New Temporary Health Benefits for Reserves Announced

[travisab1]

It seems that someone is getting the word. Why does such things happen only onceevery four years? Sort of like Leap Year huh?



NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense

No. 102-04
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Feb 12, 2004
(703)697-5131(media)
(703)428-0711(public/industry)

New Temporary Health Benefits for Reserves Announced


The Department of Defense announced today that it will implement the
?2004 Temporary Reserve Health Benefit Program? for certain eligible Reserve
Component sponsors and their family members.

The Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act and the National Defense
Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal 2004 authorized new health benefits, some
permanent and some temporary. The 2004 Temporary Reserve Health Benefit Program
includes three temporary Tricare benefit provisions; some are effective as of Nov.
6, 2003, and all expire Dec. 31, 2004. Total expenditures for these new provisions
may not exceed the $400 million limit established by Congress for fiscal 2004.
Tricare Management Activity will implement the new provisions in phases starting in
the spring.

?These new temporary provisions were designed by Congress to improve
readiness and enhance access to care for Reserve servicemembers and their
families,? said Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for
health affairs. ?We are implementing these new provisions as soon as possible,? he
said.

One provision temporarily authorizes Tricare medical and dental
coverage for Reserve component sponsors activated for more than 30 days and their
family members. Eligibility begins either on the day the sponsor receives
delayed-effective date active duty orders or 90 days prior to the date the active
duty period begins, whichever is later.

A second provision temporarily extends eligibility for Tricare benefits
to 180 days under the Transitional Assistance Management Program for Reserve
component sponsors who separate from active duty status during the period Nov. 6,
2003 through Dec. 31, 2004, and their eligible family members.

The third provision temporarily extends Tricare medical benefits to
Reserve component sponsors and family members who are either unemployed or employed
but not eligible for employer-provided health coverage.

These temporary provisions end on Dec. 31, 2004.

?We encourage Reserve component sponsors and family members to save
health care receipts, claims and explanation of benefits for dates of service from
Nov. 6, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2004. This is necessary in the event the sponsor is
determined to be eligible and the care qualifies for retroactive Tricare
reimbursement once the 2004 Temporary Reserve Health Benefit Program begins,? said
Winkenwerder.

The three permanent health benefit provisions of the NDAA include:
benefit counselors for the Reserve component in each Tricare region; authorization
for medical and dental screening and care for members alerted for mobilization; and
Tricare eligibility for reserve officers pending orders to active duty following
commissioning.

Additional information for Reserve component families, who have
questions regarding the Tricare benefit or need assistance processing Tricare
claims, are available on the Tricare Web site at target=_blank eudora="autourl">http://www.tricare.osd.mil/
[target=_blank eudora="autourl">http://www.tricare.osd.mil/] and the Reserve Affairs Web site at
target=_blank eudora="autourl">http://www.defenselink.mil/ra. Each Tricare region will soon have a designated
beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator available to assist members and
families with understanding and using their enhanced Tricare benefits.


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Thought you might want to know.



Travis