Finding Solutions fromthepresident
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As we storm Capitol Hill in April, MOAA representatives will strive for responsible advocacy that helps meet the needs of the nation even as it recognizes the sacrifi ces military people make.
In mid-February, I attended a ground- breaking meeting with Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Dr. Cliff ord L. Stanley and other key DoD health care leaders at which Stanley pro- posed what he described as “modest, gradu- al changes” in enrollment fees for TRICARE Prime (for those under age 65) — increases of $5 a month for families and $2.50 a month for individuals, indexed at an average annual medical infl ation rate of 6.2 percent. He also proposed changing the TRICARE Pharmacy copayment system to encourage use of the home-delivery system. At the end of the briefi ng, Stanley summarized DoD’s proposal by stating, “We listened ... and we are willing to work with you.” Given our nation’s ballooning defi cit, the
drastic proposals recently put forward by the National Commission on Fiscal Respon- sibility and Reform, and a February letter to the Senate from all six joint chiefs (a 24-star letter) recommending military health care fee increases, MOAA is encouraged the new proposal avoids the arbitrary and draconian TRICARE fee increases proposed in the past and that this 13-percent increase (after 15 years of no increases) better recognizes the principle that career military people prepay a large price for their health care coverage in decades of service and sacrifi ce. Some positives: The new plan entails no changes for TRICARE For Life or TRI- CARE Standard and has no means-testing fees. DoD also has adopted MOAA’s propos- al to eliminate copayments for the use of ge-
neric drugs via TRICARE’s home-delivery program and the exclusion of survivors and medically retired and currently serving per- sonnel from any TRICARE Prime increases. However, MOAA objects strongly to the
proposed DoD annual adjustment method- ology, which would inappropriately tie fee increases for age 64 and below to an as-yet- unspecifi ed measure of U.S. health care cost growth that DoD actuaries estimate will be about 6.2 percent a year. I call this the po- tential Trojan horse in the Pentagon plan. MOAA will be Storming the Hill this month, attempting to call on all 535 elected members of Congress. In this 112th Con- gress, which includes 98 new members in the House, only 20 percent of the House members have served in the military. Some always will resist legislative com-
promises. MOAA is not afraid to draw a line in the sand when necessary but always has prided itself on advocating responsibly for a strong national defense strategy that is sustainable and balanced with the nation’s other needs. Because of the “One Powerful Voice®” you give us, we are hopeful the Pen- tagon, Congress, and the administration will work with us to fi nd balanced solutions to the health care proposal and other key issues (noted on page 31) that help ensure the long- term stability of the all-volunteer force in ways fair for both the military and the nation.
— Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
*online: Learn more about MOAA’s advocacy efforts at
www.moaa.org/action. 14 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2011
PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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