Military Retiree Already Warned About Using TRICARE
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Since 06-04-06

From: MRGRG-MS@yahoogroups.com on behalf of Floyd Sears [fsears@bellsouth.net]
Sent: Tuesday, May 16, 2006 6:34 PM
To: !Military Retiree Grass Roots Group e-mail network
Cc: elawton@cox.net
Subject: [MRGRG-MS] [Fwd: Military Retiree Already Warned About Using TRICARE]

 

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This is being forwarded because "Ed Lawton" is asking that it be forwarded.
Respond directly to elawton@cox.net

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Military Retiree Already Warned About Using TRICARE
Date:     Tue, 16 May 2006 16:26:32 -0400
From:     Ed Lawton <elawton@cox.net>

THIS IS A GRASSROOTS MESSAGE for wide dissemination.

I've distributed a substantial amount of info in the past five days regarding HR 5122 and S 2766 to many folks.

My "read" on the Senate version of the bill seems "clearer" in the bill's first sentence:

"The TRICARE program is the secondary payer for any health care services provided by an employer to a TRICARE eligible employee of such employer, and the spouse of such employee, through any group health plan offered by such employer." (snip)

It would seem that the Senate version of the NDAA seeks to make TRICARE the mandatory secondary payer to any civilian health insurance!  Read the bill yourself and see if you disagree.

Those excluded from this would be under 65 military retirees who were unemployed, fully retired military retirees without any health care, or those working for employers employing less than 20 personnel.

So which group are you in?

If the above is true, what does that do to the VSO TRICARE supplements?  Looks like many of those will go away as they won't be relevant anymore.

A friend just responded in an email with the below comment to my earlier communications describing the "draft" legislation:

"By the way, I have had the doctor at the military hospital I go to ask me if I was employed and had other insurance.  I, of course, told them the truth...that I am self employed and have no other insurance (except supplemental insurance for Tricare) but they already told me that if I had other insurance they were inclined to stop filling my prescriptions (for high blood pressure medicine/cholesteral medicine).  Were they jumping the "gun?"

By reading this response, it suggests that a military doctor has already indicated his marching orders.....and if this is the case, does it mean that DOD has begun instructing MTFs to prohibit military retirees from using their TRICARE entitlements even before any legislation is passed?  If this were true, I'd say someone was appearing to be "jumping the gun."

I think it would be helpful to know if this is occurring around the nation and if anyone hears of friends, colleagues or others being prohibited from using their legal health benefits, I'd be interested in knowing about it. 

Those of you who live near MTFs, if you wouldn't mind asking the next time you are there, if they've instituted a new policy of prohibiting care if you are employed and have other insurance, I think it would be good for all of us to know this.  We all need to be communicating with our Members on this one.

I live close enough to Capitol Hill to bring that issue directly to Members who might not agree with this heavy handed and possibly illegal action!

Regards,

Ed L.
AF-ret.