Tricare for Life and You

Good Morning Comrads, I just thought I would pass this on for those of you that might be interested.
Bill


Tricare Correspondence From Senator Lieberman

February 19, 2009


Thank you for contacting me regarding rumored cuts in benefit programs
for military retirees, including TRICARE for Life. Currently, a wealth of
false and misleading information is being distributed on this matter; and
I welcome the opportunity to explain the source of the confusion.

I am aware of several chain emails, online discussion boards, blogs,
and even articles in well-intentioned veterans' publications that imply
that President Obama and Congress plan on eliminating TRICARE for Life.
The insinuations put forth by these sources are false.

The source of these stories is a report issued by the Congressional
Budget Office (CBO), entitled Budget Options Volume 1: Heath Care,
released in December 2008. Before jumping to conclusions about the report
itself, however, it is important to know exactly what the CBO is. CBO is
a nonpartisan federal agency, tasked with providing Congress with cost
estimates for the many legislative proposals considered each year. It
also periodically offers Congress suggestions for adjusting federal
spending. CBO is an information gathering body for Members of Congress.
Its recommendations about the budget are completely non binding; and its
officers do not draft actual policy, legislation, or law.

The Budget Options report in question offers a total of 115 options for
reducing (or, in some cases, increasing) federal spending on health care,
only three of which relate to TRICARE. These options are merely
suggestions, not policy statements or actual legislation. Reports such as
this one are routine, and very few options or recommendations made by CBO
are typically acted upon. President Obama has not indicated support for
the three recommendations in this report related to TRICARE, nor has any
Member of Congress, to the best of my knowledge. Any suggestion that the
Administration is affiliated with this report ignores the fact that it
was drafted by the CBO - which, again, is an advisory body of the
legislative branch, not the executive branch.

You may also be interested to know that both the Reserve Officers
Association (ROA) and the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
have issued statements condemning the aforemention ed rumors that are
being perpetuated through these chain emails.

I hope that you have found this letter informative, and I encourage you
to share this information with members of your community who are
concerned about issues relating to military retirees. As a member of the
Senate Armed Services Committee, please be assured of my continued
commitment to protecting the various interests of all those who have
fought tirelessly to protect our cherished freedoms.

Thank you again for sharing your views and concerns with me. I hope you
will continue to visit my website at lieberman.senate.gov for
updated news about my work on behalf of Connecticut and the nation.
Please contact me if you have any additional questions or comments about
our work in Congress.

Sincerely,

Joseph I. Lieberman
UNITED STATES SENATOR

Great - good news, I think ... but what jumps out at me is this quote: "Reports such as this one are routine, and very few options or recommendations made by CBO are typically acted upon."

So if this is a true statement, who pays CBO, and if congress never acts on the recommendations, then why does this CBO exist?? Maybe we should take this CBO salary and use it to put WIFI and CTV in every MCG so we can watch groups like this at work !!

Bill,

Glad you posted this letter!

Isn't it interesting how rumors turn out to be true.
Also, never trust a politician, especially if his lips are moving.
Frank

I had seen this a couple of weeks ago, and in my typical fashion, became excited and before realizing what I was doing, had fired off letters of protest to both my US Senator and Congressman. Oh well, it won't hurt to let them know my views on this, if and when it does actually become an issue, and it probably will be on the table at some point in time.
Good question above---"Why does the CBO exist and who pays them?" Someone is interested in TRICARE and the cost to the government...Marty

I guess I was one of the few, who did not hear the rumor. Now, I am concerned, what if they do eliminate Tricare, because of a recommendation, from a group we pay for. My mother had Tricare also, and I sure was glad, knowing how costly her illness was. Tricare gave us all comfort, during this time.

I am told, that military retires had been promised, to be taken care of for the rest of there lives. Now, I am hoping this is true. Could someone who is spending money hand over fist, look to cutting back by eliminating something that has given us a sense of security.

I think if any cuts are in order, let them start with the CBO. Maybe instead of writing letters asking about saving Tricare, the time should be spent, asking them to eliminate CBO.