Military Officer - March 2008 - (Page 34) washingtonscene vices committees have put off action for two years awaiting the task force report and likely will be looking to address the fee issue in law this year. They’ll either propose fee increases, or they’ll support what MOAA and TMC have proposed. Specifically, Congress should: ■ take back most of the discretionary authority the law now allows the secretary of Defense to set military health fees; ■ state in law that military retirement and health care benefits are the primary offset to the adverse conditions of service and play a key role in career retention; ■ state in law that servicemembers’ decades of service and sacrifice constitute a substantial prepaid premium for their lifetime health care benefits; and ■ specify that, at a maximum, fees should not be increased in any year by a percentage that exceeds the percentage increase in military compensation. Your help is needed now. The cover of this magazine includes four tear-off postcards so you can express your views to your legislators. Please sign, stamp, and mail these postcards today. (Note: One of the cards is for a spouse or friend to sign. If you have provided MOAA your spouse’s name, we’ve preprinted his or her return address on the card.) You can lend extra “punch” to your input with a hand-written PS expressing how important it is to you personally that Congress avoid imposing these unfair fee increases. Veto Delays Defense Bill Surprise setback delays pay raise. T Task Force Rx Fees Higher Than Most Civilian Plans The DoD Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care has proposed substantial copayment increases in most copayments for TRICARE-covered medications. If implemented, TRICARE beneficiaries would pay more for medications than required by most civilian plans. Task force-proposed charge for generic drugs exceeds 87 percent of civilian plans’ charges, 45 percent for preferred brand-name drugs, and 68 percent for non-preferred brand-name. Comparisons shown below are for retail purchases. Generic Preferred brand-name Non-preferred brand-name Prescription Drug Plans DoD task force proposal MOAA employee plan ABP* SAMBA-high* $15 $10 $5 $10 $25 $20 $25 $25 $45 $35 $45 $40 *Two options under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program Source: HayGroup 2007 Benefits Prevalence Report he president unexpectedly vetoed the FY 2008 Defense Authorization Act just after Christmas when White House lawyers discovered a provision that could have allowed lawsuits against the assets of Iraq for the crimes of Saddam Hussein. The veto reflected the president’s belief that the current Iraq government needs all of its assets and shouldn’t be held responsible for the crimes of the previous regime. The veto effectively interrupted certain compensation improvements as of Jan. 1, but most new initiatives were unaffected. The House and the Senate promptly repassed a new defense bill with the offending provision altered when they reconvened in mid-January, quelling earlier debate about whether the veto would spark a new round of political fighting. How did the monthlong delay in signing the defense bill affect military people? Active duty, Guard, and Reserve troops saw a 3-percent pay raise — rather than 3.5 percent — in their first 2008 paychecks. The good news is as soon as the new legislation was signed Jan. 28, they got the extra 0.5 percent, retroactive to Jan. 1. Unfortunately, Guard and Reserve members on active duty contingency or- 34 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2008
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