TRICARE NEWS
(AND HEALTH RELATED NEWS/INFORMATION)
TRICARE information is intended for active duty and retired TRICARE
beneficiaries of all the military services, reserves, guards, and their
families.
1. To contact TRICARE Help Desks, call the following toll-free numbers:
o General TRICARE information/assistance: 1-877-874-2273
o TRICARE Pharmacy: 1-877-363-6337
o TRICARE For Life: 1-888-363-5433
Posted: 15 FEB 02
TRICARE Toll-Free Numbers and Web Sites
1. National Toll Free Numbers
==============================
Senior Pharmacy Program 1.877.DOD.MEDS (1.877.363.6337)
TRICARE For Life 1.888.DOD.LIFE (1.888.363.5433)
TRICARE Prime Remote (TPR) (active duty and family members)
1.888.DOD.CARE (1.888.363.2273)
TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan - Deltal Dental 1.888.838.8737
TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) - United Concordia 1.800.866.8499
National Mail Order Pharmacy - Merck Medco 1.800.903.4680
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting Systems (DEERS) 1.800.538.9552
Active Duty Claims (MMSO) 1.800.876.1131
TRICARE Claims Information
2. Regional Toll Free Numbers
==============================
Northeast (1) 1.888.999.5195
Mid-Atlantic (2) 1.800.931.9501
Southeast (3) 1.800.444.5445
Gulfsouth (4) 1.800.444.5445
Heartland (5) 1.800.941.4501
Southwest (6) 1.800.406.2832
Central (7/8) 1.888.874.9378
Southern California (9) 1.800.242.6788
Golden Gate (10) 1.800.242.6788
Northwest (11) 1.800.404.2042
TRICARE Pacific
Alaska and Hawaii 1.800.242.6788
WESTPAC 1.888.777.8343
Latin America & Canada 1.888.777.8343
Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands 1.888.777.8343
Europe 1.888.777.8343
-----------------
Posted: 15 FEB 02
Toll Free Numbers for Contacting the VA
Toll Free Numbers for Contacting the VA
=======================================
1. VA Benefits: 1-800-827-1000
For information about:
Education
Home Loan
Disability
Medical Care
Burial
Life Insurance
Sexual Trauma
2. Life Insurance: 1-800-669-8477
3. Education (GI Bill): 1-888-442-4551
4. Health Care Benefits: 1-877-222-8387
5. Income Verification and Means Testing: 1-800-929-8387
6. Mammography Helpline: 1-888-492-7844
7. Gulf War/Agent Orange Helpline: 1-800-749-8387
8. Status of Headstones and Markers: 1-800-697-6947
9. Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD): 1-800-829-4833
10. For health care services, contact your nearest VA medical facility. To
locate the nearest VA medical facility, go online to
11. CHAMPVA:
by phone... 1-800-733-8387
by FAX..... 1-303-331-7804
by mail.... VA Health Administration Center
CHAMPVA
PO Box 65023
Denver CO 80206-9023
-----------------
Posted: 15 FEB 02
PTSD -- Women Veterans
The October 2001 Agent Orange Review just arrived in the mail,
February 5th.
"VA Studying Women Veterans Who Have PTSD"
"PTSD Common Among Women Veterans"
"Volunteers Sought for Study"
are articles on pages 4 & 5.
VA Studying Women Veterans Who Have PTSD
Many women are traumatized while serving in the military. A recent study of
female veterans estimated that 60% had experiences at least one traumatic event
during military service. The prevalence of serious trauma appears especially
high among veterans who have served since Vietnam, who now constitute the
majority of female veterans. Most often, military trauma in women involves
sexual assault or rape, but other sources are physical assault, accidents,
disasters, and even war-zone exposure, including medical assignments that
involve exposure to seriously injured personnel.
Women also experience trauma before and after entering military service. In
fact, the prevalence of sexual assault during childhood and adolescence appears
to be higher in military women than in the general U.S. population.
Traumatic exposure can have profound effects on a person's well being and
functioning, and may lead to the development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
PTSD occurs not only in combat veterans but also in other survivors of traumatic
events such as natural disasters and interpersonal or sexual violence. Among
civilian adults in the U.S., the lifetime prevalence of PTSD is 5% of men and
10% in women.
A new research project, sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
Cooperative Studies Program, and the Department of Defense, is designed to
address the needs of female veterans and active duty personnel who have PTSD.
The new VA study, identified as VA Cooperative Study #494; A Randomized Clinical
Trial of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Women, also will test the helpfulness
of exposure therapy for female veterans and active duty personnel with PTSD.
PTSD Common Among Women Veterans
PTSD is a prevalent condition among women who have military service
experience. A recent population sample of active duty Navy and Marine Corps
personnel found that among women, 17.4% had PTSD at some time and 8.3% had
current PTSD. The VA National Vietnam Veterans Readjustment Study estimated that
26% of women who served in Vietnam had PTSD at some point since their service,
and 8.5% has PTSD at the time fo their assessment in the 1980s. Current PTSD
prevalence in women who served in the Gulf War is 8-10%. Prevalence is
substantially higher among women who seek VA treatment for stress-related
problems: one study found that 50% of those women had current PTSD.
PTSD is associated with a range of comorbid (occurring at the same time)
conditions and functional difficulties, including other anxiety disorders,
depression, substance abuse, psychological impairment, poor physical health, and
greater service utilization. Thus, PTSD has far-reaching effects on many aspects
of the military and veterans women?s lives.
A variety of drugs and phychotherapies are used for treating PTSD. Among
phychotherapies, cognitive-behavioral therapy appears to be the most promising
approach. One useful cognitive-behavioral technique is ?exposure,? in which a
patient is guided through a vivid remembering of a traumatic even repeatedly
until the patient's emotional response decreases through habituation.
Volunteers Sought for Study
The Study will enroll 384 women, who will be randomly assigned to receive
either exposure therapy or therapy that focuses on current life problems. Both
treatment will last 10 weeks, and the women will be followed for 6 months after
the end of treatment to evaluate how PTSD and other symptoms respond to
treatment.
The study represents a collaboration between the VA and the Department of
Defense. Co-Chairs of the project are Paula P. Schnurr, Ph.D., and Matthew J.
Freidman, M.D., Ph.D., from the VA?s National Center for PTSD and LTC Charles C.
Engel, M.D., from Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The VA National Center for
PTSD is located at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in White River Junction,
VT, where Dr. Freidman is the Executive Director and Dr. Schnurr is the Deputy
Director. The biostatistician is Ken James, Ph.D., and the study is coordinated
by the VACSPCC at Palo Alto, CA.
Women will be enrolled at 11 VA sites around the country: Albuquerque,
Atlanta, Baltimore, Bay Pines/Tampa, Boston, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas
Denver, New Orleans, and Portland. There also will be a Department of Defense
site in Washington, DC. Women who are interested in participating in the trial
may contact the project at :
csp494@nmbus.dartmouth.edu for referral to participating medical centers.
The above article was prepared and submitted by Dr. Schnurr, identified
above, especially for the "Review."
Posted: 15 FEB 02
Force Health Protection and DOD Population Health and Health Promotion
Conferencees
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
U.S. ARMY CENTER FOR HEALTH PROMOTION AND PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, MARYLAND 21010-5403
PR 05-02
12 February 2002
ADAPTING TO A CHANGING GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT
Joint Conferences to be Held in Baltimore
BY: Evelyn B. Riley
The Fifth Annual Force Health Protection Conference and the Second Annual DOD
Population Health and Health Promotion Conference will be held jointly 9 - 16
August 2002, at the Baltimore Convention Center, at the Inner Harbor in MD.
The theme for the joint conferences is "Adapting to a Changing Global
Environment". The U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive
Medicine, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD will host both conferences.
The conferences will provide the multidisciplinary military and civilian force
health protection community with the opportunity to increase knowledge and
awareness of current issues, attend short courses for professional
development, mentor, network, and earn CEUs or CMEs. The first three days, 9
- 11 August, will be skills training workshops designed primarily for, but not
limited to, the DOD Conference attendees. The core conference, beginning on
12 August, will include both plenary and breakout sessions designed to provide
an exchange of information that has a wide application within the DOD
community in the areas of homeland security, environmental health, population
health, complimentary and alternative medicine, behavioral health, veterinary
medicine, medical research and development, injury prevention, nutrition, and
spiritual health. In addition, service-specific breakout sessions will be
offered. Topics and lessons learned relating to the events of 11 September
2001 will be presented. The DOD
Conference and the three tracks that make up the FHP Conference are described
below:
The Second Annual DOD Population Health and Health Promotion Conference -
designed to unite the population health and health promotion specialties in an
integrated environment that will provide scientific and technical training
necessary for the diverse specialties; allow participants to address relevant
and significant force health protection issues; and provide mentoring and
networking opportunities. It will begin with three days of pre-conference
Skills Training Workshops focused primarily on humanitarian assistance, risk
communication, behavioral health - post deployment issues, tobacco cessation,
dental health promotion, and HIV/STD.
Life Sciences Track - the technical aspects of prevention/detection of
environmental, occupational, and disease threats to the health and performance
of DOD personnel. This track will include research and development in support
of the soldier, toxicology, and veterinary services.
Clinical Sciences Track - the science and delivery of preventive medicine
services. Clinical and general preventive services to include immunization,
occupational medicine services, hearing conservation, vision conservation, and
behavioral health and associated services.
Environmental Sciences Track - topics related to identifying, assessing and
providing recommendations for protecting soldier health. This includes
environmental health topics such as industrial hygiene, food and water
sanitation, medical surveillance, entomological services, health physics,
environmental noise, field sanitation, and disease prevention.
Participants are invited to prepare and display technical posters that will be
judged for content and aesthetics by a panel of subject matter experts. The
winners will be announced on the final day of the conference. USACHPPM will
judge all posters, selecting the ten best submissions for partial central
funding of travel and per diem.
Technical presentations are also being solicited for the conference. Both
military and civilian vendors are encouraged to exhibit during the
conference.
The website will be available for registration in March. POC: LTC Roxanne E.
