(The Washington Free Beacon) — The Obama administration’s proposed defense budget calls for military families and retirees to pay sharply more for their healthcare, while leaving unionized civilian defense workers’ benefits untouched. The proposal is causing a major rift within the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials. Several congressional aides suggested the move is designed to increase the enrollment in Obamacare’s state-run insurance exchanges.
The disparity in treatment between civilian and uniformed personnel is causing a backlash within the military that could undermine recruitment and retention.
[…]
Under the new plan, the Pentagon would get the bulk of its savings by targeting under-65 and Medicare-eligible military retirees through a tiered increase in annual Tricare premiums that will be based on yearly retirement pay.
Significantly, the plan calls for increases between 30 percent to 78 percent in Tricare annual premiums for the first year. After that, the plan will impose five-year increases ranging from 94 percent to 345 percent—more than 3 times current levels.
According to congressional assessments, a retired Army colonel with a family currently paying $460 a year for health care will pay $2,048.
The new plan hits active duty personnel by increasing co-payments for pharmaceuticals and eliminating incentives for using generic drugs.
I can honestly say I am shocked, but not surprised. This administration has shown an unashamed desire to weaken the US military since he took office. For as rabid a liberal as Obama is — after all, he and his minions in the Congress passed Obamacare in an effort to provide affordable healthcare to all at the expense of the American taxpayer (a virtual endangered species) — you’d think he wouldn’t be gouging the US military’s health insurance premiums. In a way, Obama is restricting access to health care for service personnel by making it unaffordable, but will anyone take that angle?
Sifting Reality 
I think “shocked” and “surprised” are synonyms.
Meh. Anyway.
It’s pretty crazy, indeed. I’m going to look into this a bit more. If it’s true, Obama should be ashamed.
This president is a first-class traitor to his country!
What the F are you talking about? The defense budget doesn’t have anything to do with unionized workers.
Retiree health care premiums are entirely different than ‘weakening the US military’
All of the military leaders support the budget.- http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=67188
Making people pay for health care is a strong plank of the right wing agenda, so long as a Democrat doesn’t suggest it.
Obama has a pretty strong war record, having continued wars in opposition to much of his base, with military successes. You’re welcome, right wingers.
This “source” you quote is the media arm of a right wing political lobbying organization and hardly credible without a clear disclaimer.
I like coming here to get a bit of reasoned conservative opinion, but you’re really off the depend end with this bit of knee-jerk right wing rhetoric.
So you’re saying insurance premiums aren’t increasing?
Jason
there is a difference between his war record and his proposed cuts to the quality and size of the military. He is reducing the military (trying to) by almost half on top of slashing the nuclear weapons program.
But in all, I would say that my view of subsidizing military personnel is by far the most liberal position I hold. I think they should receive free health care, and significant subsidies for housing. And combat veterans ought to receive even more, in my opinion. The men and women who risk their lives volunteering for the US military stand above the rest.
If in fact you are “off the depend” let’s hope that incontinence is not a problem.
Sorry I couldn’t resist.
Seriously, how are the health care costs of the military, DOD civilians, and DOD unionized bureaucrats anything but a part of the defense budget?
Craig
Of course health insurance costs are part of the defense budget. But I think 300+ percent increases are obscene. Especially on an enlisted salary.
John,
You are absolutely correct, I was responding to Jason’s comment about unionized workers not being a part of the defense budget, which is of course ridiculous. Enlisted folks have it bad enough without this also.
It is strange how in the US your left is more to the right than our right wing politics here in Finland. So that at some aspects you come around almost a full sircle.
I also think it is the responsibility of a nation to take care of the men and women who have sacrificed for the safety of the nation. (In my opinion a nation has a certain amount of responsibility towards all of its citizens in dire need of help.) Now, it is debatable how much safety you have achieved by waging war on the opposite side of the world, or has it simply caused more hatred towards your nation, but that is not the responsibility of just the veterans. In a democracy such issues fall under shared responsibility of all adults.
What has any administration of yours done to take care of your veterans?
Our country has thrown crumbs in my opinion to our veterans. This really is the most liberal view I hold, I think, that veterans and especially combat veterans should a virtual free ride when they exit the military.