Tricare for Life is nowhere near as wonderful as that enjoyed by senators, representatives and the like as Millie Fonda claimed in her letter published July 1, and I have read the fine print.

I have had good care at the Naval Hospital Oak Harbor, but recently I was denied a name brand medication by Tricare For Life because the severe side effects on the generic brand weren’t bad enough to put me in the hospital. They didn’t care how sick I was from the side effects, they just told my doctor’s staff I would have to buy it myself for $52 a month. Also, in spite of what she says, we also have out-of-pocket, up front co-pays for all civilian care just like civilian insurance policies do.

My husband dedicated 21 years to the U.S. Navy, starting at the beginning of the Vietnam War. He made many combat cruises, getting shot at daily, and his last combat cruise lasted 10-and-a-half months. I had a C-section with out first child without him there and dealt with persistent ear infections in our second child, then nine to 12 months old, without him there. I feel we have prepaid our health care with our lives, just as have millions of veterans in all branches of service.

A friend of mine’s son is in the Army. After a year in Iraq he is soon to go to Afghanistan with very little “at home” time. She is facing months of knee pain waiting to qualify for Medicare for needed knee replacements because doing it under Tricare would be prohibitively expensive.

We have earned our “standard of living” as Mille called it. Believe me, a family can’t live on military retirement alone, so, Millie, please don’t feel that you are paying our way.

Sharlene Harrison

Oak Harbor