From: FRA NewsBytes [Newsbytes@fra.org]
Sent: Saturday, March 06, 2010 04:47
To: fra@fra367.org
Subject: FRA NewsBytes -- 03-05-10
In this week's Newsbytes:
30-Day Fix for Medicare/TRICARE Reimbursement Rates
FRA's Full Month's Retired Pay Bill in Senate
Opportunity to Review Disability Ratings
DoD Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness Confirmed by Senate
New Resource Directory for Military and Veterans


30-Day Fix for Medicare/TRICARE Reimbursement Rates
President Obama signed legislation (H.R. 4691) this week that will delay the 21-percent cut in doctor reimbursement rates for providers who see Medicare and TRICARE patients that was scheduled to take effect on March 1st. Unfortunately the extension only delays the cuts for 30 days. This short-term legislation is intended to give lawmakers time to work on a package that would include longer-term extensions and/or a more permanent resolution to the reimbursement problem.  

The Association will continue to push for reimbursement rates that are adequate to ensure doctors continue seeing Medicare and TRICARE patients. FRA thanks the more than 3,000 shipmates who used the Action Center to send recent advocacy messages to Capitol Hill on this important health care issue.


FRA's Full Month's Retired Pay Bill in Senate
Senator Blanche Lincoln (Ark.) is expected to introduce legislation authorizing the retention of the full final month's retired pay by the surviving spouse (or other designated survivor) of a military retiree for the month in which the member was alive for at least 24 hours. This is companion legislation to The Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act (H.R. 613), sponsored by Rep. Walter Jones (N.C.) at FRA's request. To offset the cost associated with this proposal, both measure include language that would delay the first Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuity payment until the month after the retiree dies.  

Current regulations require survivors of deceased military retirees to return any retirement payment received in the month the retiree passes away or any subsequent month thereafter. When a retiree's demise is reported, the Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) stops payments on the retirement account, recalculates the final payment to cover only the days in the month the retiree was alive, and forwards a check for those days to the surviving spouse (beneficiary). If the death is not reported in a timely manner, DFAS recoups any payment(s) made covering periods subsequent to the retiree's death, without advance notice or consideration of the survivor's financial status. DFAS has the authority to recoup overpayments directly from the account to which it was originally paid, sometimes clearing out a survivor's resources without warning.

Congress passed a similar law in 1996 that allows a surviving spouse to retain veterans' disability and VA pension payments issued for the month of the veteran's death. FRA believes military retired pay should be no different. Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center at www.fra.org to support H.R. 613.


Opportunity to Review Disability Ratings
FRA recommends that personnel who have been medically separated, deemed unfit for continued military service as a result of a physical disability under Chapter 61, received a combined disability rating of 20 percent or lower, and found ineligible for retirement, have their disability ratings reviewed by the new Physical Disability Board of Review (PDBR) to ensure fairness and accuracy.

This review panel was established by FY 2008 Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and is authorized to recommend an increase in a disability rating, uphold the previous finding, or issue a disability rating when the previous board did not assign one. The board, however, is not able to recommend a lower rating. The PDBR improved 61 percent of the cases it has reviewed. Eligible veterans can request a board review by submitting a Department of Defense Form 294, Application for Review of Physical Disability Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States, which is available at www.defense.gov.

Veterans requesting a review must mail their completed and signed DD Form 294 to SAF/MRBR, 550 C St. W., Suite 41, Randolph Air Force Base, TX 78150-4743. Applicants may submit statements, briefs, medical records or affidavits supporting their application.


DoD Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness Confirmed by Senate
The Senate confirmed retired Marine Major General Clifford L. Stanley as the Department of Defense Undersecretary for Personnel and Readiness this week. Stanley served 33 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, retired in 2002 and, most recently, served as President of Scholarship America, the nation's largest nonprofit, private-sector scholarship organization.

As undersecretary he is the senior policy advisor on recruitment, career development, pay and benefits for 1.4 million active duty military personnel, 1.3 million Guard and Reserve personnel and 680,000 DoD civilians and is responsible for overseeing the state of military readiness. Stanley will also oversee the Defense Health Program, Defense Commissaries and Exchanges, the Defense Education Activity and the Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute, the nation's largest equal opportunity training program.


New Resource Directory for Military and Veterans
The Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans' Affairs recently launched a new National Resource Directory that provides free, online access to more than 11,000 services and resources at the national, state and community level to help with rehabilitation and reintegration. The Web site includes an improved search engine, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) news feeds, subscriptions to e-mail updates, and new subject areas such as "Homeless Assistance." The National Resource Directory is designed to serve a broad base of users including wounded warriors, service members, veterans, retirees, their families and caregivers.  It also provides support tools for service providers, such as Recovery Care Coordinators, Federal Recovery Coordinators, health care providers and case managers at veterans' service organizations.

Visit www.nationalresourcedirectory.gov to access the new National Resource Directory.

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