Volume 1 Number 1 September - October 2005

Transcription

1 Volume 1 Number 1 September - October 2005 DoD Official Says Retirees Must Pay More for Healthcare and Government Study Says Too Much Money Being Spent on Retirement and Healthcare Benefits Dr. William Winkenwerder, Jr Dr. William Winkenwerder, Jr., DoD s assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, says military retirees may have to start paying more for their healthcare. That s according to military columnist Tom Philpott. This continues a theme that s been sounded for months by various DoD officials which, in essence, blames military retiree benefits for a shortfall in funds needed to support active duty personnel. The biggest culprit in DoD eyes is military healthcare, especially the various Tricare options being used by retirees. In his article Philpott quoted Administration sources as stating that some of the options being considered are higher Tricare Prime fees and copayments, enrollment fees for users of Tricare Standard, payouts or buyouts to get military retirees to use other health insurance options, and a plan to combine higher fees and co-pays with the offer of tax-deferred military Health Savings Accounts. In a separate column, Philpott reported that a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study indicates military personnel costs are rising too rapidly and that deferred compensation such as retirement and lifetime healthcare are not efficient ways of attracting new recruits. The study also says military benefits are much greater than those in the civilian sector. Quoting Philpott, It is highly questionable whether these dramatic continued on page 4 VA iasco Embarrasses Congressional Leadership You could almost see the steam rising from the heads of Republicans in Congress in July when committees in the House and Senate held hearings about the shortfall in funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. The hearings were called when the VA announced it was facing a $1 billion dollar shortfall in its 2005 budget and a $1.5 billion shortfall in its 2006 budget. The VA s announcement came after the House of Representatives had already passed its version of the Y2006 VA bill and after Republicans in both the House and Senate had fought multiple attempts by the Democrats to increase VA funding. The Republicans had consistently been assured by VA Secretary Nicholson that there was plenty of money and they didn t need the increases being urged by Democrats. That s why the VA s announcement of the shortfall hit Capitol Hill like a bombshell. One of the first hearings was that of the Military Qualify of Life and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee, chaired by Rep. James Walsh of New York. The seriousness of the situation was indicated by the presence of Rep. Jerry Lewis, Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee. When it was his turn to question Secretary Nicholson, Lewis informed him that VA s lack of forthrightness borders on stupidity, strong words coming from a Republican Congressional leader to a Republican cabinet secretary. In addition, Rep. Chet Edwards, a Democrat, stated the VA knew about the shortfall in April, but hadn t bothered to make Congress aware of the problem until late June. Secretary Nicholson s response was while he probably should have let Congress know, the VA didn t believe they had a problem because they could work around the issue. Nicholson was asked to what extent Iraq/Afghanistan veterans have contributed to the budget shortfall and he stated of the 145,000 new patients seen by VA doctors this year, about 40% of them are from Iraq/Afghanistan. He also said that only 13% of the projected $1.5 billion 2006 shortfall was due to Iraq veterans. According to Nicholson, the largest component of the continued on page 5

2 Politics Stalls Defense Authorization Bill As we go to press, Congress has not completed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal year 2006 (NDAA06). The delay in finishing work on the bill before they started their August recess may result in a delay in completing the Defense Appropriations Bill as well. Legislators prefer to finish the authorization bills before final action on the funding or appropriations bills. However, this is not always the case, and with the fiscal year ending on 30 September, there is not much time left to do it all in an orderly fashion. Just last year the Defense Appropriations Bill was completed before the 05 authorization bill. In addition to the authorization and appropriations process, this year Congress has the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission recommendations and the Supreme Court nomination to deal with, so it will be a very busy fall session and will probably continue well past the end of the fiscal year. If the Congress does not pass the Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2006 before 30 September 2005, they will have to enact a continuing resolution to provide funding until it is passed. There are several provisions in the NDAA06 of interest to retirees and there are three controversial amendments pending that ATEA and the other military associations are supporting. The amendments we are supporting include one proposed by Senator Bill Nelson (D-L), to provide for a paid up SBP (Survivor Benefit Plan) premium for military retirees who are 70 years old or older and have paid into the SBP program for 30 years or more. Currently, the paid up SBP provision will take effect in This proposal will make it effective this year. In addition, the Nelson amendment includes a provision that would end the SBP/DIC (Dependency and Indemnity Compensation) offset. This amendment is pending and is expected to be offered when the NDAA06 comes to the floor. