Now Hear This . . .

September 2009 Navy

by CAPT Tom McAtee

Retiree-At-Cost Hearing Aid Program

Did you know you could purchase hearing aids at considerable savings through the government? You can. The Retiree At Cost Hearing Aid Program (RACHAP) provides retired members the opportunity to buy hearing aids at government cost. Hearing aids are purchased directly from the manufacturer at a substantial savings over the cost for the same hearing aids sold in the civilian commercial market. Certain medical treatment facilities (MTF) offer this service. You can call a participating MTF and get a complete diagnostic evaluation. If you must go on a waiting list at one location, try and contact a different MFT in you vicinity to see if an immediate appointment can be made. Once it is determined that you can benefit from the use of amplification, the audiologist will recommend a specific hearing aid and a prescription, along with the total cost. At most MTFs, you will be asked to provide payment at the time the hearing aids are ordered. A list of participating MTFs can be found on the Web at www.militaryaudiology.org. With RACHAP, you will have the same variety of devices as you would in the commercial marketplace. RACHAP is only available to retirees, not family members.

Getting a Missing Fitness Report or Evaluation Into the Record or Replacing Unreadable Performance Reports

If you discover a missing fitness report or evaluation from the CD copy of your service record, first call Navy Personnel Command Fitness Reports Section (PERS 311) at 901-874-3313/3347 to determine if the missing report was previously submitted, but returned to the reporting senior for correction. If the repor t was returned to the reporting senior, sending in your copy of the same report would result in PERS-311 sending it to the reporting senior again. Should the report be truly missing and you have a signed copy, the PERS 311 personnel will tell you what action to take regarding the fitness report. If you review your record and identify fitness reports or evaluations that are unreadable, call the number above and inquire how to forward a replacement copy to Navy Personnel Command. They will probably call up your electronic record and see what the report looks like. If it looks unreadable, they will request you to send a readable copy of the fitness report with a transmittal letter stating why you are forwarding the report. This prevents a duplicate copy of the fitness report getting into the record.

You may also e-mail your questions to joe.hall@navy.mil.

Important Medicare/TFL Decision at Age 65

Whether you picked up early social security benefits, or plan to wait until age 66, if you are still working and enrolled in an employer health plan you need to contact your local Social Security office at age 65. Why? Two important reasons: 1) If you delay enrolling in Medicare Part B (because you are covered by an employer plan), you will incur a 10% penalty in premiums for every year of delay; 2) If not enrolled in Medicare Part B, you have no TRICARE for Life until you enroll.

If you are covered by your employer’s health plan and want to delay Medicare premiums until after your working career, you need to coordinate the deferral of Medicare with the Social Security office. You are allowed to defer Medicare if you are covered by an employer health plan that provides equal benefits as Medicare. Properly deferring Medicare will negate the 10% premium penalty for each year you delay in applying for Medicare. However, deferring Medicare, specifically Part B, will also defer your entitlement to TRICARE for Life. Deferring Medicare properly will qualify you for a special enrollment period (SEP) when you are ready to pick up Medicare. The special enrollment period may occur during any month you are covered under a group health plan based on current employment, or during the eight-month period that begins the first full month after employment or group health plan coverage ends, whichever comes first.

Retire or Go to the IRR?

Would I be better off transferring to the IRR instead of retiring in regard to future retired pay? The answer – other than the ability to accrue retirement points, transferring to the IRR has no advantage over retired reserve (with pay) or Gray Area retirement. Your initial retired pay will be based on three factors:

1. Total number of retired points, not satisfactory years. Satisfactory years only initially qualify you for retired pay and benefits after you complete the 20 year minimum requirement.
2. Basic pay scale in effect the year you turn age 60, not the year you transfer to the retired reserve (without pay). This is a common misconception of those contemplating retirement.
3. Pay grade and longevity on day of retirement (normally age 60). Maximum longevity for each pay grade is normally achieved by Reservists because the “longevity clock” continues to tick away until maximum for grade is achieved, age 60 or death, whichever occurs first. Longevity does not stop upon transfer to the retired reserve (without pay).