CBO says military health-care costs could soar

[seahorse513]

I remember learning about Tricare at University. When my stepdad was diagnosed, I had asked him why doesn't he go to the VA and use Tricare being a veteran. He didn't want to change doctors at that point, and like alot of things that are government funded it is abused. he felt that VA and Tricare should be for Active duty and vets actually hurt while in service..not stretched out to families for everyday ailments.

[Bad Dog]

I remember learning about Tricare at University. When my stepdad was diagnosed, I had asked him why doesn't he go to the VA and use Tricare being a veteran. He didn't want to change doctors at that point, and like alot of things that are government funded it is abused. he felt that VA and Tricare should be for Active duty and vets actually hurt while in service..not stretched out to families for everyday ailments.

I'm a disabled vet & I won't go anywhere near the VA for treatment.  They make the post office look competent.

[formerlurker]

I remember learning about Tricare at University. When my stepdad was diagnosed, I had asked him why doesn't he go to the VA and use Tricare being a veteran. He didn't want to change doctors at that point, and like alot of things that are government funded it is abused. he felt that VA and Tricare should be for Active duty and vets actually hurt while in service..not stretched out to families for everyday ailments.

???

The AD member has a job - military.   How is he/she supposed to provide health insurance for their family if this can't be extended to them?   One of the entitlements extended to service members when they sign on the dotted line is health care for life.  Just because you are a veteran, doesn't mean you are a retiree who gets Tricare.   

I agree with Bad Dog.   The only time you go to the VA is to document an ailment for a potential disability rating (which just nets you a tax free portion on your retirement pay).    No one treats there if they can avoid it.   

[AprilRazz]

I'm a disabled vet & I won't go anywhere near the VA for treatment.  They make the post office look competent.

My grandfather is undergoing cancer treatment at the DC VA hospital. I don't know if this one may be an anomaly but he got excellent care over there.

[formerlurker]

My grandfather is undergoing cancer treatment at the DC VA hospital. I don't know if this one may be an anomaly but he got excellent care over there.

Sorry to hear about your grandfather.  I am glad he is getting great care.

[seahorse513]

???

The AD member has a job - military.   How is he/she supposed to provide health insurance for their family if this can't be extended to them?   One of the entitlements extended to service members when they sign on the dotted line is health care for life.  Just because you are a veteran, doesn't mean you are a retiree who gets Tricare.   

I agree with Bad Dog.   The only time you go to the VA is to document an ailment for a potential disability rating (which just nets you a tax free portion on your retirement pay).    No one treats there if they can avoid it.   

My stepdad was kinda old school. He only did a 4 year stint on a ship during Korea(?)late 40's??...then he came home, then he started a family....I guess he didn't he didn't want to plug up a military foctor's time when his military friends needed the services more than his kids...
Deano wasn't very sentimental when it came to his kids.

[Bad Dog]

My grandfather is undergoing cancer treatment at the DC VA hospital. I don't know if this one may be an anomaly but he got excellent care over there.

I'm so glad he is receiving good care.  I'm not saying there are no good folks providing good care in the VA, there are. Unfortunately the system they are operating in is atypical govt. rampant incompetence & no accountability.  This is what folks don't understand about govt. health care. There is very little accountability & you have no recourse ie: the courts.

[txradioguy]

My apologies if this was covered and I missed it but these rate hikes aren't just for the TriCare for life and retiree members...it's for us AD folks too...by upwards of 400% in a couple years if Obama gets his way. 

In fact he's threatening to not sign the 2013 Defense bill if the TriCare rate hikes he asked for aren't included.

Couple that with the fact that he's not going to tie our raises with inflation after 2013 and you can see where this is heading for soldiers and their families.

He's trying to push us all to Obamacare as the cheaper alternative.

Which my wife and I are scratching our heads over on how that's gonna work for those of us overseas.

There's two separate articles about this very thing in the Washington Free Beacon...both have been posted in Breaking News IRRC.

[Bad Dog]

My apologies if this was covered and I missed it but these rate hikes aren't just for the TriCare for life and retiree members...it's for us AD folks too...by upwards of 400% in a couple years if Obama gets his way. 

In fact he's threatening to not sign the 2013 Defense bill if the TriCare rate hikes he asked for aren't included.

Couple that with the fact that he's not going to tie our raises with inflation after 2013 and you can see where this is heading for soldiers and their families.

He's trying to push us all to Obamacare as the cheaper alternative.

Which my wife and I are scratching our heads over on how that's gonna work for those of us overseas.

There's two separate articles about this very thing in the Washington Free Beacon...both have been posted in Breaking News IRRC.

Much like his attacks on the church, I think he is doing this to appeal to his base. Sadly, I think it is working.  One can only hope it backfires.

[txradioguy]

Much like his attacks on the church, I think he is doing this to appeal to his base. Sadly, I think it is working.  One can only hope it backfires.

