Help me debunk friends claim, Obama cutting military benefits

[Freeper]

Batt1eRatt1e (12 posts)

Help me debunk friends claim, Obama cutting military benefits


 
www.examiner.com/article/obama-to-cut-medical-benefits-for-active-retired-military-not-union-workers

In an effort to cut defense spending, the Obama Administration plans to cut health benefits for active duty and retired military personnel and their families while not touching the benefits enjoyed by unionized civilian defense workers.

The move, congressional aides suggested, is to force those individuals into Obamacare, Bill Gertz reported at the Washington Beacon.

Gertz added:

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.

Not everybody is happy with the plan, however.

Military personnel would see their annual Tricare premiums increase anywhere from 30 - 78 percent in the first year, followed by sharply increased premiums "ranging from 94 percent to 345 percent—more than 3 times current levels."

"According to congressional assessments, a retired Army colonel with a family currently paying $460 a year for health care will pay $2,048," Gertz wrote.

Active duty military personnel would also see an increased cost for pharmaceuticals, and the incentive to use less expensive generic drugs would be gone.

Health benefits has long been a prime reason many stay in the military - but some in the Pentagon fear the new rules will hamper recruitment and retention.

“Would you stay with a car insurance company that raised your premiums by 345 percent in five years? Probably not,” one aide said.

John Hayward of Human Events adds:

Veterans will also be hit with a new annual fee for a program called Tricare for Life, on top of the monthly premiums they already pay, while some benefits will become “means-tested” in the manner of a social program – treating them like welfare instead of benefits for military service. Naturally, this is all timed to begin next year and “avoid upsetting military voters in a presidential election year,” according to critics.

There will be congressional hearings on the new military health care policies next month. Opposition is building in Congress, and among veterans’ organizations, including the VFW, which has “called on all military personnel and the veterans’ community to block the health care increases.”

Others are concerned about the double standard being set between uniformed military personnel - who are not unionized - and civilian defense workers who belong to public sector unions.

Gertz wrote:

A second congressional aide said the administration’s approach to the cuts shows a double standard that hurts the military.

“We all recognize that we are in a time of austerity,” this aide said. “But defense has made up to this point 50 percent of deficit reduction cuts that we agreed to, but is only 20 percent of the budget.”

The administration is asking troops to get by without the equipment and force levels needed for global missions. “And now they are going to them again and asking them to pay more for their health care when you’ve held the civilian workforce at DoD and across the federal government virtually harmless in all of these cuts. And it just doesn’t seem fair,” the second aide said.

At least one Congressman is standing with the military on this issue.

“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,” said Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R-CA), who chairs the House Armed Services Committee.

“We can’t keep asking those who have given so much to give that much more,” he added.

McKeon will be joined by some 5 million members of 32 military service and veterans groups, according to retired Navy Capt. Kathryn M. Beasley of the Military Officers Association of America, who called the plan "a breach of faith."

The Beacon also noted the curious timing of the plan, which is set to begin next year - after the 2012 elections. Critics say this is designed so as not to upset military voters.

It's one more reason Barack Hussein Obama does not deserve to be re-elected in November.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251248639

I brought this over here for probably one of the dumbest things I have ever seen these idiots post,

HopeHoops (46,688 posts)
7. The only answer to that is "turn off FOX". That's all bullshit.

Obama's the best friend the military has had since Clinton.

 

[DumbAss Tanker]

Retired DOD civilians pay much more for medical coverage than the annual TriCare fee retired military pay, because it's basically a continuation of their commercial group health insurance except they're footing the whole bill for it once they retire, without any before-tax contribution from the employer, so of course it wouldn't go up, since the government isn't paying for it now, just taking the money to make the payments out of the retirees' pensions.  It's true that Obummer wants to raise the TriCare fees, so the story is technically true but phrased in a misleading way, really comparing apples and oranges.

[jtyangel]

I noticed dollar figures are thrown about without referencing what a DOD civilian pays. As a non retiree, the portion for a mod priced plan like blue cross blue shield is 3500 for the year and that's just for the employees part. I hate when they throw things like this out there with no frame of reference. That plan still has copays inline with the private sector(25 a visit) and coinsurance. I would recommend anyone who considers anything said about DOD civilian pay or benefits just go to the OPM site. Plenty of information regarding plans and premiums are available. It's no big secret.

