Volunteer
Volunteer
Posted on Dec 17, 2020
Do you believe you were promised free health care when you joined or separated from the military?
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We’d like to hear your feedback on the health care you’ve received from the VA. Please take this 1-minute survey and let us know what you think.
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Healthcare
Health
Posted 3 mo ago
Responses: 7
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No one has ever been promised free healthcare for life in their contracts when they joined the military. Health care benefits for military members, retirees, and their families are, and have always been, as provided by law, and the law has never promised free health care for life. Ever.
https://www.military.com/militaryadvantage/2012/05/is-there-a-promise-of-free-health-care-for-life
https://www.stripes.com/blogs-archive/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/do-veterans-have-a-right-to-free-health-care-for-life-1.161485
https://www.military.com/militaryadvantage/2012/05/is-there-a-promise-of-free-health-care-for-life
https://www.stripes.com/blogs-archive/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-doctor-1.104348/do-veterans-have-a-right-to-free-health-care-for-life-1.161485
Was Free Health Care for Life Promised?
A reader of Tom Philpott's"Military Update" recently wrote him commenting on Senator Lindsay Graham's remarks about the promise of free health care for life for military retirees.
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Didn't find a survey.
I don't think I was promised medical care for life for me or my dependents. It was obvious for most of my career (1969-1991) that large numbers of retired service members and their dependents used military medical facilities. This caused me to believe that I would be allowed the same. Actually, the post-Vietnam drawdown and start of all-volunteer force changed the staffing of military medical facilities. Doctors were no longer drafted. The military recruited some doctors, but the number of docs declined overall so general medical and specialty clinics had fewer doctors. This caused the services to recruit and employ more Physicians Assistants and Nurse Practitioners. It also caused some clinics to close and some hospitals to downgrade to clinics.
Post-retirement I haven't used the VA system. We live in an area with excellent civilian medical facilities. Between military retirement and age 65 I worked for a company and later the Army. The corporate insurance offerings included a TRICRE supplement, which I used until the Government asked them not to offer it. Then I used a MOAA supplement. As a DAC, I stayed with the MOAA supplement--this was a better deal than any of the civil service medical insurance programs. I did sign on to civil service vision and dental insurance. Once I hit Medicare age, I went on Medicare plus TRICARE for Life. This is a very good deal for retirees. I kept the civil service vision and dental insurance. I occasionally use the military medical facility pharmacy.
I don't think I was promised medical care for life for me or my dependents. It was obvious for most of my career (1969-1991) that large numbers of retired service members and their dependents used military medical facilities. This caused me to believe that I would be allowed the same. Actually, the post-Vietnam drawdown and start of all-volunteer force changed the staffing of military medical facilities. Doctors were no longer drafted. The military recruited some doctors, but the number of docs declined overall so general medical and specialty clinics had fewer doctors. This caused the services to recruit and employ more Physicians Assistants and Nurse Practitioners. It also caused some clinics to close and some hospitals to downgrade to clinics.
Post-retirement I haven't used the VA system. We live in an area with excellent civilian medical facilities. Between military retirement and age 65 I worked for a company and later the Army. The corporate insurance offerings included a TRICRE supplement, which I used until the Government asked them not to offer it. Then I used a MOAA supplement. As a DAC, I stayed with the MOAA supplement--this was a better deal than any of the civil service medical insurance programs. I did sign on to civil service vision and dental insurance. Once I hit Medicare age, I went on Medicare plus TRICARE for Life. This is a very good deal for retirees. I kept the civil service vision and dental insurance. I occasionally use the military medical facility pharmacy.
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In 1953, when I enlisted, I believed that if I served for twenty years, I would receive free lifetime medical and dental care.
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