Healthcare Bill and the military (tricare)

My squadron just got this email from the MPF:

Below I have attached a message from EANGUS. This is an alert message and
our actions could help to support keeping Tri Care and VA care as is. Your
call if you want to take action but I wanted you to see the information.
See below in the section that states "Please Take The Following Action".
This is a simple way to let congress know we care.

Please disseminate as you want!


The Call 10-03: Explicit Language Needed to Protect TRICARE/VA Healthcare
Benefits
Co-Sponsors Need for S. 3148 and S. 3162



The Issue: Clarify that both TRICARE (DoD) and VA Health Care Constitute
Minimum Essential Coverage Under the Newly Approved Healthcare Legislation



Immediate Action Required: Contact Your Senators to Urge them to Co-Sponsor
Two Important Pieces of Legislation: S. 3148 and S.3162


The recently passed Healthcare Reform has raised numerous issues and
concerns among many military service members and veterans. EANGUS' main
concern at this point is the Senate bill language, which doesn't explicitly
state that TRICARE and VA Healthcare meet the criteria for "minimal
essential coverage."



Both Senator Jim Webb, S. 3148 and Senator Daniel Akaka, S. 3162 have
introduced legislation which includes specific language deeming TRICARE (DoD
health coverage) and VA Healthcare as "qualifying coverage".



"Qualifying coverage" means that under the new legislation, people who don't
have qualifying coverage will have to pay a financial penalty. If both
pieces of legislation pass, both TRICARE and VA coverage will be qualifying
coverage, so those beneficiaries won't be subject to any penalty.



There is currently widespread support among those in the Administration, as
well as both parties in the House and Senate, that both TRICARE and VA
coverage must be held harmless.



EANGUS has consistently pressed both House and Senate leaders for much of
the past year to include this type of specific language in any health care
package to protect the unique nature of military and VA health benefits and
prevent taxation of those benefits. Now we need your help to complete the
job.

PLEASE TAKE THE FOLLOWING ACTION: By using the "Write to Congress" feature
on the EANGUS Web site at www.eangus.org , you can
IMMEDIATELY e-mail your elected representatives. A sample letter is
included. You can e-mail the pre-written message or edit the sample letter
as you desire. This is the quickest and most effective method of expressing
your views to Congress. Also, contact your friends and family and urge
them to "Write to Congress" as well. Please direct any questions concerning
this issue to Diane Zumatto, Legislative Director via email:
[email protected] .

It was originally unclear weather or not Tri-Care and more specifically VA coverage would be sufficient under the provisions for "mandates." In fact, the VFW complained rather vocally that this wasn't clear and could potentially be a problem for vets.

Then the Armed Services Chairman, Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) passed legislation through the House clarifying the situation.

The VFW went on claim that this was still not good enough and the whole bill should be scrapped. The VFW has since apologized and come around to the stance that obviously Tri care and VA coverage will qualify and thus we vets will not need to buy into any private plans.

Looks like the Enlisted Nat. Guard group (EANGUS) may have stepped in it a little as well. They're normally better at not playing politics like this, but this issue has really stirred people. Apparently the leaders of even the good groups like the VFW and EANGUS are susceptible to the tactics of fear. That's a real shame.

Rest assured though. The Vets will NOT have to buy additional coverage. That would be political suicide for either party and their not about to go there.

-Peace
AAH

Originally posted by Artephius Abraxas Helios
Looks like the Enlisted Nat. Guard group (EANGUS) may have stepped in it a little as well. They're normally better at not playing politics like this, but this issue has really stirred people. Apparently the leaders of even the good groups like the VFW and EANGUS are susceptible to the tactics of fear. That's a real shame.

Not fear tactics; I think it's more, "Better have a good offense than defense". Better to start letting people know a problem might be happening than let it run away from them, taking the chance of an early fix away.