RAO Newsletter


March/April/May Newsletter

HOUSE COMPELTES NDAA MARK-UP; SBP A MAJOR PROVISION:
The House Armed Services Committee completed the mark-up of H.R. 4200, the FY 2005 National Defense Authorization Act, including elimination of the SBP offset. Under current law, survivors of military retirees are faced with a 20% drop in benefits when they reach age 62. The bill adopts the provisions of H.R. 548, introduced last year by Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL), which phases-in the restoration of SBP over a 5-year period. The increases would apply in the following periods: September 2005 – March 2006: 40 %; April 2006 – March 2007” 45%; April 2007 – March 2008: 50%; after April 2008: 55%.

The committee mark-up of H.R. 4200 is a significant first step in elimination the unfair tax on military widows' benefits. Contact your congressional representative and urge them to support SBP reform when the full House meets to consider H.R. 4200. In addition, H. Res. 584, the SBP discharge petition introduced by Rep. Chet Edwards (D-TX), now has 201 signatures. KEEP THE PRESSURE ON ! Contact your representatives and urge them to support the discharge petition on SBP and end the unfair tax! For more information or to send an e-mail message to your representative, see our SBP Action Alert at http://capwiz.com/trea/utr/1/HGGRDJEVBH/GMVHDJEVDG/

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HOUSE VA SUBCOMMITTEE MOVE HEALTH BILLS:
The House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health approved legislation which would expedite hiring more nurses at VA health facilities, and extend assistance to homeless veterans. H.R. 4231 and H.R. 4020 were combined by voice vote. The bill would order a study into ways to increase nursing staffs at VA facilities and would permit the VA to hire nurses who do not have a bachelor's degree. The bill would also drop the requirement that the Undersecretary for Health for the Department of Veterans Affairs hold a medical degree. A second measure, H.R. 4248, would extend the program that gives the VA authority to offer grants and assistance to homeless veterans through 2008. Current authority expires in September, 2005. Also yesterday, the Benefits Subcommittee approved H.R. 4175, the annual cost-of-living increase for veterans' benefits.

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COMBAT-RELATED SPECIAL COMPENSATION UPDATE:
Public law 108-136, National Defense Authorization act for fiscal year 2004, contains a provision to restore the retired pay currently deducted from retirees' accounts due to their receipt of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) compensation (currently reflected on retiree account statement as the “VA Waiver”). This restoration of retired pay is known as Concurrent Retired and Disability Pay (CRDP). It is applicable to all retirees who have a VA-rated, service-connected disability of 50% or higher with the exception of disability retirees with less than 20 years of service and retirees who have combined their military and civilian service time to qualify for a civil service retirement. The phased-in restoration began January 1 2004 , with the first payments arriving February 1 2004 .

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CONCURRENT RETIREMENT AND DISABLITY PAY:
Concurrent Receipt or Concurrent Disability pay (CDP) is now called Concurrent Retirement and Disability Pay (CRDP). Please note that although the name has changed, the program itself has not. We paid 144,098 retirees their CRDP payments on time on February 2, 2004 . We paid 2,620 retirees whose retired pay is calculated based on a percentage of disability. Due to the complexity of the calculation, these retirees received their EFT deposits on February 13, 2004 . Retirees who receive hard copy checks in the mail have been issued payments as well and should allow for mailing time. On going CRDP payments will be paid on the first business day of each month. These payments continue without the need for further action from eligible retirees. CRDP rates will automatically increase or decrease based on the percentage of disability reported by the VA. [Source: mypay.dfas.mil website]

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ACR I-CARD
The Bureau of Immigrations has come out with a new type ACR. The ARC I-card is a form of ID card and ACR in one. It is credit card size and must be carried on your person at all times. Who does this affect? All Aliens holding any type ACR whether for work permit, school, health, investment or those persons who stay beyond six months, they must avail themselves of the new ACR I-card. I have been in contact with the staff at Philippine Immigrations and they have agreed to come up to Olongapo area and do the ACR-I card for us. The first period for their visit will be in July, I don't know the date/s yet, but keep your eye open for a flier with the details of their visit. I'm going to try a couple of times and if we do not get good participation then you are on your own. The actual issuing of the new ACR is presently deferred until such time they have decided on a cost of the card. Until then, on a volunteer basis, you can still do the “data capturing” for the card and later pay when notified. The reason for the data capturing now is to avoid very long lines once the process is back on line.

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A NEW SCAM
You go shopping and return to your car and when you look in the rear view mirror you see a piece of paper stuck on your rear window. What is the normal reaction to that? You put the gear in neutral, get out of the car and go take the paper off the rear window and of course you are in a hurry and leave the vehicle running, you're going to be right back, right? There's a gang in the states, and of course it will soon be here, that waits for you to get out of the car and go around back. Then they grab your car and race away. You did leave it running. Think about it, if this happens to you, drive to a safe place stop and remove the paper object from the rear window.

