The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) charges that the Defense Department’s complaint about rising health care costs ignores a nearly $9 billion annual deposit that is supposed to go to the Tricare for Life trust fund. Two years ago, when DoD officials said they were required to fund Tricare for Life at the expense of other DoD programs, a provision in the fiscal 2005 Defense Authorization Act changed the law to shift the trust fund to the Treasury budget. But the Office of Management and Budget, along with budget committees, has continued to charge the deposit against the defense budget. If the provision in the ’05 authorization act was complied with, the Joint Chiefs of Staff would not be required to choose between retiree medical care and weapons funding, declare MOAA officials.