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Tri-care for Life under fire

Discussion in 'Military' started by ImpulseRed008, Oct 23, 2009.

  1. Oct 23, 2009 at 5:45 AM
    #1
    ImpulseRed008

    ImpulseRed008 [OP] Gone But Not Forgotten

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    I copied this from an email I received...

    Subject: FW: Future of Medicare and Tricare
    Good information to know about the possible demise of our Tricare Benefits.

    In case you had not heard of this info.

    Thanks to General Robert Cardenas for the following information .... an
    important read for all military retirees ...
    =======================

    Subject: PASS THIS TO ALL MILITARY RETIREES

    This is true. It is on pages 77, 172, 218, and 434. You have to dig to see the charges. We (retirees) would lose the Medicare for life benefit and would have to pay. We would lose TRICARE as a total care package. We would not be allowed to keep TRICARE.

    This is a "Heads Up" on a battle we are facing now and down the road with the new Administration. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has already drafted proposed legislation that would basically reduce our TRICARE for Life benefits to a system whereby we pay deductibles and co-pays up to $6,301 the first year for you and your spouse, with future
    years being indexed to increase with inflation. What can we do? The
    article below, obtained from an Air Force Association and written by BG Bob Clements, best describes what we can do. Please read it and check the links for CBO language and do what Bob says-Send this email to every Military Retiree you know and write and email your Congressman often. For those of you that might have voted for "Change", you should do it more than often!

    TRICARE FOR LIFE'S FUTURE . . .

    TRICARE For Life was instituted to correct the broken promise that military retirees would receive free healthcare coverage for life and it covers the Medicare co-pay. Now a heavy assault has begun on Veterans'/Retirees' benefits to pay for other programs our President promised during the campaign. And it is a high priority of his administration. The one item of most interest to Retired Military is in Article 189. If approved by Congress the first assault wave would hit in 11 and would hit hard. It would initiate cost sharing to require retirees to pay the first $525 of medical cost and 50% of the next $4,725 for 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 will want to pay attention (Below) to what BG Bob Clements has surfaced about the future of TFL. In any case, on page 189 of the Congressional Budget Office report, see the note below on how to get to that spot, there is a strong recommendation to eventually eliminate the program as it is too expensive. Just another move to slight those of us who dedicated much of our adult lives to the defense of our country.

    Strongly recommend that you contact your elected officials and register your strong opposition to the elimination of the TFL program. Heads-up from BG Bob Clements, USAF Ret (P38 Bob)

    The following has been added to the Congressional Budget Office Web Sitewww.cbo.gov/ a. Budget, Options,

    Volume 1: Health Care

    ( www.cbo.gov/doc.cfm?index=9925
    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

    Now here it is folks and I will guarantee if you sit around on your behind and do nothing about it as they bring these options forward this coming year, you will lose one of the best healthcare benefits that the Medicare eligible retired militaryhave. It <http://have.it/> is short of the promises made that we fought so hard for back in the late 90s and early 00s but it is still the best healthcare program that anyone in the United States has, bar none.

    People who are professionals always look for the channel of least resistance when it comes to cutting money out of the Federal and DOD budget. I can tell you this straight on, military retirees are one of those channels of least resistance noted for sitting around, doing nothing, and waiting for ole Joe to do it for them. You had better wake up. Your medical benefits are prime target. If you lose them, you have nobody to blame but yourself. Let me repeat that . . . you have nobody to blame but yourself.

    The way to secure your benefits is to write to your members of Congress and to keep writing and writing and writing. ONCE IS NOT ENOUGH!! Keep repeating the above statement until you are blue in the face.

    Now I'm going to make one more statement to all of you younger people out there who are not yet eligible for TRICARE for Life. HEALTH CARE WILL EVENTUALLY BECOME THE DOMINATING FACTOR IN YOUR LIFE.

    Remember that . . . it will impact you big time with the utmost in cruelty
    unless you are fortunate enough to die from a heart attack or get run
    over by a truck.

    The service organizations will put up a fight, but, they will need your help and can't do it by themselves. I hope this makes it clear as to what you can expect if you do nothing.

    To show you how stupid these professionals can be at times just read the data on the noted sites closely. You will see that in spite of the MTFs (Military Treatment Facility) need to get patients back to keep their doctors busy and the hospitals from going to clinic status, these people from OMB would employ a means to keep retirees from using MTF facilities by charging them a fee for services. How dumb can you get.

