NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR UNIFORMED SERVICES (NAUS)

[Pork Twain]

This info is sent out on mass emails from the Air Force Sgt's Association so I don't think I am violating any copyright laws by sharing it with other military members since I got it in my mailbox from my top 3 rep.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR UNIFORMED SERVICES WEEKLY UPDATE FOR NOVEMBER 17, 2006 www.naus.org

"Our obligations to our country never cease but with our lives."
~ John Adams ~

WASHINGTON REPORT

Congress Approves Continuing Resolution to Fund Domestic Programs Until Dec 8

On Wednesday, the House and Senate agreed to continue appropriations for the current fiscal year under a continuing resolution (H.J.Res. 100) that funds government agencies at last year's enacted level.  The resolution extends current funding until December 8. 

Other than the Defense bill and the Homeland Security bill, which Congress successfully completed before the Oct. 1 start of the 2007 fiscal year, the House and Senate have not completed action on a single one of the remaining nine domestic appropriation bills.

On its return from Thanksgiving recess Dec. 4, the 109th Congress will again search for a responsible way to procedurally finish its remaining fiscal obligations, including passage of the Military-VA appropriations bill.  The first regular session of the One Hundred Tenth Congress begins at noon on Thursday, January 4, 2007.

Senate Passes Military Construction-VA Appropriations Bill

Prior to Thanksgiving recess, the Senate passed a $77.65 billion Military Construction and Veterans appropriations bill, an increase of nearly $9 billion from last year.  The bill (HR 5385) increases VA's funding by $6.45 billion over last year's enacted level of $77.9 billion.  Approximately half this increase in VA funding goes to medical services operations, including hospital staff personnel. 

Before the vote, the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy urging the Senate to consider increasing co-payments and enrollment fees for higher-income, non-disabled veterans.  The administration's advice, however, was rejected and the Senate passed the bill Tuesday evening.

The total for medical services is $28.7 billion, which equals the President's request and is $3.1 billion above last year's level.  To achieve the requested amount, the Senate appropriated $795 million in direct funding to replace the President's request for new enrollment fees and increased copayments for prescription drugs, which the Senate denied.

The bill also contains $16.3 billion in funding for military construction.  This amount includes funds for barracks, family housing units and rebasing efforts under military transformation and the most recent round of BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure).

The VA spending bill still must be reconciled with the House version before it's completed.  Until then, VA continues to operate under a continuing resolution at last year's lower enacted level. The House passed its version last May.

NAUS agrees with Sen. Diane Feinstein who said that the bill "backs up the speeches and ceremonies with the funding necessary to provide the services our veterans were promised and that they need and deserve."  We applaud the Senate's action and urge Congress to give this matter its highest priority for a speedy conclusion. 

New Senate Chairmen for 110th Congress

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Majority Leader for the 110th Congress, announced the new appointments for Senate Committee Chairmen for new Congress.

The Senators that NAUS will most likely have the most interaction with will be Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) Chairman of the Armed Forces Committee; Senator Daniel Akaka (D-HI) Chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee; Senator Kent Conrad (D-ND) Chairman of the Budget Committee; Senator Robert Byrd (D-WV), Chairman of the Appropriations Committee.
Incoming Veterans' Chairman Akaka said, "I am delighted to continue to work for the betterment of our nation's veterans. We have serious challenges ahead of us, including how to ensure a seamless transition from military to civilian life. As Chair I will ensure our youngest generation of veterans gets the care and services they deserve. I have a special concern for those in the National Guard and Reserves who have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan."
NAUS NOTE: We stand ready to work with all members of the House and Senate in implementing many of the promises that have been made to improve the lives of our active duty, retired and veteran military members.


HEALTH CARE NEWS

Updated List of TRICARE Reimbursements Available (TMA Press Release)

An updated list of the TRICARE reimbursement rates is now available to beneficiaries.  The changes for fiscal year 2007 include updated rates for inpatient mental health, residential treatment centers, partial hospitalization, hospice, and inpatient cost-shares for civilian hospitals.

"We take very seriously the President's initiative toward transparency in health care costs," said Army Major General Elder Granger, deputy director, TRICARE Management Activity.  "This is just one way we make the cost of medical services available to our beneficiaries."

TRICARE reimbursement rates are aligned with Medicare rates as set by Congress.  However, TRICARE does have some dispensations that may not be available to Medicare to ensure that beneficiaries continue to have health care available. 

Medicare premiums also change annually and now the Medicare Part B premium is linked to income.  In 2007, individual incomes will trigger premium increases at $80,000, $100,000, $150,000 and $200,000.  For married couples the premium rises when the income is double those amounts.  However, this change will have no effect on TRICARE costs or benefits for those who are also Medicare beneficiaries. 
   
Beneficiaries may view the updated reimbursement rates on the TRICARE web site at www.tricare.osd.mil/tricarecost.cfm. 


ACTIVE DUTY NEWS

New Marine Corps Commandant

General James T. Conway, USMC, assumed the duties as the 34th Commandant of the Marine Corps on November 13, 2006.  NAUS congratulates General Conway and we look forward to working with him and his staff to work for the good of all Marines.

REMINDER To Mail Packages Early
(USPS Press Release)
Postal Service officials are reminding military families and friends sending holiday packages and letters to servicemen and women overseas, including Iraq and Afghanistan, that the deadline for the most economical shipping option is less than two weeks away.  The deadline for sending holiday packages overseas using Parcel Post closed Monday, Nov. 13, but other methods remain open (see chart below).

The U.S. Postal Service is encouraging early deadlines to make sure that packages reach their destination in time for the holidays. There are more than 80 military installations worldwide.

