Warren Urnberg: Increase in veterans healthcare costs unacceptable

Please vote to reject the TriCare prescription co-pay increases the Senate in pushing. My family and I are very upset at seeing our benefits package suffer one hit after another as national leaders view service members like every other citizen. A military career is very difficult, and military families sacrifice a great deal. They need solid healthcare benefits now and look forward to healthcare benefits for life, pre-paid by 20 or 30 potentially deadly years of service. Yet each year, Congress seems to chip away at the benefit for these men and women and their families. My family and I earned our healthcare benefits.

A Senate proposal for an increase in TriCare prescription co-payments is the third in four years and includes programmed increases over the next nine years. I am a member of the Air Force Sergeants Association. The AFSA and Military Coalition have repeatedly pointed out to the Department of Defense areas of healthcare that are wasteful.

I need your help to stop the TriCare prescription co-payment increases. I hope you agree that military members deserve better than this from our national leaders; that we have already “paid” enough through our service and sacrifice.

This story was originally published October 29, 2015 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Warren Urnberg: Increase in veterans healthcare costs unacceptable."