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) has proposed an amendment to provide for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and disability compensation for retired veterans who are rated 100% for Individual Unemployability. Currently, individuals qualify for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) based on being 100% disabled even if the 100% is based on Individual Unemployability. However, those paid under the Concurrent Retirement and Disability Program (CRDP) program do not qualify if the 100% is for Individual Unemployability. Senator Reid s amendment would correct this and is now pending. Senator Lindsay Graham (R-SC), has offered an amendment to expand the TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) program to all members of the Selected Reserve and National Guard. The TRS program is fee based, requiring payment of premiums by the beneficiaries and would provide a much needed benefit for the nation s reserve forces who are bearing much of the burden of the war on terror in the United States, Iraq and Afghanistan. Currently, there is a TRS program but it is available only to those who have been mobilized and there are several other restrictive provisions which this amendment would resolve. Senator Graham s amendment has been adopted as part of the Senate version of the NDAA06. These three legislative initiatives are badly needed and are among the priority issues for ATEA and many military associations. You can help by contacting your Senators through their local offices and letting the staff know your views on these amendments. You can also call the US Capitol switchboard at (202) The operator will connect you to your senators offices. The amendments discussed above are based on bills which have been previously introduced in some instances, several years ago. or example, Representative Henry Brown (R- SC) introduced HR 808 and Senator Bill Nelson (D-L) introduced S 185 early in These are companion bills to repeal the offset from surviving spouse annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan for amounts paid under the VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) program. If Senator Nelson s amendment fails this year, S185/ HR808 will still be viable and we will continue to support their passage. These bills will correct an injustice that has existed for years. Currently, when a military retiree who took the SBP option dies of a service-connected disability, the surviving spouse receives DIC but the Spouses SBP payments are reduced dollar-fordollar by the amount of the DIC. The government then returns to the spouse the proportional amount of the premiums the service member paid in--and the IRS taxes it. This is an outrage. In the private sector, if you had a policy with an insurance company that accepted your premiums all your life, but when you died the company decided to return your premiums (without interest) rather than pay the death benefit, the officers of that company would go to jail. Yet that is what happens under the current SBP/DIC program. It s wrong and unjust and that s why we have to change it. We can t give up. So if Senator Nelson s amendment doesn t make it, we ll keep on fighting. And the same goes for winning paid-up SBP and getting full concurrent receipt. We must keep the pressure on until we win these fights. We ll keep you informed and ask for your support on these issues. b Chuck Partridge Government Relations

3 P r e s i d e n t s C o l u m n Mike Myers It s an honor to welcome you as a Charter Member of the Armed orces Top Enlisted Association (ATEA). It was nearly 18 months ago when a handful of active and retired Sergeant Majors, Chief Master Sergeants, and Master Chief Petty Officers from across our Armed Services drafted the first documents toward establishing ATEA. Our vision was simple... to build an organization that would represent the top Non-commissioned Officers from every U.S. Military Service... an organization of friends, comrades and warriors... an organization that would proudly represent the ATEA motto... Pride, Dedication and Service. We ve come a long way since those early days. As of this first issue of the Alliance, we have chartered as a non-profit Veterans Organization, our membership has grown ten-fold, and our numbers are increasing daily. Your membership is a testament that there are top Non-commissioned Officers across America who share the ATEA vision and want to build this organization into a respected and influential voice... and for that, we welcome you! So, where are we heading? In relation to other organizations we all belong to, ATEA is still in its infancy. In our immediate future we are working hard at getting the ATEA name out across the country and building upon our membership base. Our new web site ( is in the development stage, and should debut in about 60 days. This will help immensely in providing a much needed web presence with current ATEA news, articles, web links and access. In addition, the Alliance will grow and develop as ATEA grows, with news and articles to keep you abreast of current military and veterans issues. Long term plans for ATEA are in the works as well. Your ATEA National Board of Directors are currently looking at the next several years out, and developing a time line and future plans, to include our first ATEA National Business Meeting. As Charter Members, we will be