TRICARE premium increases

[Purron]

Can you quit? Can you refuse to do something you boss tells you to do without going to jail? If your boss pays for you to go to school, are you legally obligated to work for him for say another 4 years? If you are a secretary, can you boss tell you to get a gun and guard the front gate, and you have to do it or go to jail or may be shot? If you are hired as a chemist, can your boss make you a fireman, and for four years you have to fight fires?

Yes it is an all volunteer force. Men and women volunteer based on the fact that they believe that their fellow countrymen will keep their word.

My nephew is a Navy pilot. I've lost count of how many times he's been in a war zone and how many times he told us someone he knew died in the line of duty. You bet I think my tax dollars should fund great health insurance benefits for people like him.

But how about all the federal employees who also get health insurance subsidised by the taxpayers? Should we foot the cost of insuring an accountant working for OPM while so many of the taxpayers paying for this benefit don't have the same access to affordable health insurance?

DH and I are in a retiree group plan but pay full price - nearly $1000 a month. I don't mind our tax dollars helping our military but do have an issue paying for insurance for others while many American citizens are left without viable options.

 

[Gatordoc50]

Sure as I've said commitments should not be broken....but it all comes down to politics in the end. Tricare is obviously a good deal and the US tax payer is subsidizing military healthcare to a massive extent. So far no one wants to make a political point out of that as has been done with other groups like auto-workers and teachers. It's easy to demonize those groups and attack their benefits. It's harder with the military as most people respect them. Also the usual deficit hawks have a vested interest in attacking unionized workers rather than the military because of the way the groups tend to vote. But there's a point where the differential between healthcare benefits for the military and the rest of the population will become unsustainable and I think that point is any Medicare reform.

I believe teachers should be given what they were promised. A little different with Auto workers in the private sector. GM bond holders didn't get what was promised to them. The stupidity about the whole promise thing is that they are promising the services of the medical profession, a third party. That's like a few men drawing straws to see who gets to go home with Jennifer Lopez! I'm thinking she will probably have something to say about that.

 

[deserat]

I think Tricare will be the proxy battleground for fixing Medicare/Medicaid...

Excellent point!

Also, interesting regarding doctors unwillingness to take on TRICARE insured patients. Insurance isn't any good if it won't be honored as a contract for service by a clinician/healthcare provider. What that says to me is the clinician believes they can make a lot more money with other means and are unwilling to settle for less - i.e. the risk analysis tells them it's not worth the hassle. At least for now, you can't compel the clinician to take the business.

 

[Rustic23]

Purron, actually, I do believe the Federal Accountant should get what the government promised. So should the teacher, fire fighter, police and other government employees, IF they have earned it. By that I mean if it is a 30 year retirement and they worked for 30 years then the government should keep it's promise. If they have only worked a year then they are only owed 1/30 or maybe less depending on vesting. You don't change the rules after someone has played the game. The government can keep all it's promises to those that are retired, on medicare and SS. They can not do this and continue to spend money to keep the politician in office by buying votes.

 

[Purron]

Purron, actually, I do believe the Federal Accountant should get what the government promised. So should the teacher, fire fighter, police and other government employees, IF they have earned it. By that I mean if it is a 30 year retirement and they worked for 30 years then the government should keep it's promise. If they have only worked a year then they are only owed 1/30 or maybe less depending on vesting. You don't change the rules after someone has played the game. The government can keep all it's promises to those that are retired, on medicare and SS. They can not do this and continue to spend money to keep the politician in office by buying votes.

I believe you're right. It's just too easy to get bitter when you're paying nearly $12,000 a year for insurance. Dang, I remember when I made assistant manager in a bank many moons ago and was so excited to be earning $8500 a year

BTW, DH and I have worked for over 35 years each. I job hopped but he stayed working for the same local government for over 33 years. He started working on a trash truck and rose through the ranks to oversee water, sewer, and other public works projects.

 

[martyb]

A side note that maybe Lionidas could fill in, yesterday, the Houston paper said that a policeman killed in the line of duty could collect $300,000 from the federal government, yet, SGLI for a service member is $250,000. Congress at work again!

Rustic23, I'm in agreement with pretty much everything you're saying on this subject. Just wanted to let you know though, that SGLI max is now $400,000. It was raised to that amount a year or two ago, not sure exactly when.

 

[nun]

My guess is you will never understand. Can you quit? Can you refuse to do something you boss tells you to do without going to jail? If your boss pays for you to go to school, are you legally obligated to work for him for say another 4 years? If you are a secretary, can you boss tell you to get a gun and guard the front gate, and you have to do it or go to jail or may be shot? If you are hired as a chemist, can your boss make you a fireman, and for four years you have to fight fires?

Yes it is an all volunteer force. Men and women volunteer based on the fact that they believe that their fellow countrymen will keep their word. You don't see the difference, and I doubt you ever will.

No I don't see the difference, a contact is a contract. You volunteered and you should get the benefits you were promised, just like everyone else that was promised a certain pension or health insurance. The reality is that Americans are seeing their benefits cut or having to pay more for them. I wish that the politicians and employers had different priorities, but they don't and I believe that if benefits are to be cut both the civilian and military should be included.

 

[Rustic23]

You take a pay cut or have your benefits cut, therefore, it is alright for you to do it to the other guy. That's your argument? Because you are the government, you elected the officials that made those promises and because your employer will screw you, you want to see someone else screwed.