Baumgartner, Director, (DSN) 584-7387/(Commercial) 410-436-7387 or Ms. Jane
Gervasoni, (DSN) 584-5091/(Commercial) 410-436-5091.
===============
SOURCE: U.S. Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine (USACHPPM),
Ms. Jane Gervasoni,
Jane.Gervasoni@APG.AMEDD.ARMY.MIL , (DSN) 584-5091/(Commercial)
410-436-5091.
Posted: 15 FEB 02
DoD, TRICARE Play Big Roles in Homeland Security Planning
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 12, 2002 -- TRICARE personnel and assets are playing a big
part in DoD's preparedness plans in support of other federal, state and local
emergency medical response teams in dealing with possible terrorist acts
committed on American soil, a senior DoD official said here
today.
Ellen P. Embrey, DoD's new deputy assistant secretary of defense for force
health protection and readiness, outlined the president's homeland security
goals and plans and steps participants of the annual TRICARE conference here
can take to support them. She advises the assistant secretary of
defense for health affairs on all DoD medical readiness and deployment
medicine policies and activities, and national medical disaster support.
"As the direct provider of beneficiary care and a respected military health
professional in your local community, you will be asked to participate in
local, city, county or statewide disaster and terrorism emergency management
contingency planning and exercise activities," she said.
Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge, director of the Office of Homeland
Security, coordinates and implements national homeland security strategy,
Embrey noted.
In his fiscal 2003 budget request, she said, President Bush called for $38
billion to support homeland security efforts contained in four key objectives:
support first responders first; defend against bio-terrorism; secure America's
borders; and use 21st century technology to secure the homeland.
Embrey told conference attendees the first two objectives are relevant to them
and DoD. First responders -- local police, firefighters and civilian and
military emergency medical professionals -- "have the greatest potential to
save lives and limit casualties after a terrorist attack," she explained.
On the second objective, current homeland security plans recognize that
bio-terrorism defense will require the nation to invest significantly in its
healthcare system, "of which you are a critical part," Embrey told attendees.
Almost $2 billion is being proposed to bolster state and local public
healthcare systems, Embrey said, to manage both contagious and noncontagious
diseases, to expand healthcare surge capacities, to upgrade public health
laboratory capabilities, and to provide training for medical personnel.
Funds are also provided, she added, to support mutual regional medical aid
agreements and communications networks linking acute care assets, including
military, with local communities' public health organizations.
Embrey said the military stands ready to assist. Its emergency response
capabilities include the Army's Chemical/Biological Rapid Response Team,
Technical Escort Units, the Marine Corps' Chemical/Biological Ready Response
Force, and the National Guard's Weapons of Mass Destruction
Civil Support teams.
The president and Congress, she said, have also taken steps to create national
supplies of smallpox vaccine and an antibiotics stockpile to treat potential
anthrax victims.
"Our success or our failure as a nation to respond to bio-terrorism will
depend in large measure on the quality and effectiveness of our diagnostic
tests, vaccines and therapeutic drugs," Embrey noted.
She said military commanders depend on TRICARE healthcare professionals' plans
and preparations for possible bio-terrorism attacks -- and "don't
underestimate their need to rely on you," she told conferees.
"The chemical and biological agent awareness training, personal protective
equipment stocks, medical supplies needed to support chemical/biological
wartime support operations are (what) your installation commander wants you to
have ready in case of a potential attack," she added. Embrey said
TRICARE personnel also could be called to help in local relief efforts.
Related Site of Interest:
Posted: 8 FEB 02
TRICARE For Life, a new health benefit extended by the Department of Defense (DoD)
to approximately 1.5 million beneficiaries aged 65 and over, provides pharmacy
benefits and TRICARE coverage secondary to Medicare. More than 3.1 million
health care claims have been paid since the program started in October 2001.
Payment for some health care claims, however, was initially denied by TRICARE
for individuals recorded as being ineligible for TRICARE in the Defense
Enrollment Eligibility Records System (DEERS). In many cases, these denials
were based on persons who have "expired eligibility" in DEERS, meaning that
their eligibility has not been re-verified in the last four years as required
by DoD policy.
DoD announced today that TRICARE claims will be paid for a limited time for
TRICARE For Life (TFL) beneficiaries with "expired eligibility" in DEERS.
Claims filed beginning October 1, 2001 but denied due to "expired eligibility"
will be automatically reprocessed. Neither beneficiaries nor providers will be
required to resubmit the denied claims.
Beneficiaries are required, however, to ensure their eligibility is updated in
DEERS by August 1, 2002.
"We want to ensure that our beneficiaries, some of whom are re-entering the
Military Health System, and using TRICARE for the first time, have the best
possible experience and receive their rightful benefits. We will do everything
we can to overcome initial difficulties that may arise," explained Dr. William
Winkenwerder, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. "We
understand that some of our elderly beneficiaries who have not used military
benefits in many years may not have kept their military eligibility files
updated or they may be unable to make contact with the military."
"We are working with DoD leaders who manage the DEERS system and with The
Military Coalition and the National Military and Veterans Alliance to redouble
our outreach to these beneficiaries," said Winkenwerder.
After August 1, 2002, claims received for beneficiaries with expired
eligibility will be denied until the eligibility information is updated.
Mr. Charles Abell, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Management Policy
is working with the Personnel community on the Department's outreach effort.
"We will help our beneficiaries understand how to update their eligibility
information," said Abell. "And we are exploring how we can make this process
easier for those unable to travel."
To learn how to update or re-verify eligibility for those persons 65 and
older, beneficiaries who have received an Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
stating that they need to get a new military ID card should call
1-800-361-2620.
For more information on TRICARE for Life, interested persons can visit the
TRICARE Web site at
www.tricare.osd.mil, or call the TRICARE Information Center, toll-free, at
1-877-363-5433 (1-877-DOD-LIFE).
---------
Posted: 8 FEB 02
New Deployment Health Care Guideline Announced
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
(703)695-0192(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 7, 2002
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
NEW DEPLOYMENT HEALTH CARE GUIDELINE ANNOUNCED
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. William Winkenwerder
announced today the implementation of a new clinical guideline for use by
military and Veterans Affairs physicians in caring for the unique needs of
military personnel and their families. Informed by a decade of lessons
learned from the Gulf War, military and Veterans Affairs (VA) physicians are
now better prepared to provide care for military personnel returning from
Afghanistan and other deployments. The cornerstone of this new health
initiative is the Clinical Practice Guideline on Post-Deployment Health
Evaluation and Management:
http://www.pdhealth.mil/PDHEM/frameset.htm developed jointly by the
Department of Defense and the Department of
Veterans Affairs. Service members and their families will begin to experience
the benefits of this guideline starting in early March.
"Keeping our active duty members healthy is an important aspect of force
health protection. This guideline assists physicians and patients by focusing
on specific health concerns that may be deployment related," offered
Winkenwerder.
The development of the guideline represents a two-year multidisciplinary
effort involving experts from the VA, Army, Navy, Air Force, and DoD.
Specialty experts included clergy, social workers, nurses, toxicologists,
epidemiologists, risk communications specialists, psychiatrists, and family
practitioners. Health care providers at Fort Bragg, N.C., Camp LeJeune, N.C.,
and McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., were part of a guideline demonstration
project.
"This guideline, which provides a structure to assess and manage
post-deployment health, is primarily about improving the medical care for
post-deployment concerns among all our patients, whether an active duty
servicemember, a spouse, a child, a veteran or reservist," explained Army Lt.
Col. Charles Engel, a collaborator in the development of the guideline. Engel
directs the Deployment Health Clinical Center, a DoD center based at
Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Since the Gulf War,
"opportunities for change and improvement have emerged as a result of lessons
learned through the implementation of the DoD's Comprehensive Clinical
Evaluation Program and the VA's Gulf War Registry, research studies, and
feedback from veterans," said Engel, a practicing psychiatrist and a Gulf War
veteran.
"The guideline," said Mark Brown, Ph.D., director of the VA's
Environmental Agents Service, "was developed in response to the health care
needs of Gulf War veterans with difficult to diagnose yet sometimes
debilitating deployment-related symptoms." Brown added, "In the long-run the
Clinical Practice Guideline will give VA primary care providers the tools
needed to diagnose and treat veterans returning from
combat and peace-keeping missions abroad."
The guideline also applies to individuals who were not deployed, but who link
their concerns to a military deployment, for example, family members of
recently deployed active duty personnel. The guideline also will offer
physicians support in monitoring the long-term health of patients with
deployment health issues and provide patients with the education they need to
take an active role in their health care delivery.
"In the new approach we will disseminate up-to-date information to all
clinicians about all deployments and essentially make them more knowledgeable
about deployment health issues," said Engel whose Deployment Health Clinical
Center will be responsible for monitoring the improvement of post-deployment
care in primary care settings and insuring improvements in the quality of data
gathered. The major route for disseminating this information is the Center's
new Web site, PDHealth.mil, located at
http://www.PDHealth.mil
. The guideline, as well as
the proceedings of a satellite broadcast about the guideline, may be found on
this Web site.
Posted: 8 FEB 02
Tricare Basic and Advance Student Course (TBASCO) - 2002
For information/assistance concerning the below listed course, please contact
Mr Theodore Moore, Course Administrator, at Theodore.Moore@tma.osd.mil or (DSN)
926-3744 or (303) 676-3744.
--------------------
Training conducted by Military Liaison Division
The TRICARE Basic and Advance Student Course (TBASCO) is sponsored by the
Military Liaison Division (MLD). The course is open to anyone who wishes to
attend. The audience typically includes representation from all services,
including Active, Reserve, and Guard personnel, as well as retirees, Health
Benefits Advisors/ Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinators, other
hospital personnel, contractors affiliated with the federal government, and
beneficiaries. There is no cost for the course, in terms of registration, etc.
The course will being held at the Double Tree Hotel, located at 32nd Street
and Quebec, Denver, Colorado (about 6 miles East of downtown Denver). Hotel
telephone # is (303) 321-3333.
