So my wife recieved a letter saying that our insurance premiums were going up, than my friend posts this. (//http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-to-cut-medical-benefits-for-active-retired-military-not-union-workers)
Have any of the vets not on active duty seen an increase?
This "news" is over a year old.
<-Ha! I'm Satan!!!
Quote from: "Jmpty"This "news" is over a year old.
<-Ha! I'm Satan!!!
I know this, but as it is talking about how is trying to cut the heath benefits and I got the letter about changes in our insurance I was wondering if those of you that recieve the benefits have gotten anything similar.
Quote from: "Alaric I"Quote from: "Jmpty"This "news" is over a year old.
<-Ha! I'm Satan!!!
I know this, but as it is talking about how is trying to cut the heath benefits and I got the letter about changes in our insurance I was wondering if those of you that recieve the benefits have gotten anything similar.
I'm retired military and my premiums have gone up from $230 a year to about $270 a year for the Tricare Prime single rate. Sure, it's really inexpensive for quality health insurance, but when I signed up, part of the package deal was that you get free health care if you do your 20 years. I did over 20 and it's not exactly free now, is it? I hear there are some proposed nickel and dime actions that will eventually push it over 2 grand a year. I hope those are just rumors.
The civilian contractor who manages Tricare switches to United Health Care on April 1st. I'll have to wait and see how they work.
From Stars and Stripes:
Do veterans have a right to free health care for life?
By Jeff Schogol
Published: November 23, 2011
Time and time again, Stars and Stripes hears from readers who say they were promised free medical care for life when they joined the military. The topic usually comes up when there is talk of raising Tricare fees for military retirees.
"I do mind paying more than $460.00 per year," one reader commented on such a story in January. "I was promised FREE medical and DENTAL for me and my family, for life. So to me any increase is a continuation of the break of a promise that was already broken."
Clearly, these folks feel betrayed, so The Rumor Doctor set out to see if there is any truth to this belief that troops and veterans are entitled to free health care for life.
"The short answer is no," said Peter Graves, a spokesman for the assistant defense secretary for health affairs. "Health care benefits for military members, retirees, and their families are, and have always been, as provided by law, and the law has never promised free health care for life."
The law provides free medical care for servicemembers on active duty and their families, Graves said in an email.
Congressional Research Service, which provides analysis for Congress, issued a 2003 report that found veterans were not entitled to free medical care for life, even though they may have been promised exactly that by their recruiters.
Since 1956, veterans and their families can be treated at military medical facilities "subject to the availability of space and facilities and the capabilities of the medical and dental staff," the report found.
"They have no right to military health care and the military services have total discretion in when and under what circumstances retirees and their dependents will get care in military treatment facilities," the report said.
Several veterans have taken their claims to court, alleging that recruiters promised them free medical care, but one court ruled that such promises did not constitute a contract, the report said.
Moreover, since recruiters do not have the authority to make such promises, there is no way to enforce them, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled in 2002. The Supreme Court later refused to hear the case, ending the matter.
"The courts, and other analysts, have noted that allowing these claims to create such an obligation would thwart the Constitutional role of Congress (i.e., prevent the Congress from determining the compensation and benefits of the armed forces) and create a situation wherein military personnel/retirees (and potentially al other federal employees) could create or expand their own benefits with popular myth or rumor and without review," the CRS report found.
THE RUMOR DOCTOR'S DIAGNOSIS: The rumor of free medical care for life is false, even though some veterans were promised it by recruiters, who were in no position to make such a promise. As the CRS report makes clear, "Unauthorized promises based on mistakes, fraud, etc. do not constitute a contractual obligation on the part of the government/taxpayer."
Quote from: "Alaric I"Quote from: "Jmpty"This "news" is over a year old.
<-Ha! I'm Satan!!!
I know this, but as it is talking about how is trying to cut the heath benefits and I got the letter about changes in our insurance I was wondering if those of you that recieve the benefits have gotten anything similar.
I could find nothing to coroborate the story your friend posted. You know fox news would be all over this if it were true.
I'm not aware of premiums rising, but I know of a couple of NG troops who are losing their tuition assistance because of the partisan bickering.
Army suspends tuition assistance program
By Jim Tice - Staff writer
Posted : Friday Mar 8, 2013 7:47:43 EST
The Army's popular tuition assistance program is being suspended because of the budget squeeze, although the many thousands of soldiers currently enrolled in courses will be allowed to complete those courses.
The shutdown began at 5 p.m. Eastern time March 8.
