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March 12, 2009

Re: The Obama/Shinseki "You Owe Us..."

"...for not having a leg to stand on" plan. Yeah. It sucks. Even the thought of them THINKING it...sucks.

But, speaking as both a prior 12 1/2 year active duty Marine and as the wife of a recently retired one, that isn't the only wonderful thing they're kicking around. Part of the lore of the military, besides the obvious "serving your country", is that there are benefits that make up for all the shit your country puts you through in its name. (In our time, the pay was just starting to slip ahead of slave wages ~ the kids are rather more handsomely rewarded now, but no less than they're due. And they'd do it for less.) One of those enumerated active duty benefits is, to this day, the healthcare. Out of all of them (college, etc., ad nauseum), healthcare has always been the cherry on top the Armed Forces sundae. While major dad and I were active, we'd seen it erode. And, for all that the retirees are living longer on stronger drugs, it only seems fair that we consider our medical to be something we should help pay for. (Of course, no one ever thought they'd be shunted off to Medicare at 62, but that's another argument.)Whatever it's limitations, it's still a damn site more better and affordable than 99% of what's out there for all that ails us in our dotage. But.

But.

What should be sacrosanct is "free" healthcare that your life may pay for as an active duty member. The deal when you came in was you and your family. And that's how it should be. Sacrosanct.

But that's not how the bean counters see it. The latest proposals are an outrage of epic proportions.

Fees for Active Duty Families – Dependents of active duty members enrolled in TRICARE Prime, the managed care network, would pay new fees equal to 10 percent of the cost of health services obtained either in military treatment facilities or through civilian network providers. Total out of pocket costs would be capped, however.

To help offset these costs, dependents would receive a $500 non-taxable allowance annually. Those who elect to use alternative health insurance, rather than TRICARE, could apply the $500 toward their health insurance premiums, co-payments or deductibles.

CBO estimates these fees would save $7 billion over 10 years and encourage Prime enrollees to "use medical services prudently." It also would entice more spouses to enroll in employer-provided health plans instead of TRICARE. The downside, CBO said, would be financial difficulties for some Prime enrollees despite the cap on out-of-pocket costs. Also, CBO said, spouses induced to rely on employer health plans could see health coverage interrupted during military assignment relocations.

That last sentence is a kicker. Forcing spouses to use employer insurance, then leaving them in the lurch when husbands change commands? Sounds benign enough ~ "hey, we're going to California!" But command changes also occur when an individual is transferred to a hostile environment (Think Middle East deployment)(Bullets, carbombs and Baptists.)(BAATHists. Sorry) and isn't it wonderful to know your family's medical is completely AFU when Mom had to quit since Dad deployed, then sweet Sally falls out of a tree and breaks her arm...and it's a nightmare, because TriCare hasn't kicked in. They never HEARD of her. That arm's got to get set and then it's up to Mom to pray the bill collectors aren't calling in short order. Oh, yeah. Dad ~ writhing in isolation imposed impotence ~ needs that stress like nobody's business.

Activated reserve troops have been dealing with this mess forever, since it's the nature of the weekend warrior's world ~ different rules and twelve more levels of bureacracy. There's no excuse for it with active duty troops, I don't care how many snotty nosed, hacking coughed urchins a LCpl's wife drags into the base ER for tylenol and Robitussin. That's her right and that was the deal, DOD.

Auguries of this trend abounded even years ago. First when peckish feeling active duty members, instead of taking themselves down to "sick bay" ('twixt 0700-0900 or 1300-1500) for a de rigueur going over by a junior corpsman (invariably leaving with a bottle of 800mg Motrin, Robitussin, Sudafed and blisterpack of Cepacol throat lozenges, be it your leg or lymphoma) were then directed to "make an appointment" with TriCare. In some communities, there WAS no sick call ~ did away with it completey, requiring active duty members to travel off-base for an appointment at a "NavCare" center. So WHAT happened to the kids who had NO transportation to a facility maybe 10 miles off base, when they used to be able to WALK to sick bay? How, you might wonder, did they get there to receive their cure? "How", indeed.

