SecDef Esper said to be eyeing $2.2B cut to military health
Politico has everyone all concerned that our active military folks will be without health care, that the sudden inrush of military personnel into civilian medical providers will have all civilian’s quality of care go down, and will set the country on a path of doom for the next pandemic.
Secretary of Defense Esper, who President Trump recently said he’s considered firing (to be fair, Trump also said he “considers firing everybody“), has been on a cost savings crusade. His mandates have been to find places to cut bureaucracy and wasteful spending. Part of this review has undertaken a review of the military healthcare system.
Politico cites one defense department official,
the cuts will be “conditions-based and will only be implemented to the extent that the [military health system] can continue to maintain our beneficiaries access to quality care, be it through our military health care facilities or with our civilian health care provider partners.”
Forget that little tidbit though because they then go on a wild ride of speculation, conjecture, and Chicken Little predictions that make it seem like active duty military will receive subpar care in the future.
If I had been consulted, which I wasn’t in an epic lapse of judgement on the DoD’s part, I’d have suggested that the department could save at least twice that $2.2B amount if their doctors didn’t prescribe Motrin for everything on the first three visits for a condition.
Read the article here; Politico
Category: "Your Tax Dollars At Work", Military issues, Reality Check
Late breaking news. After writing the article last night and scheduling it, President Trump tweeted that he’s rejected this proposal.
https://thehill.com/policy/defense/512449-trump-says-he-has-rejected-pentagon-proposal-to-slash-military-health-care
Thanks, AW1Ed for the tip.
Motrin when you’re vomiting after every meal – yeah, that works well.
Gee whiz, sounds like sick call all over again. Flashback!!!!
Get some ‘tussin and rub it in…tussin fixes everything!
Every July-August, we started putting together our end-of-the-year-spending-wishlist. This was so when September rolled around and we were told how much more money we would get from higher to blow before the end of the FY we would stand ready. The frenzy would begin! And then it would be slow down and money shifted around AND THEN WE’D GET MORE!! What a freaking mess. Never was this said, “Sir! I just saved us 1.9 million dollars from our budget!!” Or if that was said, the response would be, “You fool! Spend that is fast as you can!!”
The financial calendar system in the US Government is a great deal of the problem.
Of course to fix that, you would the need people who benefit from the system to change it so they don’t get so many of those benefits. That seems unlikely to happen any time soon.
That practice has been going on for a very long time. It was so bad some time in the mid 90’s that another section provided my section with a bunch of stuff I actually needed but could not get while they for reals needed nothing but HAD to spend the money.
Silly games to justify not having the budget cut the followng year.
The 16 August 2020 Politico article that Mason posted for this topic had a comment section in it. Alot of folks sandblasted President Trump on the initial story:
“Esper Eyes $2.2 Billion Cut To Military Health Care”
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/16/esper-eyes-22-billion-cut-military-health-care-395578
Fast forward, a day later, 17 August 2020 to Politico on President Trump rejecting Esper’s recommendations. President Trump tweeted:
“The proposal by Pentagon officials to slash Military Healthcare by $2.2 billion dollars has been firmly and totally rejected by me. We will do nothing to hurt our great Military professionals & heroes as long as I am your President. Thank you!”
“Trump Rejects Pentagon’s Proposed Cuts To Military Health Care”
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/17/trump-rejects-pentagons-proposed-cuts-to-military-health-care-397526
Hmmm…there is no comment section in this recent Politico artcle.
Durn.
Was curious to see if more folks were going to sandblast President Trump in the updated article but this time, because he REJECTED Esper’s proposal.
See where I am going with this?
If President Trump said the sky was Blue, Trump Haters would argue the sky was Blue mixed with White clouds and that Trump is a racist and trying to divide our nation and is prejudiced against White clouds.
If President Trump said the sky was Blue mixed with White clouds, Trump Haters would say he is trying to divide the nation by being racist because he refuses to acknowledge that an ALL Blue skies MINUS those White clouds is what matters, and that he is prejudiced against Blue skies.
As famously stated, President Trump could find a cure for cancer, but in the minds of Trump Haters, Orange Man Is Bad.
Did I make your head hurt?
😉😎
It’s what they’ve done masterfully with the COVID response. Trump institutes a travel ban, they call him racist, and Pelosi goes to Chinatown and invites you to hug some Chinese people.
A month later, Trump didn’t do enough to combat the Chinese Virus early on.
The MSM doesn’t challenge anyone on it. They just let Pelosi, Schumer, Clyburn, and Biden spout lie after lie.
Mason,
You NAILED it…
😉😎👍👍👌👌👏👏
IMHO the mainstream media has been a propaganda apparatus for the DNC for decades, I remember their tirades against Ronald Reagan when he was President!
Good call on the Motrin.
Take a few, drink some water, take a knee.
Repeat as needed.
And change your socks.
Make sure that you use foot powder as well!
Motrin? Drink lots of water? Change your socks? Use foot powder?
Well, if one does not wear a mask (inside, outside, even in Space), then WE-ARE-DOOMED!
Does not matter if we wash our hands or distance ourselves or cover our mouths when we sneeze or cough…
It’s all about wearing a mask!
Cuz if we don’t, we are gonna die!
*Thus Endeth a Baby Boomer Sarcastic Comment of The Day*
😉😎
Wash your ass… you’ll feel like a new man!
The initial plan in our area was basically to close everything possible and dump everyone except active duty on the local medical network. Problem is, there is no way the local medical network can handle a dump of 21,000+ beneficiaries. Active duty would be seen in local base clinics but only for routine stuff. Anything else they go out in town. As of now we don’t know what’s going to happen.
Lame Stream Media; “Our Top Story for today…ORANGE MAN BAD! We will repeat this breaking news story every hour on the 1/4 of every hour. Stay tuned for further announcements. Film at 11.” “That is All.”
Odd how they think that the only politician that can save the country is one that has been a part of the problems of this country for 50 years and an admitted slut. Or would she actually be a prostitute, after all, prostitute are paid for their servicings? Asking for a friend.
KoB wrote:
“Lame Stream Media; “Our Top Story for today…ORANGE MAN BAD! We will repeat this breaking news story every hour on the 1/4 of every hour. Stay tuned for further announcements. Film at 11.” “That is All.”
And it will continue from 2021 to 2025…
*See What I Did There?*
😉😉😉😁
hbtd/rtr/gabn
😀 😎 😛
rtr/hbtd/gabn
Okay, I admit it, when you become qualified as a medic or Corpsman you receive stock in the companies that make Motrin. The more you dispense the more you make… I wish this was true. Don’t mess with the military’s healthcare system FFS, every time they try to “fix” something they break it worse than it was in the first place.