We have 1 Action Item today at Issue 2 below

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see POTUS CAPS PAY. Citing fiscal challenges, President Obama continues trend of reduced pay. Servicemembers will see a smaller than expected pay raise next year, as the president told lawmakers he will use his authority to cap military pay. (See Issue 1 below for the details. GF) 

At Issue 2. we see PROCRASTINATION STATION. Congress doesn’t have a lot of time to get through their to-do list. The House and Senate return and only have ten days together until the end of the fiscal year. (See Issue 2 below to see the details and send messages to your Legislators. GF) 

At Issue 3. we see  TRICARE SECRET SHOPPER SCAM. New scam targets TRICARE beneficiaries. A phony organization is targeting beneficiaries with counterfeit TRICARE checks.  (See Issue 3 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 4. we see 22 A DAY. MOAA joins Wounded Warrior Project to tackle mental health. (See Issue 4 below for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

 

Issue 1. POTUS CAPS PAY

September 4, 2015

President Obama sent a disappointing letter to Congressional leaders last week stating that he plans to use his executive authority to cap military pay for the third consecutive year.

In 2014 and 2015, pay raises were capped at 1 percent. The president intends to cap 2016 pay raises at 1.3 percent, instead of the 2.3 percent raise called for by law.

The troops’ last four raises averaged less than 1.4 percent, with the FY14 and FY15 pay raises being the lowest in 50 years.

In his letter, Obama said that he is, “strongly committed to supporting our uniformed service members, who have made such great contributions to our Nation over the past decade of war.” However, he insisted that this move is necessary to, “maintain efforts to keep our Nation on a sustainable fiscal course.”

DoD leadership came out in support of the president’s announcement, insisting that the pay cap is needed to support modernization and training.

Several years of capping pay below private sector wage growth took place during the 1980’s and 90’s, until servicemembers faced a 13.5 percent pay gap. Because recruitment and retention ultimately suffered, Congress spent a decade trying to fix the issue by providing pay raises above the Employment Cost Index (ECI). After coming within 2.5 percent of pay parity in 2013, DoD and Congress considered the issue resolved.

Now it looks like all of the hard work Congress did is unwinding. A third year of pay caps expands the difference between pay in the military and private sector to 5 percent. And with four more years of DoD-proposed caps, it will get much worse.

Three years of pay caps really add up. An E-5 with ten years of service will receive about $976 less annually. For an O-3 with 10 years, it will be about $1,870.

“Although Congress and the administration are under pressure from budget restrictions, this is incredibly disappointing,” said MOAA Director of Government Relations, Col Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret). “Past experience with capping military raises below private sector pay growth has shown that once pay raise caps begin, they continue until they undermine retention and readiness of the all-volunteer force.”

Military pay comparability only works when it’s sustained through both good and bad budget times.

 

 

Issue 2. PROCRASTINATION STATION

September 4, 2015

Despite pledges to return to normal order, it is increasingly unlikely that lawmakers will be able to pass a series of annual appropriations bills before the end of the fiscal year.

The series of looming deadlines have led some legislators to call the coming months an ‘awful autumn.’

When Congress returns from the August recess next week, lawmakers must work quickly on several big-ticket items. Unfortunately, House and Senate lawmakers are only both in session for a handful of days in September.

Lawmakers are trying to find ways to untie their hands from sequestration, a self-imposed punishment that set unrealistic budget caps. Defense planners want exemptions from the caps, but opponents say that any increases in defense spending must be met with similar increases to domestic programs.

The current defense budget is $38 billion over sequestration’s limit and the president vowed to veto the bill if it is sent to him. Instead of passing legislation that is doomed to fail, Congress will most likely need to pass a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government running, and prevent a shutdown.

A CR will keep the government funded at current levels while Congress tries to come up with a funding solution. Some lawmakers hinted that a CR could last a full year, an unprecedented length for such legislation.

Preventing a government shutdown is a top priority for most Republican leaders, mindful of the political damage that followed previous shutdowns.

After the new fiscal year, Congress will have to shift to other matters: raising the debt ceiling, passing a highway funding bill, and finalizing a defense bill that has some of the biggest personnel changes in a generation.

Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told Congress earlier this summer that the debt ceiling would have to be raised by the end of October. Technically, the government already hit the debt ceiling, but the treasury department is using “extraordinary measures” to prevent a default.

Shortly before the August recess, Congress passed a short-term federal highway bill.

Despite making sweeping changes to the military retirement system, lawmakers seemed poised to quickly act on the defense bill. However, an eleventh hour dispute over TRICARE pharmacy fees halted negotiations.

Send your elected officials a MOAA-suggested message urging them to reject these increases.

(Click on MOAA-suggested message here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

One issue seemingly off the table is a nuclear deal with Iran, with the Senate announcing it has enough votes to move forward with the president’s plan. For an analysis of the deal, check out the September edition of Military Officer.

Any of these issues alone would be difficult to navigate with an agreeable Congress, but with such divides on these issues, even a slight misstep could lead to another shutdown.

With so much work ahead, awful autumn has the potential to turn into a woeful winter.

