ICON

VIPMOAA

LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations
2008 LEGISLATIVE OBJECTIVES

The following legislative objectives for 2008 were adopted by the Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations (the JLC) on August 8, 2007.  These are the top legislative objectives of the 23 Veterans Service Organizations represented on the JLC, and are listed in priority order.

1.  Fully fund the Department of Veterans Services Budget and Strategic Plan as outlined in Executive Order 19:  The JLC requests that the Governor and General Assembly provide the Department of Veterans Services with the resources required to accomplish the specific recommended objectives (e.g. Turbo-vet, additional personnel, etc.).

2.  Support the Virginia National Guard:  The JLC requests that the Governor and Genera] Assembly approve the requested biennial budget and legislative initiatives of the Virginia National Guard without decrement, despite any shortfall in anticipated state revenue, and that the General Assembly pass legislation to amend the Virginia Child Protection Act.

3.  Wounded Warrior Mental Health Care:  The JLC requests that the Governor and General Assembly establish a state wide program to provide our Virginia resident Wounded Warriors and their families with first class treatment for mental health/PTSD/TBI injuries, and that the Governor and General Assembly also provide competent oversight of a program to efficiently utilize federal/state/private funding for these initiatives,

4.  Virginia War Memorial Education Wing:  The JLC requests that the Governor and General Assembly release the $3.5 million appropriated by the 2007 General Assembly for the construction of the Virginia War Memorial Education Wing, and that the Governor and General Assembly appropriate an additional $2 million in General Funds for the construction of the Virginia War Memorial Education Wing.

5.  Tax relief for 100% disabled veterans:  The JLC requests that Governor and General Assembly pass legislation to amend the Virginia Constitution that would require local governments to grant real estate tax exemptions for 100% disabled veterans without regard to means testing.

6.  Provide Tax Relief for Virginia Citizen Soldiers called to Active Duty: The JLC requests that the Governor and General Assembly provide an income tax exemption to Virginia citizens who serve in the National Guard or Reserve and who are activated into full-time service outside the Continental United States in excess of 90 days.

7.  Permit Virginia Resident Service Members to place a “Freeze” on their Credit Files:  The JLC requests that the Governor and General Assembly provide the authority for Virginia domiciled service members and their spouses to prevent either the unauthorized release of credit information or the creation of unauthorized credit accounts.  This is a major help to prevent identity theft.

CONGRESS: DON’T MESS WITH TRICARE STANDARD & EXTRA

The following important link at the nationial web site is provided for your information:
Tricare fees may increase.

VIPMOAA members, please write or email your federal legislators now protesting against the proposed drastic increases in TRICARE out-of-pocket costs for TRICARE beneficiaries under age 65.  They are looking at doubling enlisted deductibles and tripling officer deductibles.  There is even a proposed enrollment fee of $600 per family for Standard and Extra in addition to the annual deductible of $600 per family (for officers in 2008, with lesser increases in 2006 and 7).  There are proposals in Congress to choose between health care benefits and “weapons”.  See MOAA legislative updates on their website www.moaa.org for particulars.  (Note that although this action has been temporarily placed on hold by the House  Military Personnel sub-committee, it seems certain to be brought up again by the administration).

As an Air Force retiree who will not be eligible for Medicare (and TRICARE for Life) for 15 years, it is my opinion that the proposed increases are unnecessary, unfair, and will have a negative impact on recruiting and retention for an all volunteer force.  It is also my belief that healthcare affordability (and accessibility) deserves Congress’s attention for the entire nation.  Don’t make the military beneficiary the scapegoat. 

Users of TRICARE Standard & Extra, such as myself, already pay a percentage of outpatient costs, thereby bearing part of the burden of the rising cost of health care.

Health care during & after military service is a significant draw to recruitment and retaining individuals in the military. Health care benefits for retirees were part of the reason I stayed in the Air Force for retirement.  If TRICARE becomes even less of a “good deal” for retirees, then it will have an adverse impact on active duty families deciding whether to stay in or get out of the service.

