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Fw: Medicare/TRICARE Cut Looms

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----- Original Message ----- From: MOAA Legislative Update 
To: Donald Greenlaw
Sent: Friday, January 20, 2012 8:56 AM
Subject: Medicare/TRICARE Cut Looms


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    January 20, 2012

           Join us in San Diego

           Captain Greenlaw,
Join MOAA President VADM Norb Ryan and staff in San Diego next week for West 2012 and the 2012 Military Spouse Symposium & Career Fair.
This year's theme is "America's Military at the Crossroads: What's Out and What's In for 2012 and Beyond?" Registration is FREE for panel sessions and exhibits. Tickets are required for meals and the evening event at PETCO Park. West 2012 begins January 24 and concludes Jan 26.
On Thursday, MOAA will team with Blue Star Families, to provide the preeminent career event for military spouses. Sponsored by TriWest Healthcare Alliance and held in conjunction with West 2012, the event is free and open to all military spouses. Monday Jan. 23 is the last day to register for this event, so don't delay! Register at www.moaa.org/spousesymposium 









           In This Issue


     Grappling With DoD Healthcare Costs
The Pentagon is putting the final touches on a soon to be released report providing a new perspective on the rising cost of military medical care - and most importantly options on how to save money without shifting costs to beneficiaries through fee increases. 



     Medicare/TRICARE Cut Looms
Legislators began to trickle back into Washington this week. They face a full plate in the coming months, but their first priority should be sorting out a long term solution to avoid drastic cuts in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors. 



     DFAS and Your Tax Documents
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service has posted the electronic and postal delivery schedule of 2011 tax statements for military service members, military retirees and annuitants. Delivery began in mid-December and continues through January with all customers receiving their W-2s and 1099Rs by January 31. 





     Grappling With DoD Healthcare Costs
The Pentagon is putting the final touches on a soon to be released report providing a new perspective on the rising cost of military medical care. Most importantly the report focuses on options to save money without shifting costs to beneficiaries through fee increases.
Former Defense Secretary Robert Gates repeatedly bemoaned that "health care costs are eating the Defense Department alive." The fact is that over the past decade, U.S. health care costs have grown substantially, and the military health systemâs costs have been no exception. The Pentagon reported that health care costs have more than doubled from $19 billion in 2001 to $52.5 billion requested for fiscal year 2012.
After more than ten years of war and the associated costs of readiness and force health protection, some of the cost-growth is understandable.
But there are also tremendous inefficiencies and duplication in the military health care system.
According to former Maine Governor John Baldacci, who was appointed to provide the review and an independent assessment of the military health system, "We need to bring things under control and change the way we are doing business."
He believes the design of the current military medical infrastructure has not kept pace with the rapid changes in healthcare delivery. "Instead of placing the rising costs of TRICARE and military medicine onto the beneficiary, the system inefficiency should be addressed first," stated Baldacci.
MOAA finds this approach refreshing, but we'll need to see the final recommendations before we can jump on board. 





     Medicare/TRICARE Cut Looms
Legislators began to trickle back into Washington this week, and they face a full plate in 2012.
A long term debt reduction plan remains the most divisive and elusive issue, and it will likely dominate the proceedings of the 2nd session of the 112th Congress.
If Congress can come to a debt reduction agreement this year it can stave off the automatic debt reduction trigger - sequestration - that would lead to massive cuts in defense spending, and almost certainly disproportionately whack the military community with the brunt of spending cuts.
In the more immediate future Congress will need to pass a long term "doc fix" without which Medicare/TRICARE payments to doctors would be cut by more than 27%. The current extension expires at the end of February.
Now's the time to kick off your 2012 grass roots advocacy efforts by sending your legislators a MOAA-suggested message asking them to pass a long term "doc fix" and protect access to health care for military families and retirees. 





     DFAS and Your Tax Documents
Defense Finance and Accounting Service has released the electronic and postal delivery schedule of 2011 tax statements for military servicemembers, military retirees and annuitants. Delivery began in mid-December and continues through January with all customers receiving their W-2s and 1099Rs by January 31.
Most online tax statements will be available on DFAS' myPay site a week or more before delivery via mail. 

     2011 tax statement myPay and USPS mail schedule:

           Form/Document Date Available on myPay Dates Mailed VIA USPS
           Retiree Account Statement (RAS) 12/4/2011 12/19/2011 - 1/10/2012
           Retiree 1099R 12/15/2011 12/19/2011 - 1/10/2012
Annuitant Account Statement (AAS) 12/14/2011 12/19/2011 - 12/31/2011 
           Annuitant 1099R 12/14/2011 12/19/2011 - 12/31/2011
Active Duty Air Force, Army, Navy W-2 1/24/2012 1/24/2012 - 1/29/2012 
           Reserve Air Force, Army, Navy W-2 1/6/2012 1/6/2012 - 1/9/2012
Marine Corps Active & Reserve W-2 1/16/2012 1/19/2012 - 1/21/2012 
           Military VSI/SSB W-2 Not available via myPay 1/4/2012 - 1/5/2012
           Savings Deposit Program 1099INT 1/21/2012 1/21/2012 - 1/22/2012




    More from MOAA
           Quote of the Week
"We don't have to choose between national security and fiscal securityâWe can do this in a way that will give us a strong defense for the future" (Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta on the defense cuts and debt reduction). 



           An "Extra Special Interest Group"
In his January "As I See It" column, MOAA Government Relations Director Colonel Steve Strobridge asks if MOAA and its partners deserve the distinction of being labeled a "special interest group". His answer may surprise you.
Legislative Update is published weekly by MOAA, 201 N. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314.
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