Readers of Tom Philpott’s Military Update column sound off.

10 Days’ Paternity Leave Signed Into Law

I have child due this month.  When is the new leave policy for fathers going to take effect?

TIMOTHY GORMAN
U.S. Navy

In the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, which President Bush signed into law Oct. 14, is a provision that requires the services to offer 10 days’ paternity leave to male servicemembers on the birth of their children.

This was a compromise agreement reached with House negotiators after the Senate had voted to grant 21 days of paternity leave. Department of Defense officials expect to finalize their policy for implementing the new 10-day leave benefit by mid-November.  The extra days of leave, which won’t count against 30 days’ annual leave, will be available retroactively for births on or after Oct. 14.

The law leaves it to the discretion of the services when paternity leave is granted to qualifying members.  The timing can be affected by mission needs, unit deployment schedules and command priorities. – Tom Philpott

ANNUAL CHECK-UPS

I enjoyed your most recent article on provisions in the fiscal 2009 defense authorization bill for personnel and beneficiaries.  But I had a question and a comment. 

The question deals with the new preventive health care provisions Congress adopted, specifically the waiver of TRICARE co-payments for yearly physical exams. Medicare does not pay for yearly exams so would this change affect those of us who are Medicare-eligible and covered under TRICARE for Life?  As an old Registered Nurse, I have always advocated for yearly physicals as a good way to prevent bigger problems later.

My comment relates to health club memberships. Before TFL became available, our Medicare supplemental insurance was through Group Health.  That included a free sports club membership to encourage us to work out three times a week.  They called it “Senior Sneakers.”  We joined and it has been great. Under TFL, we have had to pay for our club membership but we have continued our workouts.

It would be a great, for preventive health care, if TFL offered free sports club memberships to keep seniors more active.

JEANNE JACOBS
Camano Island, Wash.
 

Medicare-eligible beneficiaries are excluded from the provision on preventive health services, including free yearly physical exams, except for fiscal 2009.  In this year, which began Oct. 1, the Department of Defense has permissive authority to reimburse Medicare-eligible beneficiaries for co-payments paid in FY 09.  Defense officials now must decide how and whether they will exercise that authority when and if Congress appropriates money for that purpose.  So whether TFL beneficiaries will be covered for preventive health services is still an uncertainty.  -- Tom Philpott

 

RESERVE RETIREMENT

I had four years’ active duty in the Air Force, from 1969 to 1973.  I served in Vietnam from 1970 to 1972.  I went into the Air Force Reserve in 1982 and retired in 2004.  I am 58.

Will I still have to wait until age 60 to draw on my retirement?

If I have to wait, I think that stinks!

ANTHONY E. BUGARIN
Master Sergeant, USAFR-Ret.
Via e-mail

Yes, you will have to wait.  The only change Congress has made to the age 60 threshold for the start of reserve annuities applies to Reservists and National Guard personnel mobilized for war or national emergencies for periods of 90 days or longer after Jan. 28, 2008.  A Senate bill to apply that change retroactively to deployments since Sept. 11, 2001, failed to pass this year.

Many reserve component personnel are disappointed that, in relaxing the age 60 rule last winter, lawmakers said they could only find enough money to apply the change to deployments after the date that last year’s authorization bill was signed into law. – T. P.

SORRY TO HAVE REJECTED SBP

Thanks, Tom, for the recent article on the military’s Survivor Benefit Plan.  You nailed it when you said most people, in turning down enrollment at retirement listen to their buddies’ advice.

I listened to a friend when I retired in 2004 and now my wife does not have SBP coverage.  Though I do have several insurance plans in place, I regret not enrolling in SBP.

A Marine buddy who told me that while he was going though his transition briefing for retirement, people running the class discouraged SBP enrollment.  He was smart enough not to listen.

Maybe if enough of us are heard, we could get Congress to reopen SBP enrollment in which case I plan to sign up.

CHARLES CHANCE
Chief Petty Officer, USN-Ret.
Via e-mail

Letters may be edited for clarity or length.  Write to Military Forum, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA  20120-1111, send e-mail to militaryforum@aol.com or visit www.militaryupdate.com.