A House panel has voted to block for at least two years any increases in TRICARE beneficiary cost-shares. It's the first formal step by Congress to derail the Bush administration's plan to raise fees, co-payments and deductibles for military retirees under age 65 and their families.

The armed services subcommittee on military personnel also brought good news to active duty, Reserve and National Guard personnel by endorsing a January 2007 pay raise of 2.7 percent. That is half a percentage point higher than what the administration sought. If the raise is approved by the full Congress, it would be an eighth straight year of annual military raises set .5 percent above private sector wage growth.

Recent rumors have been that TRICARE prices would go up to help cover the rising cost of healthcare but it looks like that has been put to a stop, for now at least. TRICARE is facing some changes but it looks like they'll take a little more care and time to figure out what is best for everyone involved.

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