Trump Tax Cut

[jsburger]

Good for you, John. You did make out well, but the normal of us who had only one job for 35 years working for the feds, is not that good. Your taxes went down? Your wife's taxes went down? So after working for the government (DOD) for 35 years, I got a $60 COLA. That's a monthly increase. Compared to last time we got a COLA, I am not paying $50 per month out of my pocket. This time, my insurance went up $38 per month, my Medicare part B went up $2 per month to $134. My taxes went up $11 per month. My dental and vision insurances came out as a wash. So, doing the math, I got $60 per month minus $11, $38 and $2 (total of $51), I get to take home $9 per month. Now, the price of gas has gone from $2.21 per gallon to $2.58, electricity and gas have gone up, garbage pickup has gone up, food has gone up has put me in a hole again. I retired in 2003 making a good retirement, my money, not government money. Since then each COLA and tax increase has cost me. I get more money in retirement, but my bank deposits have continued going down. For the average joe, I think not. Congratulations on your windfall.

Steve

I certainly understand everyone's situation is different. I don't know if my taxes are going to go down but my withholding went down. My wife worked for DOD for 35 years (Army and Air Force). That is the only retirement she gets. She retired under CSRS so does not get Social Security. She got a COLA raise in December and her January check went up again after the tax cut went into effect. The same thing for my Military retirement, it went up in Dec due to the COLA and it went up in Jan due to the tax cut. My Social Security check went up also. $7 after the Medicare offset was included.

The thing about Social Security is that when the cost of Medicare goes up (they take that deduction from Social Security or you're CSRS retirement) they can't reduce you're retirement check so they offset your Medicare payment by that same amount. So it looks like a wash if you have been paying a lower Medicare rate than the one for the current year. The current Medicare rate for this year is $134. Since most of us were paying less than that over the years because there was no COLA increase in Social Security we got a hit because we did get a Social Security COLA increase this year.

Since I am retired Military our health insurance is dirt cheap. I am on Medicare ($134 a month) and Tricare for Life (free). That pays for everything. My wife is on Tricare Prime ($25 a month). We are on Delta dental ($24 a month). All of this includes her glasses. Then there is the VA in addition for me. That is where I get glasses for free and pretty much everything else.

All of you veterans regardless of being retired need to check out the VA. It is there for you. It is easier today to get the medical care you deserve than ever before.

[swampgator]

Just saying "Don't believe all the smoke and B***s**t coming out of D. C. Last year with my huge whopping COLA of .3%, between my Medicare premiums increasing to $132 per month, my health insurance creeping up to $501 per month, the largest increase in 8 years, dental and vision insurance going up, I got an increase of $11 per month, but it cost me $50 per month. So, last year was a loss. Again, this year, while I got an increase, I am still loosing money because I am not making back the money I lost last year and the prices are still going up and I can't catch a break.
Just did my taxes for 2017 and I am getting back $9 less than last year. In the end, I am still paying over $2800 for income this past year. So, no tax break for me. My wife gets a pittance disability from Social Security and I get my CSRS retirement. So all the wind blowing about all the tax breaks didn't happen to anyone in my family. Just thought I would give a factual report for some Americans.
Regarding the VA: No help. No service and cost out of my pocket. I quit going there because they charged both my Medicare, my insurance and sent me a bill for the 8 pills of Predisone they issued to me. The contracted doctors and staff are not there to help those who have problems. I get much better service in the private world for less money. Just 20 years of my experience. But, everyone who served should go investigate for themselves. Who knows, you may get a pension or some form of compensation. I have friends who make more money than I do on civil service retirement and they get all kinds of great service. I just don't fit in.

Steve

[dusty]

John said: "All of you veterans regardless of being retired need to check out the VA. It is there for you. It is easier today to get the medical care you deserve than ever before".

John, this is really good news. But I must asked. What sort of medical care have you received at the VA?

I am interested because I have been turned away from the VA and I want to know if it is worth the effort to reapply.

[JPG]

. . . I have been turned away from the VA and I want to know if it is worth the effort to reapply.

On what 'grounds'?

[dusty]

. . . I have been turned away from the VA and I want to know if it is worth the effort to reapply.

On what 'grounds'?

Two different applications were denied over a period of 'about three years'. The first denial was based on 'net worth' and the second was denied based on 'gross income'.

The second attempt was made because I had been told that the standards had changed and I might be eligible for priority group eight. The final denial came with some sort of caveat about geographical location of residence. I don't recall all of the details but that is/was it in a nutshell.

Cost of medical care is not the issue that gets under my skin.

What really irritates me whenever I get into one of these discussions is the fact that I was told (during recruitment and throughout my early years of service) that I would receive free medical care for myself and my dependents for life. Well, apparently life ended when I was about 40. I most probably would not have reenlisted after four had I known the truth then.

As a side note, I also get irritated with myself because at the end of my first hitch (4 years) I had a pending employment application with IBM but I chose to reenlist. That may be one of the major career decisions that I most regret.

This was in 1962. At that time I was an instructor at Keesler AFB teaching antenna theory and digital fundamentals. Yes, I know. The two don't seem to go together but I was fully certified to teach both. My background in digital systems at that time was probably my strong suit. Digital systems were relatively new then.

[Gene Howe]

Just finished our taxes. Our gross was exactly one USD more than last year. Have no idea where that came from. Our only income is SS and state pensions.

