Mail it to RSO Watervliet Arsenal

1 Buffington Street, Watervliet NY 12189-4000.

Name ___________________________________________________Telephone number________ ___ PLEASE PRINT Branch of service: Army ___ Navy___ Air Force ___ Marine Corps ___ Coast Guard ___ Check one Are you bringing a guest? Yes ___ No ___ Health Screening: The following will be available. Please check all you are interested in. Blood Pressure Check ______ Glucose Check ______

On concurrent receipt, the Obama administration proposes to add $264 million into the military retirement trust fund in 2011 so it can begin providing concurrent receipt of retired pay and disability pay to people who received medical retirement from the military with fewer than 20 years of service. Over five years, the administration wants to phase in concurrent receipt for people receiving military disability retired pay, ultimately providing full military and veterans benefits to all disabled retirees. The problem with the Obama administration’s proposal is that it does not comply with congressional budget procedures; it does not specifically identify a source of the money that would be spent on new retiree benefits. This same problem prevented Congress from passing a similar proposal last year. Levin and McCain told the budget committee they support providing full concurrent receipt, and hope the budget committee can identify offsets in the budget to cover the costs. The Levin-McCain letter was sent to the budget committee on 5 MAR but released only on 9 MAR. [Source: ArmyTimes Rick Maze article 10 Mar 2010 ++]

The average total cost to resolve an identity theft-related incident, according to the survey, came to about $20,000. More than half of the victims said they had to pay for the care they didn't receive out of their own pocket to restore coverage. Nearly half said they lost their health care coverage as a result of the incident, while nearly one-third said their insurance premiums went up after the event. "We had a customer call this week who said he received a collections notice," said Jennifer Leur, general manager of Experian's ProtectMyID.com service. "Someone took a loan out from a bank to pay for several thousand dollars worth of surgery, used his name for the loan and the surgery... We got it removed from his credit file, but it changed his medical records and now he could face a lawsuit from the doctor who wants to get paid." Fewer than 10% of survey respondents said that the matter affecting them was completely resolved and their identity restored, while 40% said they were not able to resolve the matter. In many cases, the fraud is committed by a family member or friend of the victim, so the crime is often not reported to authorities, said Larry Ponemon, founder and chairman of the Ponemon Institute. But don't doctor's offices and hospitals ask to see photo ID? "That is not as common a practice as you might think," Ponemon said. "Some health care providers think that could be a violation of the consumer's privacy." [Source: CNET News Elinor Mills article 3 Mar 2010 ++]

Shingles is a miserable painful skin and nerve infection caused by a reactivation of the chickenpox virus. Each year more than 800,000 Americans develop shingles, also known as herpes zoster. About half of those who live to 85 will get the disease that had chickenpox as a child. When a young person recovers from chickenpox the varicella zoster virus continues to remain in clusters of nerve cells next to the spinal cord. The immune system causes the virus to lay dormant for many years but as we age the immune system weakens allowing the virus to reactivate. Factors other than age that can heighten the risk of reactivation are those that compromise the immune system. AIDS, Hodgkin’s disease, intact of drugs that suppress the immune system, and stress can play a role in triggering the disease. Contact with an infected person does not cause another person’s dormant virus to reawaken. However, the virus from a shingles patient may cause chickenpox in someone who has not had the disease before. When the virus reawakens it travels through the nerves to the skin. The first symptoms can be flu-like such as fever, chills, headache, nausea, or upset stomach. Some people experience itchiness, a tingling feeling, or pain in the initial stage. Within a few days, a painful rash develops usually on the chest, back or face. When the rash is at its peak it can be intense and unrelenting. This rash develops into small, fluid filled blisters that begin to dry out and crust over after about a week.

