HEADLINE NEWS
1 Feb 2012

National Personnel Records Center Move

The National Personnel Records Center which holds most military personnel records from the 20th Century has moved to a new facility. Previously located at 9700 Page Avenue, our new building is still located in St. Louis approximately 15 miles away from the former location.

Please submit inquiries involving requests for copies of military personnel records/documents and/or replacement medals to our new address:

National Personnel Records Center 1 Archives Drive St Louis, MO 63138-1002

Regular Customer Service Line: 314-801-0800 (For public use)

1 Feb 2012

Military Handbooks

Military Handbooks: Military Handbooks offers FREE handbooks for active and retired U.S. military personnel which are written specifically for the Military community. To download PDF copies, go to http://www.militaryhandbooks.com. If, for whatever reason, you cannot download them send an email request to raoemo@sbcglobal.com indicating the Handbook desired and one will be forwarded to you as an attachment to your email. The following handbooks are available for 2011:

1) 2011 UNITED STATES MILITARY HANDBOOK

2) 2011 U.S. MILITARY RETIRED HANDBOOK

3) 2011 GETTING UNCLE SAM TO PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE DEGREE

4) 2011 AFTER THE MILITARY HANDBOOK

5) 2011 BENEFITS FOR VETERANS AND DEPENDENTS HANDBOOK

6) 2011 VETERANS HEALTHCARE BENEFITS HANDBOOK

7) 2011 MILITARY CHILDREN'S SCHOLARSHIP HANDBOOK

8) 2011 GUARD AND RESERVE HANDBOOK

9) 2011 BASE INSTALLATION DIRECTORY

10) 2011 GULF CRISES AND RESOURCE HANDBOOK

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

25 January 2012

DD214s on Now on Line

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following web site for veterans to gain access to their DD 214's on line:

http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records

25 January 2012

TRICARE Pharmacy Copay Update

On January 1, 2012 the Walgreens chain left the TRICARE Pharmacy Network. For the last several months it has been it has been written/reported about the contractual impasse that Walgreens and Express Scripts, Inc (ESI) had reached. ESI is the pharmacy benefit manager that has the TRICARE retail pharmacy contract. If you have been using Walgreens as your drug store you should now consider transfering your prescriptions (if you have not done so already.) You could, of course, continue to use Walgreens but they will then be a none-netowrk pharmacy. Your copay will be much higher. Additionally, you would be required to pay the full amount of the prescription up front and then submit a claim for reimbursement.

18 January 2012

National Defense Act News

The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) (S.1867) has finally been voted on by the Senate after the House passed its version back in late May. The Senate authorized defense spending that is $27 billion less than the President requested and $43 billion less than the amount Congress gave DoD last year. Since the House version was passed before the imposition of new spending limits in August, the Senate shifted a great deal of spending out of the basic defense budget into the separate war-spending bill. The bill now has to go to conference with the House and the differences worked out before it is sent to the President. The President has threatened to veto the bill over provisions it contains regarding the role of the military in handling terror suspects, but the betting is that he will sign the bill in the end. Here are some of the things known at this point:

1. TRICARE Fee Increase - Senator John McCain withdrew his Amendment which would have backtracked on the position previously approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee that the percentage increase in TRICARE Prime enrollment fee should not exceed the percentage increase in retiree COLAs. The McCain amendment would have deleted that provision and tie future increases to a DoD-generated index of health cost growth that would raise fees by an estimated 6.5% per year. This proposal would have quickly eaten into every TRICARE Prime beneficiary‘s military retired pay. The letters, e-mails and calls that we all wrote and made seem to have had an effect. Thank you all for responding so quickly.

2. Amendments approved - Many of the almost 400 amendments submitted were blocked when the Senate voted to limit debate and restrict amendments. Of those that survived were numerous important ones that the military community has been watching very closely. Even if they passed and were included in the Senate‘s version they will still have to survive conference with the House of Representatives. But this is a first critical step. Here are a few of them. • Amendment submitted by Majority Leader Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) would end the remaining restrictions on receiving both military retired pay and veterans service connected disability. [1128]
• Amendment submitted by Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) would end the SBP/DIC offset. [1209]
• Amendment submitted by Senator James Webb (D-VA) would allow 3 years for submission of TRICARE claims outside of the U.S. Puerto Rico and possessions; 1 year for claims within U.S. Puerto Rico and possessions. [1298]
• Amendment submitted by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) that would require the consolidation of the commissaries and exchanges and abolish the commissaries‘ dedicated funding. [1370]
• Amendment submitted by Sen. Leahy (D-VT) to make the National Guard Bureau Chief a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff .
• Amendment submitted by Sen. Brown (R-MA) to bar reduction of the basic housing allowance for National Guard making the transition from active to full-time National Guard duty.
• Amendment submitted by Sen. Blunt (R-MO) to protect employment and re-employment rights for certain individuals ordered to full-time National Guard duty.
• Amendment submitted by Sen. Pryor (D-AR) to provide a death gratuity and related benefits for Reserves who die during an authorized stay at their residence during or between successive days of inactive duty training.
• Amendment submitted by Sen. Casey (D-PA) to direct a review of all current DoD military spouse employment programs.

