Military Officer - January 2008 - (Page 36) washingtonscene transition initiative. We’re pleased by this and urge both departments to move expeditiously to fielding the single physical for all separating troops as soon as possible. In the end, government leaders of both parties and both branches of government have an obligation to get past the politics and get the nation’s business done — on the various appropriations bills and the crucial Medicare/ TRICARE payment issue. MOAA would prefer a longer-term fix on doctor payments, but the only truly essential thing at this eleventh hour is to get something done to reverse the cuts before the end of the year. Older Americans and military beneficiaries deserve better than this annual threat of budget-driven cuts that would deter more doctors from seeing them. Medicare/ TRICARE Fix Delayed Likely fix is only temporary. A ll members of Congress agree they need to act to stop the 9.9percent cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors that current law will impose as of Jan. 1. But as usual, they’re not all on the same page. As of late November, Democratic leaders wanted a two-year fix. Republican leaders wanted a one-year fix. A oneyear fix is cheaper and doesn’t require as many painful budget trade-offs, but it also would mean facing the same problem at the end of 2008. Unfortunately, however, if a deal is worked out — assuming one is — it won’t have come until shortly before Christmas. That’s because the continuing appropriations arguments between Congress and the administration delayed almost all of the year’s most important funding decisions until the very end of the year. In November, the most likely scenario was that most of the appropriations bills (other than Defense and perhaps the VA bill, as noted previously) would be wrapped into some kind of year-end omnibus appropriations bill that also would include the Medicare/TRICARE payment fix. But the president had threatened to veto any such omnibus package. One option being considered by congressional leaders was simply to split the difference with the president on all of the various disputed funding levels. Meet MOAA’s New Lobbyist Dunlap fights for families. W e’re pleased to announce Joy Dunlap assumed duties in November as MOAA’s deputy director for Military Family Issues. Dunlap has a degree in journalism and has led a varied 25-year career in journalism and marketing, including service as a vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters. She previously served on the MOAA President’s Currently Serving Spouse Advisory Council, where she demonstrated expertise on military family issues. She also is the creator of an independent electronic newsletter with hundreds of military spouse subscribers. Dunlap is a 24-year Air Force spouse, and her husband currently serves on active duty at the Pentagon. MOAA is most pleased to welcome her to the Government Relations team. 36 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2008
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.