(Click on September edition of Military Officer  here or above where above the photo of the cover page of the magazine you can click left and/or right to scan through the pages of the magazine . GF)

 

Issue 3. TRICARE SECRET SHOPPER SCAM

The Defense Health Agency, Office of Program Integrity (DHA-PI) has received a significant number of return envelopes from mailings by a bogus organization. In the letter they identify themselves as TRICARE SURVEY INC., to TRICARE beneficiaries across the country and are attempting to solicit beneficiary to be “Secret Shoppers” for TRICARE.  Please know that TRICARE does not employ “Secret Shoppers”.

Enclosed in the mailing is a form letter claiming to be a solicitation for a position as a Trainee Independent Private Evaluator, a counterfeit TRICARE WPS check for $3,775.00, and an instruction/survey form on how the beneficiary gets the check authorized through the company’s agent via phone.  Beneficiaries are directed to cash the check at their local bank, retain a percentage of the money and utilize the remaining amount to purchase six “Vanilla Reload” cards at $500.00 apiece at various stores across the country. The “Secret Shopper” is instructed to provide the company agent with the card numbers once they are bought, complete the survey and mail it, and wait for the next assignment. Once money has been loaded onto the card however, they are immediately available for transfer and the bogus company zeros out the monies on the cards.

DHA PI strongly advises you NOT to participate in this alleged “Secret Shopper” effort. TRICARE will identify the checks as counterfeit through a positive check controls process and return them to the bank in which they were drawn from as non-cashable. Potential exists for the beneficiary to be personally liable for the entire $3,775.00 in restitution to the bank.

Should you receive a letter DHA PI again, strongly advises you not to contact the company or attempt to cash the counterfeit check. Also, please immediately submit a Fraudline report to DHA PI. To access our Fraud Reporting tools, go to the Program Integrity page and click on the “Report Health Care Fraud” button

 

(Click on Program Integrity page here or above for the details. GF)

Issue 4. 22 A DAY

MOAA joins Wounded Warrior Project to tackle mental health

Did you know 22 veterans commit suicide every day? Make military mental health a priority and come to our Sept. 9 event.

(Click on 22 A DAY here or above for the details and to register for The 2015 Warrior-Family Symposium (WFS). GF)

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

“We should stop thinking about our people as a cost center but rather as a profit center. They’re not an expense, they’re an investment.” – recent comment by Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Brad Carson.

 

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/  or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at a MOAA screen where you can then scroll down to the  “Legislative Action Center“
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Act Now to Block Big Rx Fee Hikes

3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, Veterans Affairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that..

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have 1 Action Item today at Issue 1 below

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see TRICARE FEES GO UP IN OCTOBER. Enrollment rates increase. How much more will you pay?

.  (See Issue 1 below to send messages to your Legislators. GF) 

At Issue 2. we see CLAIMS BACKLOG DROPS. Thankfully, what goes up must come down. VA announces a major milestone in reducing the backlog of claims. (See Issue 2 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 3. we see DFAS EMAIL SCAM ALERT. Scam targets DFAS after hacking scandal. Keep your personal identification information safe..  (See Issue 3 below for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

 

Issue 1. TRICARE FEES GO UP IN OCTOBER

August 28, 2015

TRICARE beneficiaries will see an increase in health care fees starting in October.

Beginning Oct 1, TRICARE Prime enrollment fees will be $565 for a family and $282 for a single person.

The increases will affect military families and retirees under age 65.

Increases to TRICARE enrollment fees are based on the annual cost of living adjustment for retired military pay.

Surviving family members of sponsors who died on active duty, and medically retired servicemembers and their family members, are exempt from the fee increases.

Since 2011, beneficiaries have seen TRICARE Prime enrollment fees increase by 23 percent, double the rate of inflation over the same period. Pharmacy copays vary by class, but over the same time span, beneficiaries have seen a 60 percent increase in medication costs.

After freezing annual TRICARE fees for 13 consecutive years, defense planners tried for several years to play catch up by proposing rate increases up to 300 and 400 percent over a five year period. MOAA argued that such a dramatic spike in fees could financially devastate retired military families.

In an attempt to prevent disproportionate increases, MOAA successfully convinced Congress to index TRICARE Prime enrollment fees to COLA versus health care inflation in the FY12 defense bill. In the FY14 defense bill, MOAA secured another legislative win by getting Congress to tie pharmacy fee increases to COLA as well.

However, when it comes to pharmacy fees, Congress hasn’t been able to follow its own law. In addition to last year’s disproportionate pharmacy fee increase above inflation, Congress is now considering increasing pharmacy fees by 66 to 75 percent over the next decade.

“Beneficiaries are paying enough,” said Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret), MOAA’s Deputy Director for Government Relations. “Congress needs to look at other ways to control health care costs before trying to pass the buck to military families.”

Take Action. Send your elected officials a  MOAA-suggested message  asking them to prevent steep pharmacy fee increases in this year’s defense bill.

(Click on MOAA-suggested message here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

 

 

Issue 2. CLAIMS BACKLOG DROPS

August 28, 2015

A historic milestone was reached this week with the VA’s announcement that initial claims for veterans’ disabilities and survivor benefits dropped to 98,535. This is an 84% reduction from the high water mark of 611,000 claims in the pipeline in March 2013.

Almost five years ago, former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced that the VA would eliminate the backlog of initial claims that were waiting for more than 125 days for a decision, by the end of 2015. Now, the VA appears to be in reach of that goal.

According to the VA, the quality of the decisions remains high as the numbers have dropped. The accuracy of disability decisions has climbed steadily from 83% in 2011 to 91% today. The accuracy of “individual medical issues” within a claim is now at 96%. Rated against eight distinct “error categories” – such as correct effective date, correct decision related to military service, etc. – VA arrives at the right decision 98% of the time.