2. Amendments not approved: • Further expand concurrent receipt (Sen. Reid, D-NV)
• Provide servicemembers access to Flexible spending accounts to pay out-of-pocket health and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars (Sen. Boxer, D-CA)
• Authorize expanded voluntary retirement and separation incentives to ease the negative effects of significant force reductions (Sen. Levin, D-MI)
• Acknowledge in law that career military people pre-pay extraordinary premiums for their healthcare through decades of service and sacrifice (Sen. Lautenberg, D-NJ)
• Allow SBP payments into a Special Needs Trust for dependent children incapable for self-support (Sen. Webb (D-VA)
• Provide veteran status to retired career members of the Guard and Reserves (Sen. Pryor, D-AR)


But this may not be the final word on these and other provisions. Before bill passage, Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin (D-MI) stated he would offer separate legislation consisting of 71 pending amendments to the bill that had been agreed to by both sides of the aisle, but which had been blocked by a procedural issue. One that may be included in that group is a Levin amendment that would establish a DoD BRAC-style commission to recommend "modernizing" the military compensation and retirement systems. Although it may have been modified, the original amendment would require an up-or-down vote by Congress, without any amendments – a process the Military Officers Association of America adamantly opposes on issues of such vital concern to long-term retention and readiness.

18 January 2012

Do You Have a Will?

A dispute over a veteran's last wishes has finally been settled -- by a judge. For nearly three weeks, his closest friend and stepdaughter have been fighting for what they believe he wanted after death. But with no family to back them up, a judge made a difficult decision. "You have brothers by blood and brothers by combat," Coyt Mangum said. Mangum says he is the closest thing to family Manual Maurice Walden had. "We all called him CW, and he's been living with me since Katrina," he said. Walden's stepdaughter, Christina Stouten, says the same thing. "He's been my step dad for 34 years," Stouten said. But when Walden died on 10 NOV, Mangum and Stouten found out they don't count as next of kin by state law, and therefore, the Galveston County Medical Examiner's Office couldn't release the body to either of them. Even though both of them say Mangum had told them he wanted to be cremated and buried in northern Michigan, where he was from. They say he didn't want the military funeral he is entitled to as a Vietnam veteran. "I think it's ridiculous that somebody can't take care of someone who has taken care of them," Stouten said. A search for blood kin turned up possible relatives, but not one of them replied. "He's been estranged from them for years. I don't even know who they are," Mangum said. Meantime, Walden's body sat unclaimed in the Galveston County morgue for three weeks, until a Galveston County probate judge made a decision on 30 NOV. Walden will be released to a funeral home, and he will have a VA military funeral, not a cremation. But those closest to him say it's better than where he's been the last three weeks. "My problem is it makes me feel really bad that he's been laying up there in that cold box," Mangum said. The probate judge told us off camera that if Walden had a will spelling out his wishes, this all would have been prevented. His step daughter says he had talked about doing just that, but had never gotten around to it. If you do not have a will you should if you are concerned at all about your final disposition after you demise. Don‘t put yourself or your friends in the situation of Manual Maurice Walden in the above news clip. If you do desire a military burial VA offers the following benefits and services to honor our Nation's deceased Veterans.

• Headstones and Markers: VA can furnish a monument to mark the grave of an eligible Veteran.

• Presidential Memorial Certificate (PMC): VA can provide a PMC for eligible recipients.

• Burial Flag: VA can provide an American flag to drape an eligible Veteran's casket.

• Reimbursement of Burial Expenses: Generally, VA can pay a burial allowance of $2,000 for Veterans who die of servicer elated causes. For certain other Veterans, VA can pay $300 for burial and funeral expenses and $300 for a burial plot.

• Burial in a VA National Cemetery: Most Veterans and some dependents can be buried in a VA national cemetery.

• Time Limits: There is no time limit to claim reimbursement of burial expenses for a service related death. In other cases, claims must be filed within two years of the Veteran's burial.

14 December 2011

DFAS - End of Year News

Retirees will be receiving some extra documents in their end of year mailing from the Defense Finance and Accounting Service. DFAS officials state that every piece of paper in the mailing is important and will help retirees manage their pay matters through the tax season and beyond. Included in the mailing will be:

* A Retiree Account Statement dated Dec. 2 show the new payment amount as of Dec. 30. This includes the cost-of-living allowance adjustment for 2012.