looking at many of you to help steer that planning process. In closing, I can tell you that the Armed orces Top Enlisted Association is on track, healthy and on a clear path to success! I m really excited about ATEA s progress to date, and clear vision for the future. But most of all, I appreciate your Charter Membership and your great support! Please share the ATEA story with your fellow Sergeant Majors and Chiefs. Till next time God Bless Our Troops! Mike Myers, President Armed orces Top Enlisted Association acts you might like to know: There are six states with a million or more veterans each: Calf., la., Texas, N.Y., Penn., Ohio Ten million veterans (40 percent of the veteran population) are 65 or older The highway bill passed by Congress in late July contained: $3 million for dust control mitigation on Ark., rural roads; $2.3 million for landscaping on the Ronald Reagan reeway in Calif.; $560,000 for the Paul Bunyan State Trail in Minn.; $16 million for the Nick J. Rahall II Appalachian Transportation Institute at Marshall University, W.Va.; just to name a few of the more than 6,370 special projects in the bill. Of course, many people would call those special projects pork barrel projects. It seems Congress always manages to find the money when it comes to spending in their own states and districts Less than 400 airmen or sailors have so far taken advantage of the Dept. of Defense Blue to Green program, which is more than 3,000 soldiers short of what the Army had hoped for. The program, launched a little more than a year ago, was initiated in an attempt to attract airmen and sailors who were being riffed into a career in the Army. 30 percent of troops returning from Iraq have developed mental problems according to a recent survey conducted by the Army s surgeon general. The problems include anxiety, depression, nightmares, anger and an inability to concentrate. About 3 to 5 percent have been diagnosed with a more significant mental health issue, classified as post-traumatic stress disorder. b

4 SBP Open Season Begins October 1 Thanks to pressure last year from ATEA and other military associations, Congress ordered changes in the Survivor Benefit Program as part of the 2005 National Defense Authorization Act. One of those changes was an open season to allow non-participating retirees or those who are participating at less than maximum coverage to enroll in SBP or increase their coverage. That open season begins this October 1 and runs through September 30 of next year (2006). Some of the basic information pertaining to enrollment in SBP is listed below. ELIGIBLE MEMBERS: An eligible member is a member or former member of a Uniformed Service who, on September 30, 2005, (1) is either (a) entitled to retired pay, or (b) would be entitled to retired pay under chapter 1223 of title 10, United States Code (or chapter 67 of title 10, United States Code, as in effect before October 5, 1994), but for the fact of being under 60 years of age, and (2) is not participating in SBP (or RCSBP if applicable), and was previously eligible to elect SBP or RCSBP coverage, or (3) is participating in SBP (or RCSBP if applicable) at less than the maximum level for a spouse or former spouse, or is providing child-only coverage. An election by an eligible member described in (1)(a), above, shall be for a standard annuity even if that member had previously elected a reserve component annuity. An election by an eligible member described in (1)(b), above, shall be for a reserve component annuity. Any member described in (2), above, who was previously a participant in SBP (or RCSBP if applicable), but elected to terminate participation under the provisions of section 1448a of title 10, United States Code, is not eligible to make an election during this open enrollment period. ELECTIONS ALLOWED: There are two categories of elections allowed during this open enrollment period: 1. A member or former member who, on September 30, 2005, is otherwise eligible, but is not participating in SBP or RCSBP, may elect SBP (or RCSBP if applicable) for any type of coverage that member or former member would have been eligible to elect and declined, or failed to elect, at an earlier opportunity. 2. A member or former member who, on September 30, 2005, is participating in SBP or RCSBP at less than the maximum level for a spouse or former spouse, or had elected child-only coverage, may elect to add coverage, up to the maximum level for a spouse or former spouse. In the case of a member or former member who had previously elected child-only coverage, the child-only coverage may be increased to an amount not to exceed the maximum base amount, or coverage for a spouse, or a former spouse who is the parent of issue of that child, at a base amount not less than the amount provided for that child-only coverage may be added. In addition, child coverage may be added to spouse or former spouse coverage previously in effect. COVERAGE LIMITATIONS: Members may only designate beneficiaries who satisfy the prescribed legal criteria for the category of coverage as of the date the election is filed. No open enrollment election may remove an existing beneficiary in order to provide coverage for a different beneficiary. Consistent with section 645(d), members may not elect to cover a beneficiary or select a level of coverage that could not be in effect as the result of an election previously made by the member. or example, a member who was married upon retirement may not elect insurable interest coverage. Additionally, no elections for Supplemental SBP (SSBP) coverage may be