The wrap-around also covers all copayments and deductions. NMVA, which asks all military retirees to voice opposition, has 20 military and veterans organizations with three million members and six million supporters. Military retirees and families are the only federal employees who lose their medical benefit at age 65, NAUS says. NAUS hopes to alleviate some burdens of paying for expensive drugs, says Maj. Unlike other federal employees and retirees, Medicare-eligible military medical beneficiaries don't have guaranteed access to a nationwide pharmacy program, NAUS says.
Most military retirees wonder why their benefits are denied when there is national budget surplus.
Hit particularly hard are over-65 military Medicare eligibles who don't live near a military facility that provides prescription drugs and who can't get them through the mail order pharmacy benefit for those whose military installations closed. Meanwhile, prescription drug costs still rise. To stay within their budgets, some hospital commanders no longer carry many expensive prescription drugs and, therefore, many military retirees don't have prescription drug benefits even when living near military hospitals. Retirees promised medical benefits for life shouldn't have to pay for prescriptions. NAUS receives many letters from elderly people choosing between medication and food.