Today's Officer - Winter 2007 - (Page 6) LEGISLATIVE FRONT REALITY CHECK Does Your Doctor Take TRICARE? MOAA’s recent survey indicates most military beneficiaries have found doctors who accept TRICARE. But that’s no comfort to the minority who are experiencing access problems. Primary providers: 91 percent Specialty care providers: 85 percent* 0 20 40 60 80 100 “next generation” cooperative arrangements. These include a joint electronic medical record, an electronic service record, and a unified case management system to provide continuity of assistance from injury through recovery and stabilize transition to VA care. Disability retirement reform. Current disability rating disparities among the services and the VA must be resolved. Servicemembers who suffer significant lifelong service-caused disabilities should be retired rather than separated with no military benefits. There must be a common rating standard that provides fair compensation commensurate with the level of disability. Wounded servicemembers should be retained on active duty until the disabling condition is stabilized rather than expediting separation and shifting responsibility to the VA. Assistance for family caregivers. *50 percent reported being refused by one or more specialists personnel. Military medical staffs are woefully understaffed and overworked. The nation must not shirk its responsibility to spend whatever it takes to ensure our wounded warriors receive top-level treatment in wartime or peacetime. Joint seamless transition office. Senior DoD and VA officials are making commendable efforts to improve coordination between the two departments, but the structural change of establishing a joint office will be important to build Family members who become full-time caregivers for severely disabled servicemembers shouldn’t have to search for information or be left to rely on charity. We need institutionalized outreach programs to help them navigate administrative proceedings, appeal options, and benefit programs. In severe cases, compensation is appropriate to recognize caregivers’ forced sacrifice of their own incomes and careers. Disability Retirement Disparity Percent of disabled servicemembers awarded disability retirement: Army 13% Marine Corps 18% Navy 36% Air Force 27% 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 Recent studies found significant differences among the services in the percentage of disabled troops awarded disability ratings of 30 percent or higher — the rating necessary to qualify for lifetime military retirement benefits. The Army and Marine Corps, whose troops have borne the brunt of combat, tend to award relatively lower disability ratings — drawing calls for a more consistent rating system. (source: Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission) 6 TODAY’S OFFICER Winter 2007/08 IMAGES: ABOVE, BEARD & HOWELL/GETTY IMAGES; TOP, LEW ROBERTSON/CORBIS
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