Military Officer - September 2007 - (Page 45)

washingtonscene Mental Health is a “Top DoD Priority” Hearing highlights critical shortfalls. Guard and Reserve families as a particular problem and said DoD needs to improve its coverage to “hometown USA.” Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. S. Ward Casscells also testiﬁed at the hearing and endorsed the task force report, emphasizing the need for care for family members as well as servicemembers. “The top priority for DoD health care is mental health,” he told the panel, indicating he expects to have an action plan by September. He stressed the need to attack the stigma often associated with mental health care, particularly for those worried about how it might affect their security clearances and leadership opportunities. The committee members indicated their strong support but requested prioritization of the task force’s “top 10 issues out of the seven pages of recommendations” and asked for speciﬁc funding amounts needed to address them. TRICARE Survey Results MOAA conducted a survey to quantify difficulties of military beneficiaries in finding doctors who will accept TRICARE or Medicare patients. By July, 12,000 had responded. Primary Doctor Accepts TRICARE/Medicare T he cochairs of the DoD Mental Health Task Force pulled no punches at a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee July 12. Navy Surgeon General Vice Adm. Donald Arthur told the panel that military mental health programs and awareness had become deemphasized and atrophied over the past three decades in which the services experienced no sustained combat, and that urgent action is essential to meet spiraling mental health needs caused by repeated wartime deployments. “We must give equal attention to mental and physical health as we train for war,” Arthur said. He also stressed the important role of leadership emphasis and sensitivity to mental health issues in building servicemembers’ resilience in the face of stress. Cochair Dr. Shelley MacDermid, a Purdue University professor of child development and family studies and director of the Military Family Research Institute, said the primary need is increased and permanent funding. She urged increasing the number of military mental health professionals and increasing TRICARE reimbursement to providers to expand participation of civilian providers. MacDermid pointed out payments to mental health providers recently were reduced, and TRICARE pays proportionally even less for mental health than for other conditions. In many cases, TRICARE coverage is limited — not covering intensive outpatient therapy, for example. She also highlighted coverage for 79% 93% Specialist Accepts TRICARE/Medicare 66% 89% More $22 Drugs New leader to hear MOAA concerns. At least One Doctor Stopped Accepting 42% 19% “Great difﬁculty” ﬁnding specialist O n June 21, the DoD Beneﬁciary Advisory Panel (BAP) met to review DoD proposals to move certain cholesterol, prostate, and blood pressure medications to the third tier, or $22 copayment level. They also reevaluated some acid-reﬂux drugs that originally were reviewed in 2005. Among cholesterol drugs, DoD proposes to move Tricor, Antara, Omacor, and Welchol to the third tier. Six cholesterol medications will remain on the formulary at $3 or $9 copayments. To persuade beneﬁciaries to use Triglide, a low-cost brandname drug, DoD is proposing to lower the $9 copayment to $3. SEPTEMBER 2007 49% ■ Under 65 17% ■ 65 and over MILITARY OFFICER 45

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - September 2007

Military Officer - September 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Plan for Your Future At Home in a High-Rise Lone Star Living Common Ground Insert: Community Source Cover Story: Waging War on Disease More Than Beaches MOAA Scholarship Donors Pages of History Faces of MOAA Information Exchange Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - September 2007

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