DoD settles on cost index for Tricare fee hikes

[unhappycamper]

unhappycamper note: Since the ‘Pentagon’ (DoD? Gannett?) has ‘requested’ that I only post one paragraph from articles on Army Times, and Airforce Times, To keep in that same (new) tradition, I will also do the same for for articles on Navy Times, Marine Corps Times, stripes.com and military.com.
To read the article in the military's own words, you will need to click the link.

Read all about Fair Use here. It sure is beginning to smell like fascism.

unhappycamper summary of this article: :(






By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Apr 29, 2011 16:22:10 EDT

The Defense Department would link future Tricare fee increases to a medical care cost index that has increased by an average of 6.4 percent a year over the past 25 years, but rose just 3.1 percent last year, according to a briefing provided to military associations.

[fasttense]

1. We told our military veterans they would get free health care for life

if they sacrificed 20 years or more of their life to fight for our country. If they risked their lives to protect us for 20 years or more they were promised free health care.

I know this is not a lot of money right now. But a 6%+ increase every year will eventually make health care for veterans un-affordable. How about just cutting some of those no-bid contracts to Halliburton instead.

"For fiscal 2012, DoD is asking to increase Tricare Prime enrollment fees by $30 for individuals and $60 for families, a 13 percent hike from current fees. In 2013 and beyond, DoD would link increases to the rise in the health cost index."

So, instead of cutting contract give aways to Cheney's friends, instead of making the excessively wealthy pay their fair share of taxes, instead of cutting subsidies to oil corporations, they are going to cut health care for the people who have risked their lives for this country.

I'm sure that will keep the current recruits coming in to volunteer, when they hear how our government does not keep it's promises to it veterans.