Tricare to Obamacare
Remember back in 2009, the Obama Administration tried to force service-connected injured veterans to buy insurance that would reimburse Tricare? The only thing that stopped the cockeyed plan in 2009 was the Veterans’ Service Organizations who, led by Dave Rehbein, the national commander of the American Legion, marched into the Oval Office and laid down the law to Obama and his staff (speaking figuratively). They quickly backed off. But just for a few years, apparently. According to Bill Gertz at the Washington Beacon, reports what I’ve been saying for years – Obama and his Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel are trashing Tricare so veterans will be forced in Obamacare;
The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.
Many in Congress are opposing the proposed changes, which would require the passage of new legislation before being put in place.
“We shouldn’t ask our military to pay our bills when we aren’t willing to impose a similar hardship on the rest of the population,” Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee and a Republican from California, said in a statement to the Washington Free Beacon. “We can’t keep asking those who have given so much to give that much more.”
Administration officials told Congress that one goal of the increased fees is to force military retirees to reduce their involvement in Tricare and eventually opt out of the program in favor of alternatives established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
Yeah, but we’re not balancing the budget on the backs of veterans – I remember when Obama made that promise to the American Legion Convention. But there it is. So who is marching into the Oval Office this time? Anyone?
Category: Barack Obama/Joe Biden, Veteran Health Care
I’m sure that the administration will explain how nuanced the phrase was about not balancing the budget on the backs of veterans and how those veterans should be grateful that they don’t have that awful Tricare anymore.
“I remember when Obama made that promise to the American Legion Convention”
Yeah, Jonn, but now that Obama is a proven liar that is continuing to lie, there’s no way you can look at that statement and determine anything other than it’s another lie. Of course, you and I discussed it at the time and I said, then, that he was lying his ass off.
The Lying Liar Obama…August 2011 Address at American Legion Convention
“Let me say something else about the VA funding you depend on. As a nation, we’re facing tough choices as we put our fiscal house in order. But I want to be absolutely clear—we cannot, and we must not, balance the budget on the backs of our veterans. And as Commander in Chief, I won’t allow it.”
[…]
“At the same time, our outstanding VA Secretary, Ric Shinseki, is working every day to build a 21st century VA. […] So this is going to remain a priority. We’re going to keep hiring new claims processors, keep investing in new paperless systems and keep moving ahead with our innovation competition in which our dedicated VA employees are developing new ways to process your claims faster—not in months, but days. The bottom line is this—your claims need to be processed quickly and accurately, the first time. And we’re not going to rest until we get this done.”
“I can call you a MEDEVAC, but you’re going to have to show proof of insurance and pay the deductible up front before they let you on the bird.”
“Can you tell them I’m an illegal alien? That way they have to treat me for free.”
“No problemo.”
That is an old article from last year. Thanks to the efforts of Groups like the American Legion, VFW, and AUSAA they didn’t succeed in implementing the tier payment plan but what they did do is to kick us off TRICARE Prime and into Standard which in itself is a rate increase.
He wasn’t lying when he said that. He didn’t make any promises about not screwing veterans for ideological reasons or over for the hell of it, just that he wouldn’t balance the budget on our backs. And clearly he has no plans to balance the budget at all, on veterans’ backs or otherwise.
I am honestly surprised that Tricare Reserve Select, the program that covers weekend Guard and Reserve soldiers and families, is still available. Think about it-there are 200,000 healthier than average people that the White House desperately need in the ACA exchanges to make the numbers work.
yes, an old article, and we’re okay for now (unless you’re one of the 100K+ who were cancelled from prime).
http://www.military.com/benefits/2013/05/23/house-panel-rejects-pay-cap-most-tricare-hikes.html
Tricare and other benefits will continue to be a target of this administration. Join a VSO!
There is one easy way to make up some of the $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017: STOP radinig the Tricare surplus for other projects.
And so much for “if you like your health insurance you can keep it”…
-Ish
We’re not balancing the budget at all – on the backs of veterans or otherwise.
“balancing the budget” that’s some funny sh1t right there, that is…
Hosing veterans? By a liberal, inexperienced president with no DC insider abilities, sounds like a re-run from 1977-1981….
@ 11, don’t remind me; those were tough times – long wait times for repair parts, hangar queens, little training $$$, and crap facilities/food. Deja vu, anyone?
They don’t need no stinking law passed. King Barack the Destroyer can just issue a fatwa, edict, ukase, whatever.
Man I swear…. everyday this president gives me a new reason to shout “That fucking piece of Shit!!” without repeating myself…
Not to be an asshole or anything, but I only make $11/hr in my civilian job, and I have Tricare Reserve Select, so a certain person in a certain colored house can **** my **** if he thinks I can afford or will even pay for anything other than tricare.
I’m a recently retired MSC who worked at both TMA for 6 of the past 10 years. You can take it to the bank that every Flag and SES will gladly hand off retirees and family members to the Obama Exchanges. The Administration thinks Tricare should cost the retirees between $7-15K per year, depending on rank and length of service. As a retired O-5 with 36 years, my premium would be in the range of $11k per year until I hit 65.
This WILL happen unless there’s a concerted effort by the VSO’s like The American Legion, MOAA and the like to muster enough political pressure on Congress to stop it.
The sad thing is there’s going to plenty of voters who think this is a good idea.
When I retired I never even bothered to sign up for TriCare. My friends thought I was nuts, but I told them then that we’d never get to keep TriCare. “it’ll be gone in 10 years”, I said. It took a little longer, but it’s going to go, and you can thank the ones who voted for the pack of greedy liars we have currently “serving” in both parties in congress. Wake up guys, they don’t care about anyone but themselves.
TwoFiveZulu; you and I have been thinking the same for quite some time now. I haven’t forgotten how my VA Disability Compensation was taken from my retired pay, then handed back to me like the VA was doing me a favor. These clowns have been SCREWING the GI for years. Different day, and different CLOWNS doing the same thing; over and over again!
Here’s an insurance blogspot that you can go to, in case anyone needs a bit of anger management therapy.
http://insureblog.blogspot.com/2013/11/ddos-attack-on-obamatax-site.html
I think you’ll find it worth your time.
Administration officials told Congress that one goal of the increased fees is to force military retirees to reduce their involvement in Tricare and eventually opt out of the program in favor of alternatives established by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare.
REALLY?!?!?! Congress can kiss my fat white ass, I was forced out of a job I loved with no hope of getting into the civilian equivilant due to the nature of my injuries. So my family and I will continue to use TRICARE till the day I die because I was MEDICALLY RETIRED! SUCK DEEZ NUTZ DC, I’m taking what I EARNED. You wanna make cuts, start the GD slackers that collect welfare and don’t work, don’t punish my ass for serving my country and getting hurt in the process.
fuck that mother fucker
“self funding” my 30% disability already (concurrent receipt crock of shit). So am I surprised he’s trying to steal more money from me ? Fuck no I’m not and I’ll say it again FUCK that MOTHER FUCKER and all those other liberal FUCK Democrats .