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Temporary victory!
Plan To Raise Veterans' Drug Co-Pay Shelved By RICHARD LARDNER rlardner@tampatrib.com
Published: Feb 4, 2004 TAMPA - With November elections looming, President Bush's administration has backed away from a plan to recoup billions of dollars by charging military retirees substantially more for prescription drugs. If Bush is re-elected, the proposal is expected to resurface next year, a prospect that doesn't sit well with local and national groups representing retirees. Dave Braun, president of the Veterans Council of Hillsborough County, said Tuesday the administration is shelving the plan ``so it can look good for the election'' and accused the White House of paying lip service to retirees. ``It's egregious that those who would propose this would attempt to balance the defense health budget on the backs of beneficiaries,'' said Sue Schwartz, deputy director of government relations at the Military Officers Association of America. The decision to delay suggests the White House is not taking the retired military vote for granted. Last year, the Bush administration was criticized by veterans groups for opposing legislation allowing the concurrent receipt of military retirement pay and disability compensation. According to budget estimates prepared in December by the Pentagon comptroller, raising prescription drug fees could generate as much as $4.2 billion over five years - money that would help offset the rising cost of military health care programs. Out Of Pocket For brand-name drugs obtained by mail order through the military's Tricare Senior Pharmacy Program, retirees would pay $20 for a 90-day supply, an $11 increase over the current rate. Mail-order generic drugs would cost $10 for a 90-day supply, an increase of $7, according to budget documents. Bush's budget plan was sent to Congress this week and the plan was not included, said Schwartz and Mark Olanoff, the American Legion's assistant legislative director. ``Proposing these things in budgets in election years is not a good idea,'' Olanoff said. On his campaign Web site, presidential candidate and Massachusetts senator John Kerry criticizes the president for proposing to ``increase fees and co-payments in an effort to shift the burden for care onto the backs of veterans.'' The Military Officers Association of America reported last month the plan to boost prescription costs was being pushed by the White House's Office of Management and Budget. The OMB ``elected to shelve the proposal,'' the association reported, after the Pentagon agreed it would study the plan further and make recommendations in the 2006 budget, which will be delivered to Congress in February 2005. Prescription drug coverage for military retirees has been in place for less than three years, a benefit they earned ``by service to their country,'' Olanoff said. Norb Ryan, president of the military officers association, wants the Defense Department to include military retiree and veteran organizations in its study. ``To put it bluntly, this is a grossly insensitive and wrong- headed proposal,'' the association said in an alert to its 380,000 members. ###################### Just wait folks.................IF Bush get re-elected, you can bet your sweet a$$ that THIS will be BACK in the "budget" next year!.....Even the Millitary Officers Association believes so! I just can NOT understand how ANY military veteran with a clear conscious could see fit to vote for a man who has broken nearly every single promise he made to veterans during his previous campaign? He and his party leadership have done more to undermine, underfund and UNDO the gains we as retired & disabled veterans have achieved over the years past than ANY OTHER President in MODERN HISTORY! :cd: :cd: :cd:
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Gimpy "MUD GRUNT/RIVERINE" "I ain't no fortunate son"--CCR "We have shared the incommunicable experience of war..........We have felt - we still feel - the passion of life to its top.........In our youth our hearts were touched with fire" Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. |
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Friend Gimpy -
Considering past poloitical performances - no surprise here! VERITAS
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"MOST PEOPLE DO NOT LACK THE STRENGTH, THEY MERELY LACK THE WILL!" (Victor Hugo) |
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