made under this open enrollment period. MAKING AN ELECTION: Members must complete a DD form , Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) and Reserve Component Survivor Benefit Plan (RCSBP) Open Enrollment Election (Public Law ) (October 1, 2005 September 30, 2006). Elections must be submitted to the Service designated agent indicated in the instructions on DD form All elections must be postmarked by September 30, An electronic copy of the form is available on the Internet at: infomgt/forms/eforms/dd pdf. EECT O DEATH WITHIN TWO YEARS: If a member dies within two years of the effective date of the election, the election is void. All open enrollment premiums shall be refunded in a lump sum payment to the person who would have been the beneficiary had the member lived the required two years. OPEN ENROLLMENT PREMIUMS: Members must pay open enrollment premiums for elected coverage based on the number of years that have elapsed since the member s first opportunity to participate in the SBP. The number of years that have elapsed generally begins on the date of the member s first opportunity to participate in SBP or RCSBP. or most members this will be the date of retirement. However, under certain circumstances, the date may be different. b DoD Official Says Retirees Must Pay More for Healthcare continued from page 1 increases in compensation are affordable or sustainable over the long term, GAO says, particularly when supplemental wartime spending recedes. ATEA is very concerned about the growing chorus of attacks on military retiree benefits coming out of the Administration and Congress. We expect there will be an attempt next year to raise Tricare enrollment fees and prescription drug co-pays for all military retirees. In addition, we expect the Administration once again to propose establishing VA enrollment fees and prescription drug co-pay increases for certain categories of veterans. We will fight any of the proposals that come before Congress and we ll keep you informed as the events develop. b

5 DoD Releases Study on Link Between Agent Orange and Diabetes The Department of Defense released the latest report of the Air orce Health Study on the health effects of exposure to herbicides in Vietnam, which includes the strongest evidence to date that Agent Orange is associated with adult-onset diabetes. This supports the findings from earlier reports in 1992 and The Air orce Health Study summarizes the results of the 2002 physical examination of 1,951 veterans, which is the final examination of the 20- year epidemiological study. The Ranch Hand Study was named after the operation responsible for spraying herbicides in Vietnam between 1962 and 1971 to deny cover and destroy crops of the North Vietnamese Army. Since the first examination in 1982, the Air orce has tried to determine whether long-term health effects exist in the Ranch Hand pilots and ground crews, and if these effects can be attributed to the herbicides used in Vietnam, mainly Agent Orange and its contaminant, dioxin. The report, along with many other studies on herbicide and dioxin exposure, will be reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences. Based upon this review, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs can ask Congress for legislation on disability compensation and healthcare. Results from the 2002 physical examination support adult-onset diabetes as the most important health problem seen in the Air orce Health Study. They suggest that as dioxin levels increase, not only are the presence and severity of adult-onset diabetes increased, but the time to onset of the disease is decreased. A 166 percent increase in diabetes requiring insulin control was seen in those with the highest levels of dioxin. This is consistent with the strong evidence found in animal studies. Cardiovascular disease findings were not consistent, but separate studies have found an increased risk of cardiovascular death in Ranch Hand enlisted ground crews, the subgroup with the highest average serum dioxin. Overall, Ranch Hand pilots and ground crews examined in 2002 had not experienced a statistically significant increase in heart disease relative to the comparison group. Associations between measures of cardiac function and history of heart diseases and herbicide or dioxin exposure were not consistent or clinically interpretable as adverse. Other findings included an increase in the frequency of reported acne after service in Southeast Asia in Ranch Hand enlisted ground crew members, but the lack of corresponding patterns of skin lesions observed at the physical examination rendered this finding difficult to interpret. inally, several blood tests regarding liver function and blood lipids were elevated and did tend to increase with dioxin level. However, these tests may be elevated for many reasons, do not constitute a disease by themselves and cannot be explained by other findings in the study. At the end of the 20 years of follow-up, Ranch Hand pilots and ground crews as a group exhibited no statistically significant increase in the risk of cancer relative to comparisons. Differences by military occupation were inconsistent. Most importantly, the Ranch Hand enlisted ground crews, the subgroup with the highest dioxin levels and presumably the greatest herbicide exposure, exhibited a 14 percent decreased risk of cancer. These results do not suggest that herbicides or dioxin exposure are related to cancer in these veterans. The report emphasizes three major limitations to the study. irst, the results cannot be generalized to other groups, such