It is a false and inappropriate choice

Since 02-12-06

From: Waspscpo@aol.com [mailto:Waspscpo@aol.com]
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2006 7:04 AM To: undisclosed-recipients:
Subject: Fw: It's a false and inappropriate choice.

On 2/10/2006 BGEN Bob Clements, USAF, ret writes:

Subj: It's a false and inappropriate choice.
Date: 2/10/2006 10:11:34 PM Eastern Standard Time
From: p38bob@deepwell.com Sent from the Internet (Details)

This was said so well in the MOAA Update I can't resist bringing this to your attention again. This is one of the main problems in a nutshell and the President needs to see that it is corrected.

It has to do with the future funding of the <65s Tricare share of their future TFL benefit which amounts to 20% of the allowable fee that will be paid from the TRICARE For Life trust fund. The other 80% will be paid by Medicare.

There is speculation amongst some very knowledgeable people he doesn't even know about OMB's part in this..If this is the case, it sure needs to be brought to his attention
.....................................................
A great deal of the Pentagon's concern over rising health care costs involves the nearly $9 billion annual deposit to the TRICARE For Life trust fund that the Administration wrongly counts against the defense budget.

Two years ago, when Defense leaders said the Administration was making them take this deposit "out of hide" at the expense of other Defense programs, the Armed Services Committees acted to change the law to shift that deposit from the Defense budget to the U.S. Treasury budget. The clear intent was that TFL expenses weren't to come at the expense of other readiness needs. Congress passed that provision as part of the FY2005 Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 108-375).

But the Office of Management and Budget has since conspired with the budget committees to flout the clear letter of the law and continue to charge the deposit against the defense budget. That's why the Administration has wrongly forced the Joint Chiefs of Staff to choose between retiree health funding and weapons programs. It's a false and inappropriate choice. If the Administration obeyed the law, the debate wouldn't be necessary.

My personal Signature
chk6 bob


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