Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) and Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) have submitted legislations backed by the Air Force Association and 34 other military support associations that would set caps on health care cost increases for military retirees under 65 and their families. The proposed bill seeks limits on increases to enrollment fees, prescription drugs, and deductibles. The Pentagon already has signaled its intent to renew the push to impose higher fees on military retirees by including nearly $2 billion in expected savings in the 2008 budget proposal. Hagel asserted, “It is wrong to increase healthcare fees on the men and women who have already contributed greatly to our nation before addressing current inefficiencies in the Tricare system.”
The six-week government shutdown did not affect the hours flown by Air Force pilots, a service spokesperson told Air & Space Forces Magazine—avoiding what could have been a major blow at a time when flying hours are already lower than they have been in decades.
