From: FRA NewsBytes [newsbytes@fra.org]
Sent: Saturday, July 03, 2010 3:16 AM
To: fra@fra367.org
Subject: FRA Newsbytes -- 07-02-10
In this week's NewsBytes:
President Signs Temporary Doc Fix
Bill Seeks to Waive Medicare Premiums for Older Retirees
Employed Retirees Get TRICARE Coverage with Cafeteria Plan
MWR Customer Satisfaction Survey
NHQ Closed on July 5th


President Signs Temporary Doc Fix
President Obama signed "The Preservation of Access to Care for Medicare Beneficiaries and Pension Relief Act" (H.R. 3962) into law, authorizing a six-month delay (until November 30, 2010) to the 21-percent reimbursement rate cuts for doctors who accept Medicare and TRICARE patients.  

This is the third time this year that Congress has approved short-term delays in the effective dates of the rate cuts and lawmakers previously considered this so-called "doc fix" as part of the broader and yet-to-be-enacted "Tax Extenders" bill (H.R. 4213), which also addresses concurrent receipt reform, unemployment benefits and the extension of various tax incentives. Although the measure's fate remains unclear, the bill would authorize service members who are medically retired with less than 20 years of service (Chapter 61 retirees) and have a disability rating of 90 to 100 percent to concurrently receive both military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation, without offset, starting on October 1, 2010 (FY 2011). The following year concurrent receipt would be expanded to those medically retired with 70- to 80-percent disability ratings. These provisions are similar to President Obama's proposal last year to phase-in concurrent receipt by FY 2015 for all medically retired service members.

FRA thanks the hundreds of shipmates who've already contacted their elected officials on this issue and urges others to use the FRA Action Center (www.fra.org) to contact their Senators to ask that they support concurrent receipt reforms.

Bill Seeks to Waive Medicare Premiums for Older Retirees
Congressman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) introduced legislation (H.R. 4593) that would waive Medicare Part B Premiums for military retirees who entered the uniformed services prior to December 7, 1956. "The Keeping Faith with the Greatest Generation Military Retirees Act" addresses broken promises of free lifetime health care made to these service members at the time of enlistment in exchange for a 20-year military career. Shipmates can use the Action Center at www.fra.org to ask their representatives to support this legislation.


Employed Retirees Get TRICARE Coverage with Cafeteria Plan
Until recently, civilian employers were prohibited from offering military retirees incentives to use TRICARE instead of the healthcare insurance offered by the employer. Thanks to a ruling that took effect on June 18th, civilian employers can once again can offer a TRICARE supplemental plan to retired military employees through their company's cafeteria-style health insurance options. Employers are still prohibited from offering incentives to military retirees who leave employer-paid insurance plans and use TRICARE instead, but the new regulation allows working retirees to pay TRICARE premiums with pre-taxed dollars.

For more information, read Tom Philpott's "Military Update" column (6/24/2010), which is available at www.fra.org.


MWR Customer Satisfaction Survey
FRA and other representatives from The Military Coalition attended a briefing this week regarding the results of the first Defense Department MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) satisfaction survey of active duty personnel. According to Pam Crespi from the Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD), MWR directorate programs received an overall rating of 69 percent, which indicates the military's libraries, recreation facilities, fitness and other programs are "fine, but could use some work."  

The survey also measured the customer satisfaction impact on four desired outcomes; readiness, retention, organizational commitment, and unit cohesion.  The survey results indicate that these and other quality-of-life programs help service members and their families cope with the increasing stress of military service and have a direct and positive impact on readiness.


NHQ Closed on July 5th
FRA's National Headquarters (NHQ) offices will be closed on Monday, July 5 in observance of Independence Day. The Association salutes the men and women who've served and those who continue to secure our independence and freedoms since the adoption of our nation's Declaration of Independence from Britain in 1776.
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