MOAA commends VA Under Secretary for Benefits, Allison Hickey, for building the transformation strategy that led to these encouraging results. In many appearances before Congress, Hickey referred to upgrades in “people, process and technology” as at the heart of her strategy.

Now, almost all claims are managed and decided on a digital platform, eliminating cumbersome paper files. Mandatory overtime for many claims workers has been the practice in recent years. Hickey’s office also negotiated an arrangement with the Pentagon to certify the completeness of medical records for separating and retiring servicemembers and speeding their delivery electronically to decision makers.

Along the way, the VA welcomed the collaboration of veteran and military service organizations, including MOAA, to improve the process further. Nearly half of all claims made to VA and 90% of claims filed by MOAA are Fully Developed Claims, which VA has credited with expediting decisions on initial claims.

Are we there, yet?  Not at all. The Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) just announced that it was suspending mandatory overtime for adjudicators. It remains to be seen if the progress achieved to date can be sustained with reduced time devoted to the backlog. The VA is banking on its electronic platform, the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS), to support high quality production, even as the number and complexity of veterans’ claims continues to rise.

Moreover, the VA and Congress need to step up on the thorny problem of reducing the backlog of appealed claims that go through a complex process. More often than not, the Board of Veterans Appeals sends these claims back to a VA regional office for further work.

Appealed claims take on average over three years to resolve. A number of studies demonstrate that in the end, veterans win much more often on appeal than the government, indicating that the process is flawed. Veterans are getting the wrong decision out of the gate.

Other challenges include slower decisions for National Guard and Reserve veterans who served on active duty, as well as comparably lower ratings on their claims for the same conditions filed by their active duty counterparts. This may be the result of incomplete documentation of service-related conditions at separation, and other factors. Women veterans also tend to receive lower ratings than their male counterparts for similar conditions.

Although there are still areas where improvement is needed, there is clear cause to celebrate significant progress in battling the backlog of claims that has bedeviled the VA for too long. MOAA will continue to work with our VSO partners, Congress, and the VA to ensure that the gains made so far lead to further progress for our nation’s service men and women who have “borne the battle.”

Deputy Director of Government Relations, Col. Bob Norton, USA (Ret) said, “We feel very confident that Under Secretary Hickey will continue to drive progress on the backlog going forward, including reductions in appealed and non-rating claims.

Issue 3. DFAS EMAIL SCAM ALERT

August 28, 2015

Email scams are targeting military servicemembers, retirees, and their families by posing as the Defense and Finance Accounting Service (DFAS).

The most recent scam looks like a “SmartDoc” email with the subject line “myPay IMPORTANT SECURITY UPDATE,” and appears to come from a DFAS-SmartDocs email address. The links provided in the emails direct the user to a malicious website that requests personal information.

Several attentive MOAA members provided an example of an email they recently received:

Dear Account Holder,

It has come to our attention that your myPay account information needs to be updated as part of our continued commitment to protect your account and to reduce the instance of fraud on our website. If you could please take 3 minutes out of your online experience and update your personal records you will not run into any future problems with the online service.

However, failure to update your records will result in account suspension.

Once you have updated your account records, your Online sessions will not be interrupted and will continue as normal. To update your myPay records click on the Update button.

Thank you,
myPay Customer Center

DFAS provided the following statement regarding this scam:

“Valid SmartDocs messages from DFAS are always sent in plain text, do not include attachments and do not ask you to send any information in response. Your email program may automatically convert a valid SmartDocs message into HTML and convert some text into clickable links. We recommend that you do NOT click on any links within any email message. To access a site referenced in an email, open your browser and type the link (URL) directly into the browser.

Don’t get fooled. If you receive a SmartDocs message that contains a link, don’t click on it. If a URL is listed in the message type it in manually within your browser. Delete unexpected or unsolicited messages that contain attachments or that request you to send information back.”

Online scams and cyber-attacks are increasing daily. MOAA members should be on alert for emails like this. Links that ask users to go to a website and submit personal information should always be taken as suspect.

When asked to follow a link, follow the advice provided by DFAS, and enter the URL manually into the browser for verification. While it may seem cumbersome to constantly be on guard about these issues, taking a few basic steps can protect yourself and your family from scam artists.

You can read the DFAS online protection guidelines at the following link: http://www.dfas.mil/pressroom/onlineprotection.html

(Click on http://www.dfas.mil/pressroom/onlineprotection.html here or above for the details. GF)

 

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Act Now to Block Big Rx Fee Hikes

3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, Veterans Affairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that..