Registration for the course is done online through the TRICARE web site:
www.tricare.osd.mil.
Click on "Training" on the pull-down menu, and then
select TRICARE Basic & Advanced Student Course (TBASCO).
Following is a list of training dates. Any necessary changes to training dates
will be posted on the web site:
February 26-28,2002 ..... Basic Course only
April 2-4, 2002 ......... Basic Course only
May 14-17, 2002 ......... Basic and Advance Course
August 13-15,2002 ....... Basic Course only
September 24-26, 2002 ... Basic Course only
November 5-7,2002 ....... Basic Course only
December 10-13, 2002 .... Basic and Advance Course
Posted: 8 FEB 02
Clark: TRICARE Delivers on Promise of Quality Healthcare
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 4, 2002 - Young service members expect military leaders to
issue equipment and orders, and to pay attention to their quality-of-life
concerns, the chief of naval operations said here today.
Adm. Vernon Clark, keynote speaker at the annual TRICARE conference being held
Feb. 4-7 in a downtown hotel, said today's troops want fair pay, good housing
-- and quality medical care. That last item, he told hundreds of military and
civilian healthcare professionals, is a "covenant," a
promise, made between leaders and the rank-and-file.
In that respect, TRICARE, the military's healthcare system, has made "truly,
truly remarkable" gains in the past few years, Clark noted. TRICARE health
providers are "seeing to it that this institution keeps its promise," he said.
"I want you to know that I appreciate what you're doing," he told his
audience.
The quality healthcare and customer service provided by TRICARE is "one of the
best-kept secrets out in the (healthcare) industry," the admiral noted.
Clark acknowledged the system once had negative issues, such as patient
access, that have since been fixed. The admiral noted that the master chief
petty officer of the Navy recently reported to him: "We're not hearing much
(bad) about TRICARE these days."
Now is not the time to rest upon laurels, Clark noted, adding that TRICARE
needs to be made "as effective and efficient as we can."
Related Site of Interest:
Posted: 1 FEB 02
Exercise is Good -- As Long As You Go About It Intelligently
Special to the American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 31, 2002 -- Innovations in equipment for the home and office
have made quick work of chores. More and more of our waking hours are spent
sitting, in front of a computer, in our cars commuting to and from work, and
shuttling our families to and fro. While our brains may get a workout,
unfortunately our bodies are not.
"Our bodies truly prefer to be in a balanced state, a balance between activity
and rest, calorie intake and calorie expenditure, stress and relaxation," said
Karen Friedman, a physical therapist with the Deployment Health Clinical
Center at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington. "When a person
experiences too little exercise, many complications can occur."
Complications can include loss of flexibility, muscle mass strength, bone
density, endurance and weight gain; activity intolerance; stored stress; poor
sleep, cardiac concerns, elevated blood pressure, and more. On the other hand,
she said, a well-planned and consistent exercise program can
positively impact on all of these concerns.
When we talk about exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle, Friedman said, we
are speaking of making significant long- term changes in daily habits. A
healthy lifestyle is not a hobby that you do whenever you feel like it. It
involves making a commitment to look better, feel better and, in
turn, perform our jobs and life roles more effectively.
For most of us, exercise does not happen unplanned. Implementing and
maintaining a lifelong exercise program involves commitment and strategy. Two
key strategies in adopting an exercise routine are to make it realistic and
enjoyable.
"Exercise is beneficial for everyone. Our military personnel are in a culture
that encourages physical fitness as part of daily routine and readiness
requirements, Friedman said. "Civilians may also be in a climate that fosters
a healthy way of life, but too often members of both groups find themselves
with too little time and too much to do and no time to exercise."
A balanced exercise program, she continued, contains stretching for
flexibility, cardiovascular activity to increase endurance, strengthening
exercises to increase muscle mass and bone density, and variety to avoid
repetitive stress injuries and boredom. Try to exercise 30 to 40 minutes at
least three times a week, she recommended.
She discussed a sample program for five exercise sessions a week. Try three
sessions of cardiovascular exercise followed by stretching, she said, and two
days of strength training with either machines or free weights followed by
stretching.
Good choices among cardiovascular activities, she suggested, include walking
or running on a treadmill or track; bicycling on a regular or stationary bike;
swimming or water walking; and using cross-training, stair climbing and rowing
machines.
Friedman shared some thoughts for beginners and veterans alike:
Set a comfortable level for the first few exercise sessions. Too many people
mistakenly start so ambitiously ("no pain, no gain") that they become sore and
discouraged. Then they quit. If you haven't exercised for a while, a 15-minute
neighborhood walk is a good start.
Begin your exercise session with a warm-up and end with a cool-down. Follow up
your exercise with stretching to help ward off soreness and to increase your
flexibility.
Slow, gentle stretching exercises are more effective than fast or abrupt
movements. Stretching should not cause pain. Never bounce when you stretch.
Dress appropriately. Wear loose, comfortable clothing in light layers that you
can remove as you warm up.
Wear the right shoes. Knee, hip and back problems can occur if the shoes don't
support your feet properly or they're worn out. Also, orthopedic problems in
your legs or feet may require medical treatment or special shoe fittings
called orthotics.
Some people shy from weight training because they don't want to "bulk up."
Friedman said the key to gaining strength but not large muscle masses is to do
more repetitions (two or three sets of 10 "reps") using light weights.
Exercise when you're most geared up for it. For instance, don't do mornings if
you're the kind of person who needs a coffee transfusion to open your eyes.
Try not to exercise after dinner, because raising your metabolism when your
body is trying to wind down for sleep invites insomnia.
Find out what motivates you to stick with your program. One person might need
company and encouragement while another prefers being alone to decompress and
ponder.
Get a medical check-up before starting an exercise program, and especially if
you've had a recent or current health problem.
Learn proper technique. Exercises done improperly won't give you the results
you want, but they will put you at risk for injury.
"Exercise is good for everyone as long as you go about it intelligently," she
said. "If you are already fit, think about adding variety to your workout. If
you have not been exercising but want to start, be patient, be realistic in
setting goals.
"Whatever you do, select activities you enjoy," Friedman insisted. "You will
not stick with a program you hate."
(From the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.)
Posted: 1 FEB 02
Post-Deployment Health a DoD Priority
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Jan. 30, 2002 -- DoD officials believe caring for service members
after a deployment should be a national priority. They've taken the lessons
learned since the Gulf War and devised a set of guidelines for healthcare
professionals to care for service members with deployment-
related health concerns.
Beginning March 1, healthcare providers will ask service members who seek
medical care if their visit is related to concerns stemming from a deployment.
"We're not necessarily asking patients to make a diagnostic call and tell us
whether their disease or ailment is caused by that deployment," said Army Lt.
Col. (Dr.) Charles Engel, "but is that part of the concern that's driving
their care that day?"
Engel is the director of DoD's Deployment Health Clinical Center at Walter
Reed Army Medical Center here. He also serves as the DoD consultant for the
new clinical practice guidelines.
If the service member answers, "yes," the new guidelines require the provider
to take certain steps, including a specific evaluation and arrange follow-up
visits. Engel said patients receiving routine check-ups or wellness visits
would not be asked the deployment question.
After the 1990-1991 Gulf War, DoD realized veterans were suffering from
unexplained health problems, typified by fatigue, diffuse pain, and sleep and
memory problems, Engel explained.
He said DoD officials have come to realize deployment-related health
conditions may not show up during or immediately after a deployment.
"A certain proportion of people return (from deployments with) valid and real
physical symptoms, and unfortunately diagnostic testing doesn't give us the
exact answer as to what their disease is or ailment is," Engel said. "And what
we have found after the Gulf War is that even 10 years
later, the best science doesn't give us a discreet answer as to what exposure
on the battlefield may be responsible for this."
However, he said, DoD medical professionals are trying to do a better job of
acknowledging patients' concerns than has been done in the past. That's where
the Clinical Practice Guideline for Post-Deployment Health Evaluation and
Management comes in.
"Part of what the guideline does is essentially teach doctors how to meet and
greet service members returning from a hazardous workplace with valid physical
concerns and address those concerns in an expeditious way -- the sort of way
that they're entitled to after having served their
country and made important sacrifices," Engel said.
He said this helps patients trust their healthcare providers, which helps
clinicians provide better care.
"A big part of the guideline is informing providers as to what sorts of tests
that they should run, but I'd say an even bigger part of the guideline is
helping clinicians to recognize that there are strategies they can use to
embrace the returning veterans' health concerns," Engel said.
The guidelines don't contain a strict definition of "deployment." Engel
explained there are countless situations in which military service members
might
experience hazardous exposures -- be they psychological, industrial or
environmental.
"This is an evaluation for people who've been to what essentially amounts to a
hazardous workplace -- a deployment of some sort -- in service to their
country," he said. Engel said the team developing the guidelines didn't want
to use a strict definition of deployment, because that
might exclude people from being treated properly under the guidelines.
"It becomes a way that many veterans feel like they're being cut out of care
rather than brought into it," Engel said. "If the person relates their health
concern to a deployment, however improbable the healthcare provider might
think that is, they are cared for under this guideline."
Posted: 2 FEB 02
CHAMPVA OnLine News Registration
As of Monday, January 28, the Department of Veterans Affairs Health
Administration Center (HAC) web site at
http://www.va.gov/hac
will have a link that will allow CHAMPVA beneficiaries and other interested
personnel to automatically subscribe to the HAC mailing list.
The HAC mailing list is used to distributes updates to CHAMPVA policies and
programs. It is also used to send out beneficiary and provider newsletters.
If you (or someone you know) are interested in getting on the HAC mailing
list, please visit
http://www.va.gov/hac on or after 28 January to do so.
Please report web page and/or mailing list problems, questions, comments,
etc., to Glenn.Johnson@med.va.gov
--------------
SOURCE: Public Affairs Officer/EEO Manager, Public Affairs Officer/EEO Manager
Department of Veterans Affairs
Posted: 1 FEB 02
TRICARE Fiscal Year Catastrophic Cap Reduced for Retirees, Their Family Members
and Survivors
TRICARE Fiscal Year Catastrophic Cap Reduced For Retirees, Their Family
Members
And Survivors
January 25, 2002
No. 02-02
The TRICARE fiscal year "catastrophic cap" has been reduced from $7,500 to
$3,000 for uniformed services retirees, their family members and survivors.
