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Letter Factory
Letter to Your Congressman
Erosion of TriCare Benefits |
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Key Points to Writing
- If you haven't already, Take a writing class.
English Comp will do.
- WRITE!!! The more you do it, the better you get.
- Ask for HELP, not knowing what you are doing can hurt you, your "Airmen" and unit.
- Use various writing resources like Merriam-Webster Online
- Use a spell checker. (F7 Word)
- Remember, there is a purpose for writing a letter or MFR.
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The following Example was submitted by a user.
The author of this letter is Air Force Sergeants Association, and you can find
it under
Legislative Bulletins,
Headquarters Publications/Sample Letters, then the first bullet,
Take Action Now! Protect the Military Health Care Benefit (January 2006).
The submitter was nice and retyped it from the PDF file. Due this being
intelligent information from AFSA all ads for this page have been removed.
In addition, if you feel strongly for this topic or other topics facing
legislation, become a member of a professional organization! Not only will
this help you in retirement, but it might even check a block for promotion.
Finally, in order to get your point across use the message below as a gauge and
add information personal to you. this will get the persons attention because
they may have already received a couple of 100 copies of the same message.
--Webmaster
(Date)
The Honorable (Full Name)
House of Representatives (or United States Senate)
Washington, DC 20515 (or 20510 for Senate)
Dear Representative (or Senator) (Last Name),
I need your action on a voting issue. I have learned from the Air Force
Sergeants
Association that the Administration, through the Department of Defense, is about
to
virtually destroy a major career incentive-the military health care system. This
change
would affect not only those who have served and their families and survivors,
but it also
would significantly impact those currently wearing the uniform. It would
certainly
impact their willingness to remain in the military. I have heard repeated,
orchestrated
comments from DoD officials that service members, retirees, and survivors cost
too
much, but this latest DoD step represents a final straw. Those in the House and
Senate
who do not immediately act to stop these DoD plans will NOT get my vote in any
upcoming elections. Many of my colleagues and civilians who honor those who
serve
have told me they feel the same way.
The military retiree health care benefit has evolved (due to progressively
broken promises
by DoD and congressional acquiescence) from free lifetime health care, to having
an
enrollment fee and co-payments, to the latest, impending DoD scheme to transfer
a far
greater cost to the military retiree. DoD plans are to triple TRICARE Prime
enrollment
fees by 2008 for officers and double them for enlisted members; TRICARE Standard
deductibles would double for officers and rise by a third for enlisted members;
an
enrollment fee would be established for the first time for TRICARE Standard; and
pharmacy co-payments for all would be significantly raised. DoD’s stated goal is
to
reduce spending on military health care and to drive hundreds of thousands of
retirees out
of the military system and toward civilian-employer-funded health care. Decency
alone
would defer any such changes to future service entrants-not those retirees and
survivors
whose current economic status depends on trust in current government programs.
Military retirees and their survivors are not normal citizens. They should be
given
special regard, and the funding of their benefits should be a national priority.
They have
already paid an extraordinary price for this nation. Government officials were
happy to
have these members put their lives on the line, suffer hardships, and make
sacrifices.
Now that same government wants to renege once again on its promises as it works
to get
out of the health care business. Frankly, anyone who supports these proposed DoD
changes are ungrateful, and they should be ashamed. Benefits for people who
fight and
die for you should not be determined by the “bottom line.” As I said, funding
for them
should be accepted as a national obligation. DoD statements that projected
future costs
necessitate these changes are ludicrous when you consider many other spending
priorities
this nation honors.
As a voter, I urge you to immediately and unequivocally speak out against these
impending DoD changes. I ask for a response to this letter since it will
determine my
future vote and, I am quite certain, that of other military member, retirees,
and
survivors—and the many citizens who honor and value those who serve and have
served
this nation.
Very Sincerely,
(Signature)
Your full name and contact information
Reminder, the closing line is 5 spaces below the last line of text.
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