Beware of Inaccurate Internet Messages on Health Care Reform

Many shipmates are receiving and forwarding inaccurate e-mail messages claiming that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) has drafted legislation to impose new fees on TRICARE for Life (TFL) beneficiaries. Neither CBO, Congress nor the Administration has proposed such legislation. The national health reform legislation passed by the House in October and currently being considered in the Senate do not directly impact health care benefits for military personnel, their families, retirees or veterans. The Association is closely monitoring these legislative proposals as they advance on Capitol Hill and has received repeated assurances from key lawmakers, congressional staff and the White House that the final health care reform will not impact TRICARE or VA health care.  For more detail, read Tom Philpott’s syndicated Military Update column (11-26-09).

The Association is also monitoring the progress of the House-passed “Medicare Physician Payment Reform Act” (H.R. 3961) that seeks to halt a 21-percent cut in Medicare and TRICARE reimbursement rates scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2010. Unless this rate cut is eliminated or delayed, many doctors are expected to stop seeing Medicare and TRICARE patients.  To weigh in on these concerns, please visit FRA’s Action Center to weigh in on this issue.