Nicholson to leave VA and Return to the Private Sector
Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Jim Nicholson announced today he has tendered his resignation to President George W. Bush, effective no later than October 1, 2007.

Legislative News

News Briefs

Congress Addresses Shortfalls in Benefits and Services to Veterans

Bill Proposes Change to DIC Law Governing Age Threshold for Remarriage

TRICARE Medical Benefit Enhanced to Assist Dental Patients with Special Needs

TRICARE Pilot Allows Beneficiaries to Substitute OTC Medications for No Copay

News Briefs

Task Force on Military Healthcare Issues Interim Report; Higher TRICARE Fees Endorsed

Home Care for Veterans Proposed Under New Bill

Education Benefits Improve for Minnesota Veterans

Former Spouse Lawsuit Rejected
On June 18, the Justices of the U.S. Supreme Court denied the USFSPA Litigation Support Group's (ULSG) petition to review the constitutionality of the Uniform Services Former Spouse Protection Act (USFSPA).

Legislative News

US Family Health Plan & Health Integrated Expand Partnership to Improve Healthcare For U.S. Military Families and Retirees (06/13/2007)
US Family Health Plan at Saint Vincent NYC ("USFHPNY"), and Health Integrated, Inc., announce that they have expanded their partnership to provide additional healthcare benefits to our nation 's military families and military retirees.

News Briefs (06/05/2007)

FY 2008 Defense Authorization Bill Would Improve Pay and Benefits

Legislation Proposes Expansion of Eligibility of VA Mortgage Life Insurance

Indiana and Arkansas Pass Military Friendly Legislation

New VA Panel to Improve Services for Returning Combat Veterans; Seeks Comment

Fidelity Fined for Misleading Servicemembers about Investments

MyPay Improves Online Security

News Briefs (05/24/2007)

Army Opens New Military-Only Resort

TRICARE Uniform Formulary Update Announced

Save with the Armed Forces Vacation Club

VA Bonuses to Be Reviewed

New Security Measure Added to myPay

Permanent ID Cards (05/22/2007)
An update from the DEERS project office

News Briefs (05/16/2007)

FY 2008 Defense Authorization Bill Would Improve Pay and Benefits

Army Details Changes to Wounded Warrior Care at Walter Reed

Interagency Task Force Makes Recommendations to Improve Services to Veterans

TRICARE Uniform Formulary Update Announced

TRICARE Supports Beneficiaries Participating in Medicare’s Renal Disease Demonstrations

Chief of Staff Retiree Council Report 2007

News Briefs (04/09/2007)

Important Notice For TFL Beneficiaries
SBP Annuities Rise for Certain Beneficiaries

News Briefs (04/03/2007)

AUSA President Meets with DoD Health Affairs Nominee
Bill to Improve Education Benefits for Veterans Introduced
DOD Investigates Reports of myPay Hacking
County Veteran Service Officers Can Help Veterans Obtain Benefits
AAFES Building Stronger Exchange Benefit
DeCa Announces Best Commissary Nominees
VFW Calls VA Claims Process Broken
VA Offers Claims Expediting Advice
More Third Tier Drugs
Explanations of Benefits to be Limited by TRICARE for Life

Legislation to End DIC/SBP Offset Introduced
Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., and Rep. Henry Brown, R-S.C., introduced legislation last week that would end the deduction of VA-paid dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities.

News Briefs* (03/06/2007)

Army introduces new pin for retired Soldiers
How the National Defense Authorization Act could affect retired Soldiers and families
Proposals that were NOT in the final 2007 NDAA
SBP annuities to increase with May check

News Briefs (02/28/2007)

Premium Conversion Bill Reintroduced
COLA Still in Negative Territory

News Briefs (02/21/2007)
Panel Pushes Mail Order Pharmacy Administration Seeks New VA Means Test Bill Would Block Tricare Fee Hikes

News Briefs (02/20/2007)

New Law Puts More Pressure on VA to Protect Against ID Theft
TRICARE Explores New Benchmark for Prescription Drug
DoD and VA Announce Plans for Joint Inpatient Electronic Record System

News Briefs (02/16/2007)

Retirees/Veterans would see Fee Increases in Budget
New Legislation Spotlight
Center for the Intrepid Opens
Military OneSource Offers Free Online Tax Filing

News Briefs (02/06/2007)

Another Strong Va Budget Gets Sen. Craig’s Praise
Retiree TRICARE Fee Hike Looms Again
Legislators Act Against TRICARE Increases
VA to Improve Vision Services

COLA Count in Negative Territory (01/30/2007)

News Briefs (01/30/2007)

Military Channel Wants Stories from War on Terrorism
Common Health Record System on Tap for DoD, VA
DoD Highlights Military Family Support
VA Health Care Tops Private Sector Again
Disabled Retiree "Back Tax" Bill Renewed

News Briefs (01/19/2007)

Veterans Insurance Dividends Coming
Commissaries Push Paper Over Plastic
VA Benefits Update
TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy

Military Healthcare Task Force Announced (01/05/2007)

News Briefs (12/27/2006)

CRSC/CRDP Open Season On Tap
Navy to Slash More Medical Billets
Congress Passes Stolen Valor Act

President Bush Signs Craig's Veterans Bill into Law (12/27/2006)
On Friday President George Bush signed into law a $3.2 billion comprehensive benefits and health care bill for veterans sponsored by U.S. Senator Larry Craig, the outgoing chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Medical/Dental Benefits for National Guard and Reserve Retirees and Their Families

News Briefs
Retiree News Briefs - December 2006

Tricare Launches Revamped Web Site (11/16/2006)
The Tricare Web site has a new name, a new look and a new home.