For most people the disease will resolve without treatment and after one attack the condition is unlikely to return. If treatment is provided with antiviral drugs within the first couple of days it can reduce the pain and may help prevent a shingles complication known as post herpetic neuralgia. This condition results from damaged nerves and can continue long after the rash heals. While not life threatening, Shingles can develop into chronic pain that may bring with it insomnia, weight loss, depression, and other medical problems. Fortunately, only about 10% of all people with shingles develop post herpetic neuralgia and in most cases the pain is not sever and goes away within a couple of months. If shingles appear on the face it can lead to vision or hearing problems. If the cornea becomes infected the result can cause permanent blindness. For additional info refer to www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/vac-faqs.htm . [Source: VACO OPIA Early AM Rpt 23 Aug 07 ++]

According to myPay officials, customized login IDs and passwords will allow DFAS customers more flexibility and opportunities to increase the security of their personal information. Login IDs, also known as user names, will require six to 129 alphanumeric characters that will be unique to one user only. Should a user attempt to create a login ID that has already been established, they will be informed to attempt another request using a different ID. Passwords will be created by each user and must meet myPay standards: Instructions for creating login IDs and passwords are available on the myPay Web site at https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx to assist users. Users can also call the Customer Support Unit at (888) 332-7411 or click the “Contact Us” link on the myPay home page for assistance. Accounts with a Restricted Access PIN, which allows access to pay account information without the ability to make changes for persons authorized by the primary user, will also be prompted to establish a limited access ID and password using the same requirements. [Source: Afterburner article Feb 2010 ++]

(Q) Will my children be covered when I marry? My fiancé and I will marry as soon. I have twin girls from a previous marriage. Their natural father will not allow my fiancé to adopt them. Will that prevent them from becoming eligible for Tricare?

(A) It is not necessary for your fiancé to adopt your children. Stepchildren are eligible for Tricare as long as the biological mother or father is married to the Tricare sponsor. If that marriage ends in divorce, however, stepchildren who are not adopted lose their Tricare eligibility on the date the divorce is final. Contact the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, better known as DEERS, for official information regarding your children’s Tricare eligibility and for guidance with registering you and your children for military benefits. The DEERS number is 800538-9552.

(Q) Will Tricare cover massage therapy received from a legitimate, licensed massage therapist? I have painful muscle spasms in my back. My doctor has ordered physical therapy, which Tricare will cover, but he also suggested I might benefit from massage therapy.

(A) Although many people, including some physicians, recognize massage therapy as a useful palliative treatment for painful muscle spasms, it is not a therapeutic technique that is covered by Tricare. I know of no plans at this time to allow massage therapy to be covered by Tricare. And remember, any change to what is covered by Tricare requires a change in federal law.

(Q) Can my older wife get Medicare before I do, or does Tricare make her wait for me to get Medicare first? If she can get Medicare sooner, can she also get Tricare for Life at that time?

(A) Social Security, not Tricare, determines eligibility for Medicare. To learn when she will be eligible for Medicare and how to apply, your wife should call Social Security at 800-772-1213. When retired Tricare beneficiaries become entitled to Medicare Part A are enrolled in Medicare Part B, and their DEERS records are updated to report enrollment in Part A and Part B, Tricare automatically makes them eligible for Tricare for Life, regardless of age. ?

(Q) I’m 17 and I just got married. My father has Tricare coverage. Am I still covered by his Tricare?

(A) No, at midnight of the day you married you automatically lost all the Tricare eligibility you had from your father’s service. You can confirm that by calling the DEERS Support Office, at 1-800-538-9552. You or your father must notify DEERS of your marriage.

(Q) Will Tricare pay anything for acupuncture or a chiropractor? I use them and they seem to work; I no longer take allergy meds. I still have a regular doctor too. I had the coverage when I had my employer’s insurance.

(A) Tricare is currently forbidden by federal law and regulation to pay for chiropractic care or acupuncture. I am aware that there are people with strong feelings about the effectiveness of both of those treatment modalities, both for and against, and both have been the subject of considerable public dispute and debate. Tricare is not a health insurance policy or an insurance company. It is a federal health benefits program created and governed by federal law, which determines who is eligible and when, which medical services Tricare may cover and which are excluded, the amounts it may pay for each medical service and the manner of payment, the portion of the costs of care that are the beneficiary’s responsibility to pay, and the like. Only Congress can change it.

(Q) Will Tricare cover and pay for hair implant surgery? I’m male, and I had a thick head of hair prior to joining the military. I’m now showing signs of baldness. It’s not hereditary in my family. I feel that lack of sleep, nutrients, stress, missions and shots received while in the military have caused my hair to thin.