I don't think he has a traditional base.  He's appealing to the fringes and radicals within the party.  Which is why you see all the last minute vote buying he's doing.

His "base" and the party's "base" for that matter used to be the blue collar working guy.

A group he's totally abandoned and doesn't feel the least bit sorry about for doing so.

[Bad Dog]

I don't think he has a traditional base.  He's appealing to the fringes and radicals within the party.  Which is why you see all the last minute vote buying he's doing.

His "base" and the party's "base" for that matter used to be the blue collar working guy.

A group he's totally abandoned and doesn't feel the least bit sorry about for doing so.

His base has "evolved" & is now a collection of every left wing issue voter out there.  Personally, I don't think this approach is going to work.   Attacks on the church and the military have to have a negative return.

[thundley4]

His base has "evolved" & is now a collection of every left wing issue voter out there.  Personally, I don't think this approach is going to work.   Attacks on the church and the military have to have a negative return.

Fortunately, it is that evolving the DemonRats are doing that is slowly killing private sector unions.  Blue collar workers are realizing that they have little in common with DemonRats.  It's mainly the union bosses that still subscribe to paying off the DemonRats to overlook their money laundering.

[dandi]

My grandfather is undergoing cancer treatment at the DC VA hospital. I don't know if this one may be an anomaly but he got excellent care over there.

I go to the same VA at which I work for all my healthcare, even though I have pretty good insurance and could go anywhere. It's efficient and the staff both medical and otherwise are responsive to the veteran's needs. I know I've heard bad stories from vets at other VAs and I don't know why there is such disparity in the quality of care, but if you're enrolled in the North Florida/South Georgia system you get first rate service. That's been my experience as both a nurse and a patient over the past 30+ years.

[notaDUmmie]

???

The AD member has a job - military.   How is he/she supposed to provide health insurance for their family if this can't be extended to them?   One of the entitlements extended to service members when they sign on the dotted line is health care for life.  Just because you are a veteran, doesn't mean you are a retiree who gets Tricare.   

I agree with Bad Dog.   The only time you go to the VA is to document an ailment for a potential disability rating (which just nets you a tax free portion on your retirement pay).    No one treats there if they can avoid it.   

Lifetime medical care for retirees and veterans hasn't been an entitlement for years.  Retirees that utilize TriCare Prime have to pay for it (low annual fee, but there is a fee) and TriCare For Life is a Medicare supplement. 

And sorry you disagree with my contention that over protective mothers rush their kids to MTFs for every little sniffle, but it's true.  And no, I don't see parents that have to pay a co-pay doing the same thing.

Perhaps the law has changed, but when I as active duty, any provider that accepted Medicare had to accept TriCare as well.

[notaDUmmie]

My husband has our primary insurance through his civilian employer with Tricare as secondary.  I have three children.   I have NEVER looked at Tricare as, well since it's free then let's go with regard to doctor visits.   I really don't know of any other military mom who does.    I remember the supplemental insurance you can buy for Tricare many many YEARS ago, we had it and it was horrible.    I didn't even know that is still around.  

Sorry you had a crappy TriCare supplement, ours was great.  There are many different options out there.

[formerlurker]

Lifetime medical care for retirees and veterans hasn't been an entitlement for years.  Retirees that utilize TriCare Prime have to pay for it (low annual fee, but there is a fee) and TriCare For Life is a Medicare supplement. 

And sorry you disagree with my contention that over protective mothers rush their kids to MTFs for every little sniffle, but it's true.  And no, I don't see parents that have to pay a co-pay doing the same thing.

Perhaps the law has changed, but when I as active duty, any provider that accepted Medicare had to accept TriCare as well.

We have Tricare Standard and don't pay anything for it.  My husband was commissioned (military academy) in 1983.   He retired 3 years ago.   The military moms I know just aren't cut from the cloth you accuse them of.   

[Crazy Horse]

Really?  Did the parents actually tell you their kid was there for the sniffles? 

Actually not the parents, but the PA that saw me did.  This was a long time ago and on Sunday in san diego.

[notaDUmmie]

We have Tricare Standard and don't pay anything for it.  My husband was commissioned (military academy) in 1983.   He retired 3 years ago.   The military moms I know just aren't cut from the cloth you accuse them of.   

Yes, you have lifetime insurance, which isn't anything like what I was told I would have when I enlisted in 1987.  We were promised free, lifetime medical care.  Don't get me wrong, I understand the realities of the military not being able to do that, and frankly, if money is limited, I would prefer that they spend it on AD and their families.  Thanks to our military training and background, my husband and I have outstanding jobs that offer great health insurance plans, so fortunately, we don't have to rely on TriCare.  But the bottom line is, they promised something that they didn't live up to.

Your experience with over-protective dependant wives is different than mine, but that doesn't make either one of us wrong.