Military Officer - January 2006 - (Page 34)

washingtonscene beneﬁciary options to obtain speciﬁc pharmaceuticals deemed necessary by their providers. MOAA will strive to maximize beneﬁciary choice, minimize beneﬁciary costs, and help beneﬁciaries and providers understand and make the best use of the various TRICARE pharmacy options. Authorize FEHBP option MOAA will seek legislation authorizing retired servicemembers and their families the option to elect coverage under the Federal Employees Health Beneﬁts Program (FEHBP). Beneﬁciaries whose ability to use their military health coverage is frustrated because they cannot ﬁnd a TRICARE-participating provider should have the opportunity to participate in FEHBP on the same basis as federal civilian employees. Pretax health premiums MOAA will work to authorize pretax dollars, to include pretax payment of TRICARE Prime enrollment fees and premiums for TRICARE supplemental, longterm care, and TRICARE dental insurance. Pretax premium payment is a standard part of civilian beneﬁts packages, and military beneﬁciaries should have the same option. Retired Pay and Survivor Issues Eliminate SBP-DIC offset MOAA endorses Senate-passed legislation to repeal the dollar-for-dollar reduction in SBP beneﬁts for any amount of Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) paid by the VA to survivors of members who died of service-connected causes. When the member’s death is caused by service, the survivor should receive DIC as an added indemnity payment, without reducing SBP beneﬁts the retiree purchased. Most active duty deaths occur among relatively junior servicemembers, whose survivors are eligible for only modest SBP payments. Because these payments usually are lower than the DIC amount, most survivors of members killed on active duty lose most or all of their SBP beneﬁt entirely. Under current law, recent survivors have a ﬁnancial incentive to assign the SBP annuity to their children, if any — at the cost of losing SBP eligibility entirely once the children reach the age of majority. TMC believes survivors who already have paid such an extreme price should not have to forfeit or assign away their SBP to qualify for DIC payments that amount to only about $1,000 per month. Medicare Part B payments MOAA’s Top 8 Goals for 2006 ■ Defend against shifting costs to beneficiaries ■ TRICARE upgrades ■ Repeal SBP/DIC offset ■ Full concurrent receipt ■ Accelerate 30-year paid-up SBP ■ Guard/Reserve health/ retirement upgrades ■ Military manpower relief ■ Improve military family MOAA will seek legislation to exempt retired servicemembers who entered military service before Dec. 7, 1956 (the date the law was changed to specify that retiree care in military facilities would be only on a “space-available” basis), from paying Medicare Part B premiums. The government should keep promises accepted in good faith by servicemembers who joined before that date by providing cost-free access to TRICARE For Life without the necessity for paying these premiums. support VA-DoD issues MOAA is concerned about the coordination of the transfer of disabled servicemembers and their families between the DoD and VA health care systems. Both departments must do more to speed the development of compatible medical records, a “one-stop” separation physical, and VA beneﬁts determinations before discharge. “Seamless transition” efforts also must address services unique to the needs of Guard and Reserve veterans and their families. Families who provide direct services to severely disabled veterans should have the appropriate resources during the post-separation period. Paid-up SBP equity The current 2008 effective date for 30year paid-up SBP coverage should be 34 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2006

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - January 2006

Contents Features Departments From the Editor Chairman's Page Board of Directors Nominations Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Member Books Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: On the Edge Storm Stories Our Brilliant, Bloody Future eXtreme Seniors Pages of History Information Exchange MOAA Scholarship Donors Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - January 2006

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