I retired after 20 years, draw my pension and also draw 100% disability pay with the VA. I can't work and I'm 44 years old. So what they're saying is that my Tricare increases are going to go way up because I'm under 62 and should be working. I don't think so! There needs to be some increases in Tricare fee's and I don't have a problem with that, however I believe that everyone's Tricare fee's need to be increased not just a select group of people. I also don't think that the increase needs to be as much as the annual cost of living increase either. If that happens then it will be just like Social Security Disability benefits where their Medicare increases are the same amount as their cost of living increase is and that means they never will (and we never will) get another cost of living increase (essentially).

The sneaky bean counters at Tricare have been quietly bumping medications and medicines to a costlier tier. What cost me $38 now costs me $150 per month. Now DOD says we're not paying enough and should pay more. Hey DOD, we're already paying more!

We put in 20 plus years service to this country and what do we get! A lot of promises and a lot more ********. We veterans have given our blood and a lot more to defend this country so the so called "Representatives" can draw their cushy retirement and health benefits. They can KMA for their so called support for the Active Duty Military and the Veterans.

A a retired US Army Desert Storm Veteran that proudly came in the end of the Viet Nam conflict, all I want to know is, where are the "free lifetime" benefits we were 'promised'? Oh, I forgot, those things were not actually in writing as several hearings in the past concluded.

Anyhow where do OUR leaders get their ideas from? Go to military treatment facilities i.e. VA? They do not have enough care personnel now!! It takes forever to get appointments and nary shall I say the practioners are MOSTLY foreigners or getting their pre grad training time in? I had to put up with that while proudly serving active duty for 20 years, but why should I have to now? I want to see a died in the blue American, who served preferably, provider, not someone I have to ask to repeat themselves and do not have the time (if they wanted to) to read thru your record let alone the referral.

All I wnat is a fair shake at what our legislators and civilian leaders get! They don't pay the fees we do for meds and referrals I bet, not to mention the waiting games. Oh well with the lucid debt now upon us and our kids, it is bound to come. Who else easier to get extra money from? Why those (us) paid for out of the government funds!! I feel so sorry for the current veterans and know some close, that have to fight to get anything, unless they go to their local congress person or the media.

Raising our rates is not the answer, fixing the system FIRST, in a way that it would be attractive and/or convenient for us to go. And as the ole internet story that goes around concerning social security, I wonder if the same is true for our leaders in this subject too?

Oh well, guess I will have to live with the higher rates or my maladies!

If Saint Obama can walk on water and bailout GM, AIG, Fanny May etc,the list goes on, then print up MORE money and bailout those that served our country. Sounds simple to me. He's pizzing through TRILLIONS OF $$$$. BUT THIS JERK OFF SEC OF DEFENSE SAYS 'RAISE TRICARE RATES, INCREASE PRESCRIPTIONS CO-PAYS.'
We'll have 4 years of this crap. Let's not forget in 2012 at the ballot machines. Let's get these jerks out of office and get back on track for a stronger America.

Having spent 24 years in the military, (serving the country to earn my benefits, ie... free medical), and 20 years in the post office ( serving the people) putting up with all the ********,
I resent the fact that Gates and the present administration think I didn't DO ENOUGH to serve this country. Just how many of our "so called representives" served in the military and have "Earned" their benefits? If I need to go to Bethesda, I need a referral. THEY need only an Aide to call and a Limo to take them, at taxpayers expense of course.
Sounds like a lot of DC BS to me!

That quote of his "medical care is eating us alive" just kills me. Especially when I think about all the money our government so easily hands out to immigrants who cross our borders illegally everyday in the form of welfare and medicare all with the blessings of the same congress that sees us as a drag on the medical care system. This is just wrong. I am very appreciative of having the Tricare benefit that I earned by serving my country and I do make full use of it as a way to hopefully stay ahead of and identify early any potential health issues that I may encounter in my life. In this way, I feel like I am doing my part to maximize my benefits through early detection which will save the government money in the long term. But instead, the govt bean counters probably see me as "over user" of the system.

