NOTE: The point has been made that this is the fallout from the debt ceiling negotiations last summer. Remember how medicare was supposed to be slashed AND defense budget cuts. Well, ok, I’ll buy that EXCEPT, there is sufficient waste within the DOD – surely the cuts could have fallen in other places – other than the laps of our enlisted service members. AND … so WHERE ARE THE MEDICARE CUTS to balance the defense budget cuts? The overall object is to at some point in the believable future to achieve a balanced budget and stop spending beyond out means!!!!!
Obama to Cut Medical Benefits for Active,
Retired Military, Not Union Workers
In a blatant act of hypocrisy the Obama Administration plans to cut health benefits for active duty and retired military personnel but leaving unionized defense workers at current levels.
Bill Gertz reported at the Washington Beacon, that Congressional Republicans are saying this is a blatant attempt to force military servicemen into Obamacare.
Gertz also said,
“The proposed increases in health care payments by service members, which must be approved by Congress, are part of the Pentagon’s $487 billion cut in spending. It seeks to save $1.8 billion from the Tricare medical system in the fiscal 2013 budget, and $12.9 billion by 2017.”
This is a plan that is sure to enrage Congressional Republicans and cause a big fight on Capital Hill.
Military personnel would see their annual Tricare premiums increase anywhere from 30 – 78 percent in the first year, followed by sharply increased premiums “ranging from 94 percent to 345 percent—more than 3 times current levels.”
Gertz added,
“According to congressional assessments, a retired Army colonel with a family currently paying $460 a year for health care will pay $2,048,”
Pharmaceutical benefits for military personnel would also increase under the proposed plan.
Although military families have long had to deal with low salaries and rough working conditions, solid health care benefits has always been a draw to career soldiers. The military is worried this is going to hurt recruitment and retention.
John Hayward of Human Events adds:
“Veterans will also be hit with a new annual fee for a program called Tricare for Life, on top of the monthly premiums they already pay, while some benefits will become “means-tested” in the manner of a social program – treating them like welfare instead of benefits for military service. Naturally, this is all timed to begin next year and “avoid upsetting military voters in a presidential election year,”
Next month there are going to be hearings about the new health care rules and opposition to the policies is already building. The VFW, one of the largest military organizations in the country, has “called on all military personnel and the veterans’ community to block the health care increases.”
Others are concerned about the double standard being set between uniformed military personnel – who are not unionized – and civilian defense workers who belong to public sector unions.
According to a Congressional Aide,
“We all recognize that we are in a time of austerity. But defense has made up to this point 50 percent of deficit reduction cuts that we agreed to, but is only 20 percent of the budget. The administration is asking troops to get by without the equipment and force levels needed for global missions. And now they are going to them again and asking them to pay more for their health care when you’ve held the civilian workforce at DoD and across the federal government virtually harmless in all of these cuts. And it just doesn’t seem fair,”
Rep. Howard “Buck” McKeon, Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said,
“We shouldn’t ask our military to pay our bills when we aren’t willing to impose a similar hardship on the rest of the population. We can’t keep asking those who have given so much to give that much more,”
McKeon will be joined by some 5 million members of 32 military service and veterans groups, according to retired Navy Capt. Kathryn M. Beasley of the Military Officers Association of America, who called the plan “a breach of faith.”
Do you think the Obama Administration is showing a real double standard in the way they treat unionized and non-unionized workers?
marriagecoach1 said:
Clinton said that he loathed the military but even he would not have attempted this
genomega1 said:
Reblogged this on News You May Have Missed and commented:
Obama to Cut Medical Benefits for Active, Retired Military, Not Union Workers
blogsense-by-barb said:
Doesn’t this just set your blood a-boilin??? ugh!
geneb527 said:
Reblogged this on Gene's Political Musings.
Janna harms said:
Where do you come up with these lies? The Obama administration has done even more for the vets and their families than the Bush administration did. They are only second to Roosevelt who was number one in history. The cuts are being made in obsolete technology and equipment only. What is even sadder than those who tell the lies are those who repeat them.
blogsense-by-barb said:
Sorry darlin! This administration has shown nothing but contempt to military members, for their mission, and for their needs. I will not take the time to explain further, but there are many posts throughout this website and many others that clarify his objectives. I am a Vet and have a family member serving active duty. I am surrounded by the evidence of his disregard. No further evidence is necessary!
Jeffery Eckhoff Sr said:
And u call us stupid Just open one eye and look around to see whats realy happening not up his butt. And as far has obama helping vets and active service u would have or r serving to no what the hec is and is not going on Stop being a cronie, and think for your self..And yes i served
blogsense-by-barb said:
ya I served, too, in thr ARMY! AND I never called anyone stupid, but if the shoe fits …
mike said:
Uhm, check it out Janna. I’ve got almost 20 years in Special Operations and I don’t know where you are getting your information from, but thats a hurtful statement you made, referencing this administration doing anything for us! Please do not believe the things you are hearing. I don’t know what spell he has put on people, but it’s become really scary. I almost lost my home, I have several brain injuries, yet still operating, my wife is terminally ill, yet the only way i will be able to get her the treatment she needs is to retire and contract myself out. This administration has given us the lowest annual raise allowed by law, every year since in office. Two gun runs in Afghanistan, many buddys lost, still no clear mission statement and we’re no where near winning anything.
blogsense-by-barb said:
Well said, Mike! God bless you & yours … Is there any way I can be of assistance to your family … besides praying? If so, please email me! Thank you for your years of service – you & your family!
muse1876 said:
Janna, I can just tell by your response that you are not a vet or know a vet. You know nothing of what you speak. You must read Tricare Standard Health Matters to see what Obastard are doing to our heroes!
marriagecoach1 said:
Hey Janna care to comment on the link
http://www.examiner.com/article/obama-threatens-to-cut-military-benefits-spends-750-000-on-gitmo-terrorists
marriagecoach1 said:
Hey Janna
Here is a link to Obama threatening to withhold active duty military pay over a governement shutdown. The government has been shut down before but it never ever resulted in miltary pay being withheld or social security checks being withheld. As far as I am concerned as an ex military this is treason on his part. This like is from the ultra left Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/06/obama-government-shutdown_1_n_845726.html
Jeanne Marie said:
I totally agree with you marriagecoach1!
