Volume 1 Issue 4
Post 5896 Newsletter
Norman L . Rigdon V.F.W. Post 5896
Health Care Bill Targets Military Personnel
Normally I swerve away from political matter in my newsletter. However, in this case when it could directly
negatively affect active duty and retired military personnel. I can not in good conscience remain unvoiced. This new
1990 page Obama Health Care Bill being introduced by the House has also targeted military personnel on active-duty
and retirees.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has already drafted proposed legislation too: Increase health care cost for
family members of active-duty, increase medical cost sharing for military retirees who are not yet eligible for Medicare
and to introduce minimum out-of-pocket requirements under TRICARE For Life (TFL). What happened to the, “If you
like your health care you can keep it”. As open and vague as the language is in the Health Care Bill, these CBO
proposals could easily be adopted by the Obama controlled administration.
Just to give you some examples of the proposed “changes”: Currently military treatment facilities do not charge family
members of active-duty or retired military personnel copayments for medical services or pharmaceuticals. This would
change and there would be a copayment! Active-duty personnel using TRICARE for medical care off base their
copayment would go from a $3 to $9 to 10% of the cost of the health services obtained. Military retirees covered
under TRICARE will see their annual deductible of $150 (single coverage) or $300 (family coverage) go to $550 (single
coverage) and $1100 (family coverage) that’s an increase of 360 percent. Military retirees TRICARE $12 copayment
for each outpatient visit to a civilian physician would more than double to $28 for each outpatient visit. Military retirees
that signed up for TFL as a supplement to Medicare for them and their family with few out-of-pocket fees will see their
out-of-pocket fees increase year af