Proposed Tricare Changes in 2007 Budget

[RKassl]

Have any of you retired Military folk hear the crap relating to the 2007 Federal Budget regarding Tricare Increases??

This is important to my wife and I because for us to retire in 36 months at 60 Tricare would carry us over the hump to Medicare or Tricare for Life.

Tricare Prime enrollment fees would double!
Tricare Standard will now have a enrollment fee!
Drug deductibles will increase!

How the hell can a guy plan to retire if the government keeps changing the rules.

What about the folks on Tricare now? They will be hit with the increasing fees too?

I suggest a grass roots movement to or Senators and Reps to kill this. The DOD is the one that brought this up!

Any comments?

[richfaa]

I am a retired Federal Employee and Helen is about to become one. We know that tricare is the military health care system and that's about it. We carried over our Federal BC/BS health plan into retirement. Government pays @ 80% of the cost and my share 125.82 per month. It will also cost Helen 125.82 per month when she retires So we will be paying 251.64 per month for health care services. The pharmacy service is Ok. It is about 80/20. Between the BC/BS plan and Medicare I have never seen a medical bill.Of course the cost go up every year.The increase was not to bad for 2006. Oh yes the Medicare premium went up to I think 86.00 per month so I pay 125.82 + 86.00 =211.82 per month. ANDDD I am not permitted to draw Full Social Security although I worked and paid into it and am paying into it. Because that would be double dipping.so we are paying @4050.00 per year for health care services..Is that good or bad.

[ken]

Bob
I am retired military (24 years, reserve commission) and also retired Govt Employee (20 yrs). I chose the govt insurance plan over tricare all of the years while I was working for Govt and until my wife became 65. I dropped it when I became eligble for Medicare and Tricare for Life. Reguardless of the cost, Its a little insurance if you or your wife ever become sick or in an accident. Since my wife is a nurse, we have seen some big bills come in from some of our friends who did not have an insurance plan.

[jrgwdenner]

Whatever it costs, we'll stick with it. Glen (the old guy) has Tricare for Life. I (the youngster) have Tricare Standard and am getting closer to be the old gal so I'll be getting Tricare for Life. Necessary evils but so necessary if you have extended health problems.

The AARP should be fighting in our corner against this increase.

[DHenry]

You should feel lucky to only pay a few hundred a month. We pay over $1000 a month for our health care. I am not Military retired, just retired.

[richfaa]

There were some good things about being a Federal Employee one of them was the health care plans we can get into and the rates.

[RKassl]

When people compare what they pay for their health insurance to Tricare which is an EARNED benefit, earned by a career in the Military, defending their country it shows me a lack of insight. Where were you during Vietnam and Desert Shield and Desert Storm? I was out earning this benefit.

[Dustytuu]

After husband retires in June... Our health insurance will increase to around $800 a month. This is electrician union insurance. They pay 80 percent with $200 detuctable a year on medical bills, prescriptions and etc.

[ken]

Bob
I don't recall seeing anywhere that the govt owed you free health benefits after your retirement. We all assumed it. I spent three tours flying in SEA, Laos, and the friendly skys of Vietnam along with a free evacuated trip flat on my back To Camp Zama Hospital,Japan. The service was good to me and my family. And I was willing to pay for Tricare but it was easier, not cheaper, for me to get into the govt health plan while I was working for the govt. Be thankful that your not paying the rates that some self employed folks are. And the fact that when your 65 you have Medicare and free Tricare for life as I do now.

[RKassl]

Your apparent lack of knowledge is forgivable. But when you do complete the required number of years for retirement from the Military, there IS a specified "retirement package" that is promised. Would you like further information?

[richfaa]

I note that TFL becomes effective when you become eligible for Medicare part A&B which would be at age 65. It is described as a Medicare wrap around same as my Federal Health plan at age 65 Medicare becomes the primary insurer and My federal program is secondary, Of course I still pay for it.There is still a premium for Tricare prime till age 65 and from what I can see of the premiums and the benefits, My civilian branch of the USA Government provided me with better health care benefits than your Military Branch.Don't blame you for being upset about the possible increase in cost.

[houseof many dogs]

This retired Chief looked up the increase and it is more than reasonable.

After paying health care "on the economy" for over 30 years, TRICARE PRIME is a Bargain! - even at twice to three times the cost!

[skypilot]

Went back and relooked at my old enlistment contracts -- first one said 'Retirement benefits upon completion of 20 years of creditable active duty included .....health care for member and immediate family....', 1st reenlistment has the same clause but it is line through, the 2nd reenlistment has no such paragraph. Now my father, GRHS, was Air Force on an indefinite enlistment when he retired. He and my mother were seen at Military sites until the day they died based upon his retirement and enlistment contract(s). Basically, like all things, each enlistment contract modified earlier contractual obligations on the governments part.

