Colas For Next Year

[Testvet]

does anyone know where it stands right now for the next COLA I have seen 2 numbers 2.3% or 2.8% hey that .5% makes a difference lol I appreciate the number crunchers that know how to figure it out I know Spetember is the number they use for the actual increase call it curiousty

[john999]

Cal

You get the part A medicare for free and I took part B which is voluntary. I think it is worth it and it will cost you more if you delay taking it as soon as you are eligible. I don't want the VA to be my only source of medical treatment.

[Jay Johnson]

Yes, if you have SSD and tricare you MUST have part B (hospital coverage) and it does cost you $93/month; however, since we have dependents, our yearly tricare bill was reduced by about $100, or so, per year (still ends up costing a lot more mind you).

It's just the government's way of slowly reducing that compensation check without doing it directly imo.....

[betrayed]

$#%^$#%^$*&^(*&)(*&^^&^&)(+_)(_)**^^&%%^$%$#^%^**(()*))(_)( :)

[Guest Dataman]

since we have dependents, our yearly tricare bill was reduced by about $100, or so, per year (still ends up costing a lot more mind you).

Jay;

There are 2 rates. Single and Family. 230 and 460 a year. If you have SO and others on you pay the family. If you only have SO on it, single. It does not get reduced because you have TFL. Only when 1 person is on the Plan.

Basically you get to pay 93 per month for something U pay for already thru family plan.

Later it drops by 230, but the math does work out (more expensive).

But... A Big But. It gives you other places to go besides VA. With no cost or very little. I know Tricare Saved my Bacon in 2002. VA was waiting for me to Die, needed surgery for Infection in Jaw. Got Tricare to pay local doc (Dental is not covered under Tricare). Was waiting for Bed to open up in Seattle so their Oral Surgeon could do the operation. On 2 different types of IV Antibotics and such. I was going downhill. If it reached my brain (already to ear) I was not going to collect any more checks.

Having Tricare saved me. It's a option a lot of Vets would like to have I bet.

But it's still annoying to pay more for same benefits (or almost same).

Where it helps a great deal is when Tricare would have dropped you (Age 65 I think). Now they keep you, plus Between Part B and Tricare they pick up all the costs or most of the costs (some things Tricare does not pay for).

[Jay Johnson]

True, but tricare does suck in general:-) It's kind of the lesser of two evils really; on one hand, you can get the VA care (which is horrid), or, on the other hand, you get tricare to which most *good* doctors won't accept because they pay pennies on the dollar.

We had to take my daughter to shriners for a growth on her finger because no pediatric orthopaedist in the greater portland area accepts tricare.....hell, they tried to send her to a sports medicine clinic and the doctor there laughed and said, "I'm not qualified to handle this....tricare sucks". Most doctors that I've spoken to about this tend to say, "I take tricare ONLY because I feel an obligation to help the military", which is sad imo.......

Yet, our lovely government wants to cut back on tricare /sigh.

BTW, I have tricare prime.....no idea how that factors into your equation, but I know we got a reduction in our yearly dues because they even gave us credit for the several months that she had been on medicare. Either way, the reduction does not cover the $93 month.

Edited August 28, 2007 by Jay Johnson