I am not sure how to respond to the Senators sugestion,I am angered that such a idea at this time and state of the job market. Retirement pay is not enough in many retiree's life to provide all of the necessities. A few are lucky to find work at all or at least in keeping with their past rating and experience. I ran into this when I retired. Some even said I did not need as much as I was drawing a retirement from the military. Work for less than a civilian got for the same job. It is time to turn up the heat again write your congresmen, work thru your military groups that you are members of.
Marshall

I have just about given up writing to the people on the hill. It seems they have a standard "canned reply" that never addresses the questions/concerns that you wrote about. Most of the time the reply is so late in coming that the issue is already decided, they always agree with you but nothing changes. America needs to vote these clowns out.

Some of us out here in fly-over country don't have an option for TRICARE Prime. I'm in NW Wisconsin, and I can't use it. It is not available to me. I find Standard to work just fine. There are deductibles, but they are small. All the providers here do the claims paperwork, and I go to the VA for most of my care anyways. My wife uses TRICARE exclusively, as we have opted not to have her company insurance or my county insurance. I guess I would like to see other retirees be able to keep Prime if they think it appropriate and valuable, but I can tell you from experience that life as we know it wouldn't end simply because Prime was taken away. I would worry about the catastrophic cap being raised, though.....

Don't get me started. My biggest concern isn't the actual benefit reduction, rather it's the BROKEN PROMISE! If this comes to pass, and I see one more BS pork project for millions approved, I will know that my country's word isn't worth the paper it's written on. What are the odds? What's more, is there any way a citizen can pull back a vote cast in good faith. I know the decisions are hard, but it is wiser to build fewer ships, planes, and aircraft than to raid earned benefits from those who now need them to survive.

Right on the mark as usual Rick. Our great leaders have found more ways to waste money and continue to raid and rape the programs that we have all worked for and provided for. When and by whom was the USA appointed the hall monitor for the rest of the world? Close the overseas bases, bring them home, fortify and rebuild our country and take care of our own in the proper manner. Things at this point are truly "FUBAR"!

Totally agree with your point Rick. We cannot continue to enable these inept lawmakers by re-electing them. We seem to be convenient sacrificial targets easily thrown under the bus. How many other areas of wasteful federal spending are being overlooked?

Check out the link below to see how a couple of Vets handled this situation once before and what the Courts had to say about it.

http://mrgrg-ms.org/d99-1402.html#conclusion

Regards to all and Happy Thanksgiving,
Bob Ainsworth