Courtesy of The Military Wallet 10/04/2011

President Obama recently released a $4.4 trillion deficit-reduction plan, and military benefits were a large part of the proposed cuts. Increases to TRICARE fees were included in the President’s plan, in addition to proposed cuts to military retirement benefits. The proposed increases in TRICARE fees include charging an enrollment fee for TRICARE for Life members, and increasing TRICARE pharmacy co-pays for military beneficiaries.

Proposed TRICARE for Life Enrollment Fees

TRICARE for Life is available to military retirees who are age 65 and older.  They currently do not pay an enrollment fee to participate in TRICARE for Life. Part of President Obama’s deficit-reduction proposal include a $200 annual enrollment fee for military retirees to continue receiving military health care benefits. If approved and voted into law, the increased TRICARE For Life enrollment fees would not begin until Fiscal year 2013. This is expected to generate over $6.7 billion in revenues over the next 10 years.

TRICARE prescription co-pay increases may be coming soon. The Department of Defense (DoD) has also proposed increased co-pays for prescription drugs to help make up for budget shortfalls and help decrease the gap between the enrollment fees and actual costs. These increases have not yet been approved, and would likely be based on a percentage of the government’s cost of the medicines.

TRICARE Prime Enrollment Fee Increases

If you are enrolled in TRICARE Prime, then you will see a small increase in your TRICARE Prime enrollment fees in 2012. Stating on October 1, 2011 (fiscal year 2012), the new annual fees for TRICARE Prime enrollment are $260 and $520 for individual and family plans, an annual increase of $30 for individuals, and $60 for families. The price increases work out to an additional $5 per month for a family enrollment, or an additional $2.50 per month for a single retiree.

These enrollment fees apply to retired uniformed servicemembers, eligible family members, survivors, and eligible former spouses of TRICARE Prime members. Members who are currently enrolled in TRICARE Prime will not have to pay the increased enrollment fees until they renew their enrollment in January 2012. These fee increases are separate from President Obama’s deficit reduction plan and the proposed TRICARE For Life enrollment fee increases.

There may be more price hikes in the future. This proposed price increase may be the first in a series or annual enrollment fee increases for TRICARE Prime members, as there has been discussion to tie the price hikes to the Medicare health care index, which will cause TRICARE Prime membership enrollment to rise as the Medicare health index rises.

Raising TRICARE Fees is a complicated issue

There are pros and cons to raising enrollment fees and prescription medicine co-pays. I see 3 distinct sides of the argument, and I have broken them down as best I can in an objective manner:

• Raising enrollment fees hurts retirees.
• Even with the price increases, TRICARE is an excellent deal.
• TRICARE is unsustainable in its current state.

Let’s take a look at these three points of view in more detail, and as always, we would love to hear your opinion.

Rising TRICARE Enrollment Costs Hurts Retirees

The trouble with raising the prices of retiree health care is that most retirees are on a fixed income, and if there is a freeze on Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA), or a series of small increases in COLA, then even small increases in retiree expenses could have a dramatic affect on a retiree’s standard of living. Perhaps $5 per month won’t have a big affect on most retirees’ quality of life, but when you add that to the inflation we are seeing in other areas and fewer COLA increases, then it may have a detrimental effect.

Even with Price Hikes, TRICARE is a Great Deal

I don’t want to defend the price hikes, but I understand the need for the DoD and government to do something. The cost of health care is rising faster than most people can keep up with, and it is one of the biggest concerns in our nation – not just for military retirees, but for everyone. The new proposed family care plan under TRICARE Prime would cost $520 per year, which is less than many civilian families pay each month for family health care through an employer’s group health insurance plan. It’s a great deal, but unfortunately, the rising cost of health care means something must be done.

TRICARE is Unsustainable in its Current State.

I know many military retirees and their family members will be disappointed to hear about the price increases, but many retirees probably already realize that the rising cost of health care has placed the government in a tough position. The simple fact of the matter is this: TRICARE is unsustainable in its current state, and the DoD will have to spend an increasingly large part of its budget paying for retiree pensions and health care, while sacrificing money that could be spent on weapon systems, training, and troop retention.

The key will be for the DoD to address these TRICARE enrollment fee increases in a way that will won’t dramatically affect military retirees’ budgets. Ideally, the DoD would be able to work with the federal government to find another way to fund TRICARE without resorting to price hikes.

Do You Disagree with the Proposed Price Increases?

At the time of this writing, the TRICARE Prime price increases have been approved and are in effect. however, the proposed TRICARE For Life enrollment fees and prescription medicine co-pays are just proposals, and need to be voted into law before they go into effect. If you feel strongly that these price hikes shouldn’t be passed, then you should contact your Con­gressional representative or favorite military organization and let them know where you stand on this issue.

From: Senator Roy Blunt [mailto:donotreply@blunt.senate.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, December 13, 2011 9:07 AM
To: Info@nesloventures.net
Subject: Reply from Senator Roy Blunt

Senator Roy Blunt

From: Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer [mailto:mo09blima@mail.house.gov]
Sent: Monday, November 07, 2011 8:40 PM
To: info@nesloventures.net
Subject: Thank you for your inquiry.

Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I appreciate your views and welcome the opportunity to respond. Please note this is an automated response, so please do not reply to this email.

Each day, I receive hundreds of letters, emails and phone calls. Due to the large volume of correspondence, my response time may vary. I appreciate your patience with me and my staff. If this inquiry is in regards to casework - such as passports, federal benefits, grants, military academy nominations or other individual issues involving federal agencies - please contact my Columbia office for assistance.

