Now Hear This - July 2011

July 2011 - Navy
By CAPT Tom McAtee

TRICARE option for adult children

TRICARE is launching extended coverage for adult dependents of service members and retirees.

The new program gives unmarried dependents who don’t have their own employerbased insurance the option of buying monthto- month health coverage until reaching age 26. Those eligible will be able to purchase retroactive coverage dating back to 1 Jan. 2011. The monthly premium for young adults enrolled in TRICARE Standard/Extra programs will be $186 for 2011. Those enrolled

in TRICARE Prime will pay $213 per month. TRICARE for young adults (TYA) offers open enrollment so you may purchase coverage at any time. The TYA application is available on-line at www.tricare.mil/tya.

Possible retiree COLA in FY 2012

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Consumer Price Index for April is up 0.8 percent over the March CPI. This is important for military retirees, and those drawing VA benefits, because the CPI is used to determine the annual cost-of-living adjustment and other VA rates for the following year. Reports indicate that the April 2011 CPI is up 2.9% from the 2008 CPI, which means retirees may see a COLA increase in 2012, the first since 2008.

CNO signs Statement of Support for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve

Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead signed a Statement of Support for the Guard and Reserve to demonstrate the Navy’s commitment to its employees who serve in the National Guard and Reserve. The intent of the Employee Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR) Statement of Support program is to offer employers a way to proclaim publicly their support for employee service in the National Guard and Reserve. As part of the Federal government, the Navy is called on by Congress to be a model employer of Guard and Reserve service members.

In signing a Statement of Support, employers and organizations pledge to:

• Fully recognize, honor and enforce the Uniformed Services Employment and Re-Employment Rights Act;
• Ensure managers and supervisors have the tools they need to manage effectively employees who serve in the Guard and Reserve;
• Recognize and support our country’s service members and their families in peace, crises and war.

By signing the Statement of Support, CNO set the tone for the entire Navy organization to not only comply with the law, but to create an environment of support.

Thinking about opting out of SBP?

Remember, if you are thinking about opting out of the SBP Program, you must submit your termination request (DD Form 2656-2) between the second and third anniversary of receiving retired pay. If you miss this window, you will not be able to opt-out for the rest of your life.

Spouse ID card

Check your spouse’s ID card to ensure that it is still valid. Normally, a spouse’s ID card will expire at age 65 and every four years thereafter. TRICARE services will be denied without a valid ID card. Permanent issuance of a spouse ID card occurs after age 75 and will have no expiration date.

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 report 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 a replacement copy should be forwarded 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.