Posted on 02/12/2015 5:51:48 PM PST by Libloather
WASHINGTON — The military’s Tricare health insurance is a broken system that is now in a “death spiral” and must be replaced, a congressional review commission told the House on Wednesday.
The insurance has been veering toward less choice and access since it was created and now falls far behind other networks in its number of providers and ability to incorporate new types of medical care, members of the Military Retirement and Compensation Modernization Commission testified before an Armed Services subcommittee.
The testimony is the beginning of hearings on Capitol Hill so lawmakers can consider legislation to overhaul the health coverage, troop retirement system and other compensation that the Pentagon says is growing too expensive to sustain. The Senate has also planned a series of subcommittee hearings to weigh a number of the commission recommendations, including a complete restructuring of 20-year military retirement system.
(Excerpt) Read more at stripes.com ...
Well, it is or it isn't.
The whole country is broke.
Now we can argue over which parts will/should collapse first (Medicare, Tricare, VA, SocSec, etc) but the fundamental problem is insolvency.
The rest is just apportioning the pain.
Tri Care Pays Physicians and Hospitals less than Medicare.
Obama and the Dems keep trying to destroy it.
How come I never hear these same words used about EBT, SNAP, Section 8, SSI, the Immigration System, Affirmative Action,...?
Sorry Fellow Vets -
The money is needed to provide free healthcare, food stamps, social security, college and EITC tax refunds to illegal aliens.
Yep, they’re too close to Exempt status, so they’re going to try to slap them with Body Mortgage Exchanges also.
The new MBS, leveraged to any amounts, to any forced deductibles, any forced premiums, any forced coercion taxation, any forced account seizures. The selling and trafficking in Human Body Mortgages
Ah yes - death panels - so wife had to go to doctor the other day - Medicare suddenly decided it wasn’t going to pay any longer for topical pain patches wife has been using successfully for back pain for six years - because the pain was coming as a residual of a fractured spine and not diabetes or shingles - now wife has to try, without much success so far, new narcotic pain patches - wife remarked to doc that the government has to save money because they stole funds from Medicare to help pay for Obamacare - doc sneered “Obamacare is horrible, terrible, it stinks - people come in here and they hate it - they can;t afford it because of the high deductibles” - as for Medicare, “I think they’re trying to kill people”, she said - Sarah was right.......
My old Doctor that I had in California had nothing but terrible things to say about Obamacare. I think he has retired now.
I hope the new patch works for your wife.
Funny, I haven’t noticed any problems.
What they really want us to do is buy insurance through Obamacare.
when Obamacare first reared its ugly head our doctor quipped “it will be good for you and good for me” . I wonder how he feels now.
I am not going to ask him.
They tested a program back in 2010 and it was great but the staff was overwhelmed. We went through three primary care docs in two years because they kept trying to squeeze more patients into the program. This was the basis for obamacare and it eventually returned to the clinic style. I give tricare five years before it becomes Medicare. It’s pretty much just a medicine dispensary anyway.
Wow. Well I guess you know who he voted for if he voted.
Active Duty/Retiree ping.
I have Tricare and I love it. Claims are paid quickly. I am very satisfied.
Yep!
I have had the same primary care Doc for nearly 25 years, since I retired.
So has my wife.
Both physicians appear to very happy with the arrangement.
The premiums have slowly crept upward, but I'm not going to complain about that, since it is less than $45.00 per month, with a $12.00 co-pay and $25.00 hospital fee.
The drug fees are beyond my comprehension, with some new rule or something coming out nearly every other day.
One month, I pay .82 cents for 4 antibiotics for a dental visit (I'm a "medicate for life", due to knee replacement), the next time it's $4.80.
Express Scripts sometimes sends my meds and my wife's free, sometimes they charge.
But in comparison to what others around me are paying, I am truly blessed.
I go to Medicare with Tricare for Life this year and my copays go away completely, as does a premium for Tricare for me. My wife's goes to something like $215.00 per year.
I do have to start paying the $110.00 a month or whatever the amount is for Medicare.
I have never been turned down at any hospital or in any doctor's office.
Every referral made by my primary care Doc has been accepted and treatment was first class.
Other than the damned politicians threatening on an almost daily basis to take it away, I have no problem with Tricare.
I must say that I was promised FREE medical care for me and my family for life, if I gave them at least 20 years of my life.
I kept up my side of that bargain...they have not quite lived up to their side of it, although what they have charged me for it has not been a deal breaker, compared to what the rest of the public is paying.
So, all in all and all things considered, I can't really complain.
Walgreens will not sign a contract with Tricare because they would lose too much money filling the prescriptions.
You are so right. My wife recently needed a MRI for a spinal issue. The local hospital, 3 miles from our home does not accept TRICARE. (Read "Not in the so called Network") We had to drive 85 miles to a facility in another state for an MRI. I am not really complaining as we did get the care the Government promised me and family after 30 years service. I am retired. However, it was a major unnecessary inconvenience to say the least especially one with a major spinal problem driving 170 miles round trip.
I’m retired & on Tricare. I’ve seen a doctor one time in the last 3 years. The visit lasted 2 minutes, tops. He asked me one question. The PA who used to handle my stuff left and was not replaced, so they now outsource me to whoever is willing to take almost no pay. I reckon I’d better stay healthy, because I’m screwed if I get sick.
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