The Department of Defense's new budget proposal would include an increase in Tricare fees for the family members of active-duty troops.
Defense Department Comptroller Robert F. Hale explained at the Defense Programs Conference in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday:
“[This] will save us several hundred million dollars in administrative costs.
"We will modestly increase co-pays and deductibles … in a way that tries to guide our retirees and active duty family members to the most affordable types of care in the military treatment facilities, which are often seriously underutilized.”
Hagel explained to troops during a visit this week to Fort Eustis in Virginia how the budget proposal would affect veterans:
“For working-age retirees, we recommend a gradual increase for out-of-pocket expenses from around 8 percent today to no more than 11 percent -- a gradual increase … that we think is fair."
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