(A) Tricare is not allowed to pay for medical, surgical or other services performed solely for cosmetic purposes or psychological reasons. Tricare benefits are determined by federal law and regulation. If you believe your hair loss is a result of your military service, you may want to file a claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(Q) Will transition to Tricare for Life (TFL) impact on my family's Tricare Prime coverage? I will be 65 this year and become eligible for Tricare for Life. My wife, daughter, and I have been under Tricare Prime for several years and it has met our health care needs in almost every respect. But now, as soon as I get Tricare for Life, I will become ineligible for Tricare Prime and be switched to Tricare Standard against my will. Not only will I have the additional expense of Medicare Part B, but under Tricare Standard, we will start incurring deductibles and cost shares that we don’t have under Tricare Prime. Is there any way we can keep Prime when we get TFL?

(A) Your loss of Tricare Prime eligibility and automatic transfer to Tricare Standard can’t be avoided — it’s part of the legal requirements for TFL. Under TFL, Tricare Standard acts as a free Medicare supplement. You cannot choose to keep Tricare Prime. Your transition to TFL and transfer from Prime to Standard will have no effect on your family’s Tricare Prime enrollment. You will be the only one affected. Your daughter may continue under Tricare Prime until she loses Tricare eligibility at age 21 (age 23 if she is a full-time college student), or until she marries, whichever comes first. Your wife may continue under Tricare Prime until she becomes entitled to Medicare and TFL at age 65. At that time, she’ll lose her Tricare Prime eligibility and transfer to Tricare Standard under the TFL program, just as you were.

[Source: NavyTimes James E. Hamby Jr. column 22 Feb 2010 ++]

I will gear my info to the retired community ( Cat 6 er’s in Space A jargon).

There are three very important thoughts to keep in your mind as you venture forth into ‘Space A training’:

#1: The ‘A’ in Space A really stands for adventure.

#2: All flights are subject to change without notice (and they usually are).

#3: Never, never, never, never attempt to fly from June-August. Recent policy changes have allowed dependents to fly without sponsor and many families are out and about while schools out. That is really great for the military family (and I can fly any old time)

Anyone attempting to try this mode of travel should familiarize themselves with the Military Space A Air Travel Guide and the Temporary Military Lodging Guide that are available through Military Living (www.militaryliving.com) or at the BX/Exchange systems. A little pricey but you get it back on your first leg. Where else can you get to downtown Honolulu for the price of a box lunch: 5.00 (or $10.00 if you take your honey with you). These guides are updated every few years and provide pertinent information with regard to contact numbers for flight information and lodging availability. My copies are current and go everywhere with me.

Most all installations have web sites and they provide all sorts of information. Space A travel sites are (www.pepperd.com) and (www.takeahop.com) . The Pepperd site is staffed with volunteers who provide flight information as it is provided them and is my favorite. Refer to #2 above and call the terminal 48 hours prior, then 24 hours, and on your way to the base. Keep this in mind: The mission prevails, we are merely extra baggage. Pepperd provides many, many trip reports, FAQ’s plus the ability to sign up for travel. Keep in mind there are restrictions on baggage similar to commercial carriers as well as baggage weight restrictions. C-5, C-17, KC-10 etc. will get you there w/ 70 lbs. but the return may be a Lear jet with 30 lbs. max.: Your call. Load light-go often, I always say.

This travel style may not be for everyone. If you are interested, give it a try. Try it while you are healthy enough to climb up the inside ladder on the C-5 or sit for any length of time on a C-130. Nowhere else can you get right down in the ‘boom room’ and watch the refueling of four fighter jets on their way back from the Pacific. (Southwest does not offer this) or experience landing a KC-135 at Andrews from the flight deck to celebrate your 40th wedding anniversary.(Delta does not offer this).

I will end with this thought. As I have traveled Space A, it has been my pleasure to watch our many young service men and women perform with skill and professionalism in the execution of their duties, and they have, to a person, shown the greatest respect to us ‘old timers’ as we enjoy our retirement. Keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

If anyone needs any additional information, I can be reached at the RSO at the Arsenal.

