John McCain Wants Panel to Consider Changing Military Retirement Benefits

[Mad Scientist]

So you Military retirees think your benefits are "yours" huh?
http://www.theledger.com/article/20111014/NEWS/111019633/1410?template=printpicart

The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee is recommending that a special committee searching for ways to slash the deficit consider some of President Barack Obama’s proposed changes to health and retirement benefits for the military. In a letter to the bipartisan panel, Arizona Sen. John McCain signaled he was open to cost-saving steps in military benefits, a move certain to send shock waves through Congress and among powerful groups of retired officers and veterans resistant to change.

You see? This is why no one should rely on gov't for their health care. And you were probably laughing at those Union guys in Wisconsin weren't you? Raise your hand if you voted for McCain because you thought he would be loyal to the Military? Oops!

Military retirement checks are next. You can bet on it.

 

[High_Gravity]

So you Military retirees think your benefits are "yours" huh?
http://www.theledger.com/article/20111014/NEWS/111019633/1410?template=printpicart

The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee is recommending that a special committee searching for ways to slash the deficit consider some of President Barack Obama’s proposed changes to health and retirement benefits for the military. In a letter to the bipartisan panel, Arizona Sen. John McCain signaled he was open to cost-saving steps in military benefits, a move certain to send shock waves through Congress and among powerful groups of retired officers and veterans resistant to change.

You see? This is why no one should rely on gov't for their health care. And you were probably laughing at those Union guys in Wisconsin weren't you? Raise your hand if you voted for McCain because you thought he would be loyal to the Military? Oops!

Military retirement checks are next. You can bet on it.

This doesn't surprise me, McCain wanted to lower the GI Bill to try and keep people in the Military so this doesn't surprise me at all, plus with the growing disconnect between the civilian sector and the Military/Veterans/Retirement population I expect to see the Retirement checks and all other benefits slashed the fuck up.

 

[Mad Scientist]

What? How come no one is in here defending Juan McCain the open border globalist?

 

[RetiredGySgt]

You may want to check your facts, any changes will be for new retires. As for McCain I said if Hillary ran I would vote for her because he is to far left.

 

[zzzz]

The real problem is the health care costs. If we can get a handle on limiting the skyrocketing costs here then all the health care problems will become manageable. But as long as these costs continue to skyrocket somebody is going to have to pay.

 

[editec]

The real problem is the health care costs. If we can get a handle on limiting the skyrocketing costs here then all the health care problems will become manageable. But as long as these costs continue to skyrocket somebody is going to have to pay.

Shouldn't be a major problem for military retirees.

They get socialized medicine in the form of the VA.

The VA offers the Best bang for the US taxpayers' health care dollars on earth.

Would that every US citzen has such a SOCIALIZED MEDICINE system avialble to them.

 

[whitehall]

You left out a crucial detail. McCain said he would consider ....OBAMA'S....cost cutting ideas about Military retirement benefits. It changes the focus a little doesn't it?

 

[old navy]

The real problem is the health care costs. If we can get a handle on limiting the skyrocketing costs here then all the health care problems will become manageable. But as long as these costs continue to skyrocket somebody is going to have to pay.

Shouldn't be a major problem for military retirees.

They get socialized medicine in the form of the VA.

The VA offers the Best bang for the US taxpayers' health care dollars on earth.

Would that every US citzen has such a SOCIALIZED MEDICINE system avialble to them.

Military retirees do not get their health care from the VA.

My wife and I receive care from brand new, state of the art, military hospitals at Fort Belvoir and the new Walter Reed Military Medical Center in Bethesda. Same place we went when I was acitve duty.

The VA does offer great care at a good price though. The health care system is socialized medicine as you stated. But so is the military a socialist organization, required by the U.S. Constitution to defend the free society of the United States.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Fact is I sent Senator McCain an email and asked him to please retire using his military benefits only.........

I doubt I'll get a reply..........

 

[SFC Ollie]

Why do so many think retirees use VA?

 

[Salt Jones]

Why do so many think retirees use VA?

Because they are dumb. I started a thread about this months ago. Sen. Tom Coburn was pushing to raise Tricare Prime premium from $460 to $3,300 per year.

 

[Salt Jones]

You left out a crucial detail. McCain said he would consider ....OBAMA'S....cost cutting ideas about Military retirement benefits. It changes the focus a little doesn't it?

Really?

Former defense secretary Robert M. Gates proposed raising Tricare Prime enrollment fees for single retirees from $230 a year to $260 a year and fees for retiree families from $460 a year to $520 a year. Coburn wants the fees to be much higher and more in line with private-sector health plans....Instead, he wants to increase the enrollment fee for single retirees to “approximately $2,000 per year and $3,500 for a family.” At the same time he would limit out-of-pocket expenses at $7,500 for those retirees with families. He thinks these changes could save $11.5 billion a year.

His Tricare for life would require retirees to pay up to $550 for half the initial cost not covered by Medicare and then up to $3,025, after which all costs would be paid by Tricare. This change could save $4.3 billion a year.

Coburn wants to reduce the $8 billion annual government share of the cost of drugs that Tricare beneficiaries purchase from their local private retail pharmacies rather than buying them at lower cost by mail order or at military base facilities. Where the price is now $3 for a 30-day supply of a generic drug and $9 for a brand-name from private pharmacies, Coburn would raise that to$15 for generic and $25 for brand names and save some $2.6 billion a year.

From my August 8th thread on this topic.

http://www.usmessageboard.com/milit...icare-prime-health-care-program-targeted.html