http://money.cnn.com/2010/12/07/news/eco...n&hpt=Sbin
President Obama's fiscal commission included Tricare reform on its list of budget-cutting suggestions last week.
...increase co-pays and enrollment fees for retired veterans not yet eligible for Medicare from 11% to 27%, and introduce nominal fees for retired veterans who use Tricare as a supplemental insurance plan.
The first is shifting the burden of health care costs from the Pentagon to the private sector companies that employ many veterans after they leave the military. And the second is a modest fee increase on retired Tricare enrollees that would still leave them with far smaller bills than individuals in private sector plans.
Getting people to pay more is always the easiest way to make more money. The other, which our government needs to focus on, is reducing costs. Neogotiate new contracts where they are not paying $500 for an x-ray, $300 for a box of paperclips, or $100 for a roll of toilet paper for the white house.
(sure would like to see those financials on WikiLeaks!)
I know many Veterans and most are on very limited income. Some have jobs at the post office or other places where the employer helps, but many don't have good jobs or are at an age where any good paying job is not possible. To raise co-pays 16% on Veterans is a big hit, especially when many have war related injuries and have suffered so much for our sake.
President Obama's fiscal commission included Tricare reform on its list of budget-cutting suggestions last week.
...increase co-pays and enrollment fees for retired veterans not yet eligible for Medicare from 11% to 27%, and introduce nominal fees for retired veterans who use Tricare as a supplemental insurance plan.
The first is shifting the burden of health care costs from the Pentagon to the private sector companies that employ many veterans after they leave the military. And the second is a modest fee increase on retired Tricare enrollees that would still leave them with far smaller bills than individuals in private sector plans.
Getting people to pay more is always the easiest way to make more money. The other, which our government needs to focus on, is reducing costs. Neogotiate new contracts where they are not paying $500 for an x-ray, $300 for a box of paperclips, or $100 for a roll of toilet paper for the white house.
(sure would like to see those financials on WikiLeaks!)
I know many Veterans and most are on very limited income. Some have jobs at the post office or other places where the employer helps, but many don't have good jobs or are at an age where any good paying job is not possible. To raise co-pays 16% on Veterans is a big hit, especially when many have war related injuries and have suffered so much for our sake.