Military Officer - March 2008 - (Page 35) washingtonscene ders had to wait another month to start getting credit for that active duty time toward reducing the age at which they’ll be able to draw reserve retired pay. And many due to receive bonuses in January couldn’t draw them, because bonus authorities expired Dec. 31, 2007. But the new bill allowed retroactive payment authority to protect those people from loss. Most members of the military community won’t see any impact from the delay, because most pay and benefits upgrade provisions included specific effective dates that aren’t affected by the signing date. Here are some examples: ■ expansion of combat-related special compensation eligibility to disability retirees with less than 20 years of service: effective Jan. 1, 2008 (which will be retroactive when signed). ■ full concurrent receipt for “unemployable” disabled retirees: payment date will be Oct. 1, 2008 (with lump-sum payment at that time retroactive to Jan. 1, 2005). ■ increase in drill points creditable for reserve retirement: applies to 2007 and later years. ■ Guard and Reserve eligibility to use GI Bill benefits after service: benefits earned on active duty may be used for 10 years after separation, and eligibility is retroactive to Oct. 28, 2004. ■ special payment to Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)/Dependency Indemnity Compensation (DIC) survivors: $50 payments will start Oct. 1, 2008. In the cardiovascular-disorder category, the BAP concurred with keeping Zebeta, Coreg, Toprol XL, and Lopressor at $3 or $9 copayments. Within prostate medications, DoD proposed a “prior authorization” requirement, which would require beneficiaries to try Uroxatral before Hytrin, Cardura, or Flomax unless they had a current prescription within the past 180 days. Even after trying Uroxatral without success, a “medical necessity” statement from a physician still would be needed for Flomax or beneficiaries would have to pay a $22 copayment. The BAP agreed to the prior-authorization requirement but urged DoD to move Flomax back to a lower copayment. The targeted immunomodulatory biologics — Enbrel, Kineret, Humira, Raptiva, and Amevive — are used to treat various forms of arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis. By a one-vote margin, the BAP concurred with moving Enbrel and Kineret to the third tier but recommended delaying implementation for 120 days to allow time for patients to consult with their doctor and a rheumatologist. The BAP agreed to move Exforge, a combination drug for high blood pressure, and the contraceptive Lybrel to the third tier with a 60-day implementation period. However, the BAP did not concur with moving Vyvnase, used to treat ADHD, to a $22 copayment. This is the first case where DoD has recommended third-tier status when there was no clinically meaningful therapeutic disadvantage or cost advantage. The BAP concurred with DoD’s recommendations to place the generic version of the hypertension drug Norvasc back on the formulary at a lower copayment than the current $22 price. All recommendations will be submitted to the assistant secretary of Defense for Health Affairs for final decision. Beneficiaries can use the formulary search tool to obtain additional information MARCH 2008 COLA Watch ■ The Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the monthly CPI (which is used to set Social Security, retired pay, SBP, and VA cost-of-living adjustments) for December 2007 edged down 0.1 percent over November’s value. Cumulative inflation for the first quarter of the fiscal year was 1.1 percent. $22 Drugs More copayments are rising. O n Jan. 10, the DoD Beneficiary Advisory Panel (BAP) met to review DoD proposals to elevate some cardiovascular-disorder, prostate, and immune-disease medications to the third tier, or $22 copayment level. MILITARY OFFICER 35
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