Veterans planning rally over benefits

Web posted September 22, 1998

By Amy Joyner
Staff Writer

WASHINGTON -- Military retirees from Augusta and across the country arrived Monday in this city preoccupied by a presidential sex scandal, hoping to shift legislators' attention to eroding veterans benefits.

Nearly 1,000 military veterans and retirees -- many of them older than 65 -- will rally on the west side of the U.S. Capitol at 2:30 p.m. today for the Convention to Educate Congress.

Sen. Paul Coverdell of Georgia and Arizona's Sen. John McCain, a Vietnam prisoner of war, are expected to attend the rally, as is Rep. Charlie Norwood of Augusta. All three are Republicans.

``What we are hoping to accomplish is to spotlight the deteriorating benefits for the military retirees, in particular health care and its effects upon the readiness of active-duty forces,'' said Floyd Felts, one of 35 Augustans who will attend the rally.

The retirees are most upset about Tricare, the military's managed health-care system that was implemented two years ago.

Priority for treatment goes to active-duty military personnel, followed by those enrolled in Tricare health-maintenance organizations. Others can still be treated at military hospitals, such as Dwight D. Eisenhower Army Medical Center at Fort Gordon, but only if space is available.

That available space has been slowly shrinking in the past two years.

Military retirees who are older than 65 cannot be treated under Tricare. They must rely on Medicare.

And that, retirees say, violates a promise made to them long ago -- guaranteed free, lifetime health care.

Retirees are concerned with ``the retirement system, the health care system, the general downgrading of benefits that were promised these folks when they came into the service,'' said Mr. Felts, 71, a retired Army sergeant major.

Retired Col. George ``Bud'' Day, a principal organizer of the Convention to Educate Congress, has sued the government in federal court, alleging the military breached its contract with retirees when it began limited health care benefits.

The retirees also are concerned with how these ``broken promises'' might affect soldiers and other service members on active duty, Mr. Felts said.

``The well-being of the active force is being directly affected by the deterioration of benefits,'' he said, previewing what he'll tell legislators today. ``They are missing recruiting goals. They're running in droves. (The military) is not going to be able to retain the ready force.''