 

[Purron]

Awww, come on Rustic23 and Nun. Let's just agree on one thing: we need to fix this health care problem. This is coming from a lady who is paying big bucks for coverage and has been a faithful taxpayer for many years. I'm not hating. Just looking for solutions.

All you need is love...and good health insurance!

Peace

YouTube - ‪The Beatles - All You Need is Love (HQ)‬‏

 

[Rustic23]

Fair enough.

 

[Tadpole]

Talking about moral hazard. The time to change a bargain is before the bargain is made. I can see it now. Son, you need to know that we the people have promised you many things to get you to volunteer to die for us but, if you don't die, don't expect to get what we promised. We promise things as just an incentive to get you signed up not as a serious agreement. You do what you agreed to do but don't expect we the people to do what we agreed to do. It doesn't work that way.

 

[nun]

You take a pay cut or have your benefits cut, therefore, it is alright for you to do it to the other guy. That's your argument? Because you are the government, you elected the officials that made those promises and because your employer will screw you, you want to see someone else screwed.

I don't want to see anyone screwed. But if we are going to get screwed we should all be screwed the same. I'll fight for your benefits because you deserve them, but I don't want anyone to loose benefits so you can keep yours.

 

[oldtrig]

Thats a tough one. I will say thanks for your service though.
Here is some good info on tricare. I think our government should take care of all veterans first, the rest 2nd. I only served four years long time ago and do not qualify. I do sign up for Medicare soon. I hope it pays some of the cost. I may have to work until I die just to make sure my wife and I are covered. Good luck. Oldtrig

 

[nun]

Thats a tough one. I will say thanks for your service though.
Here is some good info on tricare. I think our government should take care of all veterans first, the rest 2nd.

Ahead of children, the disabled, the old and infirm? I'm coming from the stand point that decent health care is a right, not a privilege. The military should get their health care, but I would not put them in front of anyone else, that would mean you'd be rationing health care to the rest of Govt workers and those on Medicare and Medicaid.

 

[dtbach]

When spouse was in the Navy Reserve she encountered dozens of officers who, for one reason or another, weren't promoted to O-4 and were ordered to resign from active duty. For some reason they were allowed to join the Reserves, where a year or two later they had miraculously "rehabilitated" their performance (usually a different set of personalities) and promoted to O-4.

That is exactly what happened to me. Got cut (end of Cold War RIF) but then my phone was ringing from the Reserves who badly wanted me to fly. Got my $30K payoff for leaving Active duty and promptly joined the Reserves, made 0-4 5 months later and eventually "retired" at 22 years as an 0-5. Even was selected for command!

In 18 months (at 60) I'll finally get my pension (although they are taking the $30K back over the first 3 years!!)

 

[Nords]

In 18 months (at 60) I'll finally get my pension (although they are taking the $30K back over the first 3 years!!)

In interest-free loan for two decades?

I can live with that...

 

[Rustic23]

Nun, yes ahead of children, the disabled, the old and infirm. What part of contract law do you not understand? I also believe the U.S. should pay it's bond debt before children, the disabled, the old and infirm. It should pay SS and Medicare of those that have paid for it before children, the disabled, the old and infirm. Our politicians have tough choices to make. Obviously you and I have a different view point on what these should be.

 

[nun]

Nun, yes ahead of children, the disabled, the old and infirm. What part of contract law do you not understand? I also believe the U.S. should pay it's bond debt before children, the disabled, the old and infirm. It should pay SS and Medicare of those that have paid for it before children, the disabled, the old and infirm. Our politicians have tough choices to make. Obviously you and I have a different view point on what these should be.

I agree, we have very different priorities

 

[2soon2tell]

Nords, dt, Rustic

Thank you for your long service to our country. IMHO you should be first in line for health care benefits.

2soon2tell
Disabled Vet

 

[nun]

Thank you for your long service to our country. IMHO you should be first in line for health care benefits.

There should be no line for health care benefits. But if one forms I'm letting children, the poor and those least able to pay in front of me

 

[dtbach]

Nords, dt, Rustic

Thank you for your long service to our country. IMHO you should be first in line for health care benefits.

2soon2tell
Disabled Vet

2soon,

Thank you for your kind words. You know more than us what true sacrifce is. THANK YOU for YOUR service!!

 

[Rustic23]

2soon,
Thanks, it means a lot.

 

[nun]

There was a 5 min segment on NPR this morning about the ballooning cost of Tricare and military pensions. It was pointed out that the military is one of the few organizations still providing highly subsidized retiree health care and a defined benefit pension and a guy from the Pentagon said that the cost of these benefits was unsustainable........it'll be interesting to see how Congress reacts to such statements; increase the budget, cut benefits or just ignore the situation. I'd lean towards getting rid of a couple of carrier groups etc, funding current benefits fully and reducing them for the people currently in service as there isn't the political will to raise taxes to pay for them

 

[Nords]

There was a 5 min segment on NPR this morning ...

Between the Thailand thread and this one, I think I've seen enough.

You have a nice life now.

 

[Nords]

Both Armed Services Committees have approved 13% hikes to Tricare Prime premiums (from $460/year to $520), and have also voted to index future hikes to the rate of the military retiree pension COLA.

More details and links here:
Update on TRICARE and Congress | Military Retirement & Financial Independence