    Even if you are an Obama fan, and believe that changeth cometh, TFL option from OMB will not go away. They need the money they spend on you for other programs for people who produce nothing but vote to keep their boss in office. If you know of anyone who is Retired Military, please forward this on to them.


    Remember- TFL is an "Earned Benefit" that's been granted by a previous Congress.
     
  2. Oct 24, 2009 at 8:44 PM
    #2
    DadsToy

    DadsToy Active Member

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    Did you look at the date of this Budget?

    This was defeated in hearings in January and I am sure it will come up again, but not for a while.

    The emails were a scare tactic used to get everyone up for the fight that never really happend.

    Our lobbies, DAV, MOAA, and several others did their jobs.
     
  3. Oct 25, 2009 at 6:22 AM
    #3
    Brunes

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    +1- This came up a while ago...and isn't a problem for at least another year. Important to keep tabs on it...timely tabs...because it is a pretty contested benefit for military retirees.
     
  4. Oct 25, 2009 at 6:40 AM
    #4
    ImpulseRed008

    ImpulseRed008 [OP] Gone But Not Forgotten

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    It was emailed to me the other day - I did not look at the date on the budget. :eek: Definately have to keep an eye on it. Thanks
     
  5. Oct 25, 2009 at 6:57 AM
    #5
    fibertop

    fibertop Well-Known Member

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    We are so lucky in Canada. Free healthcare and no issues of any kind. No stress, no worrying about copays or deductables or supplimental coverage etc. We might have some minor wait time issues but most of us never even think about health coverage. it's our right. And just never having to think about it or worry about not having coverage is the best part.
     
  6. Oct 25, 2009 at 7:08 AM
    #6
    Brunes

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    Free is kinda relative....Tax rates upwards of 19% for even the most mininal earners and potentially nearly 50% sounds like a lot of money to me. Specially if you are a healthy, non-smoking, non- accident prone individual.
    And then there is a 5-10% Goods and Services Tax...

    All relative...

    And as far as not "thinking about coverage"...Any time you get involved in gov't-You are "thinking" about it. I'd rather think and worry about it for myself than take what the gov't hands me.
     
  7. Oct 25, 2009 at 7:14 AM
    #7
    fibertop

    fibertop Well-Known Member

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    Not sure where you get your figures from but GST is 5% nationwide. You have to make over $80,000.00 to be anywhere near a 50% tax bracket and even then there are many deductions. True, the money has to come from somewhere to pay for healthcare but everybody pays taxes. My point is that we don't have to think or worry about it. We have a right to it.
     
  8. Oct 25, 2009 at 7:27 AM
    #8
    jeremiekc

    jeremiekc Well-Known Member

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    Thanks Susan, I never read that stuff and only really pay attention to stuff that is either on here or that the wife says to read it. It might be old but if they have brought it up once they will bring it up again.
     
  9. Oct 25, 2009 at 7:48 AM
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    Brunes

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    You are correct GST is 5% and then you might pay anywhere from 0-10% province sales tax.... Either way- 5% to 15% on most purchases is nothing compared to the income taxes you pay.

    Everyone does pay taxes....and your taxes pay for other peoples care. I do make nearly 80K and would rather spend my money on my choices and pay less taxes.

    And I still stick by what I said before- It's NOT free. You pay...and you pay ALOT...for it.
     
  10. Oct 25, 2009 at 7:52 AM
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    ImpulseRed008

    ImpulseRed008 [OP] Gone But Not Forgotten

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    Yeah, anything to do with the military is constantly on the chopping block... I feel I earned all my benefits... all the "games", pcs's, tdy's, time away from my family, etc... I don't get free health care because I'm too lazy to get off my rear end and get a job.
     
  11. Oct 25, 2009 at 7:57 AM
    #11
    fibertop

    fibertop Well-Known Member

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    Sorry, I wasn't intending to get into a healthcare debate. I only thought that instead of giving billions to insurance company profits, we put it all towards a non-profit system and not having to worry about it is gold!!! We have a thriving economy with only 35 million for a tax base yet we make it work and few of us really complain about pay nprovincial or goods and services taxes. We get a bargain and you don't hear us complain.
     
  12. Oct 25, 2009 at 12:05 PM
    #12
    The_Hodge

    The_Hodge Volunteer Moderator

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    Seeing the third gen section forced me to get a Ford...
    you must not watch fox news, b/c the only people that say they like canadian healthcare were paid off by michael moore to be in 'sicko'
     
  13. Oct 25, 2009 at 12:56 PM
    #13
    fibertop

    fibertop Well-Known Member

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    I hear ya. Thanks for your comments.
     

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