as all Vietnam veterans or Vietnamese civilians, which have been exposed in different ways and to different levels of herbicide. Second, the size of the study makes it difficult to detect increases in rare diseases, thus small increases in rare diseases may be missed by the study. Third, other variables that were not considered in this report could be confounding factors influencing the results. b VA iasco Embarrasses Congressional Leadership continued from page 1 budget shortfall was $446 million in long-term care costs. He said that older veterans cost about $1,000 more per veteran than those coming out of Iraq/ Afghanistan. Even though admitting the shortfalls, Nicholson still was insisting that VA did not need additional funds for Y2005, claiming that patient care was not being affected and that they would get the funding they needed by taking money from the reserve fund and the maintenance and acquisition account. That, of course, did not sit well with members of Congress, who asked why, if he didn t need that money for its originally intended purposes, Congress had given it to VA in the first place. The drama didn t end there, however. Despite Nicholson s denials that VA needed more money in Y2005, the political firestorm his revelations created resulted in the White House s admission a short time later that they needed more money for both Y2005 and Y2006. However, the White House only asked for $975 million additional for 2005 and $1.98 billion above its original request for After a fair amount of debate between the House and Senate, a $1.5 billion VA supplemental appropriation was added to the Department of the Interior authorization bill and was sent to the President for his signature. However, at press time the additional funding needed for Y2006 was still under debate. It seems the White House request for an additional $1.98 billion was based on the assumption that Congress would authorize enrollment fee increases for certain veterans who seek care from the VA, as well as increases in prescription drug costs, both of which Congress has already turned down. ATEA is opposed to both the drug fee increases and the access fees and we will fight the attempts by the White House to get them passed in the coming weeks. b

6 our Homeland Security Imperatives The Homeland Security Act of 2002 created the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) the most comprehensive reorganization of the ederal government in a half-century. The DHS consolidates 22 agencies and 180,000 employees, unifying oncefragmented ederal functions in a single agency dedicated to protecting America from terrorism. The National Strategy for Homeland Security is focused on six key areas: intelligence and warning; border and transportation security; domestic counter-terrorism; protecting critical infrastructure; defending against catastrophic threats; and emergency preparedness and response. The DHS and the Congress have been spending a great deal of time on improving Homeland Security. The House has appropriated almost $31 billion for Y 2006 the Senate $32 billion. Differences will be decided by a House- Senate conference when Congress returns September 6th. The issues that are being decided and the imperatives to which they relate are: Preparedness. In the broadest sense, preparedness addresses the full range of our capabilities to prevent, protect against, and respond to acts of terror or other disasters. Preparedness is about securing America s critical infrastructure, which is not a government asset. Roughly 85 percent is privately owned or operated. Protecting the Nation s Critical Infrastructure. This requires the securing of cyberspace and the infrastructures and assets vital to our nation s public health, safety, political institutions, and economy. Protecting our Nation s Borders and Revitalizing Immigration Enforcement. This imperative is the need to strengthen border security and interior enforcement, as well as improve our immigration system. Enhancing Transportation Security. Creating better systems to move people and goods more securely and efficiently was a core objective in founding DHS. It remains so today. Although the Homeland Security Appropriations bill is not finalized, we believe Congress and the Administration is committed to keeping us safe. To be sure, since 9-11 we have struck back at the terrorists and averted a successful attack here in the United States. But we cannot let ourselves be lulled into complacency, or lose focus on our long-term homeland security needs. The terrorists are constantly at work, mutating, plotting, driven by their evil ideology. And so we, too, must adapt. We must plan, we must work harder, driven by a determination to prevail. All Americans owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the patriots and pioneers who built the DHS in record time. Because of their dedication, security at our ports, airports, critical infrastructure and borders has been strengthened. Our nation has thwarted plots and captured terrorists. As a result, in the period since 9-11, the American people have begun to live under an umbrella of greater security, with greater peace of mind than we imagined on that terrible day. But more must be done! Millions of tons of cargo enter our ports every day and most of it is not inspected. Our nation s borders are leaking like a sieve and we are foolish to think that terrorists aren t sneaking into the U.S. through both our northern and southern borders. We must gain full control of our borders to prevent illegal immigration and security breaches. lagrant