"This is true . . . we'll lose TRICARE."

Recently, I was referred by a friend to a website for Kiowa Pilots. On the site was a bulletin board discussion relating to TRICARE for Life and urging all retirees to pass it on to fellow retirees. “This is true,” it warned. It’s not that different from email chains I’ve received in the past. Usually forwarded to me from well-intentioned veterans. Sometimes, they point out the original email was authored by Admiral Propwash or General Brasso. If flag officers haven’t taken the time, the original message will have been written by Sgt. York - the most decorated veteran from Podunk, Idaho. All read just about the same no matter their author. All threaten that without quick communication to your Congressman, or in some cases the President, military retirees will be losing their TRICARE benefits. As the Kiowa Pilot bulletin board message states, “We (retirees) would lose the Medicare for Life benefit and would have to pay. We would lose TRICARE as a total care package.” A little more than a year ago, the messages and emails blamed it on Bush and the budget pinching Republicans. Now they blame Obama, the greedy Congressional Democrats, and their lies. I find it humorous that the same criticism and language lofted at one politician or party is equally as useful at the other party. If you don’t know the email I’m referring to, here’s a version from Military Times. Now, the reality as we know it today. Each year, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) scours the behemoth budget and federal government searching for programs, benefits, or “earmarks” to revise, eliminate, or improve. In doing so, they produce volumes that deal with budget options they feel should be considered. In short, you’ve got a bunch of accountants and economists hiding in a basement somewhere, with no concern for the political implications or reality of a situation, making suggestions based on dollars and cents. So in December 2008, this geek squad published their latest edition, “Budget Options, Volume 1: Health Care.” And in it, they make a significant number of suggestions. If you are an insomniac like me, you’ll discover their suggestions are basically regurgitated like a mother robin’s earthworm. Their “new” recommendations included denying Medicaid payment of hospital-acquired conditions, raising Medicare eligibility age to 67, and basing federal retiree’s health benefits on length of service. For veterans it included:

• End enrollment in VA Medical Care for Veterans in Priority Groups 7 & 8
• Reopen enrollment for category 8 veterans for five years.
• Require co-payments for medical care provided by the VA to non-service connected veterans.

For active duty members and retirees in included:

• Increase cost sharing for families of active-duty military personnel.
• Introduce minimum out-of-pocket requirements for TRICARE for Life.
• Increase cost sharing for military retirees not yet eligible for Medicare.

So if you’re lost, let me lay out the situation. Some geek in a 1980’s skinny tie is sitting in an office is suburban D.C.  His title is Policy Analyst, and his heroic mission is to save America from our deficit.  He dusts of the previous edition of budget recommendations, realizes with a little polishing, they’re good, and cuts and pastes them into the 2008 edition. Veterans, military retirees, and veteran advocates take this unrealistic proposal authored by THE CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE as the gospel truth, and suddenly we’ve got a web-based rumor that has better legs than Carmen Electra. But in the end, this report was the recommendations made by that geek in basement. Have we seen some of these recommendations floated as legislative proposals? Absolutely. Not only did President Obama’s team suggest they wanted co-pays for non-service connected veterans, they were looking for co-pays from service-connected veterans – for their service-connected issues. Not only have we heard of proposed increases in VA enrollment and medication fees (for seemingly the last ten sessions of Congress), we know VA will increase them without Congress’ assistance. And not a day passes without Congress or someone looking to change TRICARE. So what can you do? First, if you’re not a member of The American Legion or any military or veterans service organization, join. They all have a voice on Capitol Hill and all have resolutions aimed at defeating these hare-brained proposals. For it was the American Legion that was the first to rush to help defeat the idea of co-pays for service-disabled veterans. It was the service organizations that helped eliminate the fee hike to inpatient hospital stays administratively adopted in October by TRICARE. Second, take a moment to write your Representative or Congressman and thank them for supporting veterans, military retirees and the military. Not one of the 435 holding an office has an ax to grind with us (although they may not have their priorities straight). If you send an email thanking them, not only will you have at least one “nice” email in your file, but you will make up for all the emails and letters written based on the suggestion of Admiral Propwash. Third, take a moment to reply to the sender of the email. Thank them for keeping you in mind when they got concerned about veterans issues. Inform them that despite the best intentions of General Brasso, he’s not as all-knowing as he was when he wore the uniform. Finally, refer your friend here to the Burnpit. God knows we need the readers and most certainly will do our best to set the record straight. If you can direct them here, have them tell Sgt. York too.