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have 1 Action Item today at Issue 2 below

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see ACT NOW TO BLOCK BIG RX FEE HIKES. Congress is considering drastic pharmacy fee increases for servicemembers and retirees. Pharmacy fees will increase 66 to 75 percent.  (See Issue 2 below for some additional detail and to send messages to your Legislators. GF) 

At Issue 2. we see NICKEL AND DIMING REALLY ADDS UP. TRICARE beneficiaries continue to be easy targets in budget balancing schemes. In his August edition of “The Bottom Line,” MOAA Director of Government Relations Col. Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret) looks at how DoD makes you pay for health care. (See Issue 2 below for the details and to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

At Issue 3. we see COLA FUTURE FIZZLES July Consumer Price Index remains below baseline. Follow trends on MOAA’s COLA Watch.(Click on COLA FUTURE FIZZLES here or above for the details . GF)

At Issue 4. we see SIX WEEKS TO SHUTDOWN? Deadline looms without federal budget. With no budget deal in sight, MOAA outlines some of the options Congress has to avoid a shutdown.  (See Issue 4 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 5. we see PRIORITIZE MILITARY MENTAL WELLNESS  MOAA and WWP co-host the 2015 Warrior-Family Symposium in Washington D.C. Join the discussion on September 9. (Click on PRIORITIZE MILITARY MENTAL WELLNESS here or above for the details . GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

 

Issue 2. NICKEL AND DIMING REALLY ADDS UP.

August 21, 2015

By Col. Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret)

TRICARE beneficiaries are doing more than their fair share to decrease military personnel costs.

Last year alone, beneficiaries were responsible for 80 percent of the savings achieved by the Defense Health Agency (DHA). Singling out beneficiaries instead of cutting costs within the DoD continues to be the fiscal answer for the Pentagon and for some members of Congress, who are poised to increase TRICARE fees in this year’s defense bill.

Over the past five years, military beneficiaries have shouldered the majority of DoD’s cost cutting initiatives:

• TRICARE fee increases: Since 2011, TRICARE Prime annual fees and copays have increased 20 percent. Although automatic annual fee increases are now indexed to cost of living adjustments, Congress initially implemented a “one-time catch-up”.

• Pharmacy copay increases: Pharmacy copays vary by class, but beneficiaries now pay 60 percent more for their medicine than they did in 2011.

• Home Delivery Program: In 2013, Congress forced TRICARE for Life beneficiaries to refill most maintenance medications by mail order. Imposition of this mandate restricted choice for beneficiaries and reaped huge savings for DoD. Home delivery saved DoD $215 million in 2014 alone. In October, the Home Delivery Program expands to active duty family members and retirees under age 65.

• Reduction in TRICARE Prime Service Areas: In 2013, changes to regional TRICARE contracts reduced Prime Service Areas to a 40-mile radius from Military Treatment Facilities. Over 180,000 Prime enrollees were transferred into TRICARE Standard. Although Congress passed a one-time exception a year after implementation, tens of thousands of beneficiaries were affected.

The majority of DoD’s savings have been on the backs of beneficiaries. When the department actually finds ways to cut costs, savings are not passed on to the beneficiary.

For example, DoD negotiated federal pricing for pharmaceuticals, and recouped more than $1.3 billion in refunds from overpayments.

Isn’t it strange that, despite DoD paying less for medications, beneficiaries continue to pay more?

In this year’s defense budget, if DoD has its way, pharmacy copays could triple over the next decade.

The Bottom Line: Military beneficiaries continue to pay more and get less. Congress needs to look at other ways to save money before raiding beneficiaries’ wallets.

Act now! Send a MOAA-suggested message  asking Congress to prevent steep pharmacy fee increases in the defense bill.

(Click on MOAA-suggested message here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

 

Issue 4. SIX WEEKS TO SHUTDOWN?

August 21, 2015

With no federal budget in place, and tough rhetoric from the White House, Congress could be facing another shutdown this fall.

The administration is threatening to veto any legislation that exceeds federal budget caps. On Capitol Hill, lawmakers are at odds over the appropriate levels of domestic and defense spending.

When Congress returns from the August recess on Sep. 8, lawmakers will have only 10 legislative working days to avoid a shutdown. What options do lawmakers have?

Pass a budget within constraints imposed by the Budget Control Act

The Budget Control Act, (BCA), a compromise deal reached by lawmakers, imposes strict, arbitrary budget caps on federal spending. Any budget that exceeds the caps triggers sequestration, a meat axe series of budget cuts.

Sequestration is particularly damaging to the defense department. If triggered, DoD will have to find $20 billion to cut from its annual budget next year. Defense leaders have said that sequestration is one of the biggest threats to national security.

Pass a Continuing Resolution

A Continuing Resolution (CR) can keep the government operating at last year’s funding levels while lawmakers continue to work on a compromise. CRs are commonly used to ensure uninterrupted operation of government functions, and can last anywhere from a few hours to an entire fiscal year.

While helpful, a CR limits federal agencies from developing long-term budget plans and strategy. Ironically, CRs often result in cost overruns and government delays, the very things lawmakers try to avoid by passing them.

Craft another Murray-Ryan deal

Some lawmakers have expressed a desire for another Murray-Ryan budget deal. The deal, named after Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), resulted in the Bipartisan Budget Act. That legislation raised the budget caps for 2014 and 2015 in return for extending sequestration to 2023.

That temporary fix is set to expire on Sep 30.

While defense planners were thankful for the deal at the time, it simply kicked the can and contained a devastating provision to reduce military retirement. Due to aggressive advocacy by MOAA and its partners, Congress repealed the cuts to military retirement in 2014.

“At this point, the prospect of securing a FY16 budget prior to Oct. 1 looks very dim,” said MOAA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations, Col. Phil Odom, USAF (Ret). “But it’s imperative that Congress engage in reasonable, bipartisan dialogue when they return in September.”

 

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Act Now to Block Big Rx Fee Hikes

3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, VeteransAffairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that..