Amy said:
well…at least he’s for gay marriage (insert sarcasm). this is such a slap in the face.
Lisa Dinkel said:
You ain’t kiddin!!! LOLOLOLOL..We have hooked up with the Anti- Christ!!
Tim said:
In case anyone wants to know how and why these cuts are being proposed??? These are a part of the terrible debt ceiling negotiation deal that the Republicans agreed to. This isn’t just an “Obama” cut or decision. If “bipartisan” budget cuts weren’t agreed to, then AUTOMATIC cuts went into effect. The Republicans signed on to that deal, knowing that $487 billion in Pentagon/military budget cuts hung in the balance. So, you can call them traitors, too. They knew this would happen. Of course the Demonrats will propose things like that, but they would never have gotten them unless the Repubes signed on the dotted line, which they did. I got news for ya… right at election time, we will again exceed the debt ceiling, and the Republicans and Romney, not wanted to be portrayed as wanting to starve kids or kill grandmas, will eagerly sign up for another trillion dollars in debt ceiling increase. They will once again lose any moral high ground they once had about being a party of fiscal sanity. The Tea Party won’t say a word, just like they didn’t on that original debt ceiling deal. Then, in late 2013, we will hit that debt ceiling again, regardless of who is in office, and this whole debacle will repeat.
blogsense-by-barb said:
If I read correctly, we’re actually almost at the ceiling again already, but no one will bring it up until after the election! You’re right, though, about this being the Mandatory cuts, but I think the management of the cuts – the specifics – was left to the administration, wasn’t it? In other words, they could have sought the wasteful places rather than taking it out of the pockets of our enlisted folks ….
Jerry said:
Barb, check out my blogs:
Dedicated to Heroes honors military, vets, firefighters and law enforcement at http://dedicatedtoheroes.blogspot.com/
And for politics go to The Political War Zone at http://thepoliticalwarzone.blogspot.com/
Love your posts!!!
blogsense-by-barb said:
Thanks, Jerry! I added you to my blogroll! Feel free to reciprocate! 🙂
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ann said:
My husband served in the military for over 31 years. In essence, I served with him. We do not deserve what this president, and I use that term loosely, is doing to the military. In the coming years , this president may have wished he had taken care of the military members. If and when the terrorist decide to strike the US soil again, there may not be anybody to use for protection against this factor.
blogsense-by-barb said:
Ha! You said, it, Ann! He is doing a wonderful job of turning various population sectors against him that are typically Democrat! I live here in PA and he has virtutally killed the coal industry here so union mine workers are turning against him! Hopefully, Romney can do better – but we have to MAKE them pay attention@
CARL said:
Can you cite other sources for the information you posted here? You’ll have to pardon me but there are just as many right-wing, conservative spokesmen or women, media outlets that provide propaganda as do the liberals. Just want to make sure that I have FACTS and nothing less, nothing more.
blogsense-by-barb said:
Check today’s post – kind of a continuation of the theme! Thanks for taking the time to check!
Chadnudj said:
Just a quick FYI — your story has been debunked by FactCheck.org as being blatantly false: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/11/health-care-overhaul-and-tricare/
blogsense-by-barb said:
While I appreciate your alertness, I also did my homework. The FactCheck page to which you refer was talking about “proposed legislation” in 2009 … The article I re-printed is about the administration’s CHOICE at where in the defense budget to make the necessary cuts, as per the debt ceiling talks last summer. Thanks again for the “heads up!”
Lou said:
One medical insurance for all government employees, elected officials and military/dependents, and also retirement benefits. Put the elected officials on the front lines of wars and watch peace overcome us quickly.
peace!
blogsense-by-barb said:
While peace is a lofty and admirable goal, it depends on the cost of that peace whether that peace is worth the cost. Similarly, war can also have noble goals, but not as long as politicians are in charge – bought & paid for by lobbists with their own political, ideological, and commercial agendas!
Term limits & no pentions for ALL elected officials!
Lou said:
There is no noble goal to war. Support our military yes for defense but not for a world wide shooting spree.
blogsense-by-barb said:
I respectfully disagree!
Justin Ahlquist said:
Department of defense was named department of war you know? War is neither moral or amoral its simply a term of military conflict between 2 or more nations. Military action has always been used in our nation for international protection of trade routes. Liberals have for ages said america is a melting pot, well when your fellow americans have family members that are being slaughtered and there is something that can be done about it do you do it? Rwanda?
muse1876 said:
Lou, No one likes war. Which fight is okay to fight? Did you approve of the killing of Gadaffi or bin-Laden? How about the war on Christians in Africa by the Muslims is that a good war to fight? Let me know what fight you would approve of?
muse1876 said:
Let’s make the gov’t. workers pay their “fair share”! Let’s fire all IRS workers that owe taxes. Let’s cut GM Union workers retirement and give some to the Delphi workers retirement that they had to give up for the bailout. Let Auto Union pay their “fair share’!