Military Officer - June 2006 - (Page 32) washingtonscene appreciates Graham’s efforts to ensure beneficiaries are treated fairly. TRICARE Pharmacy Contact Info ■ For information about the TRICARE retail pharmacy (TRRx), call the customer service line, (866) DOD-TRRX (3638779), or visit www .tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/ trrx_contact.cfm. ■ For TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP) information, go to www .tricare.osd.mil/phar macy/tmop_contact.cfm or call (866) DOD-TMOP (363-8667). More Drugs to Cost $22 List of non-formulary medications growing. three combination drugs from the formulary. MOAA thinks that’s not fair. The panel also recommended moving Lyrica (for neuropathic pain) to the third tier. Two similar drugs (Gabapentin and Gabitril) will remain on the formulary. The panel’s recommendations will be submitted to Dr. William Winkenwerder, director of TRICARE Management Activity, for a final decision, but MOAA expects the changes to be approved. ON THE WEB ■ MOAA’s Web Base links to TRICARE resources. From the home page (www.moaa.org), click on Services, select Health Care and Insurance, then choose TRICARE Drug Formulary. O n March 30, the DoD Beneficiary Advisory Panel (BAP) met to review proposals to move certain medications for overactive bladders, hypertension, and neuropathic pain from the $9 copayment category to the list of $22 third-tier drugs. The BAP concurred with the pharmacy panel’s recommendation to move Detrol, Oxytrol, and Sanctura, used for treatment of overactive bladders, to the third tier. Several other equally effective but less costly drugs would remain available for the $9 copayment. The beneficiary panel recommended a 120-day implementation delay — rather than the 60 days recommended by the pharmacy panel — to ensure notification of beneficiaries taking those drugs. Over the objections of MOAA’s Cmdr. John Class, USN-Ret., the BAP concurred with moving Lexxel and Tarka — combination drugs used to treat high blood pressure — to the third tier. That change would leave Lotrel as the only $9 combination drug for high blood pressure. When a combination of drugs is needed for this purpose, doctors usually prescribe the two pills separately until a patient’s dose is properly regulated and then switch the patient to the combination drug. That way patients only have to take one pill. Unfortunately, one of the component drugs in Lotrel is not in the DoD formulary, so physicians will be discouraged from prescribing it. The practical effect of the approved plan would be to remove all Health Fee Flip-Flop Committee restores funds for VA but not DoD. T he House Budget Committee began work on the FY 2007 Budget Resolution March 29 and wasted no time in sending mixed messages on military and veterans’ health care. The committee quickly approved an amendment that restored $795 million to the VA’s health care budget, as requested by Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Steve Buyer (R-Ind.). This restores the money cut from the budget by the administration on the assumption that the VA would begin charging certain nondisabled veterans a $250 enrollment fee for VA care. But the committee rejected Rep. Chet Edwards’ (D-Texas) amendment to restore $735 million to the TRICARE budget for the same purpose. Edwards, who has introduced H.R. 4949 to stop the TRICARE fee increases, released a statement saying, “I made every effort to solicit bipartisan support for my amendment, but the House 32 MILITARY OFFICER JUNE 2006 http://www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/trrx_contract.cfm http://www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/trrx_contract.cfm http://www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/trrx_contract.cfm http://www.moaa.org http://www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/tmop_contact.cfm http://www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/tmop_contact.cfm http://www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy/tmop_contact.cfm
Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - June 2006 Military Officer - June 2006 Contents From the Editor President’s Page Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities MOAA Member Services Living Well 5 Foods for Life The Kindest Cut Winning the Battle Cover Story: Choppers Pages of History Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Scholarship Donors Member Books MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore Military Officer - June 2006 Military Officer - June 2006 - Military Officer - June 2006 (Page Cover1) Military Officer - June 2006 - Military Officer - June 2006 (Page Cover2) Military Officer - June 2006 - Contents (Page 1) Military Officer - June 2006 - Contents (Page 2) Military Officer - June 2006 - Contents (Page 3) Military Officer - June 2006 - Contents (Page 