Support the Troops

Is "Support the Troops" just lip service? Following is an excerpt from an email to my congressman.

Dear Congressman:

I retired from the US Army in 1981. I was a healthy young man with little perception of how important the promised FREE healthcare would become. I was managing a hotel in Del Rio when I decided to take advantage of my benefits. That was in 1995. I was 54, and scheduled a physical at the nearby Laughlin Air Force Base Medical Facility. The physical resulted in some concern for an elevated PSA. Otherwise, my health was excellent. There was no charge for that visit.

In 1996, I learned that I would have to enroll in the Tricare Prime Program and pay a premium to continue receiving the same benefits, the benefits I had been promised during my years of military service. I resisted but finally succumbed to the pressure of aging and higher risk of needing healthcare services. My wife and I finally enrolled in the Tricare Prime Family Plan in 2000 at a cost of $460 per year. Note: I’m not certain of the premium in 2000.

Our Primary Care Physicians were at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio. We had full access to the hospital facilities. I had emergency back surgery in 2001. I was also receiving care from a urologist there, undergoing a series of biopsies to determine the cause of the continued elevated PSA. Other than my annual $460 premium, it was free.

I was concerned about losing my access when becoming Medicare-eligible, but was assured by my physician that BAMC would continue providing my care. When I turned 65 in 2004, I was shocked to find that I was being transferred to Medicare. My wife, who turned 65 in January 2006, is also on Medicare.

I don’t blame my physician for the misleading information. She was as shocked as I to find that BAMC would be transferring older patients to Medicare. A lot of the reason must have been the war in Iraq. Many physicians were being transferred to Iraq. Others, especially the civilians contracted by the military, were leaving to establish their own practices.

I’m also not complaining about the care I receive. My current Medicare primary care physician is one of the doctors who left BAMC to establish his own practice. Both my wife and I see the same doctor. We are satisfied with our doctor. My complaint is about cost.

The 2007 Part B Medicare monthly premium will be $93.50 per month each for my wife and me. That is $187.00 per month; a total of $1,634 annually; almost $1200 per year more than my Tricare Premium.

What I would like to have explained is why I am paying so much for services that were promised me during my active duty years. Is SUPPORT THE TROOPS just a lip service paid to those currently in harms way? Do they know that our country’s commitments are so tenuous? Will they continue to serve when they realize the truth? Can you do anything to make commitments from our congress more creditable?

L8r