NewsBytes 10-26-18
In this issue:
Upcoming TRDP–to–FEDVIP Transition Webinar
Attorney Generals Ask CFPB to Protect Service Members
Cold War Recognition
Upcoming Webinar with More TRDP–to–FEDVIP Transition Information
On December 31, 2018, the Defense Health Agency’s (DHA) TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) will end. As directed in the FY2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), military retirees and their families, who were eligible for TRDP, will have the opportunity to enroll in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). The first opportunity to enroll in FEDVIP will be during the next Federal Benefits Open Season, which runs from November 12 through December 10, 2018 (ET), with coverage effective January 1, 2019. If you are currently enrolled in a TRDP plan, you will not be automatically enrolled in a FEDVIP plan for 2019. You must enroll during open season.
The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is sponsoring a webinar on Thursday, 15 November from 1300-1400 (1:00-2:00 p.m.) Eastern Time Zone. Registration is online. Dial-in at: (213) 929-4232 and enter access code: 694-745-050.
The webinar will explain if open season applies to you. Only during TRICARE Open Season, can you enroll in or change your TRICARE health plan. During Benefits Open Season you can enroll in the FEDVIP, if eligible. The FEDVIP Open Season happens during the same time as the TRICARE Open Season. Any changes you make during open season will take effect on Jan. 1, 2019. Shipmates are strongly encouraged to participate in this webinar. After the presentation there will be a Q&A session. For more information about TRICARE Open Season and Federal Benefits Open Season, visit the TRICARE website.
The implementation of the provisions under the 2017NDAA and the beginning of new TRICARE support contracts is meant to improve health and enhance medical readiness for the uniformed services.
30 State Attorneys General Ask CFPB to Continue to Protect Service Members
A bipartisan group of 30 state and 3 territory (DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands) attorneys general recently dispatched a letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) expressing their concerns about media reports. The reports say the CFPB is no longer ensuring that lenders are complying with the Military Lending Act (MLA) as part of its regular, statutorily mandated supervisory examinations to look for MLA violations. The state Attorneys General believe excluding MLA violations from examinations would significantly harm the service members who live and work in their states and that it would be contrary to the CFPB’s statutory mandate.
The letter states that: “Protection of our nation’s service members against financial exploitation is a bedrock tenet of federal consumer financial protection law, and it traditionally has been a bipartisan effort. Going back as far as Congress’ passage of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act during World War I, federal law has sought to protect those who have been obliged to drop their own affairs to take up the burdens of the nation. These protections have been extended over the years, including in 2006 through the enactment of the MLA, (supported by FRA) which was passed by a Republican-controlled Congress and signed by President George W. Bush.”
The Attorneys General who signed the letter include: Douglas Peterson (Neb.), Jahna Lindemuth (Alaska), Cynthia Coffman (Colo.), Matthew Denn (Del.), Russell Suzuki (Hawaii), Tom Miller (Iowa), Janet Mills (Maine), Josh Stein (N.C.), Xavier Becerra (Calif.), George Jepsen (Conn.), Karl Racine (DC), Lisa Madigan (Ill.), Andy Beshear (Ky.), Brian Frosh (Md.), Maura Healey (Mass.), Jim Hood (Miss.), Hector Balderas (N.M.), Wayne Stenehjem (N.D.), Ellen Rosenblum (Ore.), Marty Jackley (S.D.), T.J. Donovan (Vt.), Lori Swanson (Minn.), Gurbir Grewal (N.J.), Mike DeWine (Ohio), Josh Shapiro (Pa.), Peter Kilmartin (R.I.), Herbert Slatery III (Tenn.), Robert Ferguson (Wash.), and Peter Michael (Wyo.)
The MLA was an FRA-support measure that passed in 2006. It had bipartisan support to help safeguard active-duty military members and their families from financial fraud, predatory loans and credit gouging. The law recognizes the risk to military readiness when service members are stressed with excess debt and high interest rates.
Please use the Action Center to ask the President not to roll back enforcement of MLA.
VA and DoD Leaders Commit to Aligned EHR System Rollout
The Secretaries of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Defense (DoD) signed a joint statement pledging their two departments will align their plans, strategies and structures as they roll out a new Electronic Health Records (EHR) system that will allow the VA and DoD to seamlessly share patient data.
Signed by Defense Secretary James N. Mattis and VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, the joint statement reinforces both departments’ commitment to ensuring the successful transition. “The joint statement between DoD and VA represents tangible evidence of our commitment to change how we deliver veteran-focused, provider-friendly care,” said Wilkie. “The new EHR system will be interoperable with DoD, while also improving VA’s ability to collaborate and share information with community care providers. This will ease the burden on service members as they transition from military careers and will be supported by multiple medical providers throughout their lives.”
VA signed a contract with Cerner Corp. May 17 to replace VA’s 40-year-old legacy Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture (VistA) health care records technology over the next 10 years with the new Cerner system, which is in the pilot phase at DoD. Collaborating with DoD will ensure the VA: understands the challenges encountered as DoD deploys its EHR system called Military Health System Genesis (MHS GENESIS); adapts an approach by applying lessons learned to anticipate and mitigate known issues; assesses prospective efficiencies to help deploy faster; and delivers an EHR that is fully interoperable.
“We are committed to partnering with the VA to support the lifetime care of our Service members, Veterans and their families,” said Mattis. “This modern electronic health record will ensure those who serve our nation have quality health care as they transition from Service member to Veteran. ”
“The EHR will give health care providers a full picture of patient medical history, driving better clinical outcomes,” said Wilkie. “It will also help us identify Veterans proactively who are at higher risk for issues, such as opioid addiction and suicide, so health care providers can intervene earlier and save lives.” It has been a long-standing goal of FRA to support adequate funding for DoD and VA health care resource sharing in delivering seamless, cost effective, quality services to our wounded warriors.
Cold War Recognition Certificate
The 1998 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires the Department of Defense (DoD) to award Cold War Recognition Certificates to all members of the armed forces and qualified federal government civilian personnel who faithfully and honorably served the United States any time during the Cold War era, September 2, 1945, through December 26, 1991. Applicants must certify that their service was “faithful and honorable” and they must supply a copy of a supporting document that proves they served during the Cold War era. The certificate may be awarded posthumously to those whose relatives apply on their behalf. There is no charge for a Cold War Recognition Certificate.
Note that no medal has been authorized or issued for Cold War Recognition. The program is scheduled to run until the supply of certificates is exhausted. This award is only issued one time. No replacement certificate will be issued. For more information on obtaining a certificate go online.
NewsBytes is FRA's weekly legislative update. If you received this through a forward and would like to subscribe, please e-mail us and include your name and contact information in the body of e-mail. If you are a member of FRA or LA FRA, please include your member number.
Follow FRA on Twitter (https://twitter.com/FRAHQ); Follow FRA on Instagram (www.instagram.com/fra_hq) and "like" FRA on Facebook (use the shortcut of www.fra.org/fb)