News Briefs (11/03/2006)
Retiree News Briefs - November 2006

Retroactive Disability Payments Coming (11/03/2006)
According to Defense Department and Veterans’ Affairs (VA) sources, some disabled retirees due retroactive pay could start to see their payments in mid-October if all goes as planned.

News Briefs (10/19/2006)
Retiree News Briefs - October 2006

Be Aware of myPay Look-a-Likes (09/27/2006)
DFAS-Denver myPay officials have advised all DoD organizations and members to beware of copycat or look-a-like websites being developed to make people think they are accessing official sites.

Medicare Costs Increasing--Sharply for Some (09/21/2006)
Part B premiums under the Medicare program will increase to $93.50 per month in 2007 from the current $88.50 for most Medicare enrollees.

VA Computer Recovered (09/15/2006)
A computer stolen in early August from a private contractor containing the names, Social Security numbers and other personal information of approximately 16,000 veterans has been recovered and a 21 year old man, Khalil Abdullah-Raheem, has been arrested.

“Victory For Veterans” As Court Brings Back Judges (09/07/2006)
Chief Judge William Greene, Jr., of the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, has called up two retired federal judges to help the court deal with an unprecedented number of pending appeals

All Old Veteran Identification Cards And Patient Identification Cards To Be Replaced (09/07/2006)
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that VA health care facilities are beginning an aggressive campaign to assure that enrolled veterans with old versions of its ID cards are issued the new Veterans Identification Card (VIC).

News Briefs - September 2006
Retiree News Briefs - September 2006

DFAS: Update Your Accounts (08/25/2006)
The Defense Accounting and Finance Service (DFAS) is reminding military retirees and annuitants to review their pay account status to ensure all information is up-to-date.

The Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP) (06/14/2006)
The Army Career and Alumni Program (ACAP), now in its sixteenth year, remains popular with Soldiers who have decided to retire or separate from the Army.

Letter to Veterans from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Washington
Letter to Veterans from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Washington

Recruiting Incentive Pays Retirees $1,000 Referral Bonus (06/05/2006)
Army retirees can earn a $1,000 lump sum payment for making a referral who enlists, completes basic training, and graduates from advanced individual training.

VA Announces up to 26.5 million VA Records Stolen (05/23/2006)
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced 22 May that the home of a VA data analyst who took home electronic data from VA containing identifying information including names, social security numbers, and dates of birth for up to 26.5 million veterans and some spouses was burglarized and this data stolen.

DAV Disavows Phone Solicitations
Disabled American Veterans has advised its members that unauthorized financial solicitations are being made via telephone in Charlotte and Sarasota Counties in Florida.

DoD Promotes TMOP
The Defense Department pays less for drugs that beneficiaries purchase through the TRICARE Mail Order Pharmacy (TMOP) than it does for medicines bought through the retail network pharmacy system.

TRICARE Retiree Dental Premiums Rise (05/09/2006)
Some military retirees will see a slight reduction in their monthly net pay beginning May 1, due to an increase in the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) premium.

TRICARE Files Compromised
The Department of Defense announced April 28 that routine monitoring detected unusual activity on one of the TRICARE Management Activity's (TMA) public servers.

SBP Boost in May 1 Checks
Approximately 175,000 recipients of military Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities will see an increase in their monthly payments deposited on May 1, 2006.

Cold War Medal Resurfaces
The House version of last year's fiscal 2006 National Defense Authorization Bill contained provisions for a Cold War medal, but a joint conference committee struck it out.

Panel Seeks to Stop TRICARE Hikes
On April 26, House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee Chairman John McHugh, R-N.Y., moved to block a Defense Department scheme to double and triple the costs of TRICARE for military retirees under age 65

DoD Proposes Tripling of TRICARE Fees (02/23/2006)
The plan if adopted would triple for officers and double for enlisted retirees the TRICARE Prime annual enrollment fees.

What Military Beneficiaries Need to Know About the New Medicare Part D Pharmacy Program (12/01/2005)
TRICARE and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are providing Medicare Part D educational and enrollment information to TRICARE beneficiaries eligible for Medicare's new prescription drug coverage.

More Medications Moved to DOD’s Third Formulary Tier (12/01/2005)
Additional medications will be placed either on the first or second co-payment tier (formulary) or the third co-payment tier (known as nonformulary drugs) beginning in 2006.

Co-Payments for VA Prescriptions to Raise $1 (12/01/2005)
The Department of Veterans Affairs announced that co-payments charged for prescription drugs will increase by $1 on Jan. 1, 2006. The $8 fee does not apply to everyone, however.

VA Backs Off Review of Veterans Receiving PTSD Compensation (12/01/2005)
Veterans receiving disability compensation for post-traumatic stress disorder can breathe a little easier.

Permanent ID Cards for Those 75 and Older (12/01/2005)
Recent legislation allows for the issuance of a permanent ID card to eligible family members and former spouses who are 75 or older.

Open Enrollment
Retirees who previously elected not to enroll fully in SBP an opportunity to now enroll during the SBP and RCSBP open enrollment period.

SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN 2005
The 2005 National Defense Authorization Act included these BIG changes to the Survivor Benefit Plan.

TRICARE Pharmacy: Uniform Formulary
The Uniform Formulary (UF) process establishes a new cost share of $22 per prescription, in both mail order and retail pharmacy services, for medications that are being designated as non-formulary under the UF regulation.

Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) Program, and Concurrent Retirement and Disability Program (CRDP)
Until recently, military retirees with disabilities waved their regular retired pay to receive Veterans Administration (VA) disability compensation. This system has been unique to military retirement, since all other Federal service retirees are entitled to receive their full regular retirement compensation and disability compensation.

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