View Full Version : Obama Care Must Have Info For All Vets
Last night I attended a dinner/monthly meeting of The Army-Navy Club. It is a local organization that has been in existence since 1937. Anyway, one of our members is Mike Chaney, the State of Mississippi Insurance Commissioner. His position is a state-wide elected position and he is charge of regulating all things insurance related in the state. He has worked very hard to get MS to have it's own health insurance pool and to opt out of the Federal Obama care pool. This was opposed by our governor, but backed by most legislators. Both Mike and the Gov. are Republicans, as are the majorities in both houses. Mike had worked closely with Kathleen Sebilious,Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services, on this and she supported him. Obama personally ordered her to deny it. So MS is in the Fed pool. The main point Mike made was that it is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL that if you are a veteran you MUST enroll in VA health care benefits. This is if you are a vet with any Federal service. Not just retired. This will exempt you from the punitive penalties and fines that you would incur if you ever found yourself uninsured. He also said that if you have Tricare for Life, NEVER give it up for Medicare or anything else. TFL will be about the best policy out there if you're on the elderly side. With regular insurance policies, he said, there will be rationing and waiting for things like total knees and bypass surgery. TFL- none. Why? Hhhmmmm? TFL is a Federal employee policy. Different in a lot of ways, but is in the same category as the policies issued to POTUS, the Senate, the House, etc. These facts regarding VA enrollment and TFL apply to everyone in all 50 states, not just Mississippi.
Stiletto11
02-08-2013, 21:00
Thanks for the intel.
Last night I attended a dinner/monthly meeting of The Army-Navy Club. It is a local organization that has been in existence since 1937. Anyway, one of our members is Mike Chaney, the State of Mississippi Insurance Commissioner. His position is a state-wide elected position and he is charge of regulating all things insurance related in the state. He has worked very hard to get MS to have it's own health insurance pool and to opt out of the Federal Obama care pool. This was opposed by our governor, but backed by most legislators. Both Mike and the Gov. are Republicans, as are the majorities in both houses. Mike had worked closely with Kathleen Sebilious,Obama's Secretary of Health and Human Services, on this and she supported him. Obama personally ordered her to deny it. So MS is in the Fed pool. The main point Mike made was that it is ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL that if you are a veteran you MUST enroll in VA health care benefits. This is if you are a vet with any Federal service. Not just retired. This will exempt you from the punitive penalties and fines that you would incur if you ever found yourself uninsured. He also said that if you have Tricare for Life, NEVER give it up for Medicare or anything else. TFL will be about the best policy out there if you're on the elderly side. With regular insurance policies, he said, there will be rationing and waiting for things like total knees and bypass surgery. TFL- none. Why? Hhhmmmm? TFL is a Federal employee policy. Different in a lot of ways, but is in the same category as the policies issued to POTUS, the Senate, the House, etc. These facts regarding VA enrollment and TFL apply to everyone in all 50 states, not just Mississippi.
Yes. Totally agree. I have TCFL in Maryland. So far TC is primary for both my wife and I. Both over 66 yr old. Only insult to injury is the $104 for Medicare comes out of SS benefit monthly.
I am 100% and the only health care I get comes from VA but I am divorced X3, and my children are grown, so I did not sign up for tri care but I am a patient of the Poly trauma clinic. And I turned down Medicaid because I have VA, I have no taxable income, and no longer file so under the conditions you speak of am I off the grid for Obama care. I don't want it don't need it. >Hatchet
Thank You for your Service! "salute"
From Hatchet Black:" is just being under VA care enough "
Salutes to you, my friend! It should be enough. I am not sure of the details, but VA eligabilty/coverage should exempt you from any penalties. Given your current 100% DAV status and the fact that you are actively using the VA system, you should be good to go. On the TCFL, that is not now considered to be a "plum" policy like Blue Cross, etc. I know of many providers in Jackson, MS that refuse to take it. However, under the new O system, it'll be a Cadillac policy with little of the rationing seen in the rest of the "pool" policies.
I have John Hopkins, TC program. Fort Meade stop taking retirees a bit before I got to this shitty state. after looking at what I had JH was the best for me.
I have a CO=payments, low , but it works great for me. I am still in TC, I see the same doc, etc.
Young family, old man, young wife. and so it goes.
AL