Military

How did the ACA screw over military retirees? I am a retiree who is the son of a retiree. I've been tracking Tricare costs and changes for some time. I was not happy when they started charging for Prime, but what other option do I have for less cost? Prices for using civilian pharmacies were going up under Bush even for dependents of Active Duty.

And your complaints for the next year or two have NOTHING to do with Obama, and really very little to do with him and the ACA anyway. DoD has been trying to make retirees bear more of a cost for the past 40+ years, and every so often they get permission to raise the cost on us. Right now, blame a Republican Congress and Trump...they control right now. $30milion for a military parade would go a long way to pay for retiree medical care, but a Fascist/Soviet style parade is wanted by a draft dodger....so they are letting him have one. Nothing to actually have a true reason for one (like winning WWII for example), just a certain person saw one in France and said "I want one of these!" Never mind the cost, logistics and the fact everyone in the military involved would rather be doing almost anything else just doesn't come into consideration!

And they have already begun changing the military retirement to make it less than it was. First it was redux and now "blended". People are forced into the TSP and that is now part of their retirement. They are trying to make it more "civilian" vs the 20 years or nothing it used to be. https://www.military.com/benefit...y-retirement-system.html
I expect further degradation of benefits and the military retirement in years to come if this current Congress remains in its current composition. If only to try and pay for the $trillion deficits created so far! (and if ANYONE says Democrats are the deficit creators, I point out the only balanced budgets in recent history have been under Democratic Administrations, and Republicans have created more debt and bigger deficits despite their rhetoric, usually with giveaways to business and the 1%. For a micro version, look at OK and KS, and then compare to CA...which is now the 5th largest economy in the world. CA seems to do the opposite of what the Republicans have done in KS and OK, and other states, and yet seem to grow and improve their economy. They aren't perfect, but are doing way better than what the Republican plan seems to result in!)

grampi, show me where the ACA was the direct cause of Tricare cost increases. You are making the claim, so provide a link.

Nice link...doesn't show the ACA was the cause for the increase either at that time or today. In fact, the 2017 NDAA (which has nothing to do with Obama) and the current bill to eliminate a grandfather clause (also nothing to do with Obama) are purely a result of this Congress and Administration. Again, nothing to do with the ACA.

Look, Grampi...I know you hated Obama. I get it. He looked different from you and you didn't like him or his ideas (but you have never explained why those were bad, only made declarations they were). But your guy is in the office for now...and he and the Republican led Congress is pushing for these increases. And DoD has been pushing for increases on Retirees since the days of CHAMPUS. We are a large chunk of the medical costs for DoD, and they do not like it.

That said, write and call your congress-critters to ask them why they are trying to balance their $trillion deficit on the backs of veterans, and military retirees (those who gave a lifetime to the defence of this nation) and our families. Ask them why can't they find other ways to lower the deficit (like maybe, raising taxes on businesses who are able to be successful thanks to the country's dedicated military)? Or you can just keep blaming Obama...and keep voting against your own interests, and keep wondering why things aren't getting any better for you.

Obama's looks had nothing to do with the reason I didn't like him. He went out of his way to destroy our country and our military. That's why I didn't like him...and Trump isn't my guy, I didn't vote for him, but I'm sure he'll be a damn sight better as prez than Obama was...then again, that wouldn't take much...

Really...I retired before he became president (Bush the younger signed my retirement certificate), but I then went to work for DoD as a civilian in 2008 until 2013 (and then worked for the USCG). I didn't see the military getting "stripped" as you put it. It grew over those 8 years. Budget got bigger. In the link you provided, the military got a pay raise. I recall a decent raise under Reagan, and then being behind inflation the rest of the time he was president..and every so often a catch-up raise...and so on.

But to your original point...the ACA had nothing to do with the increases in Tricare.

Disagree all you want, you have not shown any evidence it is connected. This is why i hate debating those who don't care about actual facts (or science in some appointees cases where science is actually the work of the agency). Do you think the earth is flat? That the earth is only 6,000 years old? That if you just eat vegan, all your medical issues can be cured?

Simply because you say something doesn't mean it is true. And just because two things happen around the same time frame, doesn't mean they are connected.

So, you say you disagree, so put up some evidence to support your position. I can find lots of articles and studies showing military healthcare for retirees has been increasing for years, and DoD has been trying to offload us retirees since the CHAMPUS days. So unless you can provide some evidence that the ACA was the cause of the latest increases, your belief is as valid as Trump's imagined crowds being the largest ever seen at an inauguration. (factually false, but he figures if he says it enough, it may one day become true....even though it won't).

You're just making stuff up now. Your original claim was "Changes to Tricare" (your thread title) is a result of "Obamacare screwing over military retirees."

You were called out on that and asked to provide support for your claim.

You posted a link to a completely unrelated 2014 article about the National Defense Authorization Act.

You were called out on that because, seriously - not even related at all.

I also didn't see anything in Frank's post here or anywhere else that would suggest he believes Obama could do no wrong.

You are being asked again to provide any evidence to support your claim and now you're waffling and saying "No matter what evidence I post, you will deny it."

Truth and facts apparently mean very little to so many people these days, it's no wonder our country is in the shape it's in.

I feel sorry for people who are so blinded by hate and ignorance.

Edited by user Thursday, May 10, 2018 4:30:36 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Just because we don't blame Obama for everything, doesn't mean we are his cheerleaders. Again, you fail to provide any evidence for your claim, and then attack PERSONALLY the people who called you out on it. Provide evidence, and I'll look at it. I can find quite a bit info on CHAMPUS and Tricare increases from before Obama was president through to the latest increases after he left office (over a year later in fact), and yet you claim they are all due to "Obamacare."

You can have your opinion, but that isn't a fact. And making up facts is, despite some people's claims, actual fake news.