. He's also limiting his medicare patients these days. We're fortunate he still sees us.
What boils my blood is to see ILLEGALS getting free entitlements while those who served their country are being denied what was promised to them.
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What boils my blood is to see ILLEGALS getting free entitlements while those who served their country are being denied what was promised to them.
That is an outrage. Now, there’s consideration of even more benefits (I’m sure going to illegals) while there is discussion of cutting TriCare benefits. I’m sorry that all of you have to deal with this. Prayers for all of you.
So, when does the TRICARE Army descend on Washington, DC?
Thank you for your service.
When I first moved here there were no doctors in the network so I went to a doctor who accepted Tricare. He billed them and got paid. I don’t know what happened in your case, but I would keep trying. If you don’t get a good result see if Cornyn or Kay Bailey can help you. You might have better luck with your Congressional Rep, but I would try all three. What you are experiencing is not supposed to happen. Good luck.
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