No secret..Liberals hate our military..except when their pansy butts are endangered... The Prez & congress, who have voted themselves an exempt-from-Obamacare, gold plated medical plan, have decided to stick it to the military. Here's their latest scheme, right out of chicago gangland politics;
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In this week's edition:
DoD FY 2013 Budget Provisions Devalue Military Service
VA, DHS Budgets for FY 2013Atten
Doc Fix Agreement
FRA Co-Sponsors House G & R Caucus
Happy 71st Birthday, USCGR
FRA NHQ Closed for Presidents' Day
DoD FY 2013 Budget Provisions Devalue Military ServiceThe Administration released its proposed FY 2013 budget this week, including plans to drastically increase existing TRICARE Prime enrollment fees, implement new fees for TRICARE Standard and TRICARE-for-Life beneficiaries, and increase pharmacy co-pays. FRA's National Executive Director (NED) Joe Barnes and Healthcare Advisor Bob Washington met with TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) leadership for a briefing on these and other changes to the Military Health Service (MHS) outlined in the budget.
These proposals are in addition to the 13-percent TRICARE Prime fee hike imposed for this year and, if approved, would be tiered based on the beneficiary's retired pay.
TRICARE Prime family enrollment fees, which were recently increased to $520 per year for all beneficiaries, would increase in FY 2013 to between $600 and $820, based on retirement pay. The fees will continue to increase annually until FY 2017, when beneficiaries will pay between $893 and $2,043 per year.
TRICARE Standard and Extra families would see a new annual enrollment fee of $140 in FY 2013, which will gradually increase to $250 by FY 2017. After that, the annual fee will be indexed to healthcare inflation.
A new enrollment fee would also be implemented for TRICARE-for-Life (TFL) families beginning in FY 2013. The new tiered fees will range from $35 to $115 per year and will be increased through FY 2016 to between $150 and $450 based on retired pay.
Individual annual enrollment fees for Prime, Standard, and TFL would be half of the family fee indicated above. After FY 2017, the fees will rise based on healthcare inflation. Additionally Senator James Webb (Va.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services' Military Personnel Subcommittee, met with FRA staff and other members of the Military Coalition at FRA Headquarters today to further discuss the Administration's budget proposal.
Pharmacy co-pays would also rise according to the plan, with brand name retail prescriptions ($12 for a 30-day supply) and home-delivery ($9 for a 90-day supply) both increasing to $34 by FY 2017. The cost for generic medications obtained from retail pharmacies is slated to increase from $5 to $9 over the next five years. Non-formulary retail prescriptions would be eliminated and non-formulary mail-order co-pays would gradually increase from $25 to $66 by FY 2017. There will be no pharmacy co-pays for generic home-delivery until FY 2017, when it would be set at $9. No co-pays will be required for prescriptions filled at Military Treatment Facilities (MTFs).
FRA strongly opposes these drastic increases and believes they will substantially erode the value of military retired pay. Further, FRA believes these budget proposals devalue military service.
The budget also calls for a commission to study and propose changes to the military retirement system. This BRAC-like process bypasses the expertise of the Senate and House Armed Services Committees and subcommittees and only allows Congress an up-or-down vote on the commission's recommendations. The budget also requests a 1.7 percent increase in active duty and Reserve pay that is equal to the Employment Cost Index (ECI), and makes deep cuts in Army and Marine Corps end strength over five years.
Members are strongly urged to visit
www.fra.org/tricarefee, where they can send a pre-written e-mail message regarding these proposals to their elected officials.
VA, DHS Budgets for FY 2013Chris Slawinski, FRA's National Veterans Service Officer, and Director of Legislative Programs John Davis attended a budget briefing on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) FY 2013 budget this week. Unlike the Defense budget, the Administration's VA budget request includes a 10.5-percent increase ($140.3 billion) over the current fiscal year and also contains $54.5 billion in advanced appropriations for VA health care in FY 2014. Funding for non-VA outpatient care is increased by almost 14 percent over the FY 2012 budget. The increased funding is in response to estimates that more than one million current active duty personnel will become veterans over the next five years.
The budget also addresses a number of other VA priorities, including efforts to reduce the backlog of unresolved disability claims and reduce unemployment and homelessness among veterans.
In related news, the U. S. Coast Guard's FY 2013 budget, which is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) budget request, is reduced from $8.6 billion for the current fiscal year (FY 2012) to $8.3 Billion for FY 2013. The plan also calls for manpower reductions of 1,000. FRA is concerned about the budget plan and will share its recommendations with the service's oversight committees in the coming months.
Doc Fix AgreementA vote is expected today on a conference report to legislation (H.R. 3630) that will again postpone cuts to medical reimbursement rates for Medicare and TRICARE providers. Lawmakers are expected to extend the "doc fix" through December 31, 2012, delaying a 27.4-percent cut in reimbursement rates for physicians seeing Medicare and TRICARE patients. FRA continues to advocate a permanent resolution that ensures TRICARE and Medicare patients have continued access to quality health care services.
In addition the legislation will extend the Social Security payroll tax cut for employees, and extend unemployment benefits for certain unemployed citizens.
FRA Co-Sponsors House G & R CaucusAs part of its strong support of Sea Services Reserve Component personnel, FRA joined with other military and veterans' organizations in cosponsoring the 15th annual House Reserve Component Caucus Breakfast on Capitol Hill this week. Representatives Duncan Hunter (Calif.) and Tim Walz (Minn.) cochair the bipartisan caucus and attendees included caucus members, OSD officials, Reserve Component senior enlisted leaders and members of key military associations, including FRA.
The keynote speaker was acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs David L. McGinnis, who was sworn in as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs on April 8, 2009. He stated that there are 73,900 members of the Reserve Component currently serving, all of whom enlisted or re-enlisted since 9/11/01. According to McGinnis, each understands that the Reserve force has changed from a strategic reserve for the active duty military to an operational reserve that requires at least one-year deployment for their six-year enlistment. He also congratulated the U.S. Coast Guard on its 71st anniversary this week.
Happy 71st Birthday, USCGRFRA helped recognize the Coast Guard Reserve's 71st birthday by co-sponsoring a special Capitol Hill ceremony today with the National Capital Council of the Navy League. Admiral Robert Papp, Commandant of the Coast Guard, spoke at the cake-cutting ceremony along with VADM Dirk Debbink, Commander of the Navy Reserve Force. Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve Force Mark Allen also attended, along with Navy Reserve Force Master Chief Chris Wheeler.
FRA NHQ Closed for Presidents' DayFRA National Headquarters will be closed on Monday, February 20, in observance of Presidents' Day. The office will reopen at 8:00 am (EST) on Tuesday, February 21.
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