washingtonscene washingtonscene
TrIcAre contract
it from some other committee’s jurisdic- care and Social Security from going broke
Protest Upheld
tion, or get congressional agreement to with the coming retirement of baby boom- dod Issues
borrow the money/increase the deficit. ers, and fight two wars, while trying to
n On Oct. 28, the GAO
announced it had upheld
the problem this year was most of the continue national recovery from a massive HAP rules
Humana Military Health
savings identified were in the first year economic and employment slump.
Processing starts on
Services’ protest that and came from jurisdiction other than the the country — and the military — faces
the government didn’t
armed Services committees’. House leaders some extremely trying budget years, and
homeowner help.
follow the rules in award-
had signed off on the deal, but at least one Moaa doesn’t think the real magnitude of
ing the new TRICARE
South Region contract to
Senate committee with jurisdiction over the that has sunk in yet for most americans. he Pentagon finally started
UnitedHealth Military &
proposed offsets wouldn’t agree, and efforts processing applications for the
Veterans Services. More
to identify alternative offsets failed. Texpanded Homeowner assistance
news to come on what Using budget hardball rules to stymie TrIcAre Fee Program (HaP) in october — more than
this might mean for the 3
relatively low-cost relief ($160 million seven months after congress authorized
million military beneficia-
in 2010) for totally disabled military Hike Killed partial reimbursement to certain military
ries in the South Region.
retirees is maddening when congress
congress reverses surprise
homeowners for losses on sales of their
regularly has waived the offset rules to primary residences.
approve trillions of dollars in stimulus
increase.
the Pentagon program provides ben-
packages, bailouts, and more. efits in the following priority order for
this battle over a relatively tiny offset
A
ll military associations were certain categories of people who suffer
offers an ominous portent for the future. taken aback when DoD issued losses on the sale of their homes in con-
Dropping concurrent receipt is not a press release Sept. 30 announc- junction with a military relocation:
something Hill leaders wanted to do. after ing it would raise the inpatient copayment n wounded servicemembers relocating
all, this was a personal initiative by a new for retired tricare Standard beneficia- for treatment or medical retirement
Democratic president, and House and Sen- ries by $110 a day — from $535 to $645. n survivors of those who died while on
ate leaders wanted to support the president. Moaa saw this 21-percent increase deployment
if they couldn’t come up with the nec- as a foul, because this was one of four n military and DoD civilians affected by the
essary $160 million, they had some rea- tricare fee hikes that congress had 2005 base realignment and closure round
sons. and if we’re right on speculating expressly barred for the past three years, n qualifying military permanent-change-
about those reasons, it doesn’t bode well and the secretary of defense had an- of-station (PcS) moves
for the next few years. nounced last spring that DoD would not to qualify in conjunction with a PcS
first, and most obviously, the armed Ser- be proposing any fee hikes for fy 2010. move, active duty servicemembers must
vices committees don’t have any offsets to Moaa swung into action, writing have purchased their residence before
offer. they’re not going to cut tfl or survi- the secretary of defense, contacting the July 1, 2006, and received military orders
vor benefits to fund concurrent receipt. White House, and writing Hill leaders to to relocate between feb. 1, 2006, and
Second, congress has bigger fish to fry reverse that plan, arguing not only that it Dec. 31, 2009, with a reporting date on or
(e.g., national health care reform) that violated DoD leaders’ earlier no-fee-hike before feb. 28, 2010.
are consuming almost all budget offsets. pledge but also that the $535-a-day retir- losses on private home sales will be
third, congress’ past approval of mas- ee tricare Standard inpatient copay- reimbursed at 90 percent of prior fair
sive spending packages has driven the ment already is far larger than inpatient market value (PfMV) — normally the pur-
deficit to levels that force tighter budget copayments under most civilian plans. chase price, for those making a PcS move.
rules for “nonessential” issues. Moaa members did their part in re- Wounded warriors and surviving spouses
How bad is it? the 2009 deficit will sponding to a special Moaa alert, gen- will be reimbursed at 95 percent of PfM V.
be about $1.4 trillion — a staggering 10 erating 20,000 messages to congress on if a servicemember can’t sell his or
percent of the value of total U.S. national this topic in the span of three days. her home and the government has to
output of goods and services. these combined efforts yielded positive take it over, the reimbursement rate for
Meanwhile, congress faces huge chal- results, as the new fy 2010 Defense autho- PcS moves will be 75 percent of PfM V.
lenges to extend health care coverage to rization act includes a provision barring Wounded warriors, civilians, and sur-
all americans, find a way to keep Medi- any inpatient copayment increase. viving spouses who cannot sell under
34 Military officer december 2009
Dec_Scene.indd 34 11/4/09 2:44 PM
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