The cap is the maximum amount of out-of-pocket costs these beneficiaries are
required to pay for medical care during a fiscal year (Oct. 1 through Sept.
30).
For active duty family members, the catastrophic cap remains $1,000 per fiscal
year.
The catastrophic cap reduction is retroactive to Oct. 1, 2000. Retirees, their
family members and survivors who have paid more than $3,000 out-of-pocket for
TRICARE-covered services are eligible for reimbursement. The managed care
support contractors (MCSC's) will search their files and identify
beneficiaries due refunds.
Beneficiaries who have saved their receipts and choose to initiate a request
for reimbursement, may do so by contacting their regional claims processor for
guidance on where to submit their receipts and claims.
It is not necessary for beneficiaries to resubmit claims already paid by
TRICARE to qualify for reimbursement of the amount paid over the catastrophic
cap.
For retirees, their family members and survivors enrolled in TRICARE Prime,
there is an enrollment year cap. The enrollment year cap begins on the
anniversary date of enrollment in TRICARE Prime, and applies to all enrollees.
Catastrophic caps, both fiscal year and enrollment year combined, will not
exceed $3,000 in a given 12-month period for retirees, their family members
and survivors, and $1,000 for family members of active duty members.
Once the catastrophic cap and enrollment year cap (combined) are met by
TRICARE Prime enrollees, TRICARE will pay up to the TRICARE allowable amount
for all covered services (excluding point-of-service charges which do not
count toward the catastrophic cap).
For beneficiaries who are not enrolled in TRICARE Prime, TRICARE will pay up
to the TRICARE allowable amount for all covered services for the remainder of
the fiscal year after the fiscal year cap is met.
Retirees, family members, and survivors remain responsible for the cost of all
services and treatments received which are not TRICARE covered benefits.
Some beneficiaries mistakenly believe that the $3,000 catastrophic cap is the
ceiling on the amount that TRICARE will cover for a family during any given
year, however the opposite is true. The cap will protect retirees, their
family members and survivors from paying more than $3,000 out-of pocket for
medical care.
For additional information on catastrophic cap reduction, beneficiaries are
encouraged to contact the nearest TRICARE service center or military treatment
facility beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinators for assistance.
TRICARE benefit information is also available on the Military Health System/TRICARE
Web site at
http://www.tricare.osd.mil , or by calling 1-888-DoD-LIFE
(1-888-363-5433).
--End --
NOTES FROM POSTMASTER:
Posted: 1 FEB 02
New Parenting Booklet Puts Decades of Research Into Easy-to-Read Guide
"Adventures in Parenting: How Responding, Preventing, Monitoring, Mentoring,
and Modeling Can Help You Be a Successful Parent" highlights many of the
toughest challenges that parents face in rearing happy and healthy children
and suggests ways to become a more effective, more consistent, and more
attentive parent.
This new booklet offers strategies on parenting practices that are based on
scientific research that can be used by parents and guardians of children of
any age. It also includes stories of how some parents have incorporated these
strategies into their own day-to-day parenting activities, as well as insights
from parenting experts.
--------------------
healthfinder® is a free Web guide to reliable health information, developed by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each month, we choose a few
exciting new resources and announce them through the healthfinder-l listserv.
The Web address for healthfinder® is
www.healthfinder.gov.
If you are new to the site, please take a minute to visit our page for first
time users at
Please review selection guidelines at
http://www.healthfinder.gov/aboutus/selection.htm if you have any
questions about the type of resources that healthfinder® will consider for an
announcement. Please note: As a U.S. government Web site, healthfinder® does
not accept advertising or endorse any commercial products or services.
Posted: 1 FEB 02
Scams Target Veterans for Identity Theft
NOTE: Below listed message isn't exactly health related. It's being provided
for the information of the many retired and soon-to-be retired members on this
mailing list -- Postmaster
------
by Staff Sgt. Marcia Triggs
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Jan. 22, 2002) - An e-mail circulating
about a retiree who had his identity stolen after filing separation papers at
a county courthouse is no urban legend, according to Transition Center
officials.
Soldiers separating from the military are now being advised to ignore
the old recommendation to file their Department of Defense Form 214 (Military
Discharge) with their local county courthouse. Instead, transition counselors
are advising soldiers to safeguard their personal information to guard against
credit fraud, said Deborah Snider, Transition Center personnel analyst at the
U.S. Total Army Personnel Command.
Between 600,000 to 700,000 cases of identity theft were reported by
the Federal Trade Commission in 2000. Identity theft is the fastest growing
crime today, according to the FTC, and many victims don't find out that their
personal information has been stolen until they are trying to buy a house or
get a loan.
"I don't think anyone ever thought about this happening, which is the
reason there are no provisions to 'unfile' records," Snider said. "This is a
serious problem, and soldiers are a prime target because everything is tied to
the soldiers' Social Security number."
The victims of identity theft suffer tremendously because the burden
of proof is on them, Snider said. It's hard to believe that a person's
life could
be destroyed by this, she said, but it happens.
A Navy retiree learned that someone had stolen his personal
information and established credit in his name when he received a phone call
from a clerk at American Express saying that someone was trying to cash a
$9,000 check in his name made out to a Muslim or Arabic-sounding name.
The clerk was suspicious and called the retiree because the address
she had on file for him did not match the address on the check. After the
retiree's case was investigated, he found out that a lawyer stole his
identity. The lawyer also had a laptop with several thousand military
names, Social Security numbers and other information on it. The common link
between the veterans on the list was that they had filed their DD 214s
with their county courthouse.
"Someone stole my identity, now I feel I am no longer me," said a
victim of identity theft. "I reside in the pocket of a felon who can see that
she is allowed to steal me without penalty. She carries me casually, and each
time she pulls me out a small piece of me falls away."
To help guard against identity theft the Transition Center is no
longer placing Social Security numbers on discharge and retirement
certificates,
Snider said. Anything that might be hung for display will not have a soldier's
Social Security number on it.
When soldiers separate from active duty, Snider said the most vital
document they receive is the DD 214. It contains their Social Security number
and birth date. In the past, soldiers were advised to file the form with their
local courthouse to ensure that they would always be able to get a certified
copy. They need a certified copy to receive any Veterans Administration
benefits.
Once the DD 214 is filed at a local county courthouse, however, it
becomes a public record. Some courthouses have put this information online,
and even more plan to do so in the future, Snider said.
"Our recommendation is to safeguard the form as you would any vital
papers such as a will, marriage license or insurance papers," Snider said. "A
safe deposit box would be a good investment."
Forty-six states now have identity theft laws, up from just three in
1996, according to the Federal Trade Commission. And many state lawmakers are
considering toughening laws already on the books.
Under a new Montana law that took affect in October, the maximum
penalty for identity theft involving more than $1,000 in gains is a $10,000
fine and 10 years in jail. In Missouri, identity theft is punishable by up to
six months in jail for the first offense; up to one year in jail for the
second
offense; and one to five years imprisonment for the third or subsequent
offense.
Link to original news item:
Posted: 1 FEB 02
'Silent Disease' Plagues Millions
by Richard Zowie
12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
01/16/01 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- It is a painless, chronic
disease that currently plagues about 3 million Americans. Half of those with
this disease, which has no known cure, do not even know they have it.
This disease, glaucoma, is also known as the "silent disease" since it slowly
deprives a person of sight without any noticeable signs.
Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in the United States and the
leading cause of preventable blindness, Glaucoma Research Foundation officials
said. About 120,000 Americans are blind because of glaucoma.
Blacks suffer glaucoma six to eight times more frequently than Caucasians.
Glaucoma is also the leading cause of blindness among blacks, including
baseball star, Kirby Puckett, officials said.
Glaucoma is a group of diseases that limit or eliminate vision by causing
damage to the optic nerve. This nerve carries images from the eye to the
brain.
The most common form of glaucoma is primary open angle glaucoma.
With this disorder, the eye's drainage canals become clogged and cannot
properly drain. As a result, the intraocular pressure within the eye rises. A
person suffering from this form of glaucoma will eventually lose their
eyesight if the problem is not diagnosed or detected.
Glaucoma does not initially affect a person's color or fine vision, said Lt.
Col. (Dr.) Greg Young, Randolph Clinic's optometry flight commander.
People with 20/20 or even 20/15 vision could still have glaucoma, he said. "We
highly recommend that at-risk people have glaucoma exams more often than
others," Young said. "At-risk people include African-Americans, people over 40
and those with a family history of glaucoma. If we target those who are
high-risk, we can detect and treat it earlier. These are the people we want to
screen for glaucoma every year."
If a medical screening detects glaucoma, patients are given eye drops or
referred for more specialized treatment.
Eye drops are used for patients with mild cases of glaucoma, Young said. The
drops work to decrease a person's intraocular pressure low enough to prevent
damage to the eye.
"Usually, through an assortment or a combination of the drops, you can get the
required effect," he said.
Young encourages people in at-risk groups to have eye exams every year. For
people not in risk groups, he recommends an eye exam every two to three years.
"Bottom line, it's important that detection and prevention come before
intervention and treatment," he said.
There are some things people can do to keep pressures low and damage to a
minimum, Young said. Studies have shown that long distance runners have
lowered their pressures significantly. Also, keeping the optic nerve nourished
with a healthy blood supply can be accomplished through regular exercise along
with eating a well-balanced diet or taking multivitamins.
For more information on glaucoma, people should call or visit their optometry
clinic. (Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)
--------------------
Posted: 1 FEB 02
Advance Medical Directives
It is the right of every person to have an "advance medical directive." The
following guidance is provided to help military beneficiaries decide if the
choice of an advanced medical directive is in their best interest.
An advanced medical directive is a written document that sets forth a person's
desires concerning what medical care he will receive should he become
incapable of making healthcare decisions on his own, or that gives another
person the legal authority to make healthcare decisions on behalf of a person
who has become mentally incapacitated.