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have 1 Action Item today at Issue 1 below

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see PAY RAISE IN JEOPARDY. White House threat means active duty could see third straight year of pay caps. With time running out, we need your help. (See Issue 1 below for the details and to send messages to your Legislators. GF) 

At Issue 2. we see HOW YOU GET YOUR MEDICINE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE. Are you ready? TRICARE’s mail order pharmacy mandate begins in October. (See Issue 2 below for the details. GF) 

At Issue 3. we see WHEN UNIFORM ISN’T UNIFORM. New bonuses and pay structures could mean a very different military. As DoD seeks to attract millennials, it looks to change how troops are paid. (See Issue 3 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 4. we see. 2015 ANNUAL MEETING. Join MOAA at the association’s 2015 annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., Oct. 29-31. Events include a military- and spouse-friend career fair, the Community Heroes Award Night, and lunch with the chairman. Register today! (Click on  2015 ANNUAL MEETING here or above for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

Issue 1. PAY RAISE IN JEOPARDY

August 14, 2015

Before leaving for the August recess, Congress failed to complete its annual defense bill. One of the sticking points holding up lawmakers is whether or not to cap the active duty pay raise.

Active duty pay raises are designed to keep pay comparable and competitive with wage growth in the private sector. Pay raises for the active force are based on the Employment Cost Index (ECI), a metric calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics that measures private sector wage growth.

Earlier this year, House lawmakers agreed to authorize a full active duty pay raise of 2.3 percent. Senate lawmakers, however, want to cap the pay raise at 1.3 percent.

“Annually raising active duty pay at the same pace as the private sector is essential to sustain a quality force – and maintain readiness – over the long term,” said MOAA’s Director of Government Relations, Col Mike Hayden, USAF (Ret).

The president has already agreed with the Senate’s position on the pay cap. If it goes through, this would be the third year of pay caps below private sector wage growth. It would continue a troubling trend of eroding pay and benefits for servicemembers and their families.

Shortly before Congress left town for the August recess, lawmakers rubber-stamped a COLA increase for disabled veterans and military survivors.

“It makes no sense for Congress to adhere to one set of laws for our veterans, but fail to follow the same logic for active duty troops,” said Hayden.

The president has until the end of the month to notify Congress if he intends to cap pay. Time is running out.

Act now!  Send a MOAA-suggested message  asking Congress to support a 2.3% raise that keeps military pay on pace with private sector wage growth.

(Click on MOAA-suggested message here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

 

 

Issue 2. HOW YOU GET YOUR MEDICINE IS ABOUT TO CHANGE

August 14, 2015

TRICARE beneficiaries will be required to refill select maintenance medications through TRICARE Pharmacy Home Delivery or at a military pharmacy – or pay the full price at retail – beginning Oct. 1.

This provision was originally tested through a pilot program from the FY13 defense bill, which mandated TRICARE for Life beneficiaries into the above requirements.

The FY15 defense bill expanded the pilot to encompass all TRICARE beneficiaries, with the exception of those on active duty, those with other health insurance that provide drug coverage, or those who live overseas. While active duty servicemembers are exempt from the mandate, active duty family members will be required to participate in the program.

In September, beneficiaries will receive a notification letter from TRICARE providing details on enrollment instructions and the waiver process.

Beneficiaries can still get short-term or “acute” drugs from retail pharmacies like antibiotics and pain medications. The new mandate only applies to select maintenance medications, many of which are brand name.

Unlike the original pilot, there will be no ability to “opt out” of the program after one year.

Starting Oct. 1, beneficiaries will have approximately 90 days to move their prescriptions before being responsible for 100 percent of the cost share.

For years, MOAA has said that home delivery is a low cost, safe, and convenient option for beneficiaries to fill their maintenance drugs and save money.

“Switching to TRICARE’s home delivery saves the government on average 32% on brand name drugs filled through the mail order,” said Capt Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret), MOAA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations. “This is another example of

Issue 3. WHEN UNIFORM ISN’T UNIFORM

August 14, 2015

The Pentagon is leading a review of the military personnel system that could result in big changes to career tracks and promotion opportunities for troops.

The details of Defense Secretary Ash Carter’s Force of the Future initiative are due to lawmakers at the end of August. Expected in the report are big changes to pay tables, bonus systems, promotion tracks, and professional development opportunities.

Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Brad Carson said the intent is to create a system attractive for millennials and, as the Military Times puts it, “promotes talent rather than seniority.”

For military officers, this could mean big changes to the “up or out” promotion system to which they are accustomed.

One of the proposals the report is expected to include is dual-track opportunities where troops can remain in specialized fields or take on more leadership roles.

The study will recommend giving defense planners more flexibility in terms of promotions. Qualified candidates may become eligible for promotion ahead of time-in-grade requirements, while satisfactorily performing troops may be given leeway to stay in their current assignments.

“A more flexible compensation system is essential to 21st-century talent management,” said Carson.

Any changes to personnel requirements will likely require amending two important pieces of legislation: Defense Officer Personnel Management Act (DOPMA) and the Goldwater-Nichols Act. DOPMA helped establish uniform structure and requirements across the services and set ceilings on the number of field grade officers for each service. The Goldwater-Nichols Act requires military leaders to take joint command assignments to qualify for promotion.

“There could be merit in some of these proposals,” said MOAA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations, Col Mike Barron, USA (Ret). “But all of these recommendations will need to take unit cohesion into account.”

