MRGRG-MS - Responding to your message - a response from Senator Chambliss

MRGRG-MS - Responding to your message - a response from Senator Chambliss

Since 02-23-06

From: MRGRG-MS@yahoogroups.com [mailto:MRGRG-MS@yahoogroups.com]
On Behalf Of Floyd Sears
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2006 7:04 PM
To: !CAG/MRGRG e-mail network
Subject: [MRGRG-MS] [Fwd: Responding to your message] - a response from Senator Chambliss

MRGRG-MS Main Page

MRGRG:

I thought you might be interested in this on-subject (stop the DoD proposed increases to Tricare fees and copays) response I got as a result of sending a Web Form message to Senator Chambliss. I doubt that his (this) message was composed as a direct result of my message. I suspect that it was composed as a result of many messages received from military retirees concerning increases to Tricare fees and copays. I'm sure that many military retirees have received this same message. However, it does prove that we can get the attention of the Congress if enough military retirees get involved. The message I sent follows Senator Chambliss e-mail. I must conclude from the tone of Senator Chambliss's message that he is leaning toward increasing Tricare fees and copays.

I'm not sure how to do it, but one would think that we could get the folks that employ the less than 65 military retirees, that still work, to get involved in the lobbying effort to stop the Tricare fees and copays. Forcing military retirees back into the employer's medical care plan will surely take dollars out of the employer's pocket.

Floyd Sears

PS: Note my address in Senator Chambliss response.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Responding to your message
Date:      Tue, 21 Feb 2006 14:00:42 -0500
From:     Saxby Chambliss <saxby_chambliss@chambliss.senate.gov>
To:        <fsears@bellsouth.net>

February 21, 2006

Mr. Floyd Sears

6733 Riviera Drive

Biloxi, Ms  39532-9348

Biloxi, Georgia  31401

Dear Mr. Sears:

Thank you for contacting me regarding your concerns about TRICARE premium 
increases.  It is good to hear from you.

As you know healthcare costs throughout the United States have risen substantially in recent years.  
This has led to higher insurance premiums and forced many employers to pass a portion of these 
additional costs on to their employees.  This is not limited to the private sector.  Over recent years, 
the Department of Defense has been forced to set aside more and more of its budget for TRICARE 
expenditures and has not raised enrollment fees in over a decade.  This has led many retirees to opt 
in for TRICARE coverage instead of participating in their employer's health care plan.  This has greatly
increased the number of TRICARE participants and has forced the Department of Defense to propose 
raising enrollment fees and deductibles to keep up with rising costs.  I recognize that raising premiums 
creates a burden on retirees.  As a member of the Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, I will 
raise this issue, and your concerns in particular, with the Department of Defense leadership.  
Also, you can rest assured that I will remain a strong advocate for our servicemen and women and see
to it they are treated fairly.

I can think of no higher priority than caring for our servicemen and women who proudly serve our great Nation.  
I am deeply committed to promoting the well-being of our troops who serve our country to preserve our freedom 
and way of life, and you may be sure I will fight, as I always have, to make certain that their concerns are given 
the highest priority in Congress.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.  As always I appreciate hearing from you.  In the meantime, 
if you would like to receive timely email alerts regarding the latest congressional actions and my weekly e-newsletter, 
please sign up via my web site at: www.chambliss.senate.gov  .

Sincerely,

Saxby Chambliss

United States Senate

My message to Senator Chambliss. as you can see it is the MOAA messaged edited to suit my needs:
---
I urge you to oppose the Pentagon's penny-wise and pound-foolish plan to shift far more health care costs onto the backs of those who have served 20 to 30 years in uniform and those who are currently serving.

The President's budget for FY07 will propose forcing thousands of military retirees to pay $1,000 a year more for their military health coverage and making all military beneficiaries pay 67% higher retail pharmacy fees.

Defense leaders say military coverage is now "much richer" than typical civilian plans. The Joint Chiefs of Staff say these increases will help pay the cost of new military weapons systems.

Pentagon leaders are forgetting that military members and their families have paid far higher premiums for their health coverage than any civilian - through decades of service and sacrifice that few Americans are willing to endure.

In its 18 November 2002 conclusion the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit said, "We cannot readily imagine more sympathetic plaintiffs than the retired officers of the World War II and Korean War era involved in this case. They served their country for at least 20 years with the understanding that when they retired they and their dependents would receive full free health care for life. The promise of such health care was made in good faith and relied upon". See http://mrgrg-ms.org/f99-1402.html#conclusion

STOP the greatest swindle of all time... a broken contract with America's military retirees. For details look at and listen to a series of narrated web pages on the Internet starting at http://mrgrg-ms.org/swindle00.html, or download a PowerPoint presentation from http://mrgrg-ms.org/swindle.ppt. Then take those actions necessary to stop the DoD proposed increases to Tricare fees and copays.