I recommend against any new enrollment fees for TRICARE Standard.  TRICARE is an automatic coverage for eligible beneficiaries … a benefit for military retirement and for family members of those serving on active duty.  People only need to be properly annotated in DEERS to use TRICARE Extra or Standard.  TRICARE Prime is an optional program with its own set of benefits, co-pays and restrictions, so the enrollment fee is understandable.  But to require an enrollment fee for people who do not choose Prime is counter-productive.  It adds more bureaucracy – documenting both deductibles & enrollment fees, plus more cost with no added coverage for the beneficiary.  

Enrollment fees mean people are paying up front for benefits they may or may not use.  Not everyone eligible for TRICARE uses it in a given year or ever.  If people pay an enrollment fee, they will consider whether it’s worth it to also pay premium to their other health insurance, or since they pay an enrollment fee, they may as well use TRICARE. 

If raising deductibles is necessary, I recommend it be done incrementally.  No more than $5 (for individual) or $10 (per family) in a year, so as not to have such a severe impact on the family budget.

I believe we should take care of the active duty member & his family first, and they should have the most attractive beneficiary deductibles and cost share (regardless of officer or enlisted).  There should be no enrollment fee at retirement (the fee currently proposed), unless the individual chooses to enroll in TRICARE Prime.  Retiree up-front costs should not be so high that they make folks wonder if it’s worth it to remain for a 20 year career. 

The powers that be apparently hope that raising enrollment fee and deductibles will cause people to use other health insurance instead of TRICARE.  However, it could just as easily cause people like me to use TRICARE and a supplement rather than another health insurance as first payer and TRICARE as secondary.  Why pay a premium to the other insurance if I’m paying an enrollment fee and deductible to TRICARE?!!!

Concerning this “either or” argument pitting health benefits against weapons…  If it’s applied to the military, it should be applied to Federal employees and Congress as well. 
 
That’s my opinion.  Let’s hear yours. 

I'm looking for Virginia Peninsula TRICARE-users who are under age 65, who are willing to be contacted by media concerning the proposed TRICARE cost increases.  If you ARE willing to be contacted, I need your full name, rank, daytime phone number, and whether you currently use TRICARE standard, extra or are enrolled in Prime.   Please reply ASAP and thank you for considering this matter.  You can email me through VIPMOAA.
 
 /Melva  Mallison, Immediate Past President of Virginia Peninsula Chapter of Military Officers Association of America - VIPMOAA  (757) 596-5536, Newport News Virginia 
(I use TRICARE standard & a supplement)

Jan 13, 2006  and revised May 8, 2006.
Storm the Hill, State Hill, THAT IS, for 2007
Storm the Hill 2007VIPMOAA was well represented in the storming of the hill in Richmond on Jan 22, 2007.  Pictured at right are, from left to right: Charlie Burch, Melva Mallison, Mike Lazorchak, Blair Smith, Karen Hornstein, and Joe Allen







Photo taken by John Vermillion, CDR, USN, Ret, of Hampton Roads Chapter.

VIPMOAA was well represented at the 2007 storming the hill event at the Nation's Capital.  Eleven chapter members attended this event on March 22, 2007  Below: Standing, at rear, left to right, Tony Sevier, John Corcoran, Frank Duckett, Karen Hornstein, Blair Smith, Lee Dyment, Charlie Burch.  Seated, left to right:  Jackie Peters, Melva Mallison, Ernie Hinojosa, and Betty Corcoran. 
The VIPMOAA Eleven


LTC Charles Burch is Blair Smith's Alternate for Chapter legislative affairs, and is the VIPMOAA chapter legislative representative to VCOC.  Contact  Charlie at (757) 877-2404 or cburch8@cox.net

Chapter members and especially Legislative Committee members from each of our state and federal legislator's districts are cordially invited to attend the storming the hill events, or the Congressional luncheons, and to submit legislative interest items to the newsletter editor.

HOMEICON