* A Retiree Account Statement dated Dec. 12 show the new payment amount as of Feb. 1. This includes any federal income tax adjustments caused by changes to the 2012 tax tables.

* Internal Revenue Service Form 1099-R reflecting all payments retirees received in 2011. DFAS officials remind retirees that because of the pay date change approved by Congress earlier this year, the 1099-R will reflect 13 payments rather than 12.

* DFAS retiree newsletter including important updates from retired and annuitant pay officials, as well as information about tools people can use to manage their retired pay account year round. Data availability dates are:

* For people with online myPay accounts, the statements will be posted Dec. 4, and the 1099-Rs will be posted Dec. 15.

* For people who get these documents via the U.S. Postal Service, DFAS official will mail these documents to retirees Dec. 19 through Jan. 10.

* The Annuitant Account Statements and 1099-Rs will be available Dec. 14 on myPay. Annuitants who get these documents via mail can expect to receive them Dec. 19 through 31.

Retirees and annuitants must keep their contact information current, according to DFAS officials who say the top reason a retiree or annuitant doesn't receive their 1099-R is because it is sent to an old address. If a retiree or annuitant does not have their correct address on file with DFAS by Dec. 5, they will experience a significant delay in receiving their end of year documents, said official.

People who do not have an active myPay account must call, mail or fax a written request to DFAS-Cleveland; processing a change of address and reissuing a new 1099-R takes at least 30 days, said officials.

Retirees and annuitants with an active myPay account can decrease their wait time for an address change and new 1099-R by logging in and updating their own account. Changes take effect in three to five business days, and a copy of their 1099R can be printed directly from myPay. For more information about account maintenance, 1099-R requests, and logging in to myPay, visit the DFAS website at www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary.html, or myPay at https://mypay.dfas.mil/mypay.aspx. People without an online account can contact DFAS at 800-321-1080.
[Source: AFRNS article 1 Dec 2011 ++]
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14 December 2011

2012 Social Security Premium

Your premium, the monthly fee you pay for Medicare coverage, will most likely go up slightly next year. Most people with Medicare Part B outpatient insurance will pay a monthly Part B premium of $99.90 in 2012. This is an increase of $3.50 for people who have paid $96.40 since 2009.

You've paid the same Part B premuim amount for the past three years because there was no Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to Social Security benefits in 2010 or 2011. The COLA increases your Social Security check each year to reflect increases in the cost of living. By law, your Social Security check is not allowed to decrease because your Part B premium is increased. This is called "held harmless." Because the amount of your Social Security check stayed the same since 2009, so did the amount deducted for your Part B premium>

In 2012, the standard Part B premium will be $99.90. The COLA will raise Social Security benefits by 3.6 percent. This increase in Social Security benefits, for most people, will be greater than the Part B premium increase, so most people will not be held harmless in 2012. Instead, they will see their premium increase by $3.50 and will pay the standard 2012 Part B premium of $99.90.

There are a few exceptions to this. People who were not held harmless or were new to Medicare in 2010 or 2011 paid higher premiums of $110.50 or $115.40. Their premium will decrease to $99.90 in 2012.

In addition, people with higher annual incomes - above $85,000 for a single person and $170,000 for a couple - pay more for Part B. Their Part B premium in 2012 will be based on their income.

In you have a Medicare Advantage plan, such as an HMO or PPO, you may have to pay an additional premium to the private insurance company that provides your Medicare benefits.

14 December 2011

New Address for TRICARE Paper Claims

Express Scripts has a new mailing address to receive paper claims submitted by TRICARE beneficiaries. If you submit paper claims, the TRICARE's pharmacy contractor, Express Scripts, wants to inform you of an important change in its address.

This is the only address to change, all other Express Scripts addresses remain the same, and claims will be forwarded for a period of time as with any change of address.

TRICARE beneficiaries should use the address below to submit paper claims to Express Scripts:

Express Scripts
P.O. Box 52132
Phoenix, AZ 85082

16 November 2011

DFAS - Death Notification

Defense Finance and Accounting Service officials report that survivors can now use a "fast form" to report the passing of a retiree on the Internet rather than waiting on the phone. The DFAS Form 9221 for notification of death can be processed quicker than faxed or mailed forms, said officials, and they save paper and postage costs. Officials warn that if a survivor doesn't receive confirmation of receipt from DFAS within 48 hours of submitting the form, they should call 800-321-1080. The form can be completed and submitted online from the privacy of a customer's home, or with the help of a casualty assistance representative. Submitting the form initiates all of the same actions a DFAS customer care center representative would:

The retiree's account will be suspended to avoid release of monthly payments. -- A Standard Form 1174 claim form will be sent to the retiree's arrears-of-pay beneficiary. -- If the decedent was enrolled in the Survivor Benefit Plan or the Retired Serviceman's Family Protection Plan, an annuitant care package will be sent to the beneficiary.

