Military Officer - March 2006 - (Page 27)

washingtonscene The administration has enlisted the Joint Chiefs in an effort to triple military retiree health fees. Your help is needed. Mail in the cover postcards now, before Congress acts in March. L E G I S L AT I V E N E W S T H AT A F F E C T S Y O U ‘Health Tax’ Looms L ast month, we told you the for retirees from civilian employers. administration is planning to ■ There has been no change in retiree propose dramatic increases in health fees since 1995. TRICARE enrollment fees, de■ As private-sector employers have cut ductibles, and copayments for back on health beneﬁts, more retirees are retired servicemembers under age 65 and migrating to TRICARE. The share of resteep retail pharmacy fee increases for tirees using TRICARE has increased from all beneﬁciaries (see chart, 66 percent to 78 percent in page 28). MOAA strongly the last four years and is exopposes this unfair proposal. pected to continue rising. Putting Now, the Joint Chiefs of ■ Defense pharmacy costs the Joint Staff have endorsed their have tripled since Congress Chiefs in political leaders’ plans to expanded pharmacy benthe position eﬁts to Medicare-eligible double or triple retiree health care fees because the retirees in 2001. of having MOAA’s director of Govadministration has told to choose ernment Relations, Col. them that’s the only way between Steve Strobridge, USAFthey’ll get money needed for people and Ret., responded that comweapons systems. Putting the Joint Chiefs in the posiweapons is parison of military versus tion of having to choose becivilian health costs ignores just plain tween people and weapons some critical points. Miliwrong. tary retirement beneﬁts are is just plain wrong. the only offset provided for Dr. William Winkenthe unique and extraordiwerder, assistant secretary nary demands inherent in a 20- to 30-year of Defense (Health Affairs), met with military career. Military retirees have paid The Military Coalition, including several MOAA representatives, in early January far greater premiums than civilians; it’s to explain why DoD wants to triple or quajust that they paid most of them in service druple TRICARE fees for retired beneﬁand sacriﬁce rather than in cash. ciaries. His arguments: Further, he said, the Pentagon should ■ Military health care beneﬁts are “exbe asking Congress for a bigger defense tremely rich” and consume funding need- budget to pay for the needed beneﬁt imed for other defense programs. Military provements Congress has enacted rather retirees pay an average of $680 in out-ofthan seeking to fund those other defense pocket health costs a year, versus $3,700 needs out of retirees’ pockets. MARCH 2006 Protect Your Health Benefits ■ Sign, stamp, and mail the postcards on the cover of this magazine. ■ Follow up on that mailing by using MOAA’s tollfree hot line to Capitol Hill, (866) 272-6622. Ask to be connected to your legislator’s offices and tell them you want them to reject health fee increases for military retirees. MILITARY OFFICER 27

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - March 2006

Military Officer - March 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Call For Board Nominations Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum MOAA Member Services Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Live It Up! Top Picks On the Road Again Destination: Arizona By the Numbers Cover Story: One Clean Shot From Combat to Congress Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - March 2006

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