The Force of the Future recommendations will likely be part of next year’s defense budget request.

With the limited time DoD senior leadership will have to review the proposals, coupled with what’s shaping up to be a contentious election year, the likelihood of any sweeping reforms remains to be seen.

MOAA will continue to update its membership as this story develops.

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Don’t Cut the Troops’ Pay Raise
3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, Veterans Affairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that..

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have 1 Action Item today at Issue 3 below

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see MOAA vs. THE NEW YORK TIMES . MOAA fights back against calls to cut defense spending. MOAA president takes editorial board to task over their support to cut 40,000 troops. (See Issue 1 below for the details. GF) 

At Issue 2. we see LEGAL GLITCH COULD AFFECT YOUR MEDICARE PREMIUMS. Not all social programs are created equal. For some, Medicare rates could spike this fall.(See Issue 2 below for the details. GF)

At Issue 3. we see IMPROVED ECONOMY HURTS RECRUITING. Army falling short of goals. As the economy picks up, are the services in trouble? (See Issue 3 below for the details and to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

At Issue 4. we see WINDING ROAD TO FIX THE VA. Lawmakers use highway bill to keep the VA open.  Hospital closures prevented for now. (See Issue 4 below for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

Issue 1. MOAA vs. THE NEW YORK TIMES 

 

Is It Wise to Cut Military Spending?

Aug. 3, 2015

To the Editor:

Re “Military Cutbacks Make Sense” (editorial, July 25):

(Click on  Military Cutbacks Make Sense here or above for the details. GF) 

Arguing that the United States has routinely drawn down personnel after major conflicts doesn’t recognize that this peace-dividend-cutting approach has consistently left the military ill prepared for the next major conflict.

This reduction of 40,000 troops is a direct result of the 2011 Budget Control Act and the resulting sequestration, which disproportionately affected the Pentagon’s budget and fails to align with our national military strategy.

I agree that additional defense savings could come from sensible base closings, revamping acquisition, controlling civilian growth and reforming medical care. But sequestration is forcing the Pentagon leadership to leverage people to meet the budget caps. Going below 450,000 soldiers will put national security at unacceptable risk.

The all-volunteer force is paying the price, watching its hard-earned benefits erode with fewer troops left to do the mission. As a result, the all-volunteer force is on a worrisome slope: too few troops, higher personnel requirements and deployments, and degraded compensation. A result is lower morale and poor retention of our top commissioned and noncommissioned officers. It also puts our readiness at risk.

NORB RYAN

Alexandria, Va.

The writer, a retired vice admiral, is president of the Military Officers Association of America.

To the Editor:

Somehow, fierce deficit hawks who perpetually decry wasteful government spending have a blind spot when it comes to military spending.

Six decades ago, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the danger of a too-powerful military-industrial complex. Isn’t it simple common sense to realize that a country whose military spending is roughly equal that of the rest of the world combined needs to cut back on its colossal expenditures?

RUSS WEISS

West Windsor, N.J.

To the Editor:

David Vine (“Shut Bases There, Save Money Here,” Op-Ed, July 27) treats bases as mere military holding areas, overlooking their utility in military readiness and foreign policy. (Click on  Shut Bases There, Save Money Here here or above for the details. GF) 

 

Military readiness faces constant entropy, requiring manning, training and equipping support. Overseas bases provide that support, allowing forces to spend less time in transit and more time forward: deterring, reassuring and reacting. No study disavows the faster response or impact of forces already on scene; it’s physics.

Allied interoperability is built as we observe our adversaries and cultivate crisis-avoiding normalization. What bases in the United States lack in forward presence they gain in lower costs and the engagement they provide between local communities and their warfighters.

Basing in general provides strategic flexibility. A proliferation of bases decreases risk, creating redundancy if facilities are disabled or harbors blocked. Because of increasing demands and decreasing resources, bases have been deprioritized and may seem a burden. But those who see robust basing as a luxury do not understand the critical utility of their services, locations and number.

MATTHEW RICHARD HIPPLE

Norfolk, Va.

The writer, a Navy lieutenant, is president of the Center for International Maritime Security. His opinions are his own and do not represent those of the United States Navy or the Defense Department.

 

Issue 2. LEGAL GLITCH COULD AFFECT YOUR MEDICARE PREMIUMS

August 7, 2015

Nearly one-third of Medicare beneficiaries could see a 50-percent rise in Medicare Part B premiums next year. The legal provision in place to protect beneficiaries from premium increases higher than cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), inadvertently excludes this group.

How this works:

The Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W), which is used to calculate the COLA for Social Security, veteran and survivor benefits, and military and federal retiree pay, currently remains at minus 0.2 percent for the first three quarters of the fiscal year.

The average CPI-W for the current quarter (July through September) will determine whether there will be a 2016 COLA increase.

If there isn’t a COLA increase, the “hold harmless” provision takes effect. This provision prohibits premium increases higher than COLA.

According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, “approximately 70 percent of beneficiaries are expected not to see a premium increase in 2016.”

However, because of a glitch in the law, 30 percent of beneficiaries are not protected by the hold harmless provision and would see a steep Part B premium increase. This group includes those who enter the Medicare system next year; those who pay their Medicare premiums directly instead of having them deducted through Social Security; or those who are making at least $85,000 for an individual and $170,000 for a married couple.

