ccheese
Member In Perpetuity
I don't like to start things that will end up "political" , but I am starting this one to nip something in the bud.
There is an email making the rounds from someone named Todd which talks about US military
retirees loosing their Tricare for Life benefits if the Health Care Reform goes through. His email says,
in part:
" We (retirees) would lose the Medicare for life benefit and would have to pay. We would lose TRICARE as a total care package. We would not be allowed to keep TRICARE so when Obama stands and says if you like what you have you can keep it, he lies. This is a "Heads Up" on a battle we are facing now and down the road with the new Administration. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has already drafted proposed legislation that would basically reduce our TRICARE for Life benefits to a system whereby we pay deductibles and co-pays up to $6,301 the first year for you and your spouse, with future years being indexed to increase with inflation."
Needless to say, Senator Jim Webb [D-Va.] got wind of it and a spokesman from his office replied with the following:
"Thank you for taking the time to allow me to comment on your e-mail on Tricare for Life that you forwarded to our office. I would greatly appreciate your forwarding my note to Mr. Todd and the original recipients on his email to avoid unnecessary alarm on their part.
I am Senator Webb's military legislative assistant. Unfortunately, for reasons I will explain, the Clements piece is still circulating on the Internet and continuing to cause unnecessary confusion and concern.
The truth is that the CBO's identification of alternatives for health care savings associated with Tricare for Life were not incorporated in any legislation or adopted in the health care bill (H. R. 3590) that the Senate is now considering. I have reviewed H.R. 3590 and find nothing in it that will adversely affect Tricare for Life.
I went so far as to reconfirm again today my understanding with professional staff on committee and MOAA! "
Having served 30-plus years in uniform, including a combat tour in Vietnam, you can be assured I have a personal as well as professional interest in Tricare! Tricare Standard is my health-care plan. Here are the facts regarding the many-months-old Clements commentary:
· Roughly a year ago, the Congressional Budget Office issued its latest one-volume health care report to the House and Senate Committees on the Budget. It presented 115 options for reducing federal spending on health care, altering federal health care programs, and making substantive changes to the nation's health insurance system. One option, number 96, addressed savings that could be achieved with an increase in out-of-pocket payment fees for TRICARE-for-life recipients. This alternative was provided for consideration; it was neither endorsed by the Obama administration nor any congressional committees. The CBO did not draft legislation regarding this option, contrary to allegations it had. The CBO's mission does not extend to drafting legislation.
· In May, the president of the National Association for Uniformed Service said he had been called by the White House to confirm that the president's FY10 budget would not include any TRICARE fee increases.
· No such provisions were included in the DOD FY10 budget request when it was forwarded to Congress in May. There are no such provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010 signed into law by the president in late October. In fact, the FY10 NDAA actually strengthens the TRICARE program in a number of important ways.
· An inaccurate column in the Washington Times Aug. 27 alleged that in September President Obama would sign into law radical cuts to the Tricare program. The column was in error. The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) subsequently reported that the column was removed from the Washington Times web site owing to its inaccuracies. MOAA said the column "… seriously misrepresented the facts of last December's CBO report on TRICARE and the Health Care Reform bill."
· The Air Force Association also has been hard at work to inform its membership that the concerns raised in the Clements commentary early this year are without basis.
Thanks again for taking the time to contact our office to seek confirmation. I recognize the challenge we all face attempting to evaluate the accuracy of information we receive day to day. All too often, unfortunately, I see examples of people taking e-mails at face value without obtaining independent confirmation. Those who have worn the cloth of our nation deserve to know the facts and not be troubled by spurious allegations.
I hope this information is helpful. You can be assured that as the son of a career Air Force officer, the father of a Marine infantryman, and a combat Marine veteran himself, Senator Webb fully appreciates the importance of Tricare to our active and retired service members and their families.
Should I learn anything more of relevance regarding Tricare for Life, I will inform you.
Sincerely,
Gordon Peterson
Military Legislative Assistant
Office of Senator Jim Webb
202 224 4024
I just want to stop this crap before it starts...
