How is the Government’s Health Plan Changes Going To Affect Retired Military Personnel?
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A number of Defence Watch readers have pointed out their concerns about how retired CF military personnel, including those who have been injured, are going to deal with the health plan changes announced in the most recent budget. Here is what CBC has on that:
Retired soldiers and Mounties, along with wounded veterans and their families, are among a group of former federal employees that the government targeted for savings in its budget Tuesday.
In its economic plan, the government announced it was going after $7.5 billion in savings by forcing participants in the government’s health plan for public servants to pay half of the costs, up from 25 per cent. Before 2006, it was even lower.
And Jeff Rose-Martland wrote this in the Huffington Post:
“There are two other parts of the Budget which also impact Veterans. The first is changes to the Public Service Health Plan which will require retired public servants to pay more for coverage — 100 per cent more; he’s doubled the costs. Among those affected? Veterans and retired Mounties. While Jim Flaherty is touting cuts to spending on the public service, he seems to have forgotten that his is clawing back benefits from our Veterans.”
This is what one Defence Watch reader wrote about his current situation, which will not get any better with the health plan changes:
“To put it into perspective; I was medically released in June and had to sell my house and move as due to the cut in pay I took under the Manulife Voc Rehab plan (25%) I could no longer afford to keep it on a single income.”
If other readers want to send in their thoughts, Defence Watch will publish them.
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