Military Officer - December 2006 - (Page 40)

washingtonscene 250,000 tear-off postcards from the April (TRICARE) and September (Survivor Beneﬁt Plan) issues. Also, 6,000 phone calls were placed through MOAA’s toll-free Capitol Hill hot line. What were the hottest topics this year? Here’s the breakdown of the most popular e-mail messages: ■ 127,000 opposing TRICARE fee increases; ■ 64,000 pushing SBP ﬁxes; ■ 56,000 opposing Medicare/TRICARE payment cuts; ■ 53,000 supporting concurrent receipt; ■ 38,000 supporting active duty program improvements; and ■ 33,000 supporting Guard and Reserve program ﬁxes. expense of disabled veterans. He highlighted potential inequities for veterans whose disabilities worsened in the future and the difﬁculty and expense of building administrative systems to consider such appeals. After hearing the testimony, the commissioners unanimously agreed to table consideration of a lump-sum, buyout plan. The commission then turned to consider line-of-duty rules, concurrent receipt, and characters of discharge. Concurrent receipt generated the most animated crosstalk. The four preliminary endorsement options the commission plans to address include: ■ the current tiered approach; ■ an offset of military retired pay by VA disability compensation; ■ full concurrent receipt of both military retirement and VA disability compensation; ■ expansion of Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay to include 10-percent to 40-percent disabled retirees. MOAA’s Col. Mike Hayden, USAF-Ret., noted that there might be some uncertainty about what is considered full concurrent receipt and urged the commissioners to ensure they consider an option that vests earned retired pay for Chapter 61 retirees who are forced into medical retirement before attaining 20 years of service. Commission Hears Disability Inputs MOAA urges inclusion of disability retirees with less than 20 years of service. A t an Oct. 19 Veterans’ Disability Beneﬁts Commission hearing, MOAA and other military and veterans’ organizations joined in opposing the concept of offering disabled veterans a single lump-sum payment rather than monthly disability compensation. The commission asked for association input regarding a draft report on this subject by the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA). CNA’s draft report explored the advantages and disadvantages of a lump-sum program for veterans and the VA and raised its own questions about the idea’s practicality. Joseph Violante, legislative director for Disabled American Veterans, expressing the joint input of a group of associations (including MOAA), said any savings to the government would necessarily come at the Are Legislators Getting Your E-mails? Study says yes, but many others are being blocked. S everal members who have used MOAA’s e-mail alerts reported receiving replies indicating their legislator only accepts e-mails sent through the legislator’s own Web site. They questioned whether the MOAA-generated alert messages were actually getting through. 40 MILITARY OFFICER DECEMBER 2006

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

From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: How to Fund the Future Martial Lore Good Night, Sleep Tight Mixed Review Information Exchange Advertising Index Member Books MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services

Military Officer - December 2006

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