The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched. The proposal is causing a major rift within the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials. Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges.

The disparity in treatment between civilian and uniformed personnel is causing a backlash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.

The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.

Under the new plan, the Pentagon would get the bulk of its savings by targeting under-65 and Medicare-eligible military retirees through a tiered increase in annual Tricare premiums that will be based on yearly retirement pay.

Significantly, the plan calls for increases between 30 percent to 78 percent in Tricare annual premiums for the first year. After that, the plan will impose five-year increases ranging from 94 percent to 345 percent—more than 3 times current levels.

According to congressional assessments, a retired Army colonel with a family currently paying $460 a year for health care will pay $2,048.

The new plan hits active duty personnel by increasing co-payments for pharmaceuticals and eliminating incentives for using generic drugs.

The changes are worrying some in the Pentagon who fear it will severely impact efforts to recruit and maintain a high-quality all-volunteer military force. Such benefits have been a key tool for recruiting qualified people and keeping them in uniform.

http://freebeacon.com/trashing-tricare/


wtf is this? forced to pay for your own rx's as active duty?

 

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Everyone wants to eff Federal Employees. No one seems to understand the biggest federal employer is the DoD.

 

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I'll believe it when i see it come from a valid news source.

 

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Won't the free market take care of this and offer cheaper health care for them? Rising costs creates incentive for private companies to swoop in to take business.

Sounds like Obama likes the free market.

 

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army times good enough for you?

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/09/military-tricare-benefits-cuts-obama-091911w/

 

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The second article actually makes more sense and doesnt claim half the stuff the first one does (for example, the AT one doesnt say that the amount the servicemember will pay for Tricare is going to go up, whereas the first article does).

Some of those changes have already been implemented recently, i think. I know my co-pays just went up, and that a $25 co-pay for a non-formulary drug has definitely been put on because i pay $25 for my Latuda and that is non-formulary.

 

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Those 2 articles are like night and day. Still hard to know what the actual specifics are, but it's dumb when you use blogs like the one in the OP to get the facts.

 

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Obama’s proposal would raise fees to match the BlueCross BlueShield Standard plan for federal employees.


OMG OMG OMG OBAMA SHOULD BE IMPEACHED!!!!!


The military is sacred cow which should have been slaughtered a long time ago.

It is driving this country into the poorhouse.

 

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From the second article: The White House fact sheet says the administration “supports a generous health care benefit” but says co-payments for military beneficiaries “have lagged behind other federal and private plans.”

Yeah well guess what? The amount you pay military members has also "lagged behind" what federal and private employees make. Military gets paid peanuts compared to federal employees, don't have the option of quitting anytime they want, and put their lives on the line for the rest of us who would rather not.

I'll support this when the pay level for all military members can actually compare to private sector employees. When you figure in the hours they work and the job they have to do, even when factoring in the benefits- it still sucks.

 

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Many military members tolerate the pay inequality for the medical benefits. Over time, it is a valuable benefit and has long been a big reason for completing a career. Changing the rules, especially if they have no intention of grandfathering, will absolutely be felt as members leave the service in search of better options and recruiting takes a hit as a career loses much of its luster.

 

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