TRICARE PRIME Info

This article was taken from the MOAA Legislative Update e-mail that I received.

You Could be Bounced from TRICARE Prime

A new DoD policy aimed at "cleaning up" TRICARE Prime enrollment at military treatment facilities (MTF) could mean some significant changes for many Prime enrollees.
TRICARE has long had established travel access standards to help beneficiaries receive timely health care. The standards require that enrollees shouldn't be assigned a primary care manager (PCM) at a military hospital or clinic that's more than a 30-minute drive from the beneficiary's home address.
As a practical matter, DoD never really enforced that policy. But it will be enforced now.
If they want to continue to be seen in the MTF, current Prime enrollees in the U.S. who live farther away than a 30-minute drive from the MTF will have to request a waiver of the drive-time standard from the MTF commander or the TRICARE Regional Office. Drive times will be determined by a computer program similar to MapQuest. Approved waivers will have to be renewed annually from now on.
Unless they apply for and are granted a waiver before October 1, enrollees who live more than 30 minutes (but less than 40 miles) from the MTF will be assigned a civilian primary care manager closer to their residence. Absent a waiver, those who live more than 40 miles from the MTF will be disenrolled from Prime and revert to TRICARE Standard as of October 1.
TRICARE contractors are mailing letters to all affected beneficiaries, providing detailed instructions on the waiver process.

May Dinner Meeting

Our may meeting was held at Latham's Lighthouse Event Center in Hendersonville. We were pleased to have as our guest speaker, Mrs. Julie Hull, above, along with her husband Stacy from AB Recycle. Stacy and Julie Hull have owned AB Recycle in Hendersonville since October 2008 and began servicing clients in Hendersonville, Southwestern Gallatin and the Sumner County portion of Goodlettsville in November 2008. They provide convenient weekly curbside pickup of Single Stream recyclable materials. Julie provided important information on general facts about recycling, recycling locations and laws in Sumner County. Julie has given presentations to Beautiful Hendersonville, Inc., the Hendersonville Parks Department and a local school.

Below are photographs of Chapter members socializing before dinner.

E-mail from Representaive Bart Gordon

I pass this along from Representative Bart Gordon:

Dear David,

I'm writing to ensure you have the information you need about the recent discovery that veterans who received endoscopic procedures at the Alvin C. York VA facility in Murfreesboro may have been exposed to contaminated equipment that puts them at risk of potentially serious infection, including HIV/AIDS or Hepatitis B or C.

If you or someone you know received a colonoscopy or other endoscopic procedure between April 23, 2003 and December 1, 2008, you can call 1-877-345-8555 to set up an appointment for a free blood test. If you test positive, there are a number of actions you can take to get additional help. Please contact my Murfreesboro office at (615)896-1986 for assistance.

The VA activated a web page at http://www.va.gov/ to provide updated information on the recent endoscopy issues that affected the Murfreesboro, Augusta, and Miami VA Medical Centers. Once at the website above, click on "Endoscopic Reports" in the blue field on the right-hand side of the page.

In February, I sent a letter to VA Under Secretary for Health, Michael Kussman, asking that detailed information be made available about the situation. You can view my letter and Under Secretary Kussman's response at www.bart.house.gov/letters. I also called on the VA Inspector General to launch a formal investigation and the House Veterans' Affairs Committee to hold congressional hearings to examine why these problems happened and ensure they never happen again. I will continue working with my colleagues in Congress to hold the VA accountable for following up and taking care of the men and women veterans affected by this situation. Please know my thoughts and prayers are with Middle Tennessee veterans during this difficult time.

I've also been working hard to improve veteran and military retiree benefits. To view my legislative priorities for the 111th Congress, go to http://gordon.house.gov/PDF/Priorities.pdf. Again, my staff stands ready to answer any questions you may have. Do not hesitate to call my Murfreesboro office at (615)896-1986 for additional help.



Stay in touch,
BART GORDONMember of CongressP.S. To receive e-mail about important issues and services for your family and to sign up for E-News, click here.

JROTC AWARD WINNERS

This year’s High School JROTC award winners are:
a. Cadet Colonel Jake Mihalko - $500 Scholarship – Station Camp High School
b. Cadet Major Dalen Evans – MOAA Medal – Station Camp High School
c. Cadet Colonel Nicholas Kiser - $500 Scholarship – Hendersonville High School
d. Cadet Lieutenant Colonel James Frogge –MOAA Medal – Hendersonville High School

Great Presentation by Major Sean Brown

Our guest speakers at our April meeting was Major Sean Brown and his wife, Erica. Major brown is attached to the the 101st Airborne at Fort Campbell, KY. Major Brown talked about his three deployments to Iraq since 2003 and how the tactics and strategies changed during each deployment. Erica talked about family support issues during his deployments.

Left to right are Steve Cronin, First Vice President, Erica Brown, Major Sean Brown, and Steve Petersen, President.

Surviving Spouse Website

MOAA has established a site that offers articles and stories that are of interest to surviving spouses. It provides help with military benefits and outher planning guidance. Check out the site at moaa.org/survivors.

April Chapter Meeting

When and Where

Our April Chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, April 23rd, at the Bluegrass Country Club in Hendersonville, TN. We will meet at 6:00 PM and have dinner at 6:30 PM.

Menu

Garden Salad
Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Dill Cream Sauce
Twice Baked Potatoes
Buttered Broccoli
Snickers Blitz Pie
Rolls
Tea and Coffee

NOTE: If coming to the dinner on short notice, please call Fran McNutt at 672-7713.