The notification-of-death form is only for reporting the death of a military retiree. Annuitant deaths must still be reported to one of the DFAS customer care representatives at 800-321-1080. For submission Part A and B are required. Part A is information about the deceased. Part B is information about the person making this report. DFAS would appreciate ny information that you can provide in Part C and D. This information will be used to contact the retiree's beneficiaries in order to facilitate the payment of any outstanding retiree pay. To obtain the fastest service,click "Submit" at the bottom of the internet page after you have filled out the form. You may also fax it to (800) 469-6559 or mail it to DFAS at PO BOX 7130, London KY 40742-7130. To access the notification of death fast form 9221, click on the link at http://www.dfas.mil/retiredmilitary/forms.html. [Source: Air Force Retiree Services notice 2 Nov 2011 ++]


19 October 2011

TRICARE PRIME

Military retirees enrolling in the TRICARE Prime health plan after 1 OCT will begin paying slightly higher annual fees. The fee change for fiscal 2012 means the plan will cost $260 per year for members and $520 per year for members and family. The increase amounts to an additional $2.50 per month for individual members and $5 per month for members and family, officials said. Active duty service members receive health care with no out-of-pocket costs. Annual fees for retirees enrolled in TRICARE Prime prior to the 1 OCT change will remain at $230 and $460 until 1 OCT, 2012, officials said. Retirees in Tricare PRIME have a catastrophic cap of $3,000, and TRICARE Prime co-pays are not changing, they added. "We are committed to offering the best possible health care system for our entire military family," said Dr. Jonathan Woodson, assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. "This modest annual fee increase allows us to responsibly manage our costs in line with other secretary of defense initiatives announced earlier this year."

Survivors of active duty deceased sponsors and medically retired services members and their dependents will be exempt from an annual increase, effective from the time they renew their enrollment or first enroll in TRICARE Prime, officials said, noting that the TRICARE benefit is among the nation's most affordable health care plans. All service members, military retirees and their eligible family members have TRICARE benefits regardless of prior health conditions. "The department is committed to maintaining the same unique health care protection we have always offered our warriors, both current and retired," Woodson said. "To sustain our military health system we are working hard to streamline, become more efficient, and achieve cost savings. Together, we can manage our costs responsibly and continue to provide care for our service members, retirees and their families."
[Source: DoD Press Release 30 Sep 2011 ++]

5 October 2011

TRICARE - Flu Shots

Two forms of the flu vaccine are distributed in the U.S., and both are covered by TRICARE. These are an injectable, inactivated vaccine that contains a killed virus and can be used in all age groups 6 months and older and an intranasal spray, made with live, weakened influenza viruses; limited to use in people who are between the ages of 2 and 49 years, and who are not pregnant at the time they receive the vaccination. Flu vaccines may be received at no cost from any TRICARE-authorized provider or at one of the TRICARE retail network pharmacies that participates in the vaccination program. To find a participating pharmacy, search online at:
http://www.express-scripts.com/TRICARE/pharmacy or call 1-877-363-1303. If you get the vaccine from your provider, you may have to pay copayments or cost shares for the office visit or other services received during the office visit.

Uniformed service members (Active duty, National Guard, and Reserves) are required to be immunized. Active duty service members (ADSM) have priority for getting the vaccine at military treatment facilities but may also receive the vaccine at a participating network pharmacy. When received at a network pharmacy, ADSMs are required to follow their Service policy guidance for recording the immunization in their shot record by the close of business the next duty day. Proper documentation should be obtained from the pharmacy which includes patient identification; the date the vaccine was given; the vaccine name or code, manufacturer, and lot number. Everyone six months and older should get a flu vaccine as soon as its available each fall. Some people are at a higher risk of serious flu-related complications and should get vaccinated each year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following people should be vaccinated each year:
* All children aged six months to 18 years
* Adults aged 50 years and older
* Persons with underlying chronic medical conditions
* All women who are be pregnant during the influenza season
* Health care workers involved in direct patient care
* Child care and elderly care workers
* Persons at high risk of severe complications from influenza

Daily steps to take to Prevent the Spread of the Flu include:
* Wash your hands with soap and warm/hot water
* Use an alcohol-based sanitizer when hand-washing is not possible
* Cover your mouth or nose when you cough or sneeze
* Avoid contact with your nose, eyes or mouth
* Avoid contact with people who are sick
* Stay home if you have flu-like symptoms
* Take anti-viral medications to treat your flu symptoms when prescribed by a doctor.
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