Carmelita Jones
2017-2018 National Legislative Ambassador
Protect TRICARE!
The VFW believes that, in order to recruit and retain a professional, all-volunteer force, the United States must keep its promises to previous generations of service members. These promises include a modest stipend immediately upon retirement and affordable, accessible health care.
It has recently come to our attention that the Defense Health Agency (DHA) is preparing to implement a fixed fee co-payment schedule for TRICARE Select, which is calculated to equal approximately 15 or 20 percent of the average allowable charge for certain categories of care, such as $27 for a primary care visit. Such a change does a disservice to beneficiaries who reside in markets where health care is more affordable. Additionally, these new fee schedules directly conflict with instructions in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2017, which grandfathered current retirees and military families from cost share increases.
CALL TO ACTION:
- To support the VFW’s efforts to protect TRICARE, please make comments on the Federal Registry concerning the pending rule change. To do so, take the following actions
- Visit https://www.regulations.gov/comment?D=DOD-2017-HA-0039-0001
- Copy and paste the following paragraph into the text block:
“As a veterans advocate, I urge the Department of Defense NOT to implement these cost share increases for current retirees and military families. The planned fix-priced fee schedule is based on national average health care costs and would create barriers to access for TRICARE beneficiaries who already struggle to cover the cost of their needed health care. In order to recruit and retain a professional, all-volunteer force, the United States must keep its promises to previous generations of warriors. These promises include a modest stipend immediately upon retirement and affordable, accessible health care.”
- Type in your first and last name into the correct boxes and click “Submit.”
2. Call your members of Congress and ask that they stop the Department of Defense from implementing this change. You can find the contact information for your member of Congress by:
- Going to http://capwiz.com/vfw/dbq/officials/ and entering your ZIP code.
- Clicking “Info” under the member’s name and selecting the “Contact” tab for their phone number.
- Use the same narrative and rationale in the paragraph above. Read it to the staffer who answers the phone.
Please disseminate this information to all VFW Auxiliary members by posting it on your Department websites and Facebook pages (both Department and personal). You can also contact your local newspapers and ask them to publish this as a Letter to the Editor. In addition, reach out to other veterans service organizations (VSOs) where you live.
Let Congress know that we will not stand by quietly as they continue to break the promises made to our active-duty military and our veterans!
