Topics In This Week's News Include:
1.Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care Briefing
2. Deadline Nearing for Many Military Friendly Scholarships
3. Virginia Legislation Clarifies School Age Tuition Charge Exemption Rules
4. Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Released
5. AAFES Delivers Pizza, a Movie and Magazine to Students Who "Make the Grade"
6. Wounded Service Member Rehabilitation Center Opens in Texas
7. Wounded Veterans Hit the Slopes
8. Armed Services Blood Program Has An Updated Website
Here's The News!!!
1. Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care Briefing:
On February 6, 2007, a member of the National Military Family
Association (NMFA) attended the briefing. The task force heard about
the Department of Defense's (DoD) pharmacy program. According to RADM
Thomas McGinnis and CAPT Patricia Buss, there are approximately 6.7
million who utilize the pharmacy benefit out of potential 9.2 million
beneficiaries. Prescriptions are dispensed in the 121 Military
Treatment Facility (MTF) pharmacies, a national TRICARE Mail Order
Pharmacy (TMOP) and 58,650 retail network pharmacies. In Fiscal Year
(FY) 2006,115 million prescriptions were filled with the majority in
the MTF (2.8 million), followed by retail (1.9 million) and TMOP (55,
076).
The cost for medication has increased over time. In FY06, total cost
was $6.18 billion with retail representing the most expensive at $3.9
billion comprising 63 percent of total expenditures, MTF with $1.5
billion (25%) and TMOP at $718 million (12%). Costs have risen because
of an overall increase in beneficiaries and low out-of-pocket co-pays.
RADM McGinnis spoke of past and future proposed policy initiatives.
Past cost containment initiatives:
- Joint pharmaceutical contracting with Department of Veterans Affairs resulting in an FY06 $379 million cost avoidance
- TMOP marketing started February 2006
- Retail pharmacy rebates started August 2006
- Mandatory generic policy
Future policy cost containment considerations:
- Make all 3rd tier maintenance drugs available only through TMOP (requires regulation change)
- Dispense selected 1st and 2nd tier maintenance drugs at TMOP or MTF only (requires legislative change)
- Allow designation of selected Over the Counter drugs to be a covered benefit (currently under demonstration authority)
- Revise co-pays
- Retail 30 day supply was proposed at Generic $5 (currently $3),
Formulary-brand $15 (current $9), and Non-Formulary N/A (currently $22) - TMOP
90 day supply was proposed at Generic $0 (currently $3),
Formulary-brand $15 (currently $9) and Non-Formulary up to 20/25%
(currently $22)
- Retail 30 day supply was proposed at Generic $5 (currently $3),
NMFA, along with the Military Coalition has worked with DoD to
market the new TMOP. We have played a large role in its success. NMFA
is reviewing the current DoD proposals and their potential impact on
eligible military service members and their families. We will continue
to monitor future Task Force on the Future of Military Health Care
meetings for pertinent information pertaining to this important
benefit.
2. Deadline Nearing for Many Military Friendly Scholarships:
Military family members value educational opportunities. In the ever
challenging military lifestyle, participating in post secondary
education is high on the list of many military children and military
spouses, as is finding ways to pay for college. Most families will tell
you that this scholarship search can become all consuming! It's
imperative for military families to stay up to date and ever cognizant
of scholarship application deadlines.
To help with this effort, National Military Family Association has
arranged a listing of upcoming scholarships according to deadlines. For
a more complete listing go to: http://www.nmfa.org
Commissary Scholarship Program:
- Deadline, February 21, 2007. Open to all unmarried children under
21---under 23 if enrolled in school---of military active-duty, Reserve,
National Guard and retired personnel. Scholarship applications are
available at 263 commissaries worldwide, or can be downloaded through
the Scholarship for Military Children, Defense Commissary Agency and
Department of Defense Education Activity's website: http://www.commissaries.com/
Army Emergency Relief:
- Dependent Children Scholarship Program: MG James Ursano Scholarship
Program: Deadline, March 1, 2007. Applicants must be dependent
children, stepchildren or legally adopted children or a ward of Army
soldiers on active duty, retired, or deceased while on active duty or
after retirement. Children of Reserve or National Guard soldiers
mobilized under title 10 status for the entire academic year are
eligible. The children of Gray Area retirees are also eligible.
Applicants must be registered in the Defense Eligibility Enrollment
Reporting System (DEERS), unmarried for the entire academic year, under
the age of 22 on May 1, 2007 based on the 2007-08 academic year and
maintain a cumulative GPA of not less than 2.0 based on a 4.0 scale.
