Cuts to our Military Benefits - Updates

Ongoing cuts to our military are like a rogue wave in affect; officials estimate the changes will lower overall TRICARE (health benefits) costs by $45 million to $56 million a year, depending on the number of beneficiaries who choose to remain in Prime. Tuition Assistance now in affect through October 2013...Below are a few updated articles circulating to keep you up to date....

TRICARE ~ MEDIA CENTER UPDATES

Changes to Prime Service Areas (PSAs)
Beginning October 1, 2013, TRICARE Prime will no longer be available to some beneficiaries. The PSA changes do not affect any other TRICARE benefits such as pharmacy or dental coverage.

Retired Service Members and Family enrolled in TRICARE Prime:
You will be disenrolled from TRICARE Prime on September 30, 2013. You will remain enrolled until September 30, 2013 as long as your enrollment fees are paid, you do not disenroll early or otherwise lose eligibility.

• Once disenrolled from TRICARE Prime, you'll begin to use TRICARE Standard and Extra, or you can enroll in the US Family Health Plan if it's offered where you live.
• In some cases, you may be able to re-enroll in TRICARE Prime by waiving your drive-time standards. By waiving your drive-time standards, you will have to drive long distances for primary and specialty care so you should carefully consider this option.

Note: This is also true for others who are covered like retired service members (i.e. former spouses, surviving spouses of deceased active duty service members after three years, Medal of Honor recipients, etc.)

Children of Retired Service Members using TRICARE Young Adult-Prime:
You will be required to switch to TRICARE Young Adult-Standard effective October 1, 2013.
Read full article of changes>>

TRICARE West Region Transition
UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans (UnitedHealthcare) will begin to provide health care for TRICARE in the West Region starting April 1, 2013. Meanwhile, TriWest continues to serve the 2.9 million beneficiaries in the West Region through March 31, 2013.
Read more>>

MILITARY.COM ~ UPDATES
Update March 13, 2013 - Tuition Aid Cut; Recruiting, Timely TRICARE Pay at Risk
Article by Tom Philpott

Here are some fresh developments that feuding politicians have created for the U.S. military in wartime:

• Four service branches, excluding only the Navy, have suspended tuition assistance through at least September this year, a move that will interrupt continuing education plans for tens of thousands of service members and force others to use GI Bill benefits earlier than planned.
• All of the services expect recruiting to get a lot more difficult as recruiter travel is restricted, recruiting commands are forced to cut marketing and advertising, and recruit processing centers are forced to close Saturdays, starting next month, because civilians on staff will be furloughed.  From 10,000 to 14,000 fewer recruits will be signed as a result, officials said.
• TRICARE, the military's health insurance program, is impacted by a $3.2 billion cut to the defense health program. Unless Congress allows reallocation of medical dollars from research and hospital equipment accounts, TRICARE by late August will be forced to delay payments to private sector doctors caring for military family members and retirees.

"That's going to have a tremendous impact on men and women out there serving," Scott said.  Yet that $200 million, he added, is "a tenth of what we spend on free cells phones in this country.  And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the problem.  The men and women that are out there fighting for this country are paying a price because Congress has refused to get rid of things that we never should have been paying for in the first place." ~ Rep. Austin Scott (R-Ga.)
Read more>>

DoD


Officials Announce TRICARE Prime Service Area Changes

Austin Camacho, TRICARE’s benefit information and outreach branch chief, said the out-of-pocket, fee-for-service cost of TRICARE Standard would cost a bit more, depending on the frequency of health care use and visits. No cost applies for preventive care such as mammograms, vaccines, cancer screening, prostate examinations and routine check-ups, he added.beneficiaries should speak to their health care providers and families to assess the best course of action. Read more>>

FREEDOM ISN'T FREE BUT AREN'T THEY PAYING ENOUGH

GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE