Sunday, April 25, 2010
As expensive as health care is for America as a whole, things are even worse for the military and for wounded veterans in particular. Spending on medical and mental health services for soldiers is increasing twice as fast as the rest of the country, forcing Congress and the Department of Defense to consider shifting more of the financial burden onto service personnel and their families. Out-of-pocket fees for veterans and certain active-duty families may go up for the first time in 15 years.
In 2001, before the launch of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Defense Department’s spending on health care was $19 billion. By 2011, it is projected to top $50 billion—a 167% increase.
“I want to be generous and fair to all those who serve, but there’s a cost-containment problem,” said Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) at a recent congressional hearing. Referring to the military’s health care program, TRICARE, and the difficult choice of increasing premiums, he added, “I don’t see how we can sustain this forever.”
-Noel Brinkerhoff
Military's Health Care Costs Booming (by Gregg Zoroya, USA Today)
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