As a second aside -- I thought they had done away with the retirement (double dipping) offset back a few years ago. Have to check into that one.

[ken]

Skypilot
Double dipping applied to Regular Officers, not to Reserve Officers or enlisted men and women. A portion of your pay, as a govt employee, was taken away if you were retired as a regular Officer and went to work as a govt employee. None, was taken out, if your commission was Reserve or you were enlisted. It Has nothing to do with retired health benefits. If you chose to buy back your military service, you could combine the two and retire at the total years of your govt/military career. In most cases, that worked in your favor. At that time, you would lose your military retirement, but the two combined would be more. Rkassl is right that you do continue to have military health benefits after retirement. Active duty come first, then retirees providing there were enough Dr's. And if your near a military base. A lot of us double dippers (reserve commission) chose to go with the govt health plans that were available to us because we saw the same Dr and got more personalized health care. I did continue to use military pharmancies for my medcine. We live next to a Naval base. When my wife became 65, she came under Medicare and Tricare for life, as I had. I then canx my govt health insurance, because it was a duplication. Now saying all that I do only draw an offset or 2/3rd of my social security because of my civilian govt service. My civilian service was not under social security.

[ols1932]

quote:Originally posted by ken

Bob
I don't recall seeing anywhere that the govt owed you free health benefits after your retirement. We all assumed it. I spent three tours flying in SEA, Laos, and the friendly skys of Vietnam along with a free evacuated trip flat on my back To Camp Zama Hospital,Japan. The service was good to me and my family. And I was willing to pay for Tricare but it was easier, not cheaper, for me to get into the govt health plan while I was working for the govt. Be thankful that your not paying the rates that some self employed folks are. And the fact that when your 65 you have Medicare and free Tricare for life as I do now.

I for one, was promised medical care for life if I would enlist and remain in the service until retirement time. I did and the Government didn't. It wasn't until about 2000 that there was enough hullabaloo raised that got us the pharmacy benefit through Tricare. Then a short time later the Government finally got around to the "medical care for life" by giving us Tricare 4 Life. It makes no sense to have an argument or disagreement about who gets what or who earned it where. We all earned it. I am very happy to have it. I'm 74 and my better half is 66 and it has helped a lot to have this security at this point in our lives.

[richfaa]

I am a retired Federal Employee. When I mentioned Double dipping I was referring to the offset that prevents the retired Federal Employee from collecting Full Social Security even though they have earned it.There has been a bill before Congress the last couple of years that would do away with the Offset if passed. Now I do collect SOME social Security.My total AFTER the offset was applied was 156.00 per month of which my Medicare premium was taken out of leaving me with like 70.00 per month Social Security. At least it pays for the Medicare premium. I did buy back some military time for My Government pension. None of my Social Security salary was at a very high wage over the years but none the less I did pay into SS and earned the benefit. It would be several hundred $ a month if not for the offset.Perhaps it wil be corrected some day meanwhile we are happy to have what we have

[RKassl]

My Fellow Campers, my only intent with this thread was to talk to fellow retires, who have Tricare or are close to having it, like myself, to inquire if they have heard about the purposed changes to it.

This was not intended to be a discussion of what you have, how much you pay for it, where you got it from, if you earned it, if you stole it or what. Apparently a discussion like this should never be made at a bar or on a open forum like this.

Lets put this one to bed and think about Spring!

[Old GI]

Yeah, I read about it too. They keep whittling away at the (hah) benefits. I have TRICARE for life cause I'm over 65 but I have to have Medicare part B in order to keep it which costs $88.00 per month, next year I will have to pay $200 each for my wife and grandson plus copay for each, when my wife turns 65 the year after we will pay together $176.00+ per month to keep the TRICARE for life in force and still pay the $200 annual for the grandson (adopted). I had TRICARE prime for a while until my Doctor said he would not accept Prime, only standard, so I switched to standard and found that it is cheaper, plus you can go to a prime provider with standard, you then fall under tricare extra. It gets more confusing every year and I think the politicians are in it up to their necks, they couldn't care less all talk. Sorry to get so wordy, my wife says I still act like an old First Sergeant.

[Old GI]

As an add on, I remember getting a re-up talk in 1957 and the big hoohah was free medical and dental for me and my authorized dependents for life. Sounded good to me.

[houseof many dogs]

Guess this whole thread goes to prove that "old age" ain't for sissies!