from the president
Breach of Faith
The Pentagon should get its own house in order before breaking its promises to America’s troops, who already have paid their fair share in service, sacrifice — and higher health care fees.
MOAA leaders are concerned the 2013 budget is taking advantage of America’s troops by disproportionately raising health care fees in the TRICARE program. We take particular exception to Pentagon proposals imposing significantly higher enrollment fees and pharmacy copayments for military retirees and their families. DoD can do far more to constrain military health care costs through more efficient management and delivery systems, rather than shifting costs to beneficiaries.
We know you are concerned, too, because we’ve received a flood of comments. Most agree with MOAA’s pledge to resist disproportionate increases in military health care fees and a BRAC (base realignment and closure)-like process to decide military retirement changes.
However, as usual, I’ve received a few emails from members who think MOAA is too obstinate and the proposed fee hikes are necessary to help our government balance the books. Granted, it’s just a few people; but these officers think service-members and their families should contribute more than they already have.
We stand firm on our position that the nation’s service members and retirees already have given more than their fair share. MOAA members and supporters agree: More than 110,000 letters of opposition have been sent to elected representatives.
I think many citizens, including some military officers, don’t understand the concept of paying for earned compensation up front. They feel military benefits should be “civilianized” to be in line with nonmilitary positions. I’d like to know what civilian occupations could be comparable to those requiring ever-increasing months away from home in situations ranging from health-threatening to life-threatening. In the past 10 years, conditions for service members have been anything but civilian-like.
We at MOAA think the budget is an all-out attack on the main pillars of the all-volunteer force: health care and retirement. If we break those two pillars, the nation will have a serious problem.
We know members want MOAA to be steadfast in support of our core mission — but also responsible and willing to bring solutions to our country’s economic problems. And we are: In 2011, we agreed to a 13-percent increase in health care fees and future increases tied to raises in the cost of living. Now, the Pentagon and administration want to change that agreement, proposing tiered fee increases and yearly hikes that increase with medical inflation. This will tax military families with a $34.5 billion bill over the next 10 years.
Before proposing new taxes on the military, the Pentagon should buckle down and make the health care system more efficient and less costly. That would be fair.
— Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN-Ret.
14 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2012
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