One word here: "Vote"

Message from my Congresswoman...

"Dear Richard,

Thank you for contacting me about military pay and benefits. I appreciate hearing your concerns about the compensation for the men and women who elect to serve our country. I welcome any comments my constituents may have that will help me stay informed on the topics most important to the citizens of Missouri's 4th District.

The men and women of our military are among the most heroic Americans. Every day these true patriots place their lives on the line to protect our country. It is not right for these valiant service members and their families to suffer any reductions in pay and benefits during a time of war. Maintaining the morale of our military and military families is essential. Military families act as a lifeline—supporting, encouraging, and impelling American service members to defend this country with quiet resolve.

As you are aware, President Obama's Defense Business Board Task Group has recommended changes to retirement pay in his Fiscal Year 2012 budget proposal. This proposal and its effect on retention and recruiting have not been debated or introduced in legislation at this time. The Administration should not be proposing reductions in benefits and increases in fees that ignore our current deployment realities and disregard the unique nature of the military retirement system. The Department of Defense budget does not need to be balanced on the backs of men and women fighting in harm's way.

Please know that in December 2011 I was proud to vote in support of H.R.1540, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) which provides a 1.6 percent increase in military basic pay. In this legislation, the House recognizes the fact that giving years of service to the military constitutes a significant prepaid premium for health care retirement benefits that is of even greater value than what a member pays into their retirement fund on their own.

Many constituents have contacted me expressing concerns with proposals to raise TRICARE fees as part of deficit reduction efforts. I believe that eroding benefits for career service can undermine long-term retention and readiness. We must keep those who serve our country foremost in mind as we address significant national budget issues in our country. The United States has a responsibility to provide health care at a reasonable rate for current and retired members of our military.

Significantly, the NDAA caps the Department of Defense's ability to raise TRICARE Prime fees by substantial amounts now or in the future. While TRICARE Prime fees did increase by $2.50 and $5 per month for individuals and families respectively, future TRICARE fee increases would equal the cost-of-living adjustment made in military retired pay. If there is no adjustment, as there has not been for the last two years, there would be no TRICARE fee increase. This prevents retirees from being hit with massive annual increases in the future by making sure the percentage increase, which will be considerably less than the Department of Defense proposed six to seven percent increase, is linked to the retirement cost-of-living adjustment.

In funding our military for Fiscal Year 2012, we ensure that our troops who are deployed around the world have the equipment and resources they need to succeed in their missions. There is no higher priority than advocating on their behalf. As other legislation associated with the military and military benefits moves forward, I will continue working to provide what is needed for our brave servicemen and women. They deserve nothing less.

Again, thank you writing to me about the strength of our armed forces and the importance of a resilient national defense. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future on any other issues of importance to you and your community. It is a privilege to be your voice in Congress.


With best regards, I remain,

Very truly yours,

Vicky Hartzler
Member of Congress "

Message from a U.S. Senator:

"February 27, 2012
Dear Mr. Matthews,

Thank you for contacting me regarding the interests of servicemembers and veterans as Congress addresses our nation's deficit and long-term debt. I appreciate hearing from you and welcome the opportunity to respond.

In these difficult economic times, it is more important than ever to protect the benefits and care that our military members have earned. Whether they are currently deployed overseas, serving and training back home, or were honorably discharged years ago, I remain committed to ensuring our brave men and women in uniform are properly resourced and fully supported!

I know that many Missourians like you are watching the budget debates in Congress with tremendous personal interest. As Congress works to address our budget deficit and our long-term debt -- which the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has labeled our most significant national security challenge -- some have become increasingly concerned that hard-won victories for wounded servicemembers and veterans may be decreased. I will be working on behalf of our nation's veterans to make sure that this does not happen.

We must not balance our nation's budget on the backs of our veterans who have already borne the cost of protecting our freedom.

While in the Senate, two of my most significant priorities have been reducing Washington's spending and advocating on behalf of those who have fought to secure our freedom. I am proud to say that I have voted against every bloated omnibus spending bill that has come before me and have never requested an earmark. I have also successfully worked with my colleagues to ensure veterans have received significant increased resources after an era of too many attempts to short change veterans.

Whether fully funding the independent budget of major Veterans Service Organizations for the first time, drastically reforming how we support our most recent wounded warriors, winning critical increases in mileage reimbursement rates for disabled veterans traveling to receive care, or increasing the numbers of claim processers to address the claims backlog at the Veterans Administration, we have made important progress for our nation's veterans. Please know that I remain committed to ensuring that our military heroes - past, present and future - receive the support and benefits they earned.

Thank you for your service and for your commitment to veterans. God bless and God bless our country.

Again, thank you for contacting me. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if I can be of further assistance to you on this or any other issue.

Sincerely,

Claire McCaskill
United States Senator"

As much as I dislike political discussion on this board, it's only fair to point out that this is not an Obama issue, it's a DC issue. I linked a page from Navy Times where Senator John McCain wants to bar retirees from Tricare Prime. Regardless of party affiliation, military retirees are always targeted first.

Rick, I am sick of this crap by this group of elite wannabees, writing their own pay raises and their own medical care at the taxpayers expense and the retirees pocket. I think that the American people just need to vote out the entire congressional wing of our government to show our own power. Make all our representatives, senate and house, all one term representatives until they start doing what we want them to do and start turning the position into one that is for the people instead of for themselves. They need to stop saying the things that will get them re-elected and then doing something else, and start doing things FOR THE PEOPLE.

If I can find a lawyer willing to take the case, I am seriously considering initiating a class action lawsuit against the TRICARE tier fee system. Based on the fact that those of us in tier 3 will be charged double what a person in tier 1 will pay in 2017 for the same service. No other insurance company I know of charges based on income levels. They charge based on benefit levels.

I wrote a nice long letter to Senator Warner this weekend and am composing one for Senator Webb complaining about the inequity of the proposed fee increase. I'll probably get the usual form letters back, but at least I let them know that I was displeased with the proposal.

I don't mind paying more for my healthcare, but I do mind being robbed blind for the same service.

I used to feel kind of bad about being eligible for only TRICARE Standard out here in western WI. We don't have any bases in our area, and the vet population doesn't support Prime, Son of Prime, and all the other TRICARE mods. Maybe that isn't so bad now, as I don't see anything at all regarding increases to plain old Standard. It's similar to cars, I guess. If you want to get from point A to point B, a Chevy will do it. If you prefer a Caddy to get there, you can expect to pay more for it....