[GOP Congress]

Just in general: When Obama wanted to use the military for his benefit (other than killing bin Laden), he whined about the veterans not getting enough benefits. Now that he's unstoppable, he's going to go the other way as much as possible.

By the way: Now that Obama is not trying to get reelected for President, it is vital to know what Obama's NEXT step will be. Every step he is doing: standing down the US Military, stealing the wealth of producers, staffing the Supreme Court with justices whom look outside the US Constitution for precedents, etc., is exactly in line with creating some sort of World leadership that will have access to ALL these elements: weak US defense, ability to steal money and property from producers, and transfer them without capitalist means, and finally: a global presence that will criminalize capitalist tenets. This is key to understanding what Obama and the democrats have in store for us.

[JohnnyReb]

Gotta cut the budget.....Moochelle needs a new pair of shoes.

[Dori]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251248639

I brought this over here for probably one of the dumbest things I have ever seen these idiots post,

HopeHoops (46,688 posts)
7. The only answer to that is "turn off FOX". That's all bullshit.

Obama's the best friend the military has had since Clinton.

 

Oh my....talk about blind....Is that why he's thinking of nominating John Kerry as Sec. of Defense?

RECAP - John Kerry;

Threw his medals away
Consorted with the enemy in France
Called the military baby killers
Told young people to study hard or they would wind up in Iraq

Yep.....He's the perfect choice if you hate the military and want to demoralize the soldiers

(demoralization is actually an infiltration trick used by the USSR)

[Mr Mannn]

I wonder if this will be the mantra we hear for the next 4 years.

Obama does something stupid out in public with video proof.
DUmmies: "No. He didn't do that. Never happened."

Obama can do anything. The media will ignore it and his mindless minions will simply deny the truth.

[Delmar]

Response to Batt1eRatt1e (Original post)Fri Nov 16, 2012, 10:35 PM
 BanTheGOP (911 posts)
8. No reason to get hyper. We ARE cutting the budgets as recommended.

Yes, we are cutting the budgets of the military all around. What's the problem?

In fact, this is EXACTLY what we've been wanting to do for decades, now that we have the mandate to do it, we are doing it.

Just tell him proudly, HELL YEAH!! we are cutting your republican military/industrial complex budget! Last I heard, we hadn't drafted anyone in over 35 years, so the military knew what they were getting into and have no reason for complaint when their bloviated bennies get cut off.

BanTheGOP, you make the rest of the DUmmies look like solid citizens by comparison.

[Bad Dog]

Oh my....talk about blind....Is that why he's thinking of nominating John Kerry as Sec. of Defense?

RECAP - John Kerry;

Threw his medals away
Consorted with the enemy in France
Called the military baby killers
Told young people to study hard or they would wind up in Iraq

Yep.....He's the perfect choice if you hate the military and want to demoralize the soldiers

(demoralization is actually an infiltration trick used by the USSR)

Minor point, he actually threw some other guys medals over the WH fence.  His fake medals are proudly displayed on his office wall.

[RobJohnson]

October 2011 copays for Rx (generic and brand) went up. By the end of 2011 choices were limited on what pharmacies could be used forcing more Tricare patients to use mail order. Mail order does not work out well for those that are retired and like to travel.

[98ZJUSMC]

  HopeHoops (46,688 posts)
7. The only answer to that is "turn off FOX". That's all bullshit.

Obama's the best friend the military has had since Clinton.

The utter disconnect from reality here is incomprehensible.  You're right.  Even for the land of stupid, this beats anything I have ever read.

Not to mention it wasn't even a FOX news item....

....Idiot.

[98ZJUSMC]

Response to Batt1eRatt1e (Original post)Fri Nov 16, 2012, 10:35 PM
 BanTheGOP (911 posts)
8. No reason to get hyper. We ARE cutting the budgets as recommended.

Yes, we are cutting the budgets of the military all around. What's the problem?

In fact, this is EXACTLY what we've been wanting to do for decades, now that we have the mandate to do it, we are doing it.

Just tell him proudly, HELL YEAH!! we are cutting your republican military/industrial complex budget! Last I heard, we hadn't drafted anyone in over 35 years, so the military knew what they were getting into and have no reason for complaint when their bloviated bennies get cut off.

The crash is going to be extremely brutal for mongloids like this.

Good.

[BlueStateSaint]

The crash is going to be extremely brutal for mongloids like this.

Good.

Any thoughts on how long it would be before Ban's head would be turned into a canoe?