I appreciate the opportunity afforded me to serve you and the great people of Missouri's Ninth Congressional District and am honored to be your voice in Washington, D.C. For further updates, I encourage you to sign up for my weekly newsletter on my Web site at http://luetkemeyer.house.gov and visit my Facebook page and YouTube site.

Sincerely,

Blaine Luetkemeyer
Member of Congress

From: Senator Roy Blunt [mailto:donotreply@blunt.senate.gov]
Sent: Tuesday, November 08, 2011 8:52 AM
To: info@nesloventures.net
Subject: Reply from Senator Roy Blunt

Dear Neslo Ventures,

Thank you for contacting me about cuts in veterans' earned retirement benefits and Tricare fee increases.

I am grateful for the sacrifices our veterans have made to protect the American people, our nation, and our way of life. Since coming to Congress, I have worked to ensure that the federal government is meeting the needs of our military veterans and keeping our promises to the brave men and women who ably served our nation in uniform. In 2003, as a member of the House of Representatives, I led the fight to allow concurrent receipt for the first time. This remains one of my proudest accomplishments in Congress.

I understand we still have further to go. It is time for Congress to come together to identify ways to change the way Washington spends taxpayers' money, but plans that propose cuts to Medicare, Social Security, or Tricare need to be carefully examined to ensure they do not significantly burden individuals who rely on these programs for their primary source of health care or income. As these issues come to the Senate, I will be sure to keep your thoughts in mind.

Again, thank you for contacting me.  I look forward to continuing our conversation on Facebook (www.facebook.com/SenatorBlunt) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/RoyBlunt) about the important issues facing Missouri and the country.  I also encourage you to visit my website (blunt.senate.gov) to learn more about where I stand on the issues and sign-up for my e-newsletter.

Sincere regards,

Roy Blunt
United States Senator

From: Senator Claire McCaskill [mailto:senator@mccaskill.senate.gov]
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2011 9:18 AM
Subject: Fighting for Seniors

November 9, 2011

Dear Mrs. Olsen,

I never need to go far if I need a reminder of how important Medicare and Social Security are to Missouri's seniors.  My mom, Betty Anne, is one of millions for whom these services provide a reliable safety net.

Across the country, these protections are an integral part of sustaining the health and dignity of millions of seniors.

Unfortunately, there are some folks in Washington who don't understand the value of these protections.

Earlier this year, I helped put a stop to a plan that would have dismantled Medicare, turning it into a private voucher program.  That plan would ultimately have forced seniors on Medicare to pay more than $6,000 more each year just to sustain their current benefits, and would leave seniors to fend for themselves in the health insurance marketplace against large private insurance companies.

Their plan was reckless, and wrong for Missouri seniors. That's why I rejected it.

The Missourians I hear from just don't believe that the only way to tackle the national debt is to drastically alter Medicare and Social Security.  They understand that small adjustments can be made to shore up these vital services without radically re-defining them.

That's why I opposed the effort to make Medicare a voucher program.  It's why I'm helping lead an effort in the U.S. Senate to pass legislation to ensure the wealthiest Americans are paying their fair share into the Social Security trust fund.  And it's why I'm advocating some commonsense ways of getting benefits only to the folks who need them--because your tax dollars shouldn't be paying for Donald Trump's prescription drugs.

As a member of the Senate's Committee on Aging, I'm no stranger to fighting for America's seniors.  After holding hearings to get input from Missourians, I led the fight to pass legislation that protects seniors from predatory lending in the mortgage industry.  I stood up against efforts that would make it harder for seniors to vote, and battled telemarketers bent on defrauding seniors.

And I voted to close the prescription drug doughnut hole and eliminate co-pays for preventative health services in Medicare.

Recently, I traveled around the state, hearing directly from Missouri's seniors at town hall events.  They told me about the challenges of living on a fixed income and just how important Social Security is to their everyday survival.  That's why I'm pleased to see that there will be an increase in the Social Security cost-of-living adjustment this year.

My fight for Missouri's seniors is grounded in Missouri values and our state's history.  Medicare was signed into law at the library of our own Harry Truman.  At the time, President Lyndon Johnson told the nation that it "all started with the man from Independence," pointing to Truman's work on behalf of our seniors.  Truman, Johnson said, had "planted the seeds of compassion and duty" that led to Medicare.

And with a signature from President Johnson, Harry Truman became the very first Medicare recipient in our nation's history.

I have the honor of holding Harry Truman's Senate seat today.  And I'll continue fighting to make sure that the protections granted to him all those years ago are sustained for today's seniors and are still there for our kids, grandkids, and for generations to come.

Sincerely,

Claire McCaskill
United States Senator

P.S. If you would like more information about resources that can help Missourians, or what I am doing in the Senate on your behalf, please sign up for my email newsletter at http://www.mccaskill.senate.gov. To unsubscribe from further communication, please visit the unsubscribe page here: http://mccaskill.senate.gov/?p=newsletter_unsub.

With federal spending cuts under consideration and the possibility that the U.S. government may not be able to meet its financial obligations in the near future, I am concerned about the priority our government is giving to veterans' benefits and services.

Veterans' benefits are unique among federal spending because they are earned by the sacrifices of veterans and their families on behalf of our nation.  As such, they should be given the highest priority.

I am disturbed that elected officials may not give veterans' benefits and services the importance they deserve.  This is why I am standing up for veterans and participating in the Disabled American Veterans' Virtual March on Washington on Wednesday, July 27, 2011.  

I encourage you to visit the DAV's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/The.DAV to observe the discussion of what veterans' disability compensation and services from the Department of Veterans Affairs mean to veterans and their families.  Please participate in this conversation and let veterans know how you would prioritize their benefits and services.

Sincerely,

Neslo Ventures, LLC