About 200,000 soldiers are currently using tuition assistance.
Soldiers will not be allowed to enroll in TA-funded courses after that deadline, according to Lt. Col. Tom Alexander, spokesman for the Army's personnel chief.
"Soldiers who are in courses now can complete those courses, but they will not be allowed to enroll in new courses," he said.
"This suspension is necessary given the significant budget execution challenges caused by the combined effects of a possible year-long continuing resolution and sequestration," Alexander said.
"The Army understands the effects of this action and will re-evaluate should the budget situation improve," he said.
The Tuition Assistance program is one of the Army's most popular in-service benefits, with some 201,000 Regular Army, National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers participating in traditional classroom and online courses at 3,100 colleges and universities nationwide.
During fiscal 2012, the Army spent $373 million for tuition assistance payments.
Under the TA payment formula, payments are capped at $250 per semester hour of instruction, for up to an annual total of $4,500.
While the TA program is suspended, soldiers can pursue education goals using their VA benefits, if eligible, that include the Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty, Montgomery Bill-Selected Reserve, Reserve Assistance Program and the Post 9/11 GI Bill.
Other education funding sources also may be appropriate, such as grants, scholarships and the state tuition assistance programs available to some National Guard soldiers.
Pentagon officials strongly urge soldiers affected by the TA shutdown to contact their local Army education center to assess their options
It's not just the NG. All of the Army and Marine Corps has had their TA suspended. Their was a mad rush to get into classes when the decision came out. I already had all mine set and am out of TA so I just hope it gets resolved by the time I need to resubmit my TA.
My daughter just lost a $4,500 (online) college benefit (which she spent 6 years earning) due to recent military cut-backs. She's none to happy about that since she had a few more courses to go for her second degree. *sigh*
Don't get me started on military benefits (or lack thereof) while congress sits, takes vacations and twirls their thumbs up their asses and bemoans their delicate condition of being in congress. Oh - their jobs are Soooo hard - poor things.
Every single fucking one them bastards should have to spend 2 years in the caves of Afghanistan before speaking ONE moment on military benefits. They should have to hike with 70 lbs on their backs, get the same paycheck as my daughter, live ARMY (or other branch) 24/7, have their lives uprooted at a moments notice, have NO reason nor excuse for sick days, etc and freeze in the desert air or get bitten by camel spiders a dozen times.....
and TRY to get some medical attention for an on-going condition by some half-wit fresh from med school toting zero experience.
Few weeks ago some retard told my daughter my granddaughter had Scurvy. Scurvy is from the fucking middle ages. The kid had an allergic reaction to something which one does of benedril fixed toot-sweet. I cured her for fuckssake! *shakes head*
Miilitary benefits - MY ASS! Let's check and see what 10 years 24/7 365 service to your country will buy you these days?????? Not much people. Not much.
GRRrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
That's horseshit. It smacks of bait-and-switch.
If we're going to balance the budget, do it on the backs of organizations like the TSA, which suck up money in their effort to perform Security Theater.
Quote from: "Jmpty"From Stars and Stripes:Moreover, since recruiters do not have the authority to make such promises, there is no way to enforce them
But is anything done about recruiters luring young barely educated kids into years of service with promises they're "not authorized" to make? They're "authorized" to make promises they're "not authorized" to make by the mere fact that - for many, many decades - nothing has ever been done to recruiters who make promises they're not authorized to make to people who aren't informed enough to understand that recruiters' promises mean about as much as a used car salesman's promises. The people who aren't preventing them from making those promises should be held accountable.
Quote from: "Colanth"Quote from: "Jmpty"From Stars and Stripes:Moreover, since recruiters do not have the authority to make such promises, there is no way to enforce them
But is anything done about recruiters luring young barely educated kids into years of service with promises they're "not authorized" to make? They're "authorized" to make promises they're "not authorized" to make by the mere fact that - for many, many decades - nothing has ever been done to recruiters who make promises they're not authorized to make to people who aren't informed enough to understand that recruiters' promises mean about as much as a used car salesman's promises. The people who aren't preventing them from making those promises should be held accountable.
Actually, the ones that make claims that they cannot follow through with, they get a relief for cause and their carreer is killed after that.
Yes, several friends who are vets or still serving and have spouses have reported their rates going up, but that's an annual thing.
I was just informed that I do qualify for financial aid, but Congressional bickering has prevented the money from appearing, and to hope for the best. Federal subsidized loans and financial aid are $0. Federal unsubsidized loans are not affected. I'll continue to pay in cash for now.