Chief of Staff’s Retiree Council Calls Health Care Highest Priority

[darrels joy]

Chief of Staff’s Retiree Council Calls Health Care Highest Priority

Health care continues to be the highest priority issue

for both current and future Retired Soldiers, according to
the Chief of Staff, Army, (CSA) Retiree Council. The Council
marked its 50th meeting, Apr 26-30, 2010, in the Pentagon.
The Council, chaired by LTG (Ret.) Frederick Vollrath and
SMA (Ret.) Jack Tilley, is made up of seven Retired officers
and seven Retired noncommissioned officers. Council
members represent
Retired Soldiers and
Families worldwide.
At their annual
meeting, they reviewed
32 issues submitted
by installation Retiree
councils, nine of
them dealing with
health care.

Health care

In its report to the CSA, the Council praised ongoing
health care initiatives including preventive health care,
case management, quality outcomes and consistent
communication, saying they would enhance health care
for all Retirees and their Families. These initiatives were
briefed by Army Surgeon General LTG Eric Schoomaker
and TRICARE Deputy Director Navy RADM Christine Hunter.
Briefings from DoD, Army and other leaders, along with
pre-meeting research are the tools the Council uses
when preparing its report.
Stating that attempts to reduce the level of benefits of the
Military Health Care System raise concerns that the earned
entitlement will be eroded based strictly on budgetary
constraints, the Council made the following health
care recommendations:
•

Sustain the viability of the military health care
program by fully resourcing DoD health programs.
• If TRICARE fees must be increased, limit any increase
in those fees to the annual future rate of growth
in retired pay, with special consideration to not
overburdening Retired NCOs, E-7 and below.
• Raise the TRICARE provider reimbursement levels

to create the physician network needed to make care
accessible for all beneficiaries.
• Support legislation to authorize pretax payment of
TRICARE Prime enrollment fees and premiums for
TRICARE supplemental, long-term care, and TRICARE
Retiree Dental Insurance.
•

Provide Retirees with a choice of eyeglass frames

through a self-funded voluntary Optical Insurance
Plan similar to the Retiree Dental Insurance Program.
Retirees have long advocated a low-cost option
that allows them more choices than the standard
brown Army frames currently available at Medical
Treatment Facilities.
•

Encourage use of the TRICARE Mail Order
Pharmacy by eliminating copayments for generic and
chronic care drugs.
• Continue to support ongoing efforts between DoD
and the VA to improve the compatibility of the two
health care systems and preserve the benefits for all

beneficiary groups.

http://www.armyg1.army.mil/RSO/docs/echoes/10_May.pdf