Medicare and Tricare to merge?

Medicare and Tricare to merge?: "Before getting started, I want to validate a real simple concept a few veterans organizations seem to ignore or outright declare as not being true. The concept: Medicare and Tricare (retired military health care) are not linked, and what happens in one doesn’t happen to the other. I won’t name the organizations, but you are wrong!

When a veteran reaches 65 and qualifies for Medicare, Tricare is no longer the sole intermediary for veterans’ health care. Medicare is primary payor and Tricare is secondary (government regulations).

The approved scheduled and prescription medications come essentially from the same (two separate pharmacy boards, but practically identical formularies, or approved medications lists). A totally different and much larger list of approved medications exists for the Congressional and Administration formulary.

Veterans do not get an annual cost of living increase unless Medicare beneficiaries receive an increase, and veteran increases match the Medicare increase. I could go on, but you get the message those veterans’ organizations either don’t understand or don’t want to understand (you know, lobby “things”)."

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