Dusty, wife and I were bringing in a tad over 100K a year in '97 and, owned our home free and clear when I applied and was accepted. I've had one colonoscopy done at the Phoenix facility (never again) and a few skin tags removed at the Showlow clinic. And, the VA sends me all my meds. My co pay for the meds is $20 per a 90 day supply. The co pay, they said, was due to our income at the time. Since our income was reduced by 30% when we retired, I asked if the co pay could be reduced. They told me that I'd just better let sleeping dogs lie. $80 every 90 days still leaves enough for a bottle of Scotch every now and again.

[GoNavy]

John said: "All of you veterans regardless of being retired need to check out the VA. It is there for you. It is easier today to get the medical care you deserve than ever before".

John, this is really good news. But I must asked. What sort of medical care have you received at the VA?

I am interested because I have been turned away from the VA and I want to know if it is worth the effort to reapply.

Sorry to hear that, but unless you retired from the military, not all VA benefits are available and they do cap them dependent on your finances...which I agree is BS...I retired so full VA is never in question, but like you there were a few things told to me that were not true. i.e no one said anything about copays...also no one mentioned that they could change the rules at anytime, which they did...that really pisses me off...I, like you fulfilled my of the contract, then years later their end gets changed, seems to me a little on the illegal side. Had we not fulfilled our end of the contract we go to jail, or dishonorable discharged, but the Gov gets to just changed their part of the contract with no repercussions, seems unfair to say the least.

Off topic but the same thing happen with regards to education benefits, we were told (old GI bill) when I joined in 1974 that my education benefits would cover cost all the way to a Phd, if I wanted, well, there was no way to attend college will serving, US Navy, little hard from the middle of the ocean to attend, much better now days with internet capabilities, we didn't have that, so that leaves after service, well 24 years later I go to get some of them VA education benefits, two years into it, those benefits dry up, once again they changed the rules, doesn't matter I fulfilled my end of the deal and then some. I did managed an Assoc. in computer program, which was pretty much useless, BA normally minimum and at the time didn't have the money to keep going to get that BA, not without the VA money to help. LOL...off course they have brought back some of our education benefits for the old GI bill..lol...sure now that we are all in our 60's and 70's...not much use to me now, bad enough when I was 40 going to class, I was the old guy then...so I feel for you, right there with you

[garys]

I've been battling the VA for months just to get the paper ID card they supposedly offer. I can't even get through their bs to get that done. I don't expect they can do anything else any better.

[dusty]

I must say, the Air Force did me right on the education side. It was my military training, college education (Bootstrap on active duty for 2 1/2 years) and my Air Force technical school education that landed me my retirement job with a major defense contractor. I have no room to complain there.

It just makes me cringe a bit when I hear the politicians praising and thanking our dedicated GIs and talking about how they must be taken care of. At least I never took live fire. For that I am very, very thankful. Yes, they do need to be taken care of. Just do it better than has been done for others.

[jsburger]

I will not reply to all of your concerns individually but try to tell you what I know about them here.

Dusty:

I have had wonderful service from the Salt Lake City Regional VA Medical Center. I have been enrolled since 1996 when I retired. The Transition Assistance Program (TAP) on Hill AFB at the time had one of the Veterans Service Organizations (ie. DAV, American Legion) go over your service and medical records to see if you have a claim for a service connected disability. They put me in for hearing loss (24 years of Jet engines on the flight line). That was recognized but rated at 0%. While being evaluated they saw I had high blood pressure (Hyper Tension). They gave me a 10% disability rating for that. I never realized it because I have a "disability" but there are income requirements if you are not service connected. You can see what they are today here...

https://www.va.gov/HEALTHBENEFITS/resou ... groups.asp

I see no reason why you would be denied enrollment under Category 8. There is no income requirement but there are copays. In your case since you have no service connected disability but you are retired and under Medicare and Tricare for Life you have no copays for your medical care. If you get your meds on a military base pharmacy they are free so there is probably no reason for the VA.

Gene:

I am not sure when the copay for a 90 day supply of meds was $20. I have been in the system since 1996/97. It was $8 a month ($24 for 90 days) as long as I can remember but I may not be remembering the first few years. Anyhow, it was recently reduced to $5 a month ($15 for 90 days). I am sure someone will correct me if I am wrong but is that not comparable or cheaper to private insurance? Yes there is an income requirement regarding weather you pay a co-payment or not. However, the amount of the co-pay has nothing to do with the amount of your income once it is over the threshold. You either pay a co-pay or not. I am 10% disabled but I pay a co-pay for my non service connected meds.

GoNavy:

The "Old GIBill" also had to be used in so many years. That has also changed. I think it is now called the GIBill Forever. It extends your and my benefits. I have no idea what it actually pays for though.

Swampgator:

"I quit going there because they charged both my Medicare, my insurance and sent me a bill for the 8 pills of Predisone they issued to me."

I am not sure why you are complaining. You pay for Medicare. You pay for your private insurance. How much does your private insurance cost? The VA is free except for co-payments depending on your status. You say the VA charges them both. So what? Your premium for the policy does not go up. As long as you don't get billed from the doctor who cares who pays? If you have private insurance along with government insurance, the private insurance always pays first. As far as which government insurance pays first, I don't know and again who cares?

To all:

A lot of things have really changed for the better in recent years. There is now a Community Care program where you can see private doctors under certain conditions. Again, I encourage all of you to at least check into it again. It may not be for you but if you are paying $400-500 a month for health insurance you might find a benefit you did not know was available to you that might reduce costs. Everyone's circumstances are different but to me it is worth a try. You can't loose. If it is not for you so be it.