Military Officer - August 2006 - (Page 32)

washingtonscene for Medicare-eligibles in the same 2003 legislation. Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.) has introduced a bill (H.R. 5147) to repeal the means-testing provision. MOAA supports this legislation as a matter of principle but has to acknowledge that it seems to have no realistic chance of enactment, with only seven cosponsors as of late June. ■ is ineffective in following up to ensure continuing unemployability; ■ doesn’t reﬂect current technology, medicine, or the labor market; ■ is not as well-managed as Social Security Disability Insurance; and ■ makes the majority of awards to older veterans (79 percent of new awardees are age 60 or older; 19 percent are 75 or older). Many of these issues are expected to be addressed in the report of the Veterans Disability Beneﬁts Commission, which is due to Congress in fall 2007. MOAA thinks the IU system should be able to stand up to scrutiny. Where there are problems, they should be corrected. But MOAA is also concerned about the potential for misinterpreting and overreacting to such reports and using them as an excuse to tar the entire IU system and block beneﬁt ﬁxes that are fully justiﬁable and appropriate — such as the need to provide consistent treatment of IU ratings for purposes of concurrent receipt and combat-related special compensation. In that particular case, the GAO acknowledges that the numbers are relatively small — about 8 percent of the IU-eligible population. As for the age issue, let’s not oversimplify by thinking we should bar awards GAO Pans VA Report claims VA mismanages “unemployablity” decisions. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released May 30 criticizes the VA’s process of awarding and verifying “individual unemployability” (IU) ratings. The report, which continues the GAO’s long-standing reviews of VA and other federal disability programs, says the VA needs to improve criteria, guidance, and procedures concerning award and veriﬁcation of IU determinations. Speciﬁcally, the report says the VA’s IU process: ■ awards beneﬁts inconsistently, with poorly documented justiﬁcation; Medicare Part B Premium Increases Beginning in 2007 The 2003 law establishing the Medicare drug program also authorized income-graduated Part B premiums to be phased in over three years, starting in 2007. Below is an estimated projection of what the income-based premium rates could be over the next several years. FY ‘06 NEW Share of total Part B cost stays 25% 35% 50% 65% 80% FY ‘07 * (30% of the increase) FY ‘08 ** (67% of the increase) FY ‘09 ** (100% of the increase) Individual Less than $80,000 $80,000 - 100,000 $100,001 - 150,000 $150,001 - 200,000 More than $200,001 Married Couple Less than $160,000 $160,000 - 200,000 $200,001 - 300,000 $300,001 - 400,000 More than $400,001 $88.50 $88.50 $88.50 $88.50 $88.50 $98 $110 $127 $145 $163 $108 $137 $180 $224 $267 $118 $166 $236 $307 $378 * Medicare projection is that the basic premium will be $98.20 a person in 2007. ** Assumes $10 increase in basic premium for 2008 and 2009; actual increases may vary. Income levels apply for FY 2007 and will be increased annually for inﬂation. 32 MILITARY OFFICER AUGUST 2006

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

Military Officer - August 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Chapter Activities Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Changing of the Guard Four-Star Rating Long Term Care Kryptogram Pages of History Information Exchange MOAA Scholarship Donors Member Books Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - August 2006

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