From: FRA NewsBytes [Newsbytes@fra.org]
Sent: Saturday, April 10, 2010 02:10
To: fra@fra367.org
Subject: FRA Newsbytes - 04-09-10
In this week's NewsBytes:
Restore Doc Fees Before It's Too Late
FY 2011 Budget Battles Begin
Financial Regulation Bill Should Include Auto Dealers
New DFAS Website for Retirees
New ID Cards Slow in Coming

Restore Doc Fees Before It's Too Late
Congress will reconvene on Monday, April 12th, when lawmakers will hopefully vote to retroactively halt cuts Medicare and TRICARE reimbursement rates that took effect on April 1, 2010. As it has several times in recent months, Congress again failed to stop or delay the 21-percent rate cuts for healthcare providers before departing for a two-week Spring recess.

Medicare (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services or CMS) is delaying payments for medical services provided after April 1st, in hopes the matter can be resolved before April 14th - the end of the 10-business-day period for which Medicare can hold claims. By law, TRICARE reimbursement rates must mirror those paid by Medicare, but traditionally the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) can take up to 30 days after Medicare makes a change to implement new rates.

Reimbursement rate cuts may force many providers to stop seeing Medicare and TRICARE patients. Shipmates are strongly urged to use the FRA Action Center (www.fra.org) to contact their U.S. Representative and ask them to pass H.R. 4213, which will defer the cuts until January 1, 2011.

Hot Topic: If these cuts to Medicare and TRICARE reimbursement rates take effect permanently, how will it affect you?  Visit www.fra.org/hottopics to share your views.


FY 2011 Budget Battles Begin
Leaders in both the House and Senate had hoped to pass their FY2011 Budget Resolutions before adjourning for the two-week Spring recess (March 29-April 9), but the debate on health care legislation delayed their mark-up and floor votes. Although the statutory deadline for passing the Budget Resolution is April 15th, there is no penalty for being late. In the absence of a finalized Budget Resolution, appropriating committees can begin writing their spending bills on May 15th.

Once approved, the FY2011 Budget Resolution will be used as a guide for authorizing, appropriating, and taxing committees and designates congressional spending priorities for the upcoming fiscal year that starts October 1, 2010. The Administration requested a three-year freeze on non-defense discretionary spending, but both House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (S.C.) and Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (N.D.) have indicated they want to go further to reduce the federal deficit.

The FRA Legislative Team is closely monitoring the process with regard to its impact on the Association's legislative agenda.


Financial Regulation Bill Should Include Auto Dealers
FRA is particularly concerned about a possible amendment to The Restoring American Financial Stability Act that would exclude auto dealers and their lending practices from the financial reform bill. In conjunction with this, John Davis, FRA's director of Legislative Programs, met with Senate Banking Committee staff this week to discuss the draft legislation that would regulate lending.

In a recent letter to the Department of the Treasury's Assistant Secretary for Financial Institutions, Dr. Clifford Stanley, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, references informal polling data that shows 72 percent of military attorneys and personal financial advisors counseled service members in the past six months on one or more unscrupulous practices associated with auto financing.

This is one of the most significant financial obligations for many enlisted service members and FRA believes it is important to address auto dealers' financing and sales in the reform bill to ensure greater protections for our service members and their families. Dishonest practices include bait-and-switch financing, falsification of loan documents, failure to pay-off liens, and "packing loans." FRA will continue to monitor this measure as it advances on Capitol Hill to ensure that adequate protections are included for members of the military community.


New DFAS Website for Retirees
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) recently launched a new and improved website for retired military and annuitant customers at www.dfas.mil. The updated website offers easier navigation and more relevant content, which is organized into four topical sections:

    Retirement Pay  

    Annuities  

    Disability Benefits  

    Planning for Retirement

There's also a "News and Events" section, which is a new feature that includes press releases, current events, newsletters and retiree seminars. You can find all of this information and more by clicking "Retired Pay" on the yellow bar at the top of the DFAS homepage.  


New ID Cards Slow in Coming
FRA has received several queries from military retirees who have been frustrated when requesting new Department of Defense (DoD) ID cards that do not show the sponsor's Social Security Number (SSN).  A DoD press release (dated September of 2009) explained that retirees' could request new ID cards without SSNs as of January 1, 2010, but things are apparently not going as planned.

According to representatives at local ID card offices, only military family members are currently receiving the new cards and it unclear when they will be available to service members and retirees.  

To find the nearest ID card center, visit the RAPIDS site located at www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/owa/home. The RAPIDS site locator provides a directory of over 1,500 locations around the world where you can renew or replace your military ID card. The directory also includes phone numbers, and shipmates are encouraged to call first to see if/when the new cards are available.

Hot Topic:  How do you feel about Social Security Numbers being visible on military ID cards?  Visit www.fra.org/hottopics to share your thoughts.
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FRA is celebrating its 85th anniversary and is the oldest and largest association representing the interests of current and former Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard personnel. If you are not a member and are eligible, please join FRA at www.fra.org. The larger the membership base, the louder your voice is heard on Capitol Hill!