Commission Urges Change In Military Health And Pension Plans
The congressionally mandated commission recommended doing away with the centerpiece of the military health system and instead giving military families and retirees a choice of private-sector plans.
The Washington Post:
Congressional Commission Releases New Plan To Overhaul Military Pay And Retirement
A congressionally mandated commission on Thursday called for an overhaul of the military’s compensation and retirement system, recommending changes so that future service members will contribute to their own retirements and could choose private-sector healthcare plans. (Lamonthe, 1/29)
The Wall Street Journal:
Commission Recommends Changes To Military Benefits
A special commission looking at Pentagon spending called Thursday for scrapping the centerpiece of the military health-care system and trimming guaranteed retirement benefits for career officers, as part of a broad plan that could save the Defense Department billions of dollars. After 18 months of research, the independent commission concluded that the Pentagon’s pay and benefit system “is fundamentally sound and does not require sweeping overhaul.” But the 280-page report lays out a series of politically charged changes that are certain to face strong resistance in Washington. (Nissenbaum, 1/29)
Bloomberg:
Military 401(k) and Cheaper Health Plans Proposed by U.S. Panel
Future U.S. military families and retirees should be given a choice of health-insurance plans and help paying the premiums, according to an independent commission that looked at ways to update benefits and slow the growth of personnel costs. The Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission also suggested adding 401(k)-style retirement accounts to the mix of military benefits. (Tiron, 1/29)
Politico Pro:
Commission Recommends Military Health And Pension Reforms
A high-profile commission to overhaul military pay and benefits is pushing to dissolve the Tricare health care system familiar to troops and their families into a new program and scale back the pensions for service members who stay long enough to retire. (Wright, 1/29)
Also in the news, more from the Inspector General on veterans' health -
Arizona Republic:
Inspector General Rips Phoenix VA Urology Care
Care for urology patients at the Phoenix VA medical center remains so flawed that veterans' lives may still be endangered, according to a stopgap report issued Wednesday by the Office of Inspector General. (Wagner, 1/29)
