TRICARE?

Author Message   Al Lo Cascio Intermediate Member Username: Sandyone Post Number: 137 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 76.4.104.123 Posted on Saturday, June 12, 2010 - 12:30 pm:    well they haven't cut there health care plan. nor have they said will take a cut in ours. Just remerber as my cardiolgist said. tell them how you feel in November We gave them 20 or so years protecting this country (and Them)Now there saying the hell with you. AL   John Civick Advanced Member Username: John6412 Post Number: 286 Registered: 07-2008 Posted From: 32.171.169.83 Posted on Friday, June 11, 2010 - 05:58 pm:    I'm seriously thinking about going back to FEHB even though it's fairly expensive as compared to what it used to be some years ago. I just don't understand it, Congress funds everything from their pay raise to unnecessary junkets to name a few yet can't take care of Americans who have paid their dues. If they fail to fund Tricare/Medicare, the troops who are on the fron line will have something else to worry about. Are their familes being taken care of by DC?   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2736 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 208.81.157.86 Posted on Friday, June 11, 2010 - 03:14 pm:    Here's MOAA's take on it today: "21% Medicare Cut Is Here Despite far too many months of legislative thrashing, the saga of the 21% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors is about to take a turn for the worse. In late May, we reported that the House of Representatives managed to pass a fix as part of the American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213). The good news is that, unlike the month-to-month fixes Congress has adopted recently, the new House-passed plan would prevent any cuts through the end of 2011, and substitute 2% payment increases for 2010 and 2011. The bad news is that the House's delay in passing it until just before the Memorial Day recess caused the Senate to delay the start of its consideration until June 8 - a week after the June 1 implementation date for the 21% payment cut. Medicare officials came to the interim rescue -- announcing they would exercise their administrative authority to hold up processing of new claims for the first two weeks of June, in hopes Congress could pass corrective legislation within that time. But continued haggling over amendments and costs sent that faint hope crashing, as Senate leaders announced the Senate won't vote until next week - beyond the date Medicare is allowed to hold up claims processing. And even assuming the Senate gets a successful vote, House and Senate leaders still will have to negotiate a new compromise between their different versions of the bill, and that compromise will have to be approved again by both chambers. Given that scenario, Medicare will have little choice but to implement the 21% payment cut as of June 15 - retroactive for Medicare-covered service since June 1. While that's extremely regrettable, it's not the end of the world. In fact, the same thing happened in January 2006, when Congressional dithering past the deadline caused Medicare to implement payment cuts. After Congress eventually passed a fix several weeks later, Medicare reprocessed the claims and made retroactive payment increases to doctors. But Congress' inaction forced doctors to float an interim loan to the government for the payment differential. And the 2006 cut was only about 4% -- a far cry from the current 21% cuts, so doctors are going to be very unhappy. TRICARE beneficiaries under 65 and their doctors can take some consolation, since this is strictly a Medicare problem, at least for now. That's because TRICARE normally implements payment changes about a month after Medicare does. So as long as Congress fixes the problem within a month, payments should be seamless for TRICARE. But the payment delays and administrative hassles can only make doctors more reluctant about seeing Medicare and TRICARE patients alike. Please send your legislators a MOAA-suggested message to get this extremely unsettling situation fixed - immediately."   Al Lo Cascio Intermediate Member Username: Sandyone Post Number: 136 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 76.4.104.123 Posted on Friday, June 11, 2010 - 11:39 am:    November""" They sure have alot to worry about. They didn't listen to us. So now come nov. will tell them how we feel.And yes your right. there will be an riot in this country. AL   John Civick Advanced Member Username: John6412 Post Number: 285 Registered: 07-2008 Posted From: 166.133.247.247 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 03:57 pm:    If the so-called lawmakers do not fund Tricare/Medicare, there is going to be a riot because it will affect AD families and the morale of the troops. They have enough to worry about with IED's, insurgents etc. than Tricare and the lack of support for their families from politicians. So, I believe Congress will fund it at least temporarily if they will stop bickering and worrying about Nov and get down to business vs. personal matters.   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2730 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 208.81.157.86 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 03:15 pm:    FYI: The Medicare reimbursement formula affects all of TriCare,not just TFL. John   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2729 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 208.81.157.86 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 03:13 pm:    ELF: Your link connects to the individual state medical associations so it is not limited to Texas. I signed it too. John   DAVIS, L. E. Senior Member Username: Ldavis Post Number: 502 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 173.24.183.1 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 02:43 pm:    The way I understand it, TFL is transparent and if the provider accepts Medicare, TFL is automatic. As far as I know they provider does not even have to file. I say as far as I know because neither of us ever see anything from TFL except statements of payment.   E.L.Fink Intermediate Member Username: Yahootie Post Number: 129 Registered: 08-2009 Posted From: 206.180.152.73 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 12:55 pm:    Thanks John, Here is a link also - www.ipetitions.com/petition/meltdown So Medicare is tied to TFL. I have been turned down by about 5 doctors in the past 3 years who do not take Medciare. Also, none of my current physicians take TFL. Several have appiled but TFL isn't taking any new applicants. I signed the petition. elf   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2726 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 208.81.157.86 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 02:09 am:    John: Here's a link: http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=15107526 John   John R Garrison Senior Member Username: Majorg Post Number: 2725 Registered: 02-2006 Posted From: 208.81.157.86 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 02:02 am:    John: This is the 21% cut in Medicare/Tricare payments that was not part of the newly passed Healthcare Law (it came about from an existing law that wasn't addressed in the Healthcare legislation). The cut went into effect on 1 Jun (pending legislation to prevent the cut until 2011 is awaiting our lawmakers upon their return from the Memorial Weekend vacation). Tricare reimbursement rates are tied to Medicare reimbursement rates. Tricare isn't in trouble...we are...as more and more physicians refuse to accept/continue their Tricare patients (and Medicare patients). The Military Consortium (MOAA, etc) have sample emails to send to your Senators and Congressperson. I send them weekly. Happy Travels, John   E.L.Fink Intermediate Member Username: Yahootie Post Number: 128 Registered: 08-2009 Posted From: 206.180.152.73 Posted on Thursday, June 10, 2010 - 01:12 am:    I was reading an article in Texas Medicine, May 2010 called 'Rounds,' last week in the waiting room. It was an open letter to Congress, called "TMA (Texas Medical Association) launches perition drive to save Medicare." The letter is from Texas physicians urging Congress to fix the flawed payment formula that now threatens care for Texas' 2.5 million Medicare recipients and 850,000 Military family members covered by TRICARE. Is TRICARE in trouble? Did TRICARE get lumped into the Medicare system? Comments? elf