Visit: http://www.aerhq.org/ - Stateside
Spouse Education Program: Deadline, March 1, 2007. Eligible applicants
must be residing in the U.S., an Army Soldier spouse on active duty,
widow(er) of an Army Soldier who died on active duty, spouse of retired
Army Soldier or widow(er) of an Army Soldier who died while in retired
status. Visit: http://www.aerhq.org/
Navy Marine Corps Relief Society (NMCRS):
- Vice Admiral E. P. Travers Scholarship and Loan Program: Deadline,
March 1, 2007. This program provides scholarships and interest-free
loans to dependent children and spouses of active duty and retired
Navy-Marine Corps. Visit: http://www.nmcrs.org/education.html - USS
TENNESSEE Scholarship Fund: Deadline, March 1, 2007. The scholarship
provides grants of up to $2,000 for an academic year to dependent
children of active duty or retired service members who are serving or
served aboard the USS TENNESSEE. Go to: http://www.nmcrs.org/education.html - Dependents
of Deceased Service Members Scholarship Program: Deadline, March 1,
2007. This program provides grants for an academic year to children and
un-remarried spouses who are military dependents of deceased service
members. Awards are determined by NMCRS Headquarters Education
Division. Go to: http://www.nmcrs.org/education.html
Air Force Aid Society:
- General Henry H. Arnold Education Grant Program: Preliminary
Deadline, March 9, 2007. The program provides $2000 grants to selected
sons and daughters of active duty, Title 10 AGR/Reserve, Title 32 AGR
performing active duty, retired, retired Reserve and deceased Air Force
service members; spouses (stateside) of active duty and Title 10
AGR/Reserve; and surviving spouses of deceased personnel for
undergraduate studies. See: http://www.afas.org/Education/body_deadlines.cfm
National Military Family Association:
- Joanne Holbrook Patton Military Spouse Scholarship Program:
Deadline, March 15, 2007. This scholarship is awarded to spouses of
Uniformed Services members (active duty, National Guard and Reserve,
retirees, and survivors) to obtain professional certification or to
attend post secondary or graduate school. Scholarships range from $500
to $1,000, and the number awarded each year varies depending on
funding. Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, fees, and school
room and board. See: www.nmfa.org
3. Virginia Legislation Clarifies School Age Tuition Charge Exemption Rules:
In an effort to provide continuing support to military personnel and
their families residing in Virginia, Delegate Robert Tata (R-85th
District) championed the passage of HB 2092 Tuition charges in-state;
clarifies requirements for children of deployed military parents. This
bill eliminates the requirement that a student must have been attending
a Virginia public school in the Commonwealth while residing with a
custodial parent(s) prior to their deployment outside the United States
to attend school without paying tuition, and further clarifies, that
when practical, the student may continue to attend school in the
Virginia School division they attended immediately prior to the
deployment and not be charged tuition. The bill unanimously passed the
House of Delegates on January 25, 2007 and the Senate on February 5,
2007 is awaiting the Governor's signature.
The National Military Family Association (NMFA) congratulates
Delegate Tata for his support of military families and his sensitivity
to the unique challenges presented to our families during a time of
deployment. Often times, under special circumstances, a service member
must designate a caregiver who under a Special Power of Attorney is
defined as the parent during the time of the service member's overseas
deployment. Conflicts arise when the student comes from outside the
Commonwealth to stay with the caregiver or wants to stay in the same
Virginia school district he is already attending and the caregiver
resides in a nearby district. This legislation provides much needed
clarification on the eligibility for the tuition waiver.
NMFA looks forward to Governor Tim Kaine's signing of the bill and
once again thanks the Virginia General Assembly for its commitment to
military families.
(Source: http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?071+ful+HB2092)
4. Department of Defense Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Released:
The Fiscal Year (FY) 2008 Department of Defense's (DoD) budget proposal
was presented at a Pentagon press conference on February 5, 2007. In
addition to funding for operations, the budget included a 3 percent
increase in base pay and a 4.2 percent increase in basic allowance for
housing (BAH). The budget also included funding for privatization of an
additional 3,270 housing units bringing the total number to 194,000 by
the end of FY08. Following the budget's release, Robert Gates,
Secretary of Defense, and General Peter Pace, Chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, testified before the Senate and House Armed Services
Committees on the details of the spending proposal.
During questioning by Senator James Inhofe (R-OK), General Pace was
asked about the $3.1 billion shortfall in the Continuing Resolution for
FY07 funding. General Pace responded: "Immediately, it means that the
kinds of things that we need to do for our families that we're trying
to move back from Germany, for example, back to the United States --
that the housing, the schools, the hospitals, all of the infrastructure
that needs to be built on the bases here isn't going to happen."
