WASHINGTON, March 28 (UPI) -- A GOP congressman said Tuesday he was worried about proposed cuts in the U.S. military health care budget.
"There is no doubt that these are most difficult times for the military health system. One of the most severe challenges rests in the fact that, for the second year in a row, the budget for the Defense Health Program has been significantly reduced with the hope of congressional support for changes to the benefit in the form of increased fees for TRICARE," Rep John M. McHugh,R-N.Y., the ranking Republican on the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives said in a statement at the subcommittee's hearing on the state of the U.S. military health care system.
"The budget assumes reductions to funding for military treatment facilities for the third year in a row with the expectation that these facilities must become more efficient. The fiscal year 2008 budget reduction is $2.1 billion," MacHugh said..
"The budget also includes an increase of $157 million dollars in civilian pay to fund an additional 2,712 positions planned for conversion from military to civilian positions in fiscal year 2008. In light of the 5,507 military positions that have already been converted since 2005, I can't help but wonder what effect this will have on the ability of the military health system to carry out its mission," the congressman said.
"It is undeniable that the care provided to our troops, their families and to our retired beneficiaries is vital to the success of our military now and in the future," he said.