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SPACE-A
The Air Mobility Command (AMC) has just confirmed that the morale-boosting policy which allows eligible family members of active and retired personnel to travel Space-A with their sponsors point to point within the United States has been EXTENDED INDEFINITELY!
[Source: Military Living web site at http://www.farmstayusa.com

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New WPS TRICARE for Life contract simplifies claims processing
All beneficiaries who are eligible for TRICARE For Life, including those under age 65 and dual-eligible for TRICARE and Medicare, will soon receive a letter from Wisconsin Physicians Service (WPS), the new TRICARE For Life claims processor.

The phase in for WPS as the new centralized claims processor for all TRICARE regions started April 1. Included are approximately 1.7 million TRICARE For Life beneficiaries in the United States , Puerto Rico , Guam , the U.S. Virgin Islands, the American Samoan Islands and the North Mariana Islands .

The introductory letter contains contact information and frequently asked questions on TRICARE For Life, WPS and the automated claims processing system that services all TRICARE For Life beneficiaries.

TRICARE officials said the new contract integrates the services previously provided by each of the regional managed care support contractors, providing a single source for claims processing, customer service and administrative claims services. The WPS TRICARE For Life (WPS TFL) contract is part of the Department of Defense's next generation of contracts and is designed to optimize the delivery of claims and associated customer services.

"The new single claims processing vehicle will deliver customer-friendly service and improve beneficiaries' satisfaction," said Rear Admiral Richard A. Mayo, deputy director of TRICARE Management Activity. "We will employ commercial best practices and an effective management approach to provide the necessary services through this world-class claims processing system."

TFL claims processing is currently in a state of transition. The outgoing regional claims processor will continue to process claims for services beneficiaries receive until WPS TFL is implemented in the beneficiary's state. For information about current claims processors and to find out what region a beneficiary is in, see http://www.tricare.osd.mil/main/chart.html

WPS TFL is being phased in as follows:

Region 11: April 1, 2004
Regions 2/5: June 1, 2004
Regions 9/10/12 : July 1, 2004
Regions 3/4: August 1, 2004
Regions 1: September 1, 2004
Regions 7/8 (Central): October 1, 2004
Regions 6: November 1, 2004

Because the Medicare program is administered on a state-by-state basis, WPS TFL will be implemented by state. In cases when parts of a state are included under two separate regions, WPS TFL will be implemented when the largest part of a state is scheduled to be implemented.

For example, Idaho falls under Region 7/8 (Central) and Northern Idaho falls under Region 11; all of Idaho will be phased in with Region 7/8 (Central). A complete list of states' phase in dates will soon be available on http://www.tricare.osd.mil.

On the above implementation dates, beneficiaries who are under age 65 and are eligible for both Medicare and TRICARE due to disability or end-stage renal disease will no longer need to directly file claims to a managed care support contractor. All claims filed with Medicare for these dual-eligible beneficiaries will go to WPS TFL.

WPS has agreements with each Medicare carrier allowing Medicare to directly submit claims to WPS TFL once implemented in the state. If the provider currently submits claims electronically on the beneficiary's behalf to Medicare, Medicare will now submit this claim directly to WPS TFL. Beneficiaries will receive an Explanation of Benefits (EOB) from WPS TFL once processing has been completed.

Once implemented in a region, beneficiaries may call WPS TFL, (866) 773-0404 or TDD (866) 773-0405 for information and/or claims processing assistance. For more information, go to http://www.tricare.osd.mil/faqs/default.aspx. Under "Word Search" type in "TRICARE For Life" or under the "Advanced Search" use the drop down menu, and choose category "TRICARE For Life/Dual eligible", subcategory "All" and then hit "GO".

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U.S. TREASURY CHECKS
Well the time has finally arrived. Remember long ago when we started the “direct deposit drive” and I said “there will be a time when there will no longer be paper checks here in the Philippines ”? Well, it came about in a complete different format. Rather than checks no longer coming they are no longer honored in the banks. Why you ask, that I can no longer cash my retired pay check or SSA, VA benefits checks? It is like this. You deposit your check with your bank. They take responsibility for it from that point onward. When the check is sent by courier to the central bank of the Philippines (Banko Ng Central) and it is stolen or lost in route to the central bank, the bank still has to give you your money and make up for the stolen/lost check. So, the bank managers, tired of losing money, have asked the central bank not to honor these checks any more. Now I have heard that someone is cashing these checks, but for a very high price. It is now the hour of direct deposit. Remember it is safer, cheaper and you get your money sooner each month.

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EMERGENCY NUMBER
Recently an American was killed in an accident while riding his motor cycle. When he was taken to the hospital no one knew him or how to contact his next of kin or designated person/s in case of emergency. So the enterprising staff at the hospital started calling people on his cell phone. When this was brought to my attention we decided to put this in our newsletter. For those of you who have cell phones ( who doesn't these days) make an entry under “emergency, emergency 2” and so on and list the people to call in case of an accident or other emergency. I have done this in my phone. To the person who brought this to my attention, thank you, it is a great idea.

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