Living wills and durable healthcare powers of attorney are both advanced
medical directives. The advanced medical directive is often simply referred to
as an advance directive.
A living will is a written document that sets forth a person's desires
concerning the medical care that he will receive should he become terminally
ill or when his death is imminent.
A living will may specify which medical treatments should be provided, as well
as which medical treatments should not.
A durable healthcare power of attorney is a written document which
gives another person (known as the agent, proxy or surrogate) legal
authority to make healthcare decisions. This document is valid for any period
of mental incapacitation.
All competent adult patients have the moral and legal right to participate in
their medical treatment decisions and to refuse medical treatment even in
life-saving or life-sustaining situations. This includes the right to prepare
advanced medical directives concerning their medical care.
In general, active-duty patients have the same rights as non-active-duty
patients. However, active-duty soldiers may not refuse certain life-saving
medical or surgical procedures. When an active-duty soldier refuses such
treatment, the matter is referred to the office of the staff judge advocate
for
resolution. Guidance concerning this is covered in Army Regulation 600-20.
(and applicable regulations for the other military services)
An advanced medical directive is voluntary in nature. Patients are not
required to have one to be admitted or treated. Patients' care will not be
compromised if they do not have advanced medical directives.
Patients having advanced medical directives must inform their primary care
managers accordingly. They must also provide copies of their advanced medical
directives to their physicians or the outpatient records room as soon as
possible.
Patients who desire to make cadaver donations must coordinate with the medical
institutions of their choice. Advance arrangements must be made between the
donor and the medical institution that will be receiving the body.
An advanced medical directive may be revoked or changed at any time. Patients
may verbally inform their primary care managers or providers if they wish to
change it.
To formally change an advanced medical directive, patients must contact their
legal assistance office.
If a patient does not currently have an advanced medical directive and would
like to get one, the legal assistance office is available to provide legal
advice and assist individuals in preparing one.
Discuss the information in your advanced medical directive with individual
physicians and family members. Since local laws vary from state to state, it
is suggested that patients verify that an advanced medical directive prepared
in one state continues to be valid when a move to another state has taken
place.
(Reprinted from the Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Guidon)
============
SOURCE: Army Medicine web site at
Posted: 1 FEB 02
Vaccine Ban for Pregnant Servicewomen Strengthened
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
No.026-02
(703)695-0192(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 16, 2002
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
VACCINE BAN FOR PREGNANT SERVICEWOMEN STRENGTHENED
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs William Winkenwerder issued
policy guidance today that reiterates and strengthens long-standing DoD policy
to avoid immunization of servicewomen of childbearing age during pregnancy.
This action was taken because of issues raised about preliminary data from a
non-peer reviewed Naval Health Research Center Study
of women who received the anthrax vaccine.
"Although these study results are preliminary and there are significant
concerns about the database that require further investigation before any
conclusions can be made, we are taking these steps to reaffirm our existing
policies," stated Winkenwerder.
The preliminary data, which has not been scientifically peer reviewed and will
require further validation, identified a possible relationship between
maternal anthrax vaccination in the first trimester and higher odds of birth
defects. Because the data supporting the study showed that a number of women
might have received the anthrax vaccine beyond the first trimester, study data
is now being re-validated. The peer-review publication process usually takes
several months. The final report will be available then.
At the Department's request, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
will issue a report next week in its Morbidity and
Mortality Report:
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/ that provides further details of the study.
Winkenwerder's memo is on the Web at
Posted: 1 FEB 02
Keeping Those Healthy Resolutions
Whether you've made a 2002 resolution to cut calories, quit smoking, or eat
better, healthfinder® can help you stay on track.
Keeping resolutions is in the news these days, so you might take a look at
this recent story for some tips:
Top 10 Diet Blunders at
abcnews_health_eng-abcnews_health_060150_4389445422917884933
And don't forget the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans from USDA and
HHS at
If you haven't set some health goals for the coming year, why not visit
www.healthfinder.gov
today and write your own prescription for health with
the help of the Surgeon General?
Surgeon General's Prescription for Health at
Also on the healthfinder® home page, you'll find our today's online checkup
feature. Every day, we highlight an interactive health checkup or quiz
(today it's an Interactive Menu Planner) and you can also search our
collection of tools by topic. These include cancer, cholesterol, smoking,
For more detailed recommendations for preventive health care, try one of these
three Put Prevention Into Practice handbooks:
Child Health Guide
Personal Health Guide
Staying Healthy at 50+
healthfinder® is a free Web guide to reliable health information, developed by
the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Each month, we choose a few
exciting new resources.
The Web address for healthfinder® is
www.healthfinder.gov
. If you are new to the site, please take a minute to visit our page for
first time users at
-----------------
Posted: 14 Jan 02
CDC: Health Related Hoaxes and Rumors
1. Consumer Alert: Buying antibiotics online: Consumers who are visiting Web
sites and/or receiving e-mail claiming to sell Ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and other
antibiotics should consult "Offers to Treat Biological Threats: What You Need
to Know," produced by the Federal Trade Commission in conjunction with the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug
Administration (FDA). These fraudsters often follow the headlines, tailoring
their offers to prey on consumers' fears and vulnerabilities. The Consumer
Alert is available online at
http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2001/11/alert.htm
2. Emails about Anthrax from CDC: There are several emails being circulated
with the false subject line: "Important information about anthrax from CDC."
CDC has not conducted a mass email campaign to consumers, therefore, these
emails do not originate from CDC.
8. False Email Report: Hantavirus Spread by Contact With Soda Cans or Grocery
Packages
----------------
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site at
Posted: 21 Dec 01
DoD, VA Study Finds Lou Gehrig's Disease in Gulf War Vets
By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21, 2001 A large epidemiological study conducted by the
departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs found preliminary evidence that
Persian Gulf War veterans are nearly twice as likely as their non-deployed
counterparts to develop Lou Gehrig's disease.
The disease, amyotrophic (am-ee-o-trow-phic) lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is
often called Lou Gehrig's disease
because the baseball star died from it. It's a fatal neurological disease that
destroys the nerve cells that control muscle movement. Scientists don't know
what causes ALS, and there is no cure for it.
DoD provided the lion's share of the money for the $1.3 million jointly funded
study, which began in March 2000.
The investigation involved nearly 700,000 service members who served in
Southwest Asia during operations Desert
Shield and Desert Storm during the period Aug. 2, 1990 and July 31, 1991. More
than 1.8 million service members who did not deploy to the Persian Gulf were
also interviewed.
"We found 40 cases of Lou Gehrig's disease among veterans who served in the
Gulf area -- almost twice as many
compared to those who didn't serve in the gulf," said VA Secretary Anthony J.
Principi. About half of the 40 veterans have died.
"These findings are of great concern and warrant further study," Principi
noted at a Washington press conference
earlier this month. "I intend to make certain that VA's medical resources and
research capabilities are fully focused on this issue."
He emphasized that VA will compensate Desert Shield and Desert Storm veterans
with ALS. "And we'll do so quickly," he said. "We'll immediately contact those
who were identified by the study and will help them to file new
claims or prosecute existing claims -- and we'll pay benefits retroactively to
the date their claims are filed," Principi said.
VA is moving so fast because veterans who have contracted the disease can't
wait for the peer review process to be
completed, the secretary said.
"They need help now, and we'll offer it to them," he said.
Lou Gehrig's is a degenerative disease of the nervous system affecting the
brain cells that carry impulses from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles.
The disorder results in muscular weakness and the progressive wasting of
muscles. The problem usually starts in the hands and arms and then spreads to
other parts of the body. Patients eventually have difficulty speaking,
swallowing and breathing.
Early symptoms include slight muscle weakness, clumsy hand movements and
difficulty performing tasks that require
delicate movements of the fingers or hands. Veterans afflicted with the
disease can also experience weakness of
the lips and impairment of the tongue, mouth or voice box. Other symptoms
include uncontrollable twitching of muscles,
stiffness in the legs, and coughing.
Death usually follows diagnosis within three to five years. VA health
officials said even with the increased diagnosis
among Gulf War veterans, the disease is extremely rare, affecting only about
one in 25,000 people. Among Gulf War
veterans, it's one in 17,500. There's no evidence about higher rates of ALS
among other groups of veterans. However, researchers plan to explore the
possibility in later studies, officials said.
VA is providing free medical care and disability compensation for veterans who
have the disease. Officials urge veterans or family members who believe they
qualify to contact their nearest VA medical center, regional office or
benefits office.
Survivors of veterans who died from the disease are eligible for dependency
and indemnity compensation,
enrollment in VA's healthcare program for survivors, educational assistance
and vocational assistance, among
other benefits, officials said.
Related Site of Interest:
Phone: (800) 497-6261
Mail: 5113 Leesburg Pike Suite 901
Falls Church, Virginia 22041
Posted: 21 Dec 01
Gulf War Vets - Where To Get Help
Active duty military personnel with questions or concerns about their service
in the Persian Gulf region: contact your commanding officer or call the
Department of Defense (DoD) Gulf War Veterans Hotline (1-800-497-6261).
Gulf War veterans with concerns about their health:contact the nearest VA
medical center. The telephone number can be found in the local telephone
directory under Department of Veterans Affairs in the "U.S. Government"
listings. A Persian Gulf Registry examination will be offered. Treatment will
be provided to eligible veterans.
Gulf War veterans in need of marital/family counseling, contact the nearest VA
medical center or VA vet center. For additional information, call the VA Gulf
War Information Helpline at 1-800-PGW-VETS (1-800-749-8387).
Gulf War veterans seeking disability compensation for illnesses incurred in or
aggravated by military service: contact a Veterans Benefits Counselor at the
nearest VA regional office of health care facility or call the VA Gulf War
Information Helpline at 1-800-PGW-VETS (1-800-749-8387).
Gulf War veterans interested in learning about the wide range of benefit
programs administered by the VA: contact a Veterans Benefits Counselor at the
nearest VA regional office or health care facility or call the VA Gulf War
Information Helpline at 1-800-PGW-VETS (1-800-749-8387).