Federal retirees who retired under the older Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS) are a large portion of those who may be affected. Under CSRS, there is no Social Security benefit and Medicare premiums are paid directly. Although many federal retirees are now under the newer Federal Employees Retirement System, most federal workers who began civil service prior to Jan. 1, 1987, fall under CSRS.

A similar scenario took place in 2010 and 2011, which was the last time COLA did not increase. During that time, there was some congressional movement to protect the individuals who were not covered by the hold harmless provision, but Congress did not end up passing any legislation.

MOAA is looking for a congressional champion to prevent this from happening again. Additionally, continue to stay up-to-date on current COLA levels at MOAA’s COLA watch page.

(Click on  MOAA’s COLA watch page here or above for the details. GF) 

Issue 3. IMPROVED ECONOMY HURTS RECRUITING

August 7, 2015

The Army is having trouble reaching its recruiting goals this year, currently falling 14-percent short.

As the economy continues to strengthen and the unemployment rate dips down to 5.3 percent, the Army faces tough competition to sign new recruits.

Although new recruits are necessary for combat and support units, the Army is required to reduce its size by 40,000 over the next several years. Unfortunately, in addition to strong private-sector competition, potential recruits are also witnessing a severe drawdown that is creating angst among those currently serving and their families.

“It is a challenging mission, and we’re not going to get around that,” said Army Maj. Gen. Jeffrey Snow, commander of Army Recruiting Command.

Despite missing midyear projections, Army leadership is hopeful they will meet the goal of 59,000 new recruits by the end of the fiscal year.

Amid these recruiting challenges, Congress continues to push for balancing the budget on the backs of the military. Chipping away at pay and benefits will only make recruiting more difficult.

“Potential recruits are paying attention,” said Col. Mike Barron, USA (Ret), a MOAA deputy director of Government Relations. “If the Army expects to meet recruitment levels now and in the future, we need to make sure we take care of those who serve.”

Congress is still debating the FY 2016 defense bill. Please send your elected officials a  MOAA-suggested message today, and urge them not to cut military benefits and compensation.

(Click on   MOAA-suggested message here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

Issue 4. WINDING ROAD TO FIX THE VA.
August 7, 2015

Shortly before heading into a month long recess, Congress provided the VA with the $3.3 billion needed to keep hospitals open through the rest of the year.

The measure, attached to a highway funding bill, helps address a budget crisis that has been brewing this year due to increased demand from veterans for health care.

Last week, VA Secretary Bob McDonald told lawmakers that despite the increased funding in VA health care, he lacked the authority to spend the money where it is needed most.

“This legislation addresses the VA’s budget shortfall by reorganizing money [the VA] already [has] to better meet the needs of veterans,” said Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.).

Relief comes just days before the VA would be forced to close medical facilities, disrupting health care for millions of veterans.

The bill also contains important changes to the Choice Program, such as allowing the agency to waive the current 30-day wait time for veterans, increasing the number of providers in the program, and changing the distance requirements for receiving care.

The VA must provide a plan to Congress by Nov. 1 on how it will consolidate all non-VA care programs into one program

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Reject Military Pay and Benefits Cuts
3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, Veterans Affairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that..

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!

We have 1 Action Item today at Issue  2 below

 

 

Summary of Issues

At Issue 1. we see HOUSE LEAVES TOWN WITHOUT PASSING DEFENSE BILL . Lawmakers skip town as negotiations sour. House and Senate clash over TRICARE fees and commissary funding.

See Issue 1 below for the details. GF)

 

At Issue 2. we see TRICARE FUNDING AT RISK. DoD scrambles as TRICARE funding runs out. Deadline looms as funding nears exhaustion.

(See Issue 2 below for the details and to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

At Issue 3. we see YOUR FEEDBACK IS NEEDED. New survey seeks input on TRICARE’s Mail Order Pharmacy Policy. Will you act in time?

(Click on YOUR FEEDBACK IS NEEDED here or above to participate in the survey. GF)

At Issue 4. we see TWO BIG NAMES ARE COMING TO MOAA. MOAA is the leading voice on military mental wellness

Join VA Secretary Bob McDonald and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chair Johnny Isakson at MOAA’s Warrior-Family Symposium.

(Click on TWO BIG NAMES ARE COMING TO MOAA here or above  for the details. GF)

Collectively We Can and Are Making a Difference

 

FOR ALL, Please feel free to pass these Weekly Legislative Updates on to your group of Veteran Friends –

don’t be concerned with possible duplications – if your friends are as concerned as we are with Veteran issues, they probably won’t mind getting this from two or more friendly sources

 

ISSUES

Issue 1.  HOUSE LEAVES TOWN WITHOUT PASSING DEFENSE BILL  

July 31, 2015

Despite early optimism from lawmakers, Congress was unable to pass a final defense bill before leaving town for a month long summer recess.

Stuck in a stalemate over several key compensation and benefits issues, House and Senate lawmakers will have to return to the negotiation process in September.

The following table shows the compensation and benefits positions of the House- and Senate-passed defense bills:

 

In its initial draft, House lawmakers rejected proposals to nickel and dime servicemembers and their families, but the Senate is pushing to keep them in the final version of the defense bill.

In a reported memo to negotiators, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mac Thornberry (R-Texas) said, “The House believes it must keep faith with our military retirees and their families and that we should seek to make other improvements in TRICARE before digging more deeply into the pockets of our servicemembers and retirees.”