"Mail is one of the greatest morale boosters we can give our troops during the holidays." said Postmaster General John E. Potter. "When they see that package or letter waiting for them on their bunk or hear their name at mail call, it brings them that much closer to family and the comforts of home."

This holiday season, the Postal Service is able to make Delivery Confirmation(tm) available for almost all APO/FPO destinations. Delivery Confirmation provides customers with the date, ZIP Code and time the package was delivered. This information can be accessed online at USPS.com.

The U.S. Postal Service introduced a Military Care Kit, or "Mili-kit" in 2004 to make it easier for military families and friends to send care packages to their loved ones stationed overseas. Since the inception of the Military Care Kit, the U.S. Postal Service has shipped more than 150,000 kits. Each kit contains two Priority Mail boxes, six Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes, eight Priority Mail labels, one roll of Priority Mail tape and eight customs forms with envelopes.

This kit may be ordered by calling the USPS Expedited Package Supply Center at 1-800-610-8734. There is no charge for the kit. The Priority Mail Flat Rate boxes included in the kit can be shipped to any APO/FPO in the world, regardless of weight, for $8.10.

All packages and mail must be addressed to individual service members, as required by U.S. Department of Defense regulations.

All military units are assigned an APO or FPO ZIP Code and, in many cases, that ZIP Code travels with the unit. The Postal Service places APO/FPO mail on special charter flights, commercial airlines and military service aircraft to reach armed services members overseas as quickly as possible.

A complete list of military mailing deadlines follows.

MILITARY MAILING DEADLINES
Military Mail Addressed To  Express Mail(r) Military Service (EMMS) First-Class Mail(r) Letters/Cards   Priority Mail(r)    Parcel Airlift Mail (PAL)   Space Available Mail (SAM)  Parcel Post(r)
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 090-092 Dec 19  Dec 11  Dec 11  Dec 4   Nov 27  Nov 13
APO/FPO AE ZIP 093  N/A Dec 4   Dec 4   Dec 4   Nov 27  Nov 13
APO/FPO AE ZIPs 094-098 Dec 19  Dec 11  Dec 11  Dec 4   Nov 27  Nov 13
APO/FPO AA ZIPs 340 Dec 19  Dec 11  Dec 11  Dec 4   Nov 27  Nov 13
APO/FPO AP ZIPs 962-966 Dec 19  Dec 11  Dec 11  Dec 4   Nov 27  Nov 13

Express Mail Military Service (EMMS) is available to selected military post offices. Local Post Offices can determine if this service is available to an APO/FPO address. The information also is available by calling 1-800-ASK-USPS.

Parcel Air Lift (PAL) is a special service that provides air transportation for parcels on a space-available basis. It is available for Parcel Post items not exceeding 30 pounds in weight or 60 inches in length and girth combined. The applicable PAL fee must be paid in addition to the regular surface rate of postage for each addressed piece sent by PAL service.

Space Available Mail (SAM) are parcels paid at Parcel Post rates that are first transported domestically by surface and then to overseas destinations by air on a space-available basis. The maximum weight and size limits are 15 pounds and 60 inches in length and girth combined.

For more detailed information on tracking and military mail, please visit the Military Postal Service's website at http://hqdainet.army.mil/mpsa/



VETERANS NEWS

VA To Change ID Methods for Prescriptions

The VA put the last 4 of the SSN on prescription labels starting in the 1970's as a way to identify the patient by asking the last name and last 4.  This was not unique at a lot of places so they increased this to the last 6.  Prior to 1984 SSNs were issued when requested.  The numbers were more random.  Since 1984, SSNs are being issued at the Hospital at time of birth to allow entry into schools. So, to determine from the millions of combinations you need to know the location of the hospital in which the patient was born.

When the issue of privacy first came up the VA Pharmacy Service checked with the VHA privacy officer and found that putting this limited amount of information is within the VA privacy rules.  It does not violate HIPAA regulations either. 
 
However, identity theft is now a big issue with everyone going out and buying shredders and expressing their concerns.  The VA is going to take a number of actions in the next few months to a final solution with the re-engineered pharmacy (PRE) software.  The mail order pharmacy, which dispenses 80% of the prescriptions, will begin using the last 4 digits of the SSN in the near future.  The current VISTA applications will be modified this summer and hopefully by the end of the fiscal year we will go back to the last 4 digits of the SSN.  This will increase the number of potential combinations into the billions.

In PRE, the VA will use the last name of the patient and the picture of the patient from the VIC card as the 2 identifiers for patient's pickup of prescriptions.  This solution will not be available until the 2009-11 timeframe.

NAUS NEWS

Chapter Meeting in California. On December 5 at 7:00 pm, the Sequoia Chapter, CA-17, in the Fresno/Clovis area, will meet at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building in Old Town Clovis, at 435 Hughes Avenue.  Call or contact Bob Apple, tel. # (559) 291-2774 or by email:  ahab1999@hotmail.com, for more information. 

On Saturday, December 16th, at 10:00 am, NAUS staff members Steve Hein and Hal Grant will join the members of San Joaquin Valley Chapter, CA-18 for a chapter meeting at the Castle Air Museum in Atwater, CA.  For more information and to RSVP for the meeting, contact the Chapter President, Normand Cloutier at (209) 358-0266 or by email to ncloutier@sbcglobal.net.
Members of CA-18 and CA-17 can also join the chapter for the annual Christmas Dinner, Friday, December 15th at 6:30 pm, also at the Castle Air Museum.  Cost:  $20.00 per person.  The contacts for reservations are Richard or Karen Darby, 2443 Oregon Avenue, Atwater, CA 95301 or telephone # (209) 358-4834.  Payment for dinner must be received NLT December 1.


GOD BLESS AMERICA