I joined the Army in 1969. At that time the military leaders were informing new recruits that if they should decided to stay in for a career there were benefits that they could enjoy---one was health care for life. About 6 years prior to retiring from the Army I began hearing rumors of the government reneging on that promise. When I retired in 1992 I was beginning to think that at some point I could expect not to receive health care as had been promised. Dental care was gone forever. The rumors began under Ronald Regan and continued through all of the presidents since then. Taxpayers are all Americans. Taxpayers, military retirees included do not want to pay more taxes. How does the government afford itself becomes an ever increasing dilemma for the various occupants of the White House and the chambers of Congress. The taxpayers do not understand that the cost of freedom, the cost of protecting this great nation, and the cost of wars is high. The taxpayers do not know that the costs include retirement pay and health care costs. On top of the costs for military retirees are the health care costs for veterans who served but did not retire but who are drawing disability benefits resulting from their service and are receiving health care based on those disabilities. Veterans who are wounded coming back from our most recent wars will be receiving disability benefits and health care for the next 60 years or longer. The taxpayers want to protect this nation and they want the freedom that we are enjoy but they do not want to pay more taxes. Tax payers cannot have it both ways. As for me I want what was promised to me. I do not know if I would have stayed in for 20+ years had I known that I would not receive health care. Ever since I retired full health care has been hanging by a thread. CHAMPUS went and Tri-care came but still health care for retirees is up for grabs. I am a working retiree and I carry health insurance because I don’t trust military health care. I didn’t trust it when I retired and I still don’t. Too many physicians are not certified. Physicians working in military hospitals don’t seem to be held accountable for their mistakes. I pay for my health care and for my family’s health care but I realize that tomorrow may bring financial difficulties for me so I like having Tri-care in the offing. I feel that I worked for it and earned it as did all military retirees. So President Obama, members of Congress and Mr Gates you have a problem to resolve and it ain’t going to be easy.

It's one thing to get stabbed in the back from the liberal White House but to be stabbed in the back from the Pentagon... It sure does hurt.

Take benefits from non-serving military congress members first. Maybe vets who have served and were awarded a combat service ribbon should remain without increased cost, others a small increase in cost. Although it should be no cost for those who have retired or have been disabled through no fault of their own while serving

Re:Raise in Tri Care.. Do members of congress use this? and if so are thay and their famlies going to have to pay more also?
Mr Gates, trying to balence your budget on the back of retired members again is getting pretty old dont you think??
You might consider haveing a peek at the purchaseing system or the continued cost over runs on most of your on going buys to get some of your money back. Already we know our cost of liveing raise has vanished so now it is going to be a bump in tri care...... what part of fixed income do your budget folks not understand???

Hey, this is no SH-T,

I'm a 22yr. Navy Vet. 100% Disabled P&T, with Ser. Con. and I use the V A exclusively.

I used Tricare when it first came out, before civilian retiring,and classed as Disabled, because myemployers ins. would not cover my wife's needs.

Now she uses MEDICARE PT'S. A & B with TRICARE 4 life. I also have the same Medicare coverage, (in case something happens away from a V A facility while traveling)to use w/Tricare 4 life. Why do I have to pay for MEDICARE? In my status, and many other disabled VETS should get MEDICARE for FREE !!

But that will never happen, and we all know it ...

My big fear is that if you raise Tricare fee's, it won't be very far down the Rd. when Tricare 4 life fee's go up. Right now I can't get the Rx filled for my wife's eye (she only has sight in one) because some BEAN COUNTER sitting at a desk with an adding machine decides it's too expensive. The GENERIC that they want us to get does NOT have all the ingredients in it as the name brand. You know kind of like baking a BLUEBERRY Pie, without the BLUEBERRY's !!

Before they raise any co-pays,or deductibles for we retiree's on either of the TRICARE types, let's make sure that we are getting our "FULL SERVICE" out of the system. EXPRESS SCRIPTS, runs the pharmacies, and the formulary of med's. with no one asking for ACCOUNTIBILITY from them except for $$ spent. Because today only $$ speaks, even before we get onto SOCALIZED OBAMA MEDICINE...