Individuals with first-hand information about "incidents" that occurred in the
theater of operations during the Gulf War and that may be related to health
problems experienced by individuals who served in the War: call the DoD
"Incidents" Hotline at 1-800-472-6719.
Veterans and military service organizations:
National veterans and military service organizations provide assistance and
representation for millions of veterans, servicemembers and their families
through world-wide networks.
Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses (OSAGWI) personnel meet
regularly with representatives of these organizations. The meetings give
OSAGWI an opportunity to provide an update of OSAGWI activities and other
actions in DoD for discussion with their membership. In turn, OSAGWI receives
feedback and requests for information on topics of interest to their
members. A recap of the meetings along with briefing slides and related
information materials are available on the DeploymentLINK web site
http://www.deploymentlink.osd.mil
OSAGWI also participates in activities hosted by the veterans and military
service offices. An activity calendar is available on the DeploymentLINK web
site at
If you have suggestions for OSAGWI participation or support, please contact
send E-mail to
5113 Leesburg Pike Suite 901
Falls Church, Virginia 22041
Note: Veterans service organizations are also available to assist Gulf War
veterans. A listing follows:
Air Force Association
1501 Lee Highway, Arlington, VA 22209-1198
American GI Forum
206 San Pedro, Suite 210, San Antonio, TX 78205
American Legion
1608 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20006
American Legion Auxiliary
c/o Harper and Company, 11961 Tech Road, Silver Spring, MD, 20904
AMVETS
4647 Forbes Boulevard, Lanham, MD 20706
Association of the U.S. Army
2110 Washington Blvd., Arlington, VA 22204
Disabled American Veterans
807 Maine Street, SW, Washington, DC 20024
Enlisted Association of the National Guard
1219 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Fleet Reserve Association
125 N. West Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-2754
Jewish War Veterans
1811 R Street, NW, Washington, DC 20009
Marine Corps League
8626 Lee Highway, #201
Merrifield, VA 22031
Marine Corps Reserve Officers Association
110 N. Royal Street, Suite 406, Alexandria, VA 22314
National Association of the Uniformed Services
5535 Hempstead Way, Springfield, VA 22151
National Guard Association of the US
1 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20001
National Military Family Association
6000 Stevenson Ave., #304, Alexandria, VA 22304
Naval Enlisted Reserve Association
6703 Farragut Ave, Falls Church, VA 22042-2189
Naval Reserve Association
1619 King Street, Alexandria, VA 22314-2793
Navy League
2300 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201
Non-Commissioned Officers Association
225 N. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Reserve Officers Association
1 Constitution Ave., NE, Washington, DC 20002
Retired Officers Association
201 N. Washington Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
Veterans of Foreign Wars
200 Maryland Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002
Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary
406 W 34th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111
Vietnam Veterans of America
1224 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005
============
SOURCE: GulfLink Web Page at
http://
Posted: 21 Dec 01
TRICARE Dental Plan Premium Rate Change
NOTE: TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) information is available online
at
******
Harrisburg, PA (Dec 13) - TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) members will notice a
slight increase in their monthly premiums beginning January 2002. The new
rates are effective on February 1, 2002; however, since premiums are collected
one month in advance, TDP members will notice the change with their January
2002 billing statement, payroll allotment or deduction.
Effective February 1st, TDP premiums will increase by about 3.5 percent or a
little less than the annual increase in the dental services component of the
Consumer Price Index.
The new monthly premium rate for active duty family members and members of the
Selected Reserve, Individual Ready Reserve (Special Mobilization Category) and
family members of reservists who are on active duty for more than 30
consecutive days is $7.90 for a single enrollment and $19.74 for a family
enrollment. Members of the Individual Ready Reserve (Other than Special
Mobilization Category) and their family members and the family members of the
Selected Reserve will pay a new monthly rate of $19.75 for a single enrollment
and $49.36 for a family enrollment. (See chart below for monthly premium rates
applicable to each type of enrollee).
"Since the government will continue to pay 60 percent of the total monthly
premium for most categories of TDP enrollees, the actual increase for the
majority of TDP members will be fairly small - 27 cents a month for a single
enrollment and 66 cents a month for a family enrollment," said Tom Harbold,
Senior Vice President for the TDP at United Concordia Companies, Inc.
While the TDP premium increases are due primarily to increases in the cost of
dental services, part of the increase is the result of enhancing the general
anesthesia benefit. Effective February 1, 2002, the requirement that general
anesthesia be performed by a provider other than the surgeon, assistant
surgeon or treating doctor is eliminated.
United Concordia Companies, Inc. administered the TRICARE Family Member Dental
Plan (TFMDP) from February 1996 through January 2001. In February 2001, the
TRICARE Selected Reserve Dental Program (TSRDP) and the TFMDP were combined to
create the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP). United Concordia was selected by the
Department of Defense to administer the TDP. Headquartered in Harrisburg, Pa.,
United Concordia is the fifth largest dental insurer in the country with more
than six million members worldwide. In 2000, the company processed more than
9.3 million claims and paid more than $781 million in dental benefits.
TDP Monthly Premiums
(February 2002 January 2003)
Shared Premium Single Family
-------------------------------- ------ -------
Active Duty Family Members $7.90 $19.74
Selected Reserve
IRR Special Mobilization Category
Full Premium
----------------------------------------------
IRR Other than Special Mobilization Category $19.75 $49.36
SELRES & IRR Family Members
=======
SOURCE:
Telephone Inquiries: 1-888-622-2256
Posted: 21 Dec 01
Cold, Altitude Threaten Troops' Health in Afghanistan
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2001 -- Cold and altitude are currently the most serious
environmental threats to troops
serving in Afghanistan. In a few months, they'll need to worry more about
malaria.
Many different issues can impact service members' health while serving in
Central Asia, but the most serious varies
depending on the area and the season, said Army Dr. (Lt. Col.) Bruno
Petruccelli. He's the epidemiology program
manager with the Army Center for Health Promotion and Preventive Medicine,
Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md.
"The most likely environmental or physical threats (now) would be the high
altitude and the cold," Petruccelli said.
"In the summer months, the heat can get pretty horrendous as well."
Tactics can make a difference in preventing health problems, such as those
from cold and altitude. But, Petruccelli said, military medical professionals
don't recommend changes in tactics. They give information, and it's up to
commanders to weigh the risks against the importance of the mission, he
explained.
"When it is possible, altitude illness is best prevented by ascending slowly,"
he said. Ascending slowly and spending
at least one night at altitude will prevent most cases of "mountain sickness"
and "make the mission go a little bit
more smoothly," he said.
But physical symptoms to altitude changes can occur as low as 5,000 feet in
particularly susceptible individuals, he
said. And for some missions, slow ascent just isn't an option. "Sometimes we
fly right into a high altitude,"
Petruccelli said.
Physical signs of altitude sickness include headache, dizziness, nausea and
fatigue. "All things that in their mildest form may not interfere with normal
functioning," Petruccelli said. "But they may predict a more serious event
later on."
"A more serious event" might even include life-threatening cerebral edema, or
fluid accumulating in the brain, he said. The condition's rare, he said, but
physicians in the area need to be aware of possibilities.
The threat of altitude sickness declines after the first 24 to 48 hours.
"After a while, our breathing adjusts and our
blood cells adjust and we do fine," Petruccelli said. "But it may take a few
days to get there."
Cold is easier for individuals to protect themselves against. The military has
excellent cold-weather gear that
can be mixed and layered depending upon weather conditions, Petruccelli said.
He recommended troops use it properly.
He said it's possible to overdress and become a heat casualty even in the
winter.
In the summer, some parts of Central Asia experience extremely high
temperatures. Petruccelli said the best way
to avoid heat injuries is to stay hydrated. He recommended sipping up to a
quart or more of water over the course of
each hour. Gulping large amounts of water at once is not as helpful, he said,
and can even be harmful.
As early as March, the threat of malaria goes up considerably. U.S. forces
deployed to areas where malaria
is present take one of two types of prophylactic medication.
The anti-microbial drug mefloquine is taken once a week and must be started at
least two weeks before going into the
region, Petruccelli said. "It takes that long for adequate blood levels to be
achieved," he said.
It also has to be taken for at least four weeks after one leaves the area in
order to keep killing the parasites that
emerge in the individual.
"Malaria can still emerge several weeks later. Parasites can stay in the body
and start to multiply after you stop
taking the drug," he explained. "The drug is a suppressant; it's not really an
agent that immediately eliminates any
parasite that gets into your body."
The other drug U.S. forces can take to prevent malaria is the antibiotic
doxycyline. Petrucelli said this drug is
taken daily when in the region and can be started as late as a day or two
before deploying and still reach adequate
levels in the blood.
The likelihood of contracting malaria depends mostly on the level of
individual protection, he said. "Going into the
winter, the likelihood of malaria transmission is very low," he said.
"However, there are some areas where
transmission remains possible throughout the year."
One form of malaria found in Afghanistan, falciparum, is particularly deadly
to individuals with no immunity built
up. Immunity is gained by living for a long period in an area where malaria is
present.
Americans have virtually no natural ability to fight malaria, but even those
who have some aren't safe from contracting the disease. Their partial immunity
would only help them survive a malarial bout, Petruccelli said.
In addition to taking preventive medication, it's important for service
members to wear insect repellent, sleep under
mosquito nets when possible, and have their uniforms treated with permethrin,
an insecticidal chemical.
Personal protective measures aside, being physically fit and eating
nutritiously are the best ways to fight illness,
Petruccelli said. Fitness also makes it easier to acclimate to extremes of
temperature and altitude.
"A person who is physically fit and well nourished has a much stronger immune
system," he said. "Heat casualties are
particularly notorious for someone who is not physically fit." That's because
people who have to acclimate to heat
and physical activity at the same time put much more stress on their bodies,
he noted.
Local food and water should also be considered hazardous. Diarrheal illnesses,
typhoid, hepatitis A and many other
infectious diseases can be transmitted via food and water, Petruccelli said.