Happy travels

Gerry Decker

The inaugural Honor Flight took place in MAY 05. Six small planes Mail all applications to Honor Flight Inc., 300 East Auburn Ave., Springfield, OH 45505-4703. Guardian flew out of Springfield, Ohio taking twelve World War II veterans on a visit to the memorial in Washington, DC. In AUG 05, an ever-expanding waiting list of veterans led to their transition to commercial airline carriers with the goal of accommodating as many veterans as possible. Partnering with HonorAir in Hendersonville, North Carolina, the "Honor Flight Network was formed." In May 08, Southwest Airlines stepped up by donating thousands of free tickets, and was named the official commercial carrier of the Honor Flight Network. In 2009 they transported 35,996 veterans. Today, they are working aggressively to expand the programs to cities in all 50 states. For further information, call 937-521-2400, email at veteran-application@honorflight.org; guardian-application@honorflight.org; volunteer-application@honorflight.org or go to www.honorflight.org. [Source: www.honorflight.org Feb 2010 ++]

According to the second report, since 2003 when the Do Not Call Registry was put in place, research has consistently shown widespread public awareness of the program and a steady increase in the number of phone numbers registered. Together, the FTC and the Federal Communications Commission have collected penalties totaling over $22 million from Registry violators, and due to these enforcement actions and the agencies’ consumer education campaigns, consumers who have joined the Registry have reported dramatic reductions in the number of unwanted calls they receive. The FTC also has brought many enforcement actions against entities that have tried to circumvent the Registry’s rules by falsely claiming to have an established business relationship with consumers. Finally, both the FTC and FCC have adopted regulations that generally prohibit “abandoning” telephone calls – that is, delivering a pre-recorded message instead of connecting a consumer to a live representative when a consumer answer the call. Since DEC 03, the FTC also has brought 18 enforcement actions against telemarketers for unlawfully using pre-recorded mass “robocalls.” The Commission vote approving transmittal of the reports to Congress was 4-0. Both reports can be found on the FTC’s Web site at www.ftc.gov/os/2010/01/100104dncbiennialreport.pdf .

To be added to the National Do not Call registry go to www.donotcall.gov/register/reg.aspx, click the "Registry" tab, and complete the contact info requested .Check your email for a message from Register@donotcall.gov. Open the email and click on the link to complete your registration. To file a complaint go to https://complaints.donotcall.gov/complaint/complaintcheck.aspx?panel=2 and provide the info requested. You may file a complaint if you received an unwanted call after your number was on the National Registry for 31 days. You may also file a complaint if you received a call that used a recorded message instead of a live person (whether or not your number was on the Registry). Even if your number is registered, charities, political organizations, and telephone surveyors may continue to call you. Companies with which you do business may also continue to call, unless you have asked them to stop calling you. If you have asked them to stop calling, keep a record of the date you made the request and include that information in the comment section of any complaint you submit against that company. Refer to www.donotcall.gov/faq/faqbusiness.aspx for more information about the companies that may continue to call the numbers on the Registry. [Source: www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/01/donotcall.shtm 4 Jan 2010 ++]

When the bill was passed, the hope was that the price for the Tricare Standard coverage for this new group would be in the range of the full cost of Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) to the DoD. However, it appears that the pricing formula will most likely produce a cost higher than the base cost of TRS because of the older demographics of the covered group of Gray Area retirees. How much higher the monthly premium will be is unknown , but NGAUS would like to find out as soon as possible or at least monitor the process to make sure the pricing mechanism is fair. As you may recall, congress had to correct the initial overpricing of Tricare Reserve Select premiums in 2008 after the Government Accountability Office reported a significant pricing error. Unfortunately, DoD is not making its premium pricing determination process transparent to Congress or the public. [Source: NGAUS Leg Up 15 Jan 2010 ++]

Among other similar claims, a column in the Wall Street Journal this week by former Senate Majority Leader (and Republican Presidential nominee) Bob Dole asserted that the Senate-passed national health reform bill would tax TRICARE for military families when delivered by a private-sector plan.

A White House blog post strongly refutes this claim, asserting, "There is absolutely nothing in health reform that will affect TRICARE beneficiaries."

