Military Retirees Take Note

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Military Retirees Take Note

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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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Done
Last edited by COSteve on Thu Dec 17, 2020 5:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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I bet a gentlemanly letter to President Trump could have a profound effect
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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Grizz wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:34 pm I bet a gentlemanly letter to President Trump could have a profound effect
Under construction. 8)
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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I can tell you that TriCare is a pain in the six for recipients when they use a retail pharmacy. I AM a retail Pharmacist. The company which is contracted to do all the computer operations goes down at least once a month for about 2 or 3 days without explanation. That leaves the members to pay out of pocket and hopefully be reimbursed or to do without until the computer system at the Patient Business Manager and DEERS re-connect. When a deployed service member's spouse comes in with a prescription for a sick child and the PBM is down, it really sucks to tell them that the computers are not working. Telling an elderly retiree that the PBMs computers are messed up and that their blood pressure medicine is delayed is no fun either. Moving the prescriptions off post for everyone is not going to be the best fix for a system that has been broken by politics.
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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piller wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 2:43 pm I can tell you that TriCare is a pain in the six for recipients when they use a retail pharmacy. I AM a retail Pharmacist. The company which is contracted to do all the computer operations goes down at least once a month for about 2 or 3 days without explanation. That leaves the members to pay out of pocket and hopefully be reimbursed or to do without until the computer system at the Patient Business Manager and DEERS re-connect. When a deployed service member's spouse comes in with a prescription for a sick child and the PBM is down, it really sucks to tell them that the computers are not working. Telling an elderly retiree that the PBMs computers are messed up and that their blood pressure medicine is delayed is no fun either. Moving the prescriptions off post for everyone is not going to be the best fix for a system that has been broken by politics.
Some of the best advice I ever got was to order a refill the day I got the next one in the mail....that gets it into the system in case there are last minute computer fanny burbs....
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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COSteve wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:19 pm Just another broken promise by the VA.
Situation has absolutely nothing to do with the VA.
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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jnyork wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 5:09 pm
COSteve wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:19 pm Just another broken promise by the VA.
Situation has absolutely nothing to do with the VA.
It's a DoD thing....They want to somehow trim costs to bolster programs that increase readiness...This "pelosi" won't fly. They best be careful. Otherwise worthless 'Crats like Patty Murray take real good care of Vets....
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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Government has a knack for making a simple 'problem' a "very complex issue, which we will take under study, forming committees, and issuing 'white papers' and 'blue-ribbon studies' on, while we 'invest' taxpayer dollars in a 'solution'.... :roll: "

All that would be needed would be to issue anyone who signs up for military duty a 'card' that would help with medical care for the rest of their life (since they put their life on the line).

The card could have 'grades', so the dude who signed up for duty in a no-war time, and spent his time on a Florida military base learning computer skills that would help him three years later to land an $85,000 job was not awarded the same benefits as the dude who signed up during wartime, went overseas, got shot, crippled, kept in a cage, and finally escaped after he helped blow up an enemy communication center.

No need for special 'facilities' like the VA Hospitals, nor any special 'programs' like TriCare (which as Piller says, is rife with issues, like all government programs, and the promised benefits versus reality are very different).

P.S. Keep in mind for ALL of you guys, veterans or not, that much of the time you can go 'out of network' and get better health care, cheaper, whether dealing with office visits, prescriptions, imaging, or whatever.

Typical scenarios I've seen:

- Prescription $186.42 going to the 'in-network' pharmacy and using Anthem Blue Cross card
- Prescription $12.88 going to the "you can't use that pharmacy" and just using a $20 bill...

- MRI Knee $1,300.00 using Anthem Blue Cross card at the 'preferred' hospital imaging center
- MRI Knee $325.00 using Master card instead of Blue Cross card...

- Blood Test $1,894.00 using 'in-network' hospital lab nurse told to use since she worked there
- Blood Test $9.00 drawn at my office and sent to the SAME lab for testing...

