Military's health care costs booming

[RamboLiberal]

Source: USA Today

Military health care spending is rising twice as fast as the nation's overall health care costs, consuming a larger chunk of the defense budget as the Pentagon struggles to pay for two wars, military budget figures show.

The surging costs are prompting the Pentagon and Congress to consider the first hike in out-of-pocket fees for military retirees and some active-duty families in 15 years, said Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, deputy director of TRICARE, the military health care program.

Pentagon spending on health care has increased from $19 billion in 2001 to a projected $50.7 billion in 2011, a 167% increase.

The rapid rise has been driven by a surge in mental health and physical problems for troops who have deployed to war multiple times and by a flood of career military retirees fleeing less-generous civilian health programs, Hunter said.

Total U.S. spending on health care has climbed from nearly $1.5 trillion in 2001 to an estimated $2.7 trillion next year, an 84% increase.

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/military/2010-04-22-vet_N.htm

[ShortnFiery]

1. Transfer a few hundred million of that 700 Billion ...

from the yearly defense budget and transfer it from those "pretty weapons" to "military health care."

Problem Solved! :shrug:

http://yorick.infinitejest.org:81/1/img/card-pretty_weapons.jpg

[cap]

2. and so many of them are down on Obamacare

and yet, they want socialized medicine for themselves.

[TwilightGardener]

4. I'm in the military health care system, and I support HCR. I would love

for everyone to have the sort-of-single-payer care I have, actually.

[Wendio]

7. Are you aware

that Tricare does not fall under the new HCR law? We just realized it when we looked into extending health benefits out through age 26 for our oldest who is a full time student but won't be for long.
There is a bill proposed but I haven't read or heard anything since.

eta HCR law instead of bill.

[TwilightGardener]

8. No, but I'm not surprised--hopefully they'll change Tricare to

allow coverage for those up to 26 as well, same as the civilian law. I don't know if kids up to 26 need to get counted as dependents, or whether that makes a difference.

[cap]

11. you are the exception

most military are down on HCR for the rest of us.

[TwilightGardener]

3. Best ways to keep military family health costs down are to end the wars, and

make civilian health care more affordable and attractive. Many people are in the military FOR the health care, alone.

[rocktivity]

5. Candidate for this year's 'You Call This NEWS?" Award

If anyone should qualify for Medicare For All, it's veterans!!!

:mad:
rocktivity

[hayu_lol]

6. Bill the Bush and Cheney families...

for the total amount of the increase.

[KrazyinKS]

9. Brother-in-law collects from Vietnam

My brother-in-law was in Vietnam and was exposed to agent orange. So 20 years later he gets prostrate cancer (by the way he worked for an exterminating agency for years) and he gets dumped by the insurance company he was being covered under. So he can collect as a war injury because agent orange can cause prostrate cancer. He has had extensive treatment at the VA hospital. This is over 20 years later and we are still paying for stuff from Vietnam. But get THIS-here we are sitting peacefully at home one Saturday morning and his wife calls and wants directions to the tea party rally here in town (she lives in a small town) so we give her the directions. She goes to TEA PARTIES!!!. Lord have mercy.

[saigon68]

10. Another rustic

biting the hand that feeds him