Editorial: Tricare woes demand action from Congress

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Editorial: Tricare woes demand action from Congress

For the third consecutive year, the Pentagon’s budget request for fiscal 2009 calls for big hikes in enrollment fees, deductibles and pharmacy co-pays in its Tricare health insurance program.

It’s not hard to see why.

Military health care costs have ballooned from $19 billion in 2001 to $43 billion this year — almost 10 percent of the entire defense budget. At this rate, health care will hit $65 billion by 2015.

Clearly, something must be done. But so far, the Pentagon and Congress have been talking past each other.

Defense officials say they need fee hikes to raise revenue and to discourage people who have other health care options from using Tricare in the first place.

“Health care costs are eating us alive,” Defense Secretary Robert Gates told House lawmakers Feb. 6. “We really need to work with the Congress.”


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/community/opinion/army_editorial_tricare_080218/