http://www.moaa.org/main_article.aspx?id=9174
February 13, 2012

The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) responded to the White House’s Feb. 13 release of FY2013 budget proposals, pledging to resist what MOAA calls “disproportional” increases in military healthcare fees and reductions in military force levels.

MOAA President, Vice Admiral Norb Ryan, Jr. USN-Ret., took particular exception to Pentagon proposals that impose significantly higher enrollment fees and pharmacy copayments for military retirees and their families.

The new budget plan would dramatically increase enrollment fees and deductibles for retired military families younger than age 65. Some will see nearly a fourfold increase over five years; from $520 per family to $2,048. After 2017, annual increases would be tied to a medical inflation index.

In addition, it would impose a new, tiered, annual enrollment fee of up to $475 by FY2017 for retirees and family members age 65 and older, for whom the military TRICARE plan serves as second-payer to Medicare.

“MOAA sees these large fee hikes as a significant breach of faith with those who have already completed arduous careers of 20-30 or more years in uniform,” Ryan said. “The Administration and Congress already imposed a 14-percent increase last year, and Congress passed legislation stipulating that future fee hikes shouldn’t exceed the percentage increase in military retired pay.