I do not know if you can help, but I have contacted Tricare, members of Congress and everyone I can think of including those in offices on military bases for Tricare beneficiaries.

This problem concerns all those enrolled in Tricare and Tricare for Life. My husband was treated for prostate cancer with radiation. Medicare paid. Tricare denied him at every level. The problem: No treatment approved by Tricare is offered in the state of Alabama. The radiation oncology codes payable by Tricare were last updated on March 27, 1991.

Should my husband's cancer return, he cannot be treated as we do not have the funds to pay out of pocket. No one will listen to me. No one will do anything. My senator said he would remember my comments should a bill ever come across his desk.

Is there anything you can do, anyone you can contact? I received a letter from Mr. William N. Voharas from the office of the assistant secretary of defense dated July 3, 2007, asking Tricare to review compensation for intensity-modulated radiation therapy, which Tricare still considers unproven treatment. I am waiting to hear from him.

Things do not look good. Tricare says it does not pay for chiropractic care and Medicare does, and compares this to why Tricare would not pay for cancer radiation treatment.

Thanks for listening to me,

Wanda S.
Birmingham, Ala.

Dear Wanda:

My sources tell me that there are many procedures that are covered by Medicare but are still considered "experimental" by Tricare. They recommended that you follow Tricare"s appeal procedures, and since you are already working with the Tricare management activities appeals office, it appears that you are doing so. Hopefully by highlighting this dilemma in my column, the Bush administration and Congress can resolve these ancient inequities in Tricare.

Dear Sgt. Shaft:

Please note that the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS) is now accepting applications for state death benefits for military personnel (residents of Maryland) killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. The application guidelines can be obtained by contacting my office. DPSCS is administering the program as the benefits are provided by the same program that covers law enforcement, public safety, fire and emergency medical services personnel killed in the line of duty.

The secretary of public safety and correctional services may determine that a lump-sum death benefit of $125,000, effective Jan. 1, 2006, shall be paid to the spouse, children, dependent parents or estate of any of the officers listed in the state or any political subdivision thereof, and military service members who are killed or who die in the performance of official duties. The death benefit was $50,000 until Jan. 1, 2006.

On June 1, 2006, the law was amended to include a Maryland resident who was a member of the uniformed services of the United States serving in the Afghanistan or Iraq conflict when killed or died as a result of injuries sustained in combat.

Reasonable funeral expenses, not to exceed $10,000, shall be paid to the surviving spouse, children, surviving parent or parents, or estate of any of the following officers of the state or any political subdivision thereof, who are killed or who die in the performance of official duties. The total sum will be reduced by the amount of the workers" compensation funeral benefit.

The law does not include a funeral-expense provision for military service members, as specified in the Annotated Code of Maryland.

Eligible individuals include any law-enforcement officer as defined in the Annotated Code of Maryland, any sheriff or deputy sheriff, any correctional officer, any volunteer or career firefighter or rescue squad member, and any sworn member of the state fire marshal"s office.

Additional information regarding the death benefit program may be obtained from the Human Resources Services Division, Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, at 410/585-3408.

Send letters to Sgt. Shaft, c/o John Fales, P.O. Box 65900, Washington, D.C. 20035-5900; fax 301/622-3330; call 202/257-5446; or e-mail sgtshaft@bavf.org.