Posted on 12/21/2014 5:06:10 AM PST by Libloather
Link only - Budget experts: Move Tricare beneficiaries to Obamacare
“In an effort to save money, the military services have launched efforts to draw Tricare beneficiaries back to military treatment facilities rather than use private-sector care, which costs the Defense Department significantly more money to provide.”
Where I live, there is no one in the base hospital to provide care. The last PA who handled retired military left and was not replaced. I couldn’t even get a prescription I’ve had for 10 years renewed without first being referred to a doctor off base. The doctor looked at my records, noted I had been using the prescription for 10 years, asked if I had any complaints, then signed the paper.
But I haven’t been able to be seen on base for a long time.
This pretty well sums it up:
” But some of this stuff ... I just think some of them really don’t understand the military health system,” said retired Navy Capt. Kathy Beasley of the Military Officers Association of America.”
I fully expect to be charged more in the not too distant future and I understand it. I do not understand the idea of forcing all retirees onto Obamacare.
Well, I do understand it. The retiree population is healthier than average, so forcing us onto the exchanges would increase Obamacare’s income while decreasing its spending per patient.
“What’s the average monthly retirement check for someone who’s an E-6 retiring in 2014? Their monthly retirement check before taxes and other deductions (such as long-term care insurance and survivor benefit program) is $1,800 a month. Based on current rates, the Obamacare premium would consume most of their retirement pay.”
Thanks for the relevant figures. Most retiring from the service a re hardly living in the lap of luxury, unlike the worthless politicians.
Using Kaiser’s Obamacare calculator, if an $1800 retirement was a single retiree’s only income, they could be eligible for Medicaid if their state expanded it. If not, they’d pay a about $100 per month for a silver plan. And would get the bonus plans with low deductibles.
With 2 in the family, their premium would be $59 per month, with the same low deductibles benefit.
I’m by no means promoting Obamacare. Just giving the accurate numbers also.
Now, when the Supremes rule subsidies on the federal exchange to be illegal, these numbers would change drastically depending on the state they are in.
Romney and his crew made the error of thinking that since he was the better candidate and had an excellent chance of winning based on historical precedents, they could run a dismal and inept campaign and still win. Sadly, that was not the case.
No Romney in 2016, Please.
I would prefer Romney to Christie or Jeb. Cruz is my preferred choice.
It would certainly lock in obamacare. No way shape or form would it be dismantled or altered much if this move was made.
They tried this stuff before and the courts stopped them.
A contract is a contract.
Active Duty ping.
Bastards. Simply this.
Anyone in Congress who votes for this is our enemy.
Remember them all.
After some date in that decade, they stopped WRITING it in the enlistment/commissioning papers, so the courts said that after that date, EVEN though they kept verbally telling us it was still in effect, that didn't count (according to the Supremes).
But there’s the rub...most of these retirees have other jobs. Suppose that retired TSgt gets a job paying $50K a year; with his military pension, that boosts the family’s income to $72K annually. Using the same calculator, a military retiree family of four would pay $574 a month for a silver plan, or roughly 10% of their pre-tax income—and that’s before factoring in co-pays and deductibles. If they didn’t qualify for subsidies, the premium would rise to more than $800 a month.
It’s very clear the administration was floating a trial balloon the other day at Brookings. The great irony is that many on the panel never served and have no concept about the sacrifices made by military families to earn their modest pensions and retirement benefits.
One more note: we have Tricare today because Bill Clinton elected to not fully fund military healthcare back in the 90s. The plan produced some illusory savings in the DoD budget and it was a sop to his friends in the health insurance who wound up managing the Tricare contracts.
A former surgeon general of the Air Force illustrated the scam very well. An appendectomy performed at a military hospital cost DoD healthcare about $350; the costs for the medical team were covered in other accounts, and in most cases, expenses for the hospital, etc., were absorbed decades earlier. The $350 represented the cost for the surgical pack required for the procedure. If the same appendectomy was performed at a civilian hospital (under Tricare), the cost was $7,000—and that figure was from several years ago.
The assault on the military just continues. What can Congress even do to stop another Executive Memo or "Commission Recommendation" of unelected "experts"? I bet they won't even try.
“a military retiree family of four would pay $574 a month for a silver plan, or roughly 10% of their pre-tax income—and that’s before factoring in co-pays and deductibles. If they didn’t qualify for subsidies, the premium would rise to more than $800 a month.”
Same as anybody else getting shafted on Obamacare.
Your original post said “Based on current rates, the Obamacare premium would consume most of their retirement pay.”. Which you said was $1800.
The facts on Obamacare and how the leftists treat the military are bad enough without having to exaggerate.
“ObamaCare does not even work, and it will cost a military family or retired military family 10 times what they pay now, because they will not qualify for any “subsidies.”
Why wouldn’t they qualify for subsidies? Anyone under 400% of the FPL will get a subsidy.
Until the Supremes rule subsidies on the federal exchange ate illegal. Then it’s anyone’s guess how the chaos will play out.
Hospitals are the one business that don’t have a price list. They can soak you for whatever costs because when you are all busted up you have no choice. This was supposed to be fixed under health care reform but we have another mess with inflated prices still.
You are correct! I will be super highly pissed if they move us to obamacare. I’m already a grump but they ain’t seen nothing yet.
Not all vets are eligible for Tricare. As a retiree we have the option to continue Tricare but do have to pay a premium and have copays and deductibles.
While on active duty we also paid the same Medicare/aid tax that everyone else pays. So I believe our prior service does make us due Tricare (if we pay the premium of course). No free rides for anyone are expected.
My system of priorities would do the most for the treatment of combat wounds and service related injuries and do much less if anything at all for the treatment of family members of retirees. And, by the way, everyone has to pay the Medicare tax on income, even if through their jobs they otherwise accrue retiree health benefits.
Good point. And the feds will eventually have to make wrenching changes in Social Security, Medicare, and other entitlements.
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