Military members are vaccinated against
typhoid and hepatitis A, but many other serious diseases can be contracted
through infected food and water.
U.S. forces provide safe food and water sources for deployed service members,
but the risk of food- and water-
borne illness can be greater for special operations forces. These troops often
travel in small groups on their own
among local populations. Carrying large amounts of safe food and water is not
usually possible.
Still, Petruccelli said, these troops can minimize their risks. He recommended
service members with no options but
locally produced food should avoid poorly cooked meat, dairy products and raw
produce.
He explained there's a difference between a health risk and a threat. "A risk
is everything out there that could
possibly impact on someone's health," he said. A threat, on the other hand, is
the likelihood of being affected by that
risk even after you've taken personal protective measures into account, he
said.
Any photos, graphics or other imagery included in the article may also be
viewed at this web page.
####
Posted: 21 Dec 01
A Pound Here, A Pound There, and Talk Turns Weighty
Special to the American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, D.C., Dec. 13, 2001 -- The average American will gain about a
pound on holiday goodies this year.
That's not much, but medical studies unfortunately show the years disappear,
but the pounds don't.
DoD wants service members and their families -- especially children --
retirees and civilian employees to enjoy
lifelong health and fitness, said Air Force Col. (Dr.) Daniel L. Cohen, chief
medical officer and deputy operations director in the Office of the Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.
Cohen said the military medical system today stresses a "condition management
approach" to obesity. That means
working with beneficiaries to prevent the problem rather than have to treat
it. The approach marks a change in traditional thinking, one that requires a
close partnership with beneficiaries.
It's for their good, but also the military medical system's, he noted. There's
a healthier population of beneficiaries -- and also lower healthcare costs, he
said.
All the services have body weight and conditioning standards. The Body Mass
Index ratio developed by the National Institutes of Health in 1998 is one
indicator. Its is the ratio of weight in kilograms to height in meters
squared. A BMI of less than 25 is considered normal, 25 to 29.9 is overweight,
and over 30 is obese.
About a thousand of service members are discharged each year because of their
weight. That's sad, Cohen said, but
the active force's problem is minor compared to family members, who mirror the
general public. Using the BMI, he
said, studies suggest 60 percent of Americans are overweight or obese.
About 15 percent to 20 percent of children are overweight or obese, he said.
About 40 percent weigh over 80 percent
of their ideal body weight.
The services' elite forces are most effective at weight control, probably
because of their culture, which stresses
physical prowess, agility and team coordination, Cohen observed.
"My anecdotal experience is that you do not commonly see overweight and
obesity in our elite forces, though I
haven't really studied that scientifically," he said.
Whether or not his hunch is correct, he noted, one thing is certain for
everyone: It's easier to prevent overweight and
obesity than to treat them. They're illnesses, he said, but many overweight
individuals don't see themselves as sick or
needing treatment.
"They do not recognize the steep and very slippery slope on which they sit,"
Cohen said. Obesity is linked to higher
rates of chronic illness and worse physical quality of life than lifelong
smoking, problem drinking and poverty
combined, in the United States, he contended. Overweight and obesity are
clearly associated with type-2 diabetes,
gall bladder disease, hypertension, coronary artery disease, depression and
elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood.
Considering that an overweight 25 year old might gain 10 to 20 pounds per
decade, he continued, it's not surprising
nearly 30 percent of Americans at any given time are trying to lose weight.
The cost is up to $50 billion per year, and
most of it's wasted because it's spent on foods, nutritional programs,
supplements and remedies of dubious value, he said.
"Losing weight and keeping it off is not easy, ever!" Cohen warned. The hardly
secret truth about weight control is
that it means adopting a lifestyle that combines prudent dieting and a
sustained exercise program. It's the only way
to prevent and to effectively treat overweight or obesity without resorting to
medications, he said.
"Sustained exercise means 30 minutes of exercise, preferably vigorous, three
or four times per week, and more often if one is inclined," Cohen explained.
"The benefits of frequent exercise are well documented. Even walking is
helpful as long as it is sustained. One should feel at least a little tired at
the end of it, in my opinion."
A caution regarding children: Severely limiting children's caloric intake can
adversely affect growth and development,
especially during adolescence, when their needs increase, he said. The best
ticket, he noted, is a balanced diet that's neither excessive in calories nor
excessively restrictive coupled with age-appropriate exercise. Children
attempting to lose weight should do so only under the care of physicians or
nurse health managers, he added.
Embarking on this life change, one can hope to lose 1 or 2 pounds per month.
Losing 12 to 20 pounds in a year is a
real success story, he said.
A pound of fat contains about 3,500 calories. Vigorous exercise for 30 minutes
may burn up to 350 calories, so
even with daily exercise at this rate it would take 10 to 12 days to burn a
pound of fat -- assuming you're eating
only a normal complement of calories. An average adult requires 2,000 to 2,500
calories daily, so the goal should
be to not exceed about 2,000, ever, Cohen said.
For more information on weight control problems and treatments, visit the
Surgeon General's Overweight and
Also of possible interest, the National Institutes of Health has a discussion
on drugs and weight loss at
(Adapted from materials from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense
for Health Affairs.)
####
_______________________________________________________
Any photos, graphics or other imagery included in the article may also be
viewed at this web page.
Posted: 6 Dec 01
TRICARE Mid-Atlantic (Region 2) Designates Reserve Liaison Officer
TRICARE Mid-Atlantic Designates Reserve Liaison Officer
(Norfolk, Va.) - The TRICARE Mid-Atlantic Region now has a reserve liaison
officer (RLO) in its Norfolk office to help activated guardsmen and reservists
and their family members understand and use TRICARE, the military health care
benefit.
When reservists are called to active duty, they must quickly prepare their
families to manage all aspects of the household while they are activated.
Part of that preparation is becoming knowledgeable about TRICARE.
"When reservists are mobilized, they may wonder how their families will access
TRICARE," said Rear Admiral Clinton E. Adams, TRICARE Mid-Atlantic Lead
Agent. "We've designated our new RLO to answer their questions by phone and
e-mail, as well as to physically go to reserve units to explain the military
health care benefit."
Families of activated reservists and National Guard members become eligible
for health care benefits under TRICARE Standard or TRICARE Extra on the first
day of the military sponsor's active duty, if his or her orders are for more
than
30 consecutive days of active duty. When the orders for active duty are for
more than 179 days, family members may enroll in TRICARE Prime or TRICARE
Prime Remote. To use this option, they must complete enrollment forms and use
military medical facilities and TRICARE Prime network providers. Family
members who live in North Carolina and Virginia (excluding Northern Virginia)
are in the TRICARE Mid-Atlantic Region, regardless of where the service
member's mobilization station is located.
Captain David W. Munter, TRICARE Mid-Atlantic Executive Director, said, "Our
goal is to help the families transition into TRICARE. We don't want
reservists on active duty to be distracted worrying about health care for
their families."
Currently, the RLO is Lt Col Dominic Ubamadu, an activated reservist who is a
veteran of the TRICARE program. He has several years of TRICARE operations
experience, which includes a recent Active Duty tour as department head of
Communications and Customer Service at TRICARE Mid-Atlantic.
"I've worn many hats: first as an Army Reservist, then as active Army,
followed by active Air Force. I'm now an Air Force Reservist privileged to
work in the TRICARE office. I'm eager to help our activated service members
and their
families understand TRICARE," said Lt Col Ubamadu. "Many of them have never
used the benefit, or it's been a while since they were covered by TRICARE. We
hope to ease some of their health care anxiety while the reservist is away."
Captain Munter encourages reserve and guard units within the region to contact
the TRICARE Mid-Atlantic office to schedule meetings or briefings for their
service members or family members once they receive their mobilization warning
orders.
Activated reservists and National Guard members should check with their
reserve centers or unit commanding officers to make sure that all information
about themselves and family members is current and accurate in the DEERS
(Defense
Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System) database. Incorrect information can
result in enrollment and appointment disruptions, delayed claims processing,
problems with pharmacies and the National Mail Order Pharmacy (NMOP) benefit,
and other difficulties. For information about DEERS enrollment, they may
contact DEERS toll free from 6 am to 5 pm, Pacific time, at 1-800-538-9552.
For specific information on TRICARE for reservists, log on to the TRICARE
Mid-Atlantic Web site at
http://www.tma.med.navy.mil and click on "Reservists."
###
SOURCE: TRICARE Mid-Atlantic Press Release
POC: Deborah Kallgren at (757) 314-6471
Posted: 15 Nov 01
Smoking Costs DoD Plenty
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14, 2001 -- DoD officials can't be sure exactly how much
smoking costs the department each year, but they know it's a bundle.
A 1998 DoD study estimated smoking costs the department $584 million per year
in medical care and $346 million in
lost productivity, Air Force Lt. Col. Wayne Talcott said.
Talcott is a psychologist assigned to the Air Force Medical Operations Agency
in San Antonio, Texas. He is also a
former head of DoD's Tobacco Use Reduction Committee.
His numbers are only estimates, he said, because it's impossible to quantify
what illnesses are caused by smoking
and which are naturally occurring.
Lynn Pahland, director of Health Promotion and Preventive Services Policy with
the Office of the Assistant Secretary
of Defense for Health Affairs, believes the estimates are conservative.
She said there needs to be a cultural shift against smoking throughout DoD.
Officials shouldn't rely on the medical
community to wipe out smoking single-handedly, she said.
"We are trying to instill a culture change where we point out and endorse that
we want a healthy culture," she said.
"We want to put a system in place throughout the Department of Defense -- not
just in the healthcare system -- that
healthy lifestyle choices are what we want from everyone."
"Smoking is the single most preventable cause of death in the United States,"
Talcott said.
Part of this departmentwide push is making tobacco products less accessible at
commissaries and exchanges. Talcott said cigarettes used to be much less
expensive at these stores than off base. DoD has since succeeded in having the
prices of tobacco products raised at commissaries and exchanges to make
smoking less attractive.