National Military Family Association (NMFA) applauds General Pace's
commitment to taking care of our military families. However, we remain
concerned about the lack of funding to ensure the Base Realignment and
Closure and rebasing initiatives do not result in the loss of critical
services and support for our families caught in the process. NMFA urges
Congress to recognize the importance of this critical funding and to
provide DoD with the means to ensure all necessary elements are in
place prior to families' arrival at these new families arriving at
these installations.
5. AAFES Delivers Pizza, a Movie and Magazine to Students Who "Make the Grade": Reading,
writing and arithmetic are taking a back seat to electronics, clothes
and toys at the Exchange (PX/BX) as students cash in on the Army and
Air Force Exchange Service's (AAFES), "You Made the Grade" program.
Initiated in February 2000, AAFES' education reward recognizes
above-average academic achievement. Qualifying students receive a
coupon booklet that includes free admission to an AAFES Reel Time
Theater, a complimentary slice of Anthony's pizza with drink, a free
magazine, as well as other coupons.
"It is important to recognize our military families' superior
students," said AAFES' Senior Enlisted Advisor Chief Master Sgt. Bryan
Eaton. "They have faced unique educational challenges that most
civilian students will never have to contend with. To be able to
maintain academic excellence despite adversities such as moving
regularly or having a parent deployed shows the resilience and resolve
of these students as well as the quality of their teachers."
Each "You Made the Grade" booklet contains an entry form for a
quarterly savings bond drawing in which three winners are randomly
awarded savings bonds of $2,000, $3,000 or $5,000. To receive the
booklet, students simply present a valid military Identification card
and proof of an overall "B" or better to their local PX/BX. Students
may receive one coupon package for every qualifying report card, but
may enter the savings bond drawing only once per calendar quarter.
Military families can contact their local AAFES Main Store
Manager/General Manager for more information.
(Source: http://www.aafes.com/pa/news/07news/07-010.htm)
6. Wounded Service Member Rehabilitation Center Opens in Texas:
On January 29, 2007, the Department of Defense (DoD) held a dedication
ceremony to honor its new rehabilitation facility, the Center for the
Intrepid, and two Fisher Houses to accommodate military families. The
center's success came from contributions received from 600,000
Americans to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund; and, the Fisher House
Foundation donated two Malibu styled homes.
The center is 60,000 square feet, four stories high and contains
state-of-the-art rehabilitation equipment and technology. The two-story
climbing wall, firing range, surfing pool, indoor track, a prosthetic
center and CAREN (computer assisted rehabilitation environment) provide
wounded service members an opportunity to maximize their recovery
efforts. The center will first accommodate wounded service members with
amputations and/or burns. It has the potential to incorporate retirees,
veterans and military family members in the future.
The new Fisher Houses add to two existing homes at Brooke Army
Medical Center. These homes provide a free place for family members' of
wounded service members to stay during the rehabilitation and recovery
phases. They are attractively furnished and equipped with a modern
kitchen, formal dinning room, sitting areas and flat screen Televisions
with DVD/VCRs. The new 21 room 16,800 square foot homes will provide
additional needed space.
The National Military Family Association appreciates the
overwhelming generosity by Americans to help military family members
during this difficult time care for their wounded service members and
provide a technologically advanced rehabilitation facility to assist
wounded service members' recovery.
(Source: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2853 ).
7. Wounded Veterans Hit the Slopes:
Wounded veterans from the Global War on Terror will take part in the
21st National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic from April 1-6,
2007. The event is part of veterans with disabilities (visual,
neurological, spinal cord and amputation) rehabilitation program who
receive care from the Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) treatment
facilities.
The event is sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans, the VA and
made possible by a partnership with the U.S. Olympic Committee. The
six-day clinic teaches attendees adaptive sports, such as self-defense,
sled hockey, snowmobiling and Alpine and Nordic skiing. The U.S Olympic
Committee will be on hand to evaluate participants for future
Paralympics athletes. The annual event is hosted by the VA's Grand
Junction VA Medical Center and the Rocky Mountain Network. This year it
will be held at Snowmass Village, CO.
(Source: http://www.southwest.va.gov/docs/ABQ_docs/VeteransTaketotheSlopes.doc).
8. Armed Services Blood Program Has An Updated Website: The
Armed Services Blood Program (ASPB) provides quality blood products for
service members and their families in both peace and war. As a joint
operation among the military services (Army, Navy, Air Force), the ASBP
has many components working together to collect, process, store,
distribute, and transfuse the blood worldwide. Their website has been
redesigned to provide updated information on blood facts, donor
eligibility criteria, donor center locations, and more. The ASBP
collects blood only from service members, government civilians,
retirees, and their family members. The U.S. military needs blood
every day for critically injured troops, cancer patients, premature
infants, and other uses. For more information on the ASBP visit http://www.militaryblood.dod.mil/.
(Source: http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=3023).
