fromthepresident Having an Impact L
The legislative season is in high gear, and MOAA is working hard on behalf of our members to infl uence health care reform. Your postcards will pave the way for our success.
Leaders from both Armed Services committees intend to make health care reform a major element of the FY 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. February’s Military Offi cer highlighted MOAA’s congressional testimony on po- tential health care reform. We are working to unify the military community’s collec- tive voice through The Military Coalition and other MOAA partners. Health care re- form will aff ect not only our members but also all who serve our nation in uniform. You might have been among the more
than 30,000 benefi ciaries who responded to MOAA’s recent TRICARE health care survey. Three overarching concerns emerged in the responses: access, continu- ity of care, and referrals. Those survey results guided our testimo-
ny before the House Armed Services Com- mittee’s Military Personnel Subcommittee. I am pleased with the motivation of the committee’s leadership to improve the qual- ity of care. It is refreshing and strategically important to have infl uential members of Congress who want to improve the benefi t. However, we’re concerned about the poten- tial for disproportional benefi ciary fee hikes that would result from this review. By the time you receive this issue, the
president should have released his pro- posed budget for 2017, including DoD recommendations for health care reform. Your Government Relations team is pre- paring for Storming the Hill April 13. This year’s storming topics will include health
care reform. You can help pave the way for our Hill-stormers by signing, stamping, and mailing the preaddressed postcards on the cover of this magazine to your two senators and representative. We know from feedback in previous years that a fl ood of postcards makes our Hill-storm- ing much more eff ective. MOAA has earned remarkable cred- ibility on Capitol Hill. During a recent meeting I had with some senior House members, I was told, “Of all of the orga- nizations, MOAA is the one we rely on. … MOAA brings defensible analysis to us and always off ers solutions.” The reality is, MOAA must build and
grow our membership numbers to sustain our infl uence and access. It is incumbent upon each of us to help MOAA grow. We also must connect with the next genera- tion, who will carry our legacy forward. I need your help to convey that what we do today aff ects not only today’s current and retired offi cers but also those who will be serving or retiring 20 years from now. You are all ambassadors. Social persuasion is powerful. Sometimes all it takes to gain a new member is asking them to join. If you believe in MOAA, please do all you can to help us grow, sustain the momentum, and never stop serving.
— Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret)
online: Follow MOAA President Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret), on Twitter @moaaprez. 10 MILITARY OFFICER MARCH 2016
PHOTO: ROB CANNON
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