Military Health Care, Military Benefits, and Legislative Goals

January 2010 Navy

by CAPT Ike Puzon, USN (Ret)

“A Veteran – whether active duty, discharged, retired, national guard, or reserve – is someone who, at one point in their life, wrote a blank check made payable to ‘The United States of America,’ for an amount of ‘up to and including my life.’”

This quote was passed to me by a very astute E-9 Soldier! Read it again. If you read it – and chills do not go down your back and stir some emotions in your gut – you may want to go see a doctor. Very few Americans (less than 1%) are willing to accept the extraordinary sacrifices that military members and their families make. Service members make an enormous contribution toward benefits through extended and constant sacrifices in uniformed service. Military service is not and will never be comparable to any private civilian occupation or benefits.

It amazes me how hard you have to work, negotiate, and jump through hoops to get important but low cost (less than .003% of DoD Budget) provisions enacted for those citizens that have paid the ultimate price to serve their country. Why is it so hard? Perhaps it is because less than 22% of our elected officials (33% in 1999, 24% in 2007) have any military service. Perhaps, it is because less than 10% of staff members on Capitol Hill have any military experience. Perhaps, it is because of America’s changing values on national security and defense. More likely, it is because we sit back and let those we elected to office make decisions and cast votes. At one time in all our lives, defense issues were viewed as the number one concern of Americans. Right now, with America at war, defense issues still do not rank very high on some American’s concerns. Utterly amazing when Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines are dying and America is cashing their checks!

Military members actually do write a blank check to the people of the United States of America for any amount when they make a commitment to serve. It seems clear that America should provide the benefits that come with such a pledge. However, Congress is distracted by multiple issues. Hoping that Congress does the right thing for the military is an empty wish without your inputs and without our cumulative inputs.

Military health care and veteran health care are earned benefits. Members paid the price for it and, in some cases, paid with their lives for the benefit. As we follow the contemptuous debate on health care reform, an overwhelming majority of you have uneasy feelings deep within your psyche. You have responded with thousands of letters – in response to our legislative alert system – asking Congress to protect service members’ and veterans’ Medicare and TRICARE systems during the health care reform process. We are receiving your alarmed e-mails. Thank all of you for responding and reaching out and letting your Congressional delegations know your particular stand on health care, pay, readiness, equipment, and a host of other issues important to today’s military. It does make a difference. I know your input is important and it makes a difference.

Our legislative goals in the national health care debate are:

• We oppose any increases in TRICARE fees at this time. All retired service members earned equal health care coverage by virtue of their service. DoD should make all efforts to provide the most efficient use of allocated resources and cut waste prior to any additional increased fees. The authority for fee increases should be with Congress not DoD.
• Regarding national health care reform. We strongly oppose any effort to integrate TRICARE and VA health care systems into other systems. TRICARE and VA health care are critical to readiness and manning. We, along with our partners will work to ensure:
• Protection of unique TRICARE, TRICARE for LIFE, TRICARE Reserve Select, and VA health system from unintended consequences.
• We oppose any cuts or savings in Medicare to fund a national health care program – that will have impact on TRICARE systems.
• We strongly oppose any form of taxation of TRICARE, TRICARE for LIFE, TRICARE Reserve Select, and VA systems.

At this writing, there are some guarantees in the House health care bill that protects TRICARE and Medicare changes from affecting military and veterans. Currently, the Senate is in debate on the issue; but the Senate health care bill does not have those same guarantees. Members of Congress and staffs indicate that health care reform will not affect service members, veterans, and their families. Where is the guarantee? When you are herding cats, you can never get them together. We (all of us) are the only true guarantee that Congress will do the right thing. www.ausn.org

The following are some legislative goals that AUSN will pursue in the CY-2010 111th Congress. There are many more posted at our Web site at www.ausn.org. Your active assistance is requested:

• Ensure adequate personnel strengths and associated funding in order to meet national security strategy requirements. Monitor extended deployments and recalls to active duty.
• Ensure appropriate funding for Navy and Navy Reserve equipment, aircraft, ships, submarines, training, maintenance, expeditionary forces, readiness, and reconstitution of Reserve units and forces.
• Protect access to the commissary benefit and all MWR programs. Maintain a well-funded Family Readiness and Support structure.
• Emphasize improvements in wounded warrior programs: seamless transition programs, women veterans health care, veterans small business assistance, and veterans homelessness.
• Seamless transition for separating Active Duty and mobilized Reserve members through yellow ribbon programs and benefits delivery discharge programs.
• Better protections and enforcements of the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) and the Servicmembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA).
• Reserve retirement system improvements including the retroactivity of new authority for reduction to all Reserve members who served since 11 September 2001.
• Continue to seek timely implementation of legislation that authorizes the concurrent receipt of uniformed services retired pay and VA disability pay.
• Fully support compensation for loss of member’s quality of life and to assist in transition from DoD to VA.
• Work for improved educational benefits with the post 9-11 GI Bill, greater improvements with the Selected Reserve MGIB benefits and total force architecture of the GI Bill.
• Veterans status for certain Reserve retirees.
• Work for tax credits for employers of Reserve Components and tax deductions for premiums paid on health insurance. Improve above-the-line deductions for overnight travel expenses for Reserve members, and authorize tax deductions for long term care premiums.
• Joint Professional Military Education (JPME) improvements for all Navy and Navy Reserve members. We urge Congress to update credit awarded service members who have completed accredited service war college non-resident courses.

Passing legislation of any kind is purposely difficult. You never know what you are going to end up with when you start the process because of the amendment process. And, as our founding fathers wanted it, no one group, no one state or organization has total control. This is the exact reason why your input is the ultimate input. Your opinion as members and former members of the military does make the difference between good legislation and bad legislation. Very few Americans ever reach out to their Congressional delegations except when they vote. Voting Congress into office is the least effective means of passing good legislation. Voting them out could be the most effective means. We need your help and membership to be effective when we lobby Congress for you for these benefits you have earned. ike.puzon@ausn.org