OK, some additional defense budget news...and this time I'm getting more specific. Turns out the proposed defense budget calls for increases in the fees Tricare participants pay for their benefits if they're retired from the military but still working-age. For example, enrollment fees would rise $2.50 per month for a single retiree and $5.00 for their entire family. Although the proposed budget was announced today, Defense Secretary Robert Gates made it clear in a news conference last month that Tricare was a target:
Sounds like he's trying to encourage more working military retirees to use their employer's insurance plans to save some money. The New York Times military blogger provides some interesting statistics on this.
I think it's kind of interesting that during the health care reform debate, opponents decried the prospect of government run health care. But according to the data Thom Shanker provides, many vets are choosing to keep their government health care, even when private insurance is an option:
What do you think of the proposed increases? Do you think veterans groups will be up in arms about this?
