Military Officer - July 2007 - (Page 33)

washingtonscene are for Social Security and other federal annuities, and authorizing retroactive payment of Traumatic Injury Insurance for injuries incurred in a combat zone since Oct. 7, 2001 (rather than the current effective date of Nov. 30, 2005). TRICARE fee hikes — OMB said, “The administration is disappointed that the Committee language would not allow DoD to adjust TRICARE health care fees and payments for retired military beneﬁciaries under age 65.” Special survivor indemnity allowance — Trouble Finding a TRICARE Provider? ■ MOAA is conducting a survey to identify areas where beneficiaries have trouble finding doctors who will accept TRICARE or Medicare. We want to hear your experience with participation of specialists as well as primary care providers. Please take the survey at www.moaa.org /tricaresurvey. Ask your TRICARE-eligible friends to do the same. White House Fights Upgrades Budget Ofﬁce calls extra pay raise “unnecessary.” “The administration opposes” the Houseproposed $40-a-month payment to survivors of servicemembers whose deaths were caused by military service. “It appears to be the ﬁrst step toward eliminating the offset between SBP and DIC,” said OMB. MOAA certainly hopes so. Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) — The administration “strongly O n May 16, the White House Ofﬁce of Management and Budget (OMB) ﬁred off a letter to Congress expressing displeasure with pay and beneﬁt upgrades in the House version of the FY 2008 Defense Authorization Act. Here’s what OMB had to say: Military pay raise — The administration “strongly opposes” providing active duty, Guard, and Reserve personnel an extra one-half percentage point pay raise each year from 2008 through 2012, calling this small increase “unnecessary.” opposes” extending CRSC eligibility to servicemembers who are forced into medical retirement by severe combatcaused injuries before attaining 20 years of service. MOAA has a hard time understanding this refusal to “vest” serviceearned retired pay when war wounds bar continued service. OMB consistently has opposed most signiﬁcant compensation enhancements in recent years. Fortunately, Congress has displayed far more sensitivity and common sense than OMB has. MOAA Pushes Transition Fixes MOAA urges panel to improve war-wounded services. A MOAA’s Col. Bob Norton, USA-Ret., testified before the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Wounded Warriors at a hearing in late April. PHOTO: TOM KOCHEL mong many government task forces looking into problems at Walter Reed Army Medical Center (WRAMC), Washington, D.C., the President’s Commission on Care for America’s Wounded Warriors is likely to have the most impact. It’s been tasked to conduct a comprehensive review of returning servicemembers’ care from the time they leave the battleﬁeld through [CONTINUES ON PAGE 36] J U LY 2 0 0 7 MILITARY OFFICER 33 http://www.moaa.org/tricaresurvey http://www.moaa.org/tricaresurvey

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - July 2007

Military Officer - July 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: In Focus After the Kim Dynasty Animal House Paying Tribute MOAA Member Services Pages of History Faces of MOAA Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - July 2007

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