Published: Saturday, November 28, 2009
Health bill reform won’t affect veterans’ benefits
The national health reform bill passed by the House last month and the Senate version to be debated in early December pose no threat to health care benefits provided to military families, retirees or veterans, advocates say.
The House-passed Affordable Health Care for America Act states in Section 311 that “nothing” in the bill “shall be construed as affecting” authorities used by the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to provide Tricare programs or Veterans Affairs health care benefits.
The Military Officers Association of America, the Fleet Reserve Association of America, the American Legion and other veterans’ service organizations have studied the legislative language of both bills. Their own reviews, and assurances they’ve received from relevant committees, give them confidence that the bills won’t affect benefits or fees charged by Tricare or VA, nor will these beneficiaries be exposed to any new tax liabilities.
“We have not talked to anybody — Republican, Democrat, anyone in the (Obama) administration or serving in Congress — who is trying to do anything to affect military people” as part of national health reform legislation, said Steve Strobridge, director of government relations for the officers association.
Steve Robertson, legislative director for the American Legion, said he has assurances from the armed services committees, veterans’ affairs committees and congressional leaders.
“My comfort level is pretty high,” Robertson said.
Confusing the issue for many beneficiaries has been an e-mail being passed among military retirees that warns falsely that the Congressional Budget Office has drafted legislation to attach new fees to Tricare for Life, the prized insurance supplement relied on by Medicare-eligible retirees.
The e-mail is filled with misinformation. For one thing, the budget office has no authority to draft legislation.
“Every day I get to answer e-mails from people who are still telling me that this ‘CBO legislation’ is moving through rapidly,” said Robertson.
Other military retirees and disabled veterans are worried by news reports that national health care reform will impose an excise tax on “Cadillac” health insurance programs. Will that include Tricare or VA health care? It will not, say service groups and informed congressional staffs.
Military people who seek assurance that the Senate health reform bill won’t impact them negatively end up “looking for something that isn’t there,” Strobridge said. The Senate, like the House, should make it clear, he said.
“There are lots of people out there who would like to raise military fees” on health benefits, Strobridge said. “But they are not trying to do it in this legislation ... As far as we can see, everybody in Congress is trying to bend over backwards to protect the military.”
The only real threat to military and veteran benefits posed by national health reform, he continued, is the likelihood that it will add to the annual federal budget deficit which was $1.4 trillion last year.
That will increase political pressure, over time, to curb federal entitlements including military health care and retirement plans, said Strobridge. Pressure on defense budgets already is enormous.
“We haven’t even started to talk about the effect of the baby boom generation on Medicare and Social Security” on future budgets, Strobridge said.
Given that pressure, the officers association has been pressing Congress to define in law that military members and retirees have earned through service certain unassailable rights to promised retirement and health care benefits.
“What we’re concerned about is that budget pressure will drive arbitrary decisions. That is what has hurt us in the past,” said Strobridge.
To comment, e-mail milupdate@aol.com, write to P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111 or visit: www.militaryupdate.com.
The House-passed Affordable Health Care for America Act states in Section 311 that “nothing” in the bill “shall be construed as affecting” authorities used by the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to provide Tricare programs or Veterans Affairs health care benefits.
The Military Officers Association of America, the Fleet Reserve Association of America, the American Legion and other veterans’ service organizations have studied the legislative language of both bills. Their own reviews, and assurances they’ve received from relevant committees, give them confidence that the bills won’t affect benefits or fees charged by Tricare or VA, nor will these beneficiaries be exposed to any new tax liabilities.
“We have not talked to anybody — Republican, Democrat, anyone in the (Obama) administration or serving in Congress — who is trying to do anything to affect military people” as part of national health reform legislation, said Steve Strobridge, director of government relations for the officers association.
Steve Robertson, legislative director for the American Legion, said he has assurances from the armed services committees, veterans’ affairs committees and congressional leaders.
“My comfort level is pretty high,” Robertson said.
Confusing the issue for many beneficiaries has been an e-mail being passed among military retirees that warns falsely that the Congressional Budget Office has drafted legislation to attach new fees to Tricare for Life, the prized insurance supplement relied on by Medicare-eligible retirees.
The e-mail is filled with misinformation. For one thing, the budget office has no authority to draft legislation.
“Every day I get to answer e-mails from people who are still telling me that this ‘CBO legislation’ is moving through rapidly,” said Robertson.
Other military retirees and disabled veterans are worried by news reports that national health care reform will impose an excise tax on “Cadillac” health insurance programs. Will that include Tricare or VA health care? It will not, say service groups and informed congressional staffs.
Military people who seek assurance that the Senate health reform bill won’t impact them negatively end up “looking for something that isn’t there,” Strobridge said. The Senate, like the House, should make it clear, he said.
“There are lots of people out there who would like to raise military fees” on health benefits, Strobridge said. “But they are not trying to do it in this legislation ... As far as we can see, everybody in Congress is trying to bend over backwards to protect the military.”
The only real threat to military and veteran benefits posed by national health reform, he continued, is the likelihood that it will add to the annual federal budget deficit which was $1.4 trillion last year.
That will increase political pressure, over time, to curb federal entitlements including military health care and retirement plans, said Strobridge. Pressure on defense budgets already is enormous.
“We haven’t even started to talk about the effect of the baby boom generation on Medicare and Social Security” on future budgets, Strobridge said.
Given that pressure, the officers association has been pressing Congress to define in law that military members and retirees have earned through service certain unassailable rights to promised retirement and health care benefits.
“What we’re concerned about is that budget pressure will drive arbitrary decisions. That is what has hurt us in the past,” said Strobridge.
To comment, e-mail milupdate@aol.com, write to P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA, 20120-1111 or visit: www.militaryupdate.com.
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