Monday, January 11, 2010
January Meeting
Our next meeting will be Thursday, 28 January at the Amberleaf on the square in Gallatin. Our speaker will be State Senator Diane Black.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Annual Christmas Party
The Sumner County Chapter of MOAA will hold its annual Christmas Party on Sunday, 13 December. We will meet at Larriviere's Restaurant on the Square at 102 South Water Street in Gallatin. We will gather for good cheer at 3:00PM and dinner will begin at 3:30PM.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
TRICARE H1N1 Immunization Policy
TRICARE Announces H1N1 Immunization Policy
October 30, 2009TRICARE Press Release
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Immunizations against the H1N1 virus will soon be available, and people are eager to take precautions. Tricare Prime, Standard and Extra beneficiaries can get their shots from network and non-network providers without paying a deductible or making a co-payment. A temporary waiver allows retired Tricare Prime enrollees to get the H1N1 immunization from non-network providers without a referral or authorization, eliminating point-of-service charges. Prime enrollees will not be charged a co-payment or cost share. Tricare for Life beneficiaries must follow Medicare rules regarding H1N1 vaccine. Medicare will pay for administering the H1N1 vaccine, but not the H1N1 vaccine itself if it is supplied to providers free of charge. Payment will be subject to normal billing and payment rules that apply to influenza vaccine. Preventive medicine is a very important part of Tricare’s goal of keeping retirees and families healthy, said Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, deputy director of the Tricare Management Activity. “To that end, we make getting vaccinated as convenient and affordable as possible,” she said. “Beneficiaries should talk to their primary care manager if they have any questions about the H1N1 vaccine or other vaccines.”
October 30, 2009TRICARE Press Release
FALLS CHURCH, Va. – Immunizations against the H1N1 virus will soon be available, and people are eager to take precautions. Tricare Prime, Standard and Extra beneficiaries can get their shots from network and non-network providers without paying a deductible or making a co-payment. A temporary waiver allows retired Tricare Prime enrollees to get the H1N1 immunization from non-network providers without a referral or authorization, eliminating point-of-service charges. Prime enrollees will not be charged a co-payment or cost share. Tricare for Life beneficiaries must follow Medicare rules regarding H1N1 vaccine. Medicare will pay for administering the H1N1 vaccine, but not the H1N1 vaccine itself if it is supplied to providers free of charge. Payment will be subject to normal billing and payment rules that apply to influenza vaccine. Preventive medicine is a very important part of Tricare’s goal of keeping retirees and families healthy, said Rear Adm. Christine Hunter, deputy director of the Tricare Management Activity. “To that end, we make getting vaccinated as convenient and affordable as possible,” she said. “Beneficiaries should talk to their primary care manager if they have any questions about the H1N1 vaccine or other vaccines.”
Friday, October 23, 2009
Senate Punts on Medicare/TRICARE Fix
Despite a strong push from MOAA, the American Medical Association and others, the Senate failed to muster enough votes this week to repeal the flawed statutory formula that will impose a 21% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to doctors this coming January unless the law is changed.
Earlier this week on Oct 20, MOAA President VADM Norb Ryan Jr. (USN-Ret) was one of three major association leaders invited by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to speak at a press conference to highlight the importance of passing Stabenow's "Medicare Physician Fairness Act" (S. 1776) to protect against repeated cuts in 2010 and subsequent years.
"The current flawed formula for Medicare doctor payments puts every military beneficiary at risk, because military TRICARE payments are tied to Medicare's," said Ryan, speaking at the press conference in the U.S. Capitol building.
"Access to health care already is the single biggest problem for military beneficiaries of all ages," Ryan asserted. "The 21% cut to Medicare and TRICARE payments called for under current law would make that problem exponentially worse by causing large numbers of doctors to stop seeing elderly and military patients. The last thing troops in combat should have to worry about is whether their sick spouse or child can find a doctor to treat them."
Ryan said MOAA members already had generated more than 16,000 messages in the space of four days urging their legislators to support Stabenow's legislation.
Stabenow said she introduced her bill to get Congress "to rethink how we look at physician care and physician payments." She said Congress has acted to stop such cuts seven times in the past, but most have only been one-year fixes that necessitated reversing even bigger cuts the following year. "We need to stop the band-aid approach, be honest about [future budgets], and lay a foundation for real physician payment reform."
"I want to thank the Military Officers Association of America for their strong support," said Dr. J. James Rohack, President of the American Medical Association, "to preserve access and choice for seniors and military beneficiaries, now and in the future. Current law requires not only a 21% payment cut in 2010, but a cumulative 40% cut over the next six years. With millions of baby boomers coming into Medicare eligibility in the next two years, we must repeal this broken formula."