4) Military Officer - June 2006 - Contents (Page 5) Military Officer - June 2006 - Contents (Page 6) Military Officer - June 2006 - Contents (Page 7) Military Officer - June 2006 - From the Editor (Page 8) Military Officer - June 2006 - From the Editor (Page 9) Military Officer - June 2006 - President’s Page (Page 10) Military Officer - June 2006 - President’s Page (Page 11) Military Officer - June 2006 - Your Views (Page 12) Military Officer - June 2006 - Your Views (Page 13) Military Officer - June 2006 - Your Views (Page 14) Military Officer - June 2006 - Your Views (Page 15) Military Officer - June 2006 - MOAA Directory (Page 16) Military Officer - June 2006 - MOAA Directory (Page 17) Military Officer - June 2006 - MOAA Directory (Page 18) Military Officer - June 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 19) Military Officer - June 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 20) Military Officer - June 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 21) Military Officer - June 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 22) Military Officer - June 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 23) Military Officer - June 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 24) Military Officer - June 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 25) Military Officer - June 2006 - Rapid Fire (Page 26) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 27) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 28) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 29) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 30) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 31) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 32) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 33) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 34) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 35) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 36) Military Officer - June 2006 - Washington Scene (Page 37) Military Officer - June 2006 - Financial Forum (Page 38) Military Officer - June 2006 - Financial Forum (Page 39) Military Officer - June 2006 - Ask the Doctor (Page 40) Military Officer - June 2006 - Ask the Doctor (Page 41) Military Officer - June 2006 - Chapter Activities (Page 42) Military Officer - June 2006 - Chapter Activities (Page 43) Military Officer - June 2006 - Chapter Activities (Page 44) Military Officer - June 2006 - Chapter Activities (Page 45) Military Officer - June 2006 - MOAA Member Services (Page 46) Military Officer - June 2006 - Living Well (Page 47) Military Officer - June 2006 - 5 Foods for Life (Page 48) Military Officer - June 2006 - 5 Foods for Life (Page 49) Military Officer - June 2006 - 5 Foods for Life (Page 50) Military Officer - June 2006 - 5 Foods for Life (Page 51) Military Officer - June 2006 - The Kindest Cut (Page 52) Military Officer - June 2006 - The Kindest Cut (Page 53) Military Officer - June 2006 - The Kindest Cut (Page 54) Military Officer - June 2006 - The Kindest Cut (Page 55) Military Officer - June 2006 - Winning the Battle (Page 56) Military Officer - June 2006 - Winning the Battle (Page 57) Military Officer - June 2006 - Winning the Battle (Page 58) Military Officer - June 2006 - Winning the Battle (Page 59) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 60) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 61) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 62) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 63) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 64) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 65) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 66) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 67) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 68) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 69) Military Officer - June 2006 - Cover Story: Choppers (Page 70) Military Officer - June 2006 - Pages of History (Page 71) Military Officer - June 2006 - Information Exchange (Page 72) Military Officer - June 2006 - Information Exchange (Page 73) Military Officer - June 2006 - Information Exchange (Page 74) Military Officer - June 2006 - Information Exchange (Page 75) Military Officer - June 2006 - Information Exchange (Page 76) Military Officer - June 2006 - Advertising Index (Page 77) Military Officer - June 2006 - MOAA Scholarship Donors (Page 78) Military Officer - June 2006 - Member Books (Page 79) Military Officer - June 2006 - MOAA Calendar (Page 80) Military Officer - June 2006 - MOAA Calendar (Page 81) Military Officer - June 2006 - Sounding Taps (Page 82) Military Officer - June 2006 - Sounding Taps (Page 83) Military Officer - June 2006 - Encore (Page 84) Military Officer - June 2006 - Encore (Page Cover3) Military Officer - June 2006 - Encore (Page Cover4)
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