Article

2006-01-05 Home Front: WoT

Joint Chiefs To Back Higher TRICARE Fees

The Joint Chiefs of Staff will endorse a Defense Department plan to raise TRICARE fees sharply over the next three years for under-65 retirees and their families, senior military officers said.

That really cheeses me off. One of the big reasons many of us hung around for 20 was so we wouldn't have to worry about healthcare costs.

The chiefs are doing so because they're alarmed that soaring health care costs are crimping dollars for higher-priority programs, the officers said. One officer described a likely scenario, early in 2006, of the nation's top military leaders sitting shoulder to shoulder before Congress' armed services committees, testifying that medical costs were now a critical readiness issue.

Most of the doctors we see are contract civilian doctors, not military doctors.

Higher TRICARE fees for younger retirees also will be endorsed in the Quadrennial Defense Review report. The chiefs are completing the report to propose a realignment of programs to meet future needs. The review's recommendations are expected to be unveiled in early February, when the Bush administration sends its 2007 defense budget request to Congress. The "24-star" endorsement is a reference to the six four-star officers who make up the Joint Chiefs: the chairman, the vice chairman and the top officers of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps. The endorsement is seen as necessary to persuade Congress to accept the first TRICARE fee increases in a decade - then help insulate supportive lawmakers from the wrath of angry retirees.

They'll feel my wrath, by golly...

As first reported here, defense officials want annual enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime, the military's managed-care plan, to more than triple by October 2008 for working-age retired officers. They would go from $230 for an individual - and $460 for family coverage - to $750 and $1,500, respectively. The fees would double - to $450 and $900, respectively - for under-65 enlisted retirees. Retirees who use TRICARE Standard, the military's traditional fee-for-service health insurance, would also see their annual deductibles raised. They also would pay - for the first time - an annual enrollment fee. Beyond 2008, all TRICARE fees and co-payments would be indexed to medical inflation.

I know the fees are reasonable from a civilian point of view, but when compared to the expectation of military healthcare for life at no out of pocket cost they're pretty high.

TRICARE retail pharmacy co-payments also would be raised, which would be the only change to also affect Medicare-eligible retirees. The goal would be to discourage purchase of maintenance medicines through the more expensive retail network by increasing the $3 co-payment for generic drugs to $5 - while offering free generic drugs for mail orders. The current $9 co-pay for brand name drugs would jump to $15 by retail and $10 by mail order. Officials assume a 14 percent shift of TRICARE retail users to base pharmacies or into the mail-order program.

Posted by Besoeker 2006-01-05 16:12|| || Front Page|| [11134 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The chiefs are doing so because they're alarmed that soaring health care costs

Don't suppose "soaring costs" would have anything at all to do with the federal gov'mnt mandate to treat everybody that walks through the door of a hospital, no matter if they have money, insurance, citizenship or not. A mandate that has essentially turned hospital emergency rooms into free clinics?

"Look Ben, recruitment be up - slip this one in NOW!"

Posted by Besoeker 2006-01-05 16:37|| 2006-01-05 16:37|| Front Page Top

#2 While I am NEVER happy about paying more money for anything, I was halfway expecting some sort of hike. I didn't quite expect that big of a hike and it will be a little painful. Luckily I have some other option at work and will explore those.

Posted by Cyber Sarge">Cyber Sarge 2006-01-05 18:59|| 2006-01-05 18:59|| Front Page Top

#3 Part of the problem is the Hollywood bookkeeping the government does. The Pentagon is charged with the cost on their books even though it is retirement. Retiree support is an obligation, one done by contract between two parties which are operating with honorable intentions, which we see now are not. The obligation only disappears when the government declares unilaterally that what it 'promised' is now null and void. I can certainly understand the active duty leadership being concerned as they see that they are being tagged with an obligation which by 2010 means that 70% of all health care costs will be spent upon retirees. That is nothing to sneeze about. However, it is really Congress' obligation for having run the system that way for years [just like Social Security]. The proverbal hens are just coming to roost sooner with TriCare. This will impact the 12 to 15 year service personnel who will be in the commit or get out time frame. They have to think about taking care of their families. Every year they delay getting out means they have to compete that much harder against someone who's work the company for years before them. It will certainly not be an incentive to stay. They need to start securing their families' medical insurance right then cause they see there is no 'promise' that will be upheld by the pols. After 10 years there is no service obligation, so once they're gone, they're not coming back. Hard to make up 12 years of experience. Once the threat slackens its going to be very hard to keep the good ones, but Congress would rather nickel and dime them to death but have lots of pork for the newspaper columns back home. Nothing changes.

Posted by Jeper Thravitle1348 2006-01-05 19:04|| 2006-01-05 19:04|| Front Page Top

#4 time to fire up the lawsuits re: the promise for free medical care for life.

Posted by 2b 2006-01-05 19:09|| 2006-01-05 19:09|| Front Page Top

#5 It may be time for another Veterans' March on Washington, to remind Congress and the bureaucracy that they made promises, and we expect them to keep them. Between having to wait a month for even a routine appointment, and having to pay so much out of pocked for seeing a doctor, prescriptions, and non-standard treatment, it's beginning to cost more and more every year. Perhaps the Congress should end some of THEIR benefits, if they expect us to accept higher costs for what was promised as free. A good oak "reminder" may help jog a few memories, starting with people like Byrd, Schumer, Kerry, Kennedy, Levin, and a bunch of other pork-snarfers.

Posted by Old Patriot">Old Patriot 2006-01-05 21:50|| http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/]">[http://oldpatriot.blogspot.com/] 2006-01-05 21:50|| Front Page Top

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