Then another wrinkle was added. To everyone's great consternation, they were NOT eligible to be seen if they weren't "enrolled" in the formerly-for-dependents-only DEERS ~ 105º fever, pus-oozing fleshwound not withstanding ~ which, of course, no one had seen fit to tell them they had to enroll in to begin with, 'cause when you raised your right hand, wasn't that enrolling?


It only got more obnoxious. Our encounter came a tad later, in 2004. As we're checking major dad in for his shoulder reconstructive surgery, they want to know who I'm insured at work with, since the Navy is planning on billing those guys for the whole thing. I was sorry to disappoint them happy to say I was unemployed.

Ten years before, that question would have been unthinkable.

It should STILL be.

Posted by tree hugging sister at March 12, 2009 09:47 PM

Comments

Why am I not surprised that Obama wants everyone under government controlled health care except for our troops who are supposed to get the best care possible in return for their service and sacrifice.

This moron deserves to share the same fate as Mussolini.

Posted by: Gunslinger at March 12, 2009 11:30 PM

Here's a choice: pay a deadbeat's mortgage or pay a soldier's health insurance premium. Well, no, that's actually not a choice at all. I'd happily pay more taxes if the money was going to benefits for our military members and their families.

Shame on Obama and Congress if they don't consider this untouchable, except to increase benefits.

Posted by: Retread at March 13, 2009 07:16 AM

Damned straight, Retread and Gunslinger. It's clear just what Obama's priorities REALLY are.

Posted by: JeffS at March 13, 2009 10:50 AM

Hmm... I've been sticking my finger in the fan on behalf of Uncle Sam since 1983. The Clinton administration never dreamed anything this diabolical. In one move they're managing to kill morale, make service members and their families suffer, and for what?

I remember - I stay in the vain hope that my children won't have to serve... and that they won't be murdered by islamonuts because they are Jewish. Sadly, I don't foresee this administration doing a lot to allay either concern.

Posted by: Mark at March 13, 2009 04:24 PM

Hmm... I've been sticking my finger in the fan on behalf of Uncle Sam since 1983. The Clinton administration never dreamed anything this diabolical. In one move they're managing to kill morale, make service members and their families suffer, and for what?

I remember - I stay in the vain hope that my children won't have to serve... and that they won't be murdered by islamonuts because they are Jewish. Sadly, I don't foresee this administration doing a lot to allay either concern.

Posted by: Mark at March 13, 2009 04:31 PM

I'd second that sentiment, Mark, but you beat me to it!

I don't think ANYONE should sleep soundly while Prezzy O wields airwaves and ballpoints.

Posted by: tree hugging sister at March 13, 2009 05:06 PM

There are many reasons I'm in the reserves, but Tricare Reserve Select is a very big one. Take that away, and there is precious little reason to stay in the reserves, except for the fleeting hope of getting to kill Al Qaeda.

With a quasi muslim president, there are getting fewer and fewer reasons to be in the military. Why should I put my marriage in jeopardy to deploy again? Maybe that's the point?

B. Hussein is proving to be even worse than I imagined he could be.

Posted by: Skyler at March 16, 2009 10:50 AM

I really don't like tooting my own horn. EVERYBODY who's ever sworn the Oath of Enlistment should already know this. If it wasn't for the polluted by the hippies of the 60s educational system, every American should know what this says and stand by it. As a citizen, not even necessarily as a military person. And remember, this is FOR LIFE, not just term of contract.
http://cmblake6.wordpress.com/2008/11/19/this-is-the-oath-many-of-us-have-sworn/
Read it, consider it, see if it means a thing to you.

Posted by: cmblake6 at March 18, 2009 12:21 AM

Hey, THS, Rachel Lucas likes the cut of your jib. Pretty cool.

On topic, I can't for the life of me believe that Shinseki has anything to do with this other than being the current head of the VA. While many of his ideas while Army Chief of Staff were controversial, the guy really does care about service members.

Posted by: Cullen at March 19, 2009 08:35 AM