Charles
There is an email making the rounds from someone named Todd which talks about US military
retirees loosing their Tricare for Life benefits if the Health Care Reform goes through. His email says,
in part:
" We (retirees) would lose the Medicare for life benefit and would have to pay. We would lose TRICARE as a total care package. We would not be allowed to keep TRICARE so when Obama stands and says if you like what you have you can keep it, he lies. This is a "Heads Up" on a battle we are facing now and down the road with the new Administration. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has already drafted proposed legislation that would basically reduce our TRICARE for Life benefits to a system whereby we pay deductibles and co-pays up to $6,301 the first year for you and your spouse, with future years being indexed to increase with inflation."
Needless to say, Senator Jim Webb [D-Va.] got wind of it and a spokesman from his office replied with the following:
"Thank you for taking the time to allow me to comment on your e-mail on Tricare for Life that you forwarded to our office. I would greatly appreciate your forwarding my note to Mr. Todd and the original recipients on his email to avoid unnecessary alarm on their part.
I am Senator Webb's military legislative assistant. Unfortunately, for reasons I will explain, the Clements piece is still circulating on the Internet and continuing to cause unnecessary confusion and concern.
The truth is that the CBO's identification of alternatives for health care savings associated with Tricare for Life were not incorporated in any legislation or adopted in the health care bill (H. R. 3590) that the Senate is now considering. I have reviewed H.R. 3590 and find nothing in it that will adversely affect Tricare for Life.
I went so far as to reconfirm again today my understanding with professional staff on committee and MOAA! "
Having served 30-plus years in uniform, including a combat tour in Vietnam, you can be assured I have a personal as well as professional interest in Tricare! Tricare Standard is my health-care plan. Here are the facts regarding the many-months-old Clements commentary:
· Roughly a year ago, the Congressional Budget Office issued its latest one-volume health care report to the House and Senate Committees on the Budget. It presented 115 options for reducing federal spending on health care, altering federal health care programs, and making substantive changes to the nation's health insurance system. One option, number 96, addressed savings that could be achieved with an increase in out-of-pocket payment fees for TRICARE-for-life recipients. This alternative was provided for consideration; it was neither endorsed by the Obama administration nor any congressional committees. The CBO did not draft legislation regarding this option, contrary to allegations it had. The CBO's mission does not extend to drafting legislation.
· In May, the president of the National Association for Uniformed Service said he had been called by the White House to confirm that the president's FY10 budget would not include any TRICARE fee increases.
· No such provisions were included in the DOD FY10 budget request when it was forwarded to Congress in May. There are no such provisions in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2010 signed into law by the president in late October. In fact, the FY10 NDAA actually strengthens the TRICARE program in a number of important ways.
· An inaccurate column in the Washington Times Aug. 27 alleged that in September President Obama would sign into law radical cuts to the Tricare program. The column was in error. The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) subsequently reported that the column was removed from the Washington Times web site owing to its inaccuracies. MOAA said the column "… seriously misrepresented the facts of last December's CBO report on TRICARE and the Health Care Reform bill."
· The Air Force Association also has been hard at work to inform its membership that the concerns raised in the Clements commentary early this year are without basis.
Thanks again for taking the time to contact our office to seek confirmation. I recognize the challenge we all face attempting to evaluate the accuracy of information we receive day to day. All too often, unfortunately, I see examples of people taking e-mails at face value without obtaining independent confirmation. Those who have worn the cloth of our nation deserve to know the facts and not be troubled by spurious allegations.
I hope this information is helpful. You can be assured that as the son of a career Air Force officer, the father of a Marine infantryman, and a combat Marine veteran himself, Senator Webb fully appreciates the importance of Tricare to our active and retired service members and their families.
Should I learn anything more of relevance regarding Tricare for Life, I will inform you.
Sincerely,
Gordon Peterson
Military Legislative Assistant
Office of Senator Jim Webb
202 224 4024
I just want to stop this crap before it starts...
Charles
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