So....as usual, the "free market" and genuine competition works WAY better than 'government' and the alleged power of insurance companies to negotiate 'better deals' than patients could...
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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So....as usual, the "free market" and genuine competition works WAY better than 'government' and the alleged power of insurance companies to negotiate 'better deals' than patients could...
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Retired military don't have dental benefits, even with the VA (unless there are special circumstances such as 100% disability)...Believe me when I say I've looked high and low for a dentist that would have a cash discount :(
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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COSteve wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 1:19 pmJust another broken promise by the VA.
The changes are a part of a review of military hospital operations and a system consolidation under the Defense Health Agency ordered by Congress in 2016.
I believe this can be laid at the feet of our elected "representatives"...
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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AJMD429 wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 7:22 pm The card could have 'grades', so the dude who signed up for duty in a no-war time, and spent his time on a Florida military base learning computer skills that would help him three years later to land an $85,000 job was not awarded the same benefits as the dude who signed up during wartime, went overseas, got shot, crippled, kept in a cage, and finally escaped after he helped blow up an enemy communication center.
I do not agree with an approach that places greater value on the service of one veteran over another.

Thumbs down.

:|
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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The computer center is at Ft. Huachuaca. More computer stuff going on there than anywhere else.
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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The card could have 'grades', so the dude who signed up for duty in a no-war time, and spent his time on a Florida military base learning computer skills that would help him three years later to land an $85,000 job was not awarded the same benefits as the dude who signed up during wartime, went overseas, got shot, crippled, kept in a cage, and finally escaped after he helped blow up an enemy communication center.
:evil: Every person that takes the Oath is, in effect, signing a blank check made out to Uncle Sam...It can be cashed for any amount up to, and including, death. Sorry, Doc, but you are completely full of "pelosi" on that one.
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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AJMD429 wrote: Sat Feb 08, 2020 7:22 pm

All that would be needed would be to issue anyone who signs up for military duty a 'card' that would help with medical care for the rest of their life (since they put their life on the line).

The card could have 'grades', so the dude who signed up for duty in a no-war time, and spent his time on a Florida military base learning computer skills that would help him three years later to land an $85,000 job was not awarded the same benefits as the dude who signed up during wartime, went overseas, got shot, crippled, kept in a cage, and finally escaped after he helped blow up an enemy communication center.

N

Not a fan of this at all. We all did what we were ordered to do and went where we were told to go. The guy in the computer center could have been deployed at any moment. For instance during the Gulf War, a whole bunch of REMF's and desk jockeys got sent to truck driving school, thence to the sandbox for convoy duty, some of whom paid the price.
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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Some of the computer operators were stationed in Saddam's old palaces. One of the computer operators was my kid brother. He put himself in for a Bronze Star because it was TECHNICALLY a war zone. :roll: he was in no more danger than any of us.
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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Twenty years of such such trials and tribulations as sticking valves and stubborn tuning "Y's" and "U's" and chaffed lips from verdigrious mouthpieces merits better treatment than has been explained.....
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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piller wrote: Sun Feb 09, 2020 11:53 pm Some of the computer operators were stationed in Saddam's old palaces. One of the computer operators was my kid brother. He put himself in for a Bronze Star because it was TECHNICALLY a war zone. :roll: he was in no more danger than any of us.
There is a huge difference between a Bronze Star, which is an I was there sort of award for doing exceptional work in a combat zone, but not necessary to engage in combat, and The Bronze Star with "V" Device which is exceptional performance in combat.
Unless your route to work is littered with deadly IEDs and subject to ambush, your brother was not as safe as "any of us".
You should be proud of your brother rather than debase him. 8)
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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He didn't leave the palace until it was time to PCS. My dislike of it is that he put himself in for a medal. :roll: He was not even required to wear his K-pot.
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Re: Military Retirees Take Note

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95% of the Bronze Stars are BS. The exception are those with a V device for Valor. My greatest aggravations are from the Senior Leaders that would be “observers” in the aftermath of an attack and then try to get put in for an impact award or combat action badge afterwards.
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