Ryan signed MOAA letters to every senator on October 20, urging them to vote for S. 1776, but the vote failed after several senators expressed concern about how to pay for the bill, which would cost $250 billion over the next 10 years.
After the failed vote, Senate leaders pledged to find a way to approve and fund at least a one-year fix before the end of December to ensure the 21% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments won't go into effect.
The problem with this approach is that current law requires compounding annual cuts - forcing a 26% payment cut in January 2011 - so putting off a permanent fix only increases the cost of doing that later.
MOAA will continue to press for action, not only to reverse the scheduled cut for 2010 but to change the underlying law that causes this annually recurring threat to seniors' and military beneficiaries' health care access.
Earlier this week on Oct 20, MOAA President VADM Norb Ryan Jr. (USN-Ret) was one of three major association leaders invited by Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) to speak at a press conference to highlight the importance of passing Stabenow's "Medicare Physician Fairness Act" (S. 1776) to protect against repeated cuts in 2010 and subsequent years.
"The current flawed formula for Medicare doctor payments puts every military beneficiary at risk, because military TRICARE payments are tied to Medicare's," said Ryan, speaking at the press conference in the U.S. Capitol building.
"Access to health care already is the single biggest problem for military beneficiaries of all ages," Ryan asserted. "The 21% cut to Medicare and TRICARE payments called for under current law would make that problem exponentially worse by causing large numbers of doctors to stop seeing elderly and military patients. The last thing troops in combat should have to worry about is whether their sick spouse or child can find a doctor to treat them."
Ryan said MOAA members already had generated more than 16,000 messages in the space of four days urging their legislators to support Stabenow's legislation.
Stabenow said she introduced her bill to get Congress "to rethink how we look at physician care and physician payments." She said Congress has acted to stop such cuts seven times in the past, but most have only been one-year fixes that necessitated reversing even bigger cuts the following year. "We need to stop the band-aid approach, be honest about [future budgets], and lay a foundation for real physician payment reform."
"I want to thank the Military Officers Association of America for their strong support," said Dr. J. James Rohack, President of the American Medical Association, "to preserve access and choice for seniors and military beneficiaries, now and in the future. Current law requires not only a 21% payment cut in 2010, but a cumulative 40% cut over the next six years. With millions of baby boomers coming into Medicare eligibility in the next two years, we must repeal this broken formula."
Ryan signed MOAA letters to every senator on October 20, urging them to vote for S. 1776, but the vote failed after several senators expressed concern about how to pay for the bill, which would cost $250 billion over the next 10 years.
After the failed vote, Senate leaders pledged to find a way to approve and fund at least a one-year fix before the end of December to ensure the 21% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments won't go into effect.
The problem with this approach is that current law requires compounding annual cuts - forcing a 26% payment cut in January 2011 - so putting off a permanent fix only increases the cost of doing that later.
MOAA will continue to press for action, not only to reverse the scheduled cut for 2010 but to change the underlying law that causes this annually recurring threat to seniors' and military beneficiaries' health care access.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
October Meeting Information
Our October Chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, October 22nd, at Latham’s lighthouse in Hendersonville, TN. We will meet at 6:00 PM and have dinner at 6:30 PM. The cost of the meal will be $24.00 per person.
Menu
The choices for this month's buffet dinner are:
Prime Rib
Grilled Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli
Two Desserts (one sweet and one fruit)
Coffee
Tea
Menu
The choices for this month's buffet dinner are:
Prime Rib
Grilled Chicken
Mashed Potatoes
Broccoli
Two Desserts (one sweet and one fruit)
Coffee
Tea
Monday, September 21, 2009
September Meeting
Our September meeting will be held at the Gallatin Country Club on 24 September. Cocktails start at 6:00 PM and dinner will be served at 6:30 PM. See you there.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
August Meeting Information
When and Where
Our August Chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, August 27th, at Lathams Lighthouse in Hendersonville, TN. We will meet at 6:00 PM and have dinner at 6:30 PM. The cost of the meal will be $17.00 per person.
Menu
Hamburgers, bratwurst, grilled chicken, and hot dogs
Baked beans
Potato salad
Condiments including chili
Tea and Coffee
NOTE: If coming to the dinner on short notice, please call Fran McNutt at 672-7713-3005.
Our August Chapter meeting will be held on Thursday, August 27th, at Lathams Lighthouse in Hendersonville, TN. We will meet at 6:00 PM and have dinner at 6:30 PM. The cost of the meal will be $17.00 per person.
Menu
Hamburgers, bratwurst, grilled chicken, and hot dogs
Baked beans
Potato salad
Condiments including chili
Tea and Coffee
NOTE: If coming to the dinner on short notice, please call Fran McNutt at 672-7713-3005.
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