violation of our borders undercuts respect for the rule of law and undermines our security. It also poses a particular burden on our border communities. We as a nation must make tough choices about how to invest finite human and financial capital to attain the optimal state of preparedness. The DHS holds one of the most important roles in government the safety and security of our nation. We support the national strategy for homeland security and adequate funding to achieve its mission. b Mark Olanoff Government Relations Officers & Directors Michael L. Myers, CMSgt USA (Ret) President Roger Ehrke, CSM USA (Ret) Vice President William DeBoer, Sr., CMSgt USA (Ret) Director Larry Thomas, CMSgt USA (Ret) Director Billy D. Oneyear, SGM USA (Ret) Director Albert N. Garrett III, SGM USA (Ret) Secretary Oscar R. Hinson, SGM USA (Ret) Treasurer The ATEA Alliance is published bi-monthly by the Armed orces Top Enlisted Association Publisher Michael L. Myers, CMSgt USA (Ret) Executive Editor Catherine Tavarozzo Managing Editor/Designer Sue Boyles Material may be quoted or reprinted in part or whole as long as proper credit is given to ATEA. Membership in the Armed orces Top Enlisted Association is open to Sergeant Majors, Master Chief Petty Officers, Master Gunnery Sergeants, and Chief Master Sergeants from all branches of the Uniformed Services: Army, Navy, Air orce, Marine Corp, and Coast Guard, including Active Duty, National Guard, Reserve and Retired. Membership: 1 (800) Mercantile Lane, Suite 260 Upper Marlboro, MD 20774

7 Share ATEA With a riend Dear ellow Member, I m betting you have a friend that, like you, also reached the pinnacle of the enlisted ranks in the uniformed services. And, given the opportunity, your friend would join with us in the Armed orces Top Enlisted Association. As you may know, the politicians in Washington count numbers. They care about how many people belong to an organization, because groups that have large memberships win the political fights. Those are just the simple facts of life in Washington. Help us reach out to other top non-commissioned officers. Please share ATEA with a friend. Use the Charter Membership Acceptance form below to share ATEA with a friend. Gratefully Yours, Mike Myers, CMSgt USA (Ret) President P.S. As part of our thanks for becoming a Charter Member of ATEA, we ll send your friend the handsome member s coin just like the one you received. Armed orces Top Enlisted Association Charter Membership Acceptance orm Name: Rank: Branch of Service: Address: City: State: Zip: Make your check payable to: ATEA q Check Enclosed q Visa q Mastercard Card No. Exp. Date / Name on Card: Signature: Waiving TRICARE Deductibles and Cost Shares Is Illegal Uniformed Services beneficiaries who use TRICARE Standard and Extra are responsible, under law, to pay annual deductibles and cost-shares associated with their care. The law prohibits healthcare providers from waiving TRICARE beneficiary deductibles or cost-shares and requires providers to make reasonable efforts to collect these amounts. Healthcare providers who offer to waive deductibles and cost-shares or who advertise that they will do so may be investigated for program abuse and suspended or excluded as authorized providers. According to Rose M. Sabo, Director, TRICARE Program Integrity, TRICARE Management Activity, TRICARE prohibits any scheme designed to waive a patient s deductible or cost-share". One type of scheme comes in the form of a supplemental insurance program which covers copayments or deductibles only for items or services provided by the entity offering the insurance. These programs can be identified when the insurance premium paid by the beneficiary is insignificant and the premiums so low that they are not based upon actuarial q 1 Year ($30) q 2 Year ($53) q 3 Year ($75) q Lifetime Membership Lifetime Membership dues based on age (May be paid quarterly) Under 51 q $255 (one payment) q $63.75 (qrtrly) q $230 (one payment) q $57.50 (qrtrly) q $180 (one payment) q $45.00 (qrtrly) Over 70 q $155 (one payment) q $38.75 (qrtrly) Membership: Armed orces Top Enlisted Association P.O. Box Washington, DC risks, but instead are a sham used to disguise the routine waiver of copayments and deductibles. Such a scam can result in excessive utilization of items and services, Sabo said. When Congress established beneficiary deductibles and cost-shares, their intent was to make the beneficiary a financial partner with the government. The cost-share encourages responsible beneficiary healthcare decisions when faced with choices, and acts to avoid waste of taxpayer dollars. Beneficiaries who have a financial risk associated with their healthcare decisions are more likely to choose cost-effective treatment for their medical conditions. Beneficiaries should contact their local TRICARE Service Center for more information on deductibles and cost-shares. A list of TRICARE Service Centers and telephone numbers is located at mil/tricareservicecenters/default.cfm. If beneficiaries suspect provider or insurance fraud, they may report it by ing fraudline@tma.osd.mil.b

8 Armed orces Top Enlisted Association P.O. Box Washington, D.C Address Service Requested Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Roanoke, VA Permit No. 495 Politics Stalls Defense Authorization Bill page 2 President s Column page 3 acts you might like to know page 3 SBP Open Season Begins October page 4 DoD Releases Study on Link Between Agent Orange and Diabetes page 5 our Homeland Security Imperatives page 6 Waiving TRICARE Deductibles and Cost Shares Is Illegal page 7