Senate lawmakers argue that personnel costs are “eating the defense budget alive,” a tired piece of rhetoric MOAA has repeatedly debunked.

The silver lining to Congress failing to pass the defense bill before the August recess is that now you have the chance to influence your lawmakers.

Most elected officials return to their home districts to meet with constituents during the August recess. Use this opportunity to visit your elected officials and discuss:

• Preventing the further erosion of pay and benefits;
• Authorizing full concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation; and
• Eliminating the dollar for dollar offset of military survivor pay and VA indemnity compensation.

MOAA has developed fact sheets on these three issues for you to use. For more information, check out our August recess package.

(Click on  August recess package here or above for the details. GF)

 

Issue 2. ARMY 

July 31, 2015

Move over VA.

Weeks after the VA asked Congress for a bailout, DoD has come forward with its own $2 billion budget crisis. Without help, DoD could run out of health care funding for outside treatment. (Click on  (Click on  the VA asked Congress for a bailout here or above for the details. GF)

However, unlike the VA, DoD is not only looking at Congress to bail them out, but for beneficiaries to take on even more costs.

DoD was forced to request additional funding to cover a budget shortfall due to the rising costs of compound medications. DoD revised its compound medication policy in May to curb costs, but the budget shortfall remains.

In its request, DoD says that it is trying to control costs, pointing to its payment reform initiatives. Missing from the narrative, however, are the beneficiary initiatives that have resulted in significant cost savings.

Over the last several years, TRICARE beneficiaries have been forced to accept several health care fee increases and policy changes. Specifically, annual pharmacy copay increases and mandated use of the mail-order pharmacy system for maintenance medications are two initiatives beneficiaries shoulder.

By using the home delivery program and paying more for prescriptions, TRICARE for Life beneficiaries have significantly contributed to 80 percent of the cost savings that the Defense Health Agency has claimed this past year.

Coincidentally, DoD’s request comes as Congress once again wrestles with raising TRICARE copays.

The request only serves to embolden those in Congress who want to shift costs onto servicemembers, retirees, and their families.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon proposed tripling pharmacy copays in its FY16 budget request. House lawmakers rejected the proposal, but the Senate continues to push for the fee increases.

“DoD is long overdue for a serious look at its internal structure and needs to get its budget in control before asking beneficiaries to bail them out,” said MOAA’s Deputy Director of Government Relations, Capt. Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret).

Act now to send your legislators a MOAA-suggested message  asking them to resist these shortsighted, budget-driven cuts to military pay, health care and 

 (Click on MOAA-suggested message here or above or go to Here is the Process: at the end of this Email to send messages to your Legislators. GF)

Here is the Process:  If the steps below are new to some, I recommend that you review all of the steps and then you might want to copy this process by high lighting all of the steps below.  Then click on “File” at the top of your screen, select “Print“, then click on “Selection” at the next display and then hit “Print“; or print the selected portion as you usually do this kind of task.

 

1. Click here onhttp://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/ or copy and paste it in your browser to put you at the  “Legislative Action Center” screen.
2. Scroll downunder “Current Action Alerts” and click on Reject Military Pay and Benefits Cuts
3. At the next screen enter your Zip code if requested and/orhit “Go!” and/or scroll down to “Take Action”  and at “Compose Message” leave ‘Email‘ checked or check ‘Printed Letter‘  to send  Printed Letters instead of sending Emails if desired .
4. If an  “Issue Area:”line appears just before the Editable Text: and doesn’t have an issue shown, click on the down arrow and select an issue; e. g., Military, Veterans Affairs, etc. (usually required on messages to our Senators)
5. Scroll down to the  “Editable text” areaand edit/modify the text of the message if desired.
6. Insert “Your Closing” (I show ‘Respectfully), and “Your Name” and fill in the rest of the mandatory {asterisked} SENDER INFORMATION. The “Phone”number is now required by some Legislators (it’s required if your Senator is from Arizona) .  Fill in the “Guest Type“, “Service“, “Rank“, “Component“, and “Status” if you want that information to show in your message (recommended).  You may be prompted to include a phone number if you try to send the message without entering your phone number. Don’t be concerned about entering a phone number. I haven’t  received return calls except on rare occasions to thank me for my interest in a particular piece of Legislation, at which time you can comment (pro or con) to the staff member on how the Senator stands on the issue.
7. Check “Remember Me” (recommended) if you don’t want to have to re-enter all of your Sender Information the next time you send a message. You can always change your information or uncheck ‘Remember Me’ anytime in the future.
8. Check ‘Yes‘ or ‘No‘ as to whether you want to have a copy of your letter sent to your Email Address (suggested at least for you initial efforts, and to see how your personal data is included in the message).
9. Hit “Send Message”
10. If Printed Letter was selected at Step 3 above, at the screen after hitting “Send Message” leave “Plain Paper Style” and “Word Processor (RTF)” checked unless you have another preference. Then left click on “Print Letter(s)” at the end of the “PRINT LETTER” screen. At the File Download” alert that appears next, click on “Open”. You can then edit and print or save the letter for editing, printing, signing and mailing.
11. For Arizona residents, because of some current problems with contacting Sen Flake by Email,you will see after hitting “Send Message” at Step 9 above, that “Printed Letter” is the most readily observable option for getting your message to him. Step 10 above tells you how to do that..

 

 

That’s it for today- Thanks for your help!