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Release No. 3-02-06
March 13, 2006
Key elected officials oppose Tricare fee increases
Key Congressional members have gone on record as opposing the proposed Department of Defense plans to impose large health fee increases to the under 65 years of age Tricare beneficiaries.
According to an announcement by the Military Officer Association of America (MOAA), House Armed Services Committee Chairman Duncan Hunter (R-CA) and the Committee's senior Democrat, Ike Skelton (D-Mo), recently sent a joint letter to Budget Committee Chairman Jim Nussle (R-IA) saying they don't support such increases and want more money in the defense budget to make up the shortfall in this and many other areas.
"The [Armed Services] committee believes that these proposals depend too exclusively on increasing cost shares and believes that no action should be taken in Fiscal Year 2007 until a full review of additional cost control options is completed," the letter said. Hunter and Skelton also made it clear they're not happy that the Pentagon has already issued guidance to Tricare contractors to start implementing the fee increases. "Circumventing Congressional oversight by quickly implementing fundamental changes to a highly viable medical benefit is not keeping the promise to the sailors, soldiers, airmen and Marines that serve our country," they said.
The Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee will hold a hearing on this topic on March 29. Defense and service leaders and military associations are scheduled to testify. The Senate Personnel Subcommittee has scheduled a similar hearing for March 14.
In a related area, according to an announcement by the National Association of the Uniformed Services (NAUS), Representatives Walter B. Jones (R-NC) and Chet Edward (D-TX) will introduce a bill that will restrict the current laws that permit the secretary of defense broad discretion to increase health care deductibles, co-payments and enrollment fees for military beneficiaries. The bill will specify that only Congress will have the authority to increase Tricare fees.
Members of the military retiree community can stay current on legislative issues by visiting the web sites of military related organizations of their choice. Among them are MOAA at (www.moaa.org); NAUS (www.naus.org); The Retired Enlisted Association (www.trea.org); and the Air Force Association (www.afa.org).
Posted : 2006-03-14 07:55
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The following also contains bad news for retired military who use tricare.
House panel nixes VA enrollment fee plan
By
<mailto:rmaze@atpco.com?subject=Question%20from%20MarineCorpsTimes.com%20rea
der> Rick Maze
Army Times staff writer
The House Budget Committee killed the Bush administration's plans for
charging some veterans an enrollment fee for health care and raising their
prescription drug prices, but it left alive a proposal to increase health
care fees for some military retirees under age 65.
On a 22-15 party-line vote, the committee rejected an amendment by Rep. Chet
Edwards, D-Texas, which would have blocked Pentagon plans to double and
triple Tricare premiums for working-age military retirees.
Just minutes earlier, the committee approved by voice vote an amendment,
sponsored by Rep. Jeb Bradley, R-N.H., that would prevent the Department of
Veterans Affairs from charging an enrollment fee for veterans seeking
treatment who have modest incomes and no service-connected disabilities, and
a proposed increase in prescription drug co-payments.
To do this, Bradley's amendment shifted $795 million in 2007 and $3.97
billion over the next five years to the veterans' health care budget from
the foreign aid budget.
"We owe it to those who have served our country to ensure that they have
quality health care and benefits," Bradley said. "With an aging veteran
population and a growing number of servicemen and women returning from
military service, it is vital that funding for veterans' health care is
sufficient in order to meet increased demand for services."
But Edwards said the committee had nothing to crow about regarding the
Tricare fees.
"Minutes after this committee acted in a bipartisan fashion and voted down
increased enrollment fees and prescription drug co-pays for veterans, my
Republican colleagues acted in partisan fashion rejecting my Tricare
amendment, effectively endorsing a $1000 annual tax on military retirees'
health care," he said.
"I believe that keeping our promise of quality, affordable health care for
military retirees is the right thing to do and the smart thing to do,"
Edwards said. "It is right because our nation has a moral obligation to keep
our promises to those who have kept their promise to defend our nation."
The two votes came on the $2.8 trillion congressional budget resolution that
sets broad spending and revenue targets for 2007. The House is expected to
take up the measure next week, when Edwards - who has more than 140
cosponsors for a bill blocking the Tricare fee increases - will again try to
get money added to the defense budget to preclude any increase in Tricare
fees for retirees.
The Senate passed its version of the budget two weeks ago and had a similar
debate and outcome. Money was added to the VA budget to make fee increases
for veterans unnecessary, but senators defeated an amendment, sponsored by
Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., to eliminate the Tricare fee increases for
retirees.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, the House Democratic leader, said she hopes
for a different outcome. After a meeting Wednesday with military and
veterans' groups, Pelosi said she heard "loud and clear" that blocking the
Tricare increases "is their number one priority."
"It is unconscionable to impose a fee increase on the men and women in
uniform who bravely sacrificed for our country, especially during a time of
war," she said. "We must demonstrate our commitment to our troops and future
veterans by assuring them that just as they protected us, we will take care
of them when their service ends."
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
"Keep on, Keepin' on"
Dan Cedusky, Champaign IL "Colonel Dan"
See my web site at:
http://www.angelfire.com/il2/VeteranIssues/
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http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VeteranIssues/
Forward to other veterans, tell them to Sign up at:
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Posted : 2006-04-01 10:29
Topic starter
Everything I have read lately indicates a huge hike isn't a done deal. What I think will happen is once the hysteria has died a bit they will go for a modest hike then make it rise each year.
I think the proper term would be inversely proportional. They will give us a cola in SS and retired pay then take it back for Tricare... 🙂
Posted : 2006-04-12 08:26
