Universal healthcare would crush recruiting

(A Comparison of Marketing Techniques Among Military Recruiters McCullough, Paul V., III PhD in Business Admin Walden College. Walden University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 2016.)

Health insurance. Further proof of the benefits of military service comes from Cebula (2011), who explored the lack of health insurance in the United States to determine the effect of this nationwide problem on enlistment in the military. He discovered a positive correlation between enlistment and the medical care inflation rate, providing strong support for the Army health care magnet hypothesis, according to which Army enlistment increases as the percentage of Americans without health insurance increases. In addition, he stated an increased presence of military veterans also leads to growth in enlistment, because veterans promote military service. Cebula (2011) commented, however, if universal health care could have an adverse impact on military recruiting if universal health care ever becomes available in the United States. Although no proof of this hypothesis currently exists, the military may have to adjust its recruiting strategy upon the full implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law by President Obama on March 23, 2010. In the interim, however, Wu, Henne, and Propst (2012) demonstrated the large financial benefits of the military health care system. They explored the Family Act, a proposed addition to the Tricare medical system, targeted for infertility treatments, introduced to the Senate on May 12, 2011. Wu et al. discovered upon implementation of the Family Act, medical expense deductions could exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income per year, with a maximum lifetime credit of $13,360. This new law could also result in an increase of in vitro fertilization procedures at military treatment facilities by as much as 29% and reduce patient medical expenses for the procedure by 50% (Wu et al., 2012). For couples in the military that desire to have children but have struggled with fertility issues, the Family Act provides military families access to fertility treatments that may help individuals realize their dreams without spending excessive sums of money. Compensation. The compensation service members receive for performing their duty, through cash, noncash, and deferred payments, is another financial benefit of military service. According to Hosek et al. (2012), funding for military personnel has risen by 45% since 2000, an increase greater than the Consumer Price Index or Employment Cost Index during the same period. Hosek et al. suggested military compensation now exceeds the 70th percentile threshold, compared to civilians in equivalent jobs, who experienced a 4% to 8% decrease in pay in recent years. A career in the military also stands as an anomaly in today’s society, with an assured pension after 20 years of active federal service, which provides 50% of the average of what the service member earned in base pay during the last 3 years of service. The military also provides free health care to service members and their families, whereas the cost of health care for civilians has increased substantially. Hosek et al. suggested these benefits have become too costly and require reform. Until Congress changes the law, however, these benefits certainly provide valuable incentives for anyone considering military service.