You new retiree's need to look at what's going on TODAY,to protect your FUTURE. (YAH, I was one of those who years ago was PROMISED FREE MEDICAL & DENTAL as an incentive to RE-ENLIST for the first time. SO BEWARE the SEA is always the CALMEST before the STORM !!

My next step is my CONGRESSMAN for HELP...

This is why there is such a problem recruiting quailty personnel into the service. you tell them to serve 20 years like I did and have them thinking they can benefit from the reirement pay and healthcare they will get for service to their country. Then you f@#$ them over by making them pay for said healthcare and dental(what a joke) with their retirement pay. Now you want to take their cola raise to offset the pay increase for tricare. another words the retirement pay will never increase again just the way govt beauracrats would like it. so just keep recruiting people who are desperate for jobs and the highschool dropouts and see what kind of motivated fighting force you recruit. This just shows that because I am still able to work that the govt would force me into using civilian job insurance which costs a lot more than the military retirement insurance that I deserve for the service to my grateful country.

quote:

Originally posted by Tater2000:
It's one thing to get stabbed in the back from the liberal White House but to be stabbed in the back from the Pentagon... It sure does hurt.

amen to that brother.

Didn't the Republican Senate try this last year and it did not pass the in the congress? Gates was the SECDEF then, of course it's not his job to propose something like this. The SECDEF don't propose law, only Congress can and I don't see them doing it. So to the author I ask, where is the proof?

Good timing! We are in a recession,unemployment is up, people are having trouble making ends meet and everything is being taxed, so why not take more from us so we can we can really be poverty sticken. Question; what if you are retired, not 65, and you can not work because of physical prblems? I bet the the answer will be that you will still make me pay more for my earned benifit, 33 years of service, of Tri Care. Gates must be another one of these rich politicans that has no concept of the people trying to live on a low fixed income or the common working person not nearly making the money that he does. Gates fits right in with todays political mentality. Keep them poor!

Raise the cost of tricare, what the hell does what we pay tricare have to do with building New Hospitals. Maybe if they hadn't closed the facilities that they have ie; Oak Knoll in Oakland,CA and Long Beach Naval Hospital amongst others (they closed them because they were having a hard time staffing them) If these facilities were not closed they would be taking a big load off the TriCare System. It's not how F'in old the buildings are, its the talent and equipment inside of them that counts.

I like others here have not used any of the VA health system since retiring as I have always had good insurance. I used Tricare for about nine months total. I want to use Tricare but because I have other coverage they won't pay for a D*&^ed Thing. So much for Tri-Care I just hope TriCare for Life is worth the money when I reach 65. What a crock, more money more money, instead of operating like a business where everything is determined and decided upon by the Bottom Line.

MMCRET94

As enlisted retiree I guess pretty soon my entire retirement check will go to my Tricare and Delta Dental fees. Retiree medical and dental benefits are quickly becoming just another broken promise. Military service crippled my body and fatigued my mind; and now the Tricare system is going after what's left of my military retirement pay, "life-long health benefits", and esprit de corps. Today it seems that many of those who have not served and would not serve don't understand or appreciate our service or sacrifices. Attacking veterans benefits is not the sign of a "grateful" nation. As American citizens we elect officials to speak on our behalf and pass laws that look out for the interest of the people; not special interest groups or lobbist for healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, etc.. and when the people we elect don't live up to our expectations, their promises, or this country's promises then we should VOTE THEM OUT!

I do not believe insisting on absolutely no rate increase is politically sustainable. Ironically, this stance may lead senior DoD officals and Congress to "justify" a huge increase. Accordingly, a stance that may be politically palatable is to increase TRICARE fees by the rate of COLA increase each year. In reality, that approach represents no increase in cost, whereas politicans can rightfully argue that no annual increase equals a fee reduction; a very unpopular notion by some senior officals as evidenced by Secretary Gates remarks. In short, if we're veiwed as attempting to stonewall, we may get rolled over.

quote:

Originally posted by mmulder67:

No one should profit from sickness and injury.

Everyone has a right to make a living. I don't want to trust my health care to well-meaning volunteers. I don't even mind a small increase in fees or copays. Any increase should be across the board, and not like the last proposal. Retirees who took it easy for 20 years and didn't do much were to get the biggest cost break--no way!