Plans for Hospital Closures as Part of Military Health System Reform Forging Ahead After Pause

[RV_]

The links with full closure lists are in this Military.com article. Many are closing to retirees and others are closing the whole clinic so active duty need to find doctors off base too.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2022/03/30/plans-hospital-closures-part-of-military-health-system-reform-forging-ahead-after-pause.html

[DJW]

And the hits just keep on coming.  This is going to jack with a lot of families.  This is just another reason to not recommend your kids or grand kids get involved with the military.

 

Dennis

[RV_]

On 4/1/2022 at 8:19 AM, DJW said:

And the hits just keep on coming.  This is going to jack with a lot of families.  This is just another reason to not recommend your kids or grand kids get involved with the military.

 

Dennis

I agree! The more they talk about supporting the military the more they screw active duty and retirees. Coming up during my career I was made fun of my fellow college grads for staying despite having been too old when I got my first of several BS degrees to complete my Officer Training school before age 35. I stayed because I was doing fine albeit we never owned a new car until 2019. We did buy our Electra Glide classic new in 1996. And we renovated our houses buying and selling until we had our houses paid for. Usually we were the heroes of the neighborhoods as we tuned the eyesores of the street hurting property values. Of course we ended up very comfortable and now when we lose our current pup we plan to visit the countries we still have on our bucket list including Australia, New Zealand, India, and South Africa.

However now those same people are jealous of our benefits and act like we did not earn them five times over. After 27 years active and some AFRES active during my break in service for five years for college, I don't wear the hats or other paraphernalia proclaiming my service. We do use the Commissary and Pharmacy on base.

They tax our retirement and no concurrent pay, as well from the mid 80s our social security is taxed. 🤬😡

Soylent green coming? 🤣

Edited April 14, 2022 by RV_

[Ray,IN]

I started to comment, but thankfully common sense halted my fingers.

[Kirk W]

9 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

I started to comment

That process actually began 3 or 4 years ago. My son, retired Army and employed on Ft. Knox as well as his dependents have been off base for care for some time. He also feels that they get better care in the civilian medical facilities even though he does have a copay. 

Smaller bases have made do with clinics for years and major hospitals have been shared. When I suffered a ruptured appendix on Pearl Harbor in the Navy I was operated on in Tripler Army Hospital in 1962.

[Bulletstopper]

On 4/14/2022 at 7:30 PM, RV_ said:

 

They tax our retirement and no concurrent pay, as well from the mid 80s our social security is taxed.

Concurrent disability requires a 50% rating or higher since 2008. Better than it was, but…

Doesn’t really help me at 30%. 

[Kirk W]

On 4/14/2022 at 6:30 PM, RV_ said:

They tax our retirement and no concurrent pay, as well from the mid 80s our social security is taxed.

From the social security website:

Quote

• file a federal tax return as an "individual" and your combined income* is
  • between $25,000 and $34,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 50 percent of your benefits.
  • more than $34,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits may be taxable.
  • file a joint return, and you and your spouse have a combined income* that is
    • between $32,000 and $44,000, you may have to pay income tax on up to 50 percent of your benefits.
    • more than $44,000, up to 85 percent of your benefits may be taxable.

 

[Ray,IN]

9 hours ago, Kirk W said:

From the social security website:

 

Yup, we fall in the last group, dratted RMD.

[Kirk W]

2 hours ago, Ray,IN said:

we fall in the last group,

I often remember when I was a boy hearing my mother one day comment about a neighbor having complained about the amount he was having to pay in income taxes. Her comment was that she wished that she had that problem.

[MizzMarzBar]

Are those income levels before or after standard deducton, i.e. gross income or taxable income?  Potentially very big differrence.

[Kirk W]

3 hours ago, MizzMarzBar said:

Potentially very big differrence.

The numbers are the adjusted gross income as defined by the IRS as follows. They are before any deductions. 

Quote

Adjusted Gross Income

Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is defined as gross income minus adjustments to income. Gross income includes your wages, dividends, capital gains, business income, retirement distributions as well as other income. Adjustments to Income include such items as Educator expenses, Student loan interest, Alimony payments or contributions to a retirement account. Your AGI will never be more than your Gross Total Income on you return and in some cases may be lower. Refer to the 1040 instructions (Schedule 1) PDF for more information.

If you use one of the income tax computer programs it will do all of the computations for you. If you are still doing your taxes don't forget about the IRS Free File section as many of us can use commercial software for no cost at all. There are some programs no longer on the IRS site that will do your return free such as Turbo Tax free filing.

[RV_]

On 4/17/2022 at 8:59 PM, Kirk W said:

I often remember when I was a boy hearing my mother one day comment about a neighbor having complained about the amount he was having to pay in income taxes. Her comment was that she wished that she had that problem.

Kirk I know you are not a retiree and the feel for the promises versus the erosion of those retiree benefits is something the non-retirees have no business commenting on, especially minimizing our feelings of betrayal.

I admire all vets, two years of service to retirees. We all sacrificed. And I help them all get what they earned when I can. And have here many times.

We earned our benefits. Just as you earned your VA medical benefits from your years of service, was it six, I forget?

Many of our non-retirees especially who enlisted during wartime braved more danger and went in harm's way some retirees never had to depending on the service era.

[Kirk W]

Some folks believe that anyone who has a different opinion than theirs is automatically wrong. 

[RV_]

4 hours ago, Kirk W said:

Some folks believe that anyone who has a different opinion than theirs is automatically wrong. 

Yes some folks certainly do. 😂

[bigjim]

If I keep my opinion to myself I can keep  everyone confused, right?😊

 

Like when has anyone who has known me for long ever seen me keep my opinion to myself.😜 I probably couldn't even manage it for a cash prize.

[RV_]

On 4/26/2022 at 4:36 PM, bigjim said:

If I keep my opinion to myself I can keep  everyone confused, right?😊

 

Like when has anyone who has known me for long ever seen me keep my opinion to myself.😜 I probably couldn't even manage it for a cash prize.

LOL! Good one Jim. I never leave any doubt. 😉