Tom Coburn’s cuts: Military’s Tricare Prime health care program targeted

[Salt Jones]

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.

Tom Coburn’s cuts: Military’s Tricare Prime health care program targeted - The Washington Post

What say you?

 

[Trajan]

we had a thread on this a coupla weeks ago.

 

[Salt Jones]

we had a thread on this a coupla weeks ago.

Didn't see it.

 

[Lovebears65]

Yet again they show how much they dont appreciate what the military personal did for this country.

 

[bill5]

Being "in line with private-sector health plans" is idiotic, since the military is a completely different animal. What a moron.

 

[High_Gravity]

Being "in line with private-sector health plans" is idiotic, since the military is a completely different animal. What a moron.

Most people don't understand that, so expect to see in the future the Military, Veterans and Retirees to be targeted for future budget cuts hard.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

There have been times I wished the Ton Colburn was President...he is not your typical Senator.

 

[old navy]

My health care fees were pre-paid during 26 years of exemplary service. Dr. Coburn had better leave my health care alone. I don't mind a reasonable increase in fees, but to think that military benefits should be in line with anyting civilian is ludicrous.

 

[Divine Wind]

Tom Coburn’s cuts: Military’s Tricare Prime health care program targeted - The Washington Post

What say you?

Fuck Tom Coburn and his anti-Veteran opinions. The military isn't a "business" and treating our men and women in uniform, be they active duty, reserves or retired, like "private-sector" employees is completely asinine. It's a good reason to require our elected officials to have served in the military themselves before serving in elected national office.

The only good thing about him regarding the military is that he thought going into Iraq was a mistake and voted against funding the war so at least he isn't a fricking hypocrite on that score.

 

[rdean]

Dr. Coburn's priorities in the Senate include reducing wasteful spending, protecting your liberty, balancing the budget, improving health care access and affordability, protecting the sanctity of all human life - including the unborn - and representing traditional, Oklahoma values.

http://coburn.senate.gov/public/?p=Biography

Somethings got to be wrong here. That's not what it says on his site. Republicans would never lie about helping the military. Look at what they've done for us. They showed Iraq what happens when a country attacks our WTC. They gave our soldiers the best equipment. They got Bin Laden.


Huh?

What?

What's an al Qaeda? Old and rusty? Who got Bin Laden?

Oops,

Nevermind.

 

[uscitizen]

Be careful what you ask for you may get exactly what you ask for in unexpected ways.