To clarify further, there are two types of taxes at issue in the Senate health bill. One is an excise tax on individuals who have high-cost plans (the so-called "Cadillac tax"). The legislative language of the Senate bill specifically excludes TRICARE, TFL, and VA coverage from this tax.

The other tax is an insurance provider fee that would be levied on all insurance companies in America, proportional to their share of the covered population. It appears that the Dole column was talking about the latter tax.

As the WSJ column acknowledged, the proposed legislation would exempt all government entities from the tax. MOAA contacted the Senate Finance Committee staff to reconfirm our understanding of exactly how the plan would work for care delivered through TRICARE's civilian contractors.

We were assured (again) that the non-partisan House/Senate Joint Tax Committee has indeed issued a ruling that this tax would not apply to TRICARE contractors since, under the new contracts, the contractors are not underwriting coverage, but only administering the government program.

We accept this at face value, but also recognize that no one can ever guarantee that proposed legislation won't be changed or interpreted ultimately in a different way than expected.

That's why MOAA continues to ask our members to use MOAA's alert to urge their legislators to ensure military and VA health benefits are explicitly protected, and not subject to any taxation, in whatever health care legislation Congress may consider. To date, MOAA members have generated nearly 80,000 messages to Congress on this topic.

Retirees may receive standard issue glasses each year from the Naval Ophthalmic Support and Training Command (NOSTRA). To obtain go to the NOSTRA Web site www.med.navy.mil/sites/nostra/Pages/default.aspx and select the “How to Order: Retirees” link for information. If you are retired military and eligible for other medical services, you are authorized to receive annually one clear pair of Bifocals and one tinted pair of Bifocals if prescribed by your Optometrist/Ophthalmologist. If you choose not to request Bifocals, you can receive one pair of Distance Vision and one pair of Near Vision spectacles. One pair of Distance Vision tinted spectacles is authorized if prescribed by your Optometrist/Ophthalmologist. Selectable frames MS9/S91A/Half Eyes/FS9 for all can be viewed on the website.

If you are less than 50 miles from a military health clinic with optometry services, you should take

your prescription for spectacles to them so that they may measure you for proper fit. They will order your spectacles from the appropriate facility. If you are more than 50 miles from a military health clinic with optometry services follow these instructions to order your glasses.

* Open form DD771 at www.med.navy.mil/sites/nostra/order/Documents/DD771_2008.pdf and save it to your computer. This form is created to save the information you type into it.

* Fill out the top section with your “name, “retiree”, and "last 4”, along with your shipping and contact information.

* About halfway down the form, indicate which standard issue frame you desire. Make sure to save the form with the information you added in your computer.

* Print the partially completed form, and take this with you to your eye exam.

* Ensure that the examining facility writes the prescription, and includes your pupillary distance (PD) on the form.

* If your examining facility needs eye size, bridge or temple information, they can find instructions on how to determine this info at www.med.navy.mil/sites/nostra/order/Pages/Fitting.aspx.

* If you currently have Standard Issue frames provide the frame size and temple length. This can be found inside the frame.

* Forward one copy of the completed DD771 form along with your mailing address, a daytime phone number, and email address if available to NOSTRA.

* You can email your order to: NOSTRA-CustomerService@med.navy.mil; or

* You can Fax your order to: (757) 887-4647. Make sure you write: “Retiree Order” on the fax. Call NOSTRA Customer Service at(757) 887-7611 / 7152 / 7299 / 7476 right after you send your fax to insure it was received and that all the information is included to fabricate your orders; or

* You can mail your order to: NOSTRA, 160 Main Road, Ste 350, Yorktown, VA 23691-9984

* If you have any problems or questions call NOSTRA Customer Service Department or email: NOSTRA-CustomerService@med.navy.mil . Customer Service hours are M-F, regular business days, from 0630 to 1700 EST.

* There must be a DD771 for each request for eyewear. Note that orders are subject to a DEERS eligibility check.

[Source: NOSTRA website Jan 2010 ++]

* Veterans who supported ground, naval, or air operations between 25 JUN 50 and 25 OCT 54.

* A widow or family member of a veteran killed in action during the war.

* A family member of a Korean War veteran physically unable to travel.

* Anyone who has previously participated in the Revisit Korea program

[Source: www.kwva.org Dec 09 ++]