But Congress has said tobacco is a legal product, so the commissaries and
exchanges won't stop selling these items
any time soon, Pahland added. At the same time, though, store managers are
dedicating less shelf space to tobacco
and giving more prominent display to smoking cessation aids, such as nicotine
patches and gum, she said.
Smoking cessation aids are also available through many military heath clinics
and hospitals, but not all. Pahland
said smoking cessation aid isn't a TRICARE benefit per se, but many hospitals
and clinics offer cessation classes and
products to improve beneficiaries' health and cut down on healthcare costs.
Doctors in military medical treatment facilities can also prescribe
medications to help patients quit, Talcott noted.
A combination of medication and behavior modification therapy is the best
approach to kicking the habit, he said.
"The bottom line is we want our armed forces to be as healthy as possible,"
Pahland said. "It is a scientific
fact that tobacco use interferes with health and readiness from both a
short-term and long-term perspective. We want
to give people the tools to help them make healthy choices."
She noted DoD is concerned about the health of the entire military family, not
just service members. "If family
members are healthier, that's going to give peace of mind to our armed
forces," she said.
The Great American Smokeout Day is Nov. 15. For more information on quitting
tobacco for good, visit the
Additional information and materials about tobacco and smoking cessation
programs are available from the American Cancer Society,
www.cancer.org or call
them at 1-800-227-2345. Or visit the Centers for Disease Control Web site
##########
NOTE: This is a plain text version of a web page. If your e-mail program
did not properly format this information, you may view the story at
Posted: 15 Nov 01
TRICARE Management Activity Receives Joint Meritorious Unit Award
TRICARE Management Activity Honored with DoD's Joint Meritorious Unit Award
November 9, 2001
No. 01-29
TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), the agency which oversees the delivery of
health care to active duty and retired members of the uniformed services, and
their family members and survivors, has been honored with the highest joint
unit award established by the Department of Defense (DoD).
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld recognized TMA with the Joint Meritorious
Unit Award for distinguishing itself through "exceptionally meritorious
service" from Feb. 10, 1998, to Feb. 28, 2001.
The Joint Meritorious Unit Award is given to joint activities of the armed
services for achievement in pursuit of joint military missions of great
significance.
The award citation praised the TMA staff for compiling "a record of
achievements unsurpassed in the provision of health care," ranging from "the
design, creation, and implementation of previously non-existent medical
benefits for active duty service members and their families" to "development
of cost-effective methods for 'Keeping the Promise' to retired beneficiaries."
"As the Military Health System faced greater challenges each day," said the
citation, "the TRICARE Management Activity staff met those tests with
unceasing dedication, devotion, and focus on mission accomplishment and
brought great credit to TMA, Health Affairs, and DoD." Presented Oct. 1,
2001, by Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Dr. David S.C.
Chu during a kick-off ceremony for TRICARE for Life at TMA headquarters
in Falls Church, Va., the honor was awarded for TMA's first three years in
operation. During that period, great progress was made in developing,
expanding, and improving the TRICARE program.
TRICARE serves 8.4 million eligible beneficiaries - active duty and retired
members of the uniformed services (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast
Guard, Public Health Service, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration), and their family members and survivors.
With a current annual budget of $17.6 billion, TRICARE processed 33.7 million
health care claims last year - with 44 million expected this year.
TRICARE health care services are delivered by 160,000 military and civilian
personnel at 76 military hospitals and medical centers and 460 ambulatory care
clinics. Beneficiaries are also served by 161,000 providers, 2,000 facilities,
and 28,000 pharmacies that make up the TRICARE contract network.
Each year, 600,000 TRICARE beneficiaries are admitted to military hospitals
for inpatient treatment, and eligible service members and family members
make 50.3 million visits to clinics for outpatient care and have 55 million
prescriptions filled. TRICARE records 98,000 births each year.
POSTED: 15 Nov 01
Frequently Asked Questions About Diabetes
It is very important for people who think they might have diabetes to visit a
personal health care practitioner. The following simplified questions and
answers can’t take the place of a personal consultation.
1. What is diabetes?
Most of the food we eat is turned into glucose, or sugar, for our bodies to
use for energy. The pancreas, an organ that lies near the stomach, makes
a hormone called insulin to help glucose get into the cells of our bodies.
When you have
diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or can't use its own
insulin as well as it should. This causes sugars to build up in your blood.
Diabetes can cause serious health complications including heart disease,
blindness, kidney failure, and lower-extremity amputations. Diabetes is the
seventh leading cause of death in the United States.
2. What are the symptoms of diabetes?
People who think they might have diabetes must visit a physician for
diagnosis. They might have SOME or NONE of the following symptoms:
Frequent urination
Excessive thirst
Unexplained weight loss
Extreme hunger
Sudden vision changes
Tingling or numbness in hands or feet
Feeling very tired much of the time
Very dry skin
Sores that are slow to heal
More infections than usual.
Nausea, vomiting, or stomach pains may accompany some of these symptoms in
the abrupt onset of insulin-dependent diabetes, now called type 1 diabetes.
3. What are the types and risk factors of diabetes?
The following types of diabetes and some of their risk factors are quoted from
the National Diabetes Fact Sheet: National estimates and general information
on diabetes in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Atlanta, GA: US Department of Health and Human Services, 1997):
Type 1 diabetes was previously called insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM)
or juvenile-onset diabetes. Type 1 diabetes may account for 5% to 10% of all
diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors are less well defined for type 1
diabetes than for type 2 diabetes, but autoimmune, genetic, and environmental
factors are involved in the development of this type of diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes was previously called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus
(NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes. Type 2 diabetes may account for about 90% to
95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes. Risk factors for type 2 diabetes
include older age, obesity, family history of diabetes, prior history of
gestational diabetes, impaired glucose tolerance, physical inactivity, and
race/ethnicity. African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American
Indians,
and some Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are at particularly high risk
for type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes develops in 2% to 5% of all pregnancies but usually
disappears when a pregnancy is over. Gestational diabetes occurs more
frequently in African Americans, Hispanic/Latino Americans, American Indians,
and people with a family history of diabetes than in other groups. Obesity is
also associated with higher risk. Women who have had gestational diabetes are
at increased risk for later developing type 2 diabetes. In some studies,
nearly
40% of women with a history of gestational diabetes developed diabetes in the
future.
Other specific types of diabetes result from specific genetic syndromes,
surgery, drugs, malnutrition, infections, and other illnesses. Such types of
diabetes may account for 1% to 2% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes.
4. What is the treatment for diabetes?
Management strategies should be planned along with a qualified health care
team.
The following information on treatments for diabetes is from the National
Diabetes Fact Sheet: National estimates and general information on diabetes in
the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Atlanta, GA: US
Department of Health and Human Services, 1997):
Diabetes knowledge, treatment, and prevention strategies advance daily.
Treatment is aimed at keeping blood glucose near normal levels at all times.
Training in self-management is integral to the treatment of diabetes.
Treatment
must be individualized and must address medical, psychosocial, and lifestyle
issues.
Treatment of type 1 diabetes: Lack of insulin production by the pancreas makes
type 1 diabetes particularly difficult to control. Treatment requires a strict
regimen that typically includes a carefully calculated diet, planned physical
activity, home blood glucose testing several times a day, and multiple daily
insulin injections.
Treatment of type 2 diabetes: Treatment typically includes diet control,
exercise, home blood glucose testing, and in some cases, oral medication
and/or insulin. Approximately 40% of people with type 2 diabetes require
insulin injections.
5. What causes type 1 diabetes?
The causes of type 1 diabetes appear to be much different than those for type
2 diabetes, though the exact mechanisms for development of both diseases are
unknown. The appearance of type 1 diabetes is suspected to follow exposure to
an "environmental trigger," such as an unidentified virus, stimulating an
immune attack against the beta cells of the pancreas (that produce insulin) in
some genetically predisposed people.
6. Can diabetes be prevented?
A number of studies have shown that regular physical activity can
significantly reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. It also appears
to be associated with obesity. Researchers are making progress in identifying
the exact genetics and "triggers" that predispose some individuals to develop
type 1 diabetes, but prevention, as well as a cure, remains elusive.
7. Is there a cure for diabetes?
In response to the growing health burden of diabetes mellitus (diabetes), the
diabetes community has three choices: prevent diabetes; cure diabetes; and
take better care of people with diabetes to prevent devastating complications.
All
three approaches are actively being pursued by the US Department of Health and
Human Services.
Both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) are involved in prevention activities. The NIH is
involved in research to cure both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, especially type
1. CDC focuses most of its programs on being sure that the proven science is
put into daily practice for people with diabetes. The basic idea is that if
all the important research and science are not made meaningful in the daily
lives of people with diabetes, then the research is, in essence, wasted.
Several approaches to "cure" diabetes are being pursued:
Pancreas transplantation
Islet cell transplantation (islet cells produce insulin)
Artificial pancreas development
Genetic manipulation (fat or muscle cells that don’t normally make insulin
have a human insulin gene inserted — then these "pseudo" islet cells are
transplanted into people with type 1 diabetes).
Each of these approaches still has a lot of challenges, such as preventing
immune rejection; finding an adequate number of insulin cells; keeping cells
alive; and others. But progress is being made in all areas.
8. What are some other sources for information on diabetes?
The following organizations may help in your search for more information on
diabetes:
o Federal Government Organizations
Department of Veterans Affairs
Health Resources and Services Administration
Indian Health Service
Diabetes Program
5300 Homestead Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110
505/248-4182
National Diabetes Education Program
The NDEP is a new nationwide initiative of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is an
inclusive, partnership-based program involving many diverse public and private
sector partner organizations. The goal of the program is to reduce the
morbidity and mortality of diabetes and its complications.
CDC contact: Faye L. Wong, MPH, RD, Associate Director for Diabetes Education,
770-488-5037 (phone); 770-488-5966 (fax);
flw2@cdc.gov (e-mail).
NIH contact: Joanne Gallivan, MS, RD, Director, Diabetes Outreach Program,
301-496-6110 (phone); 301-496-7422 (fax);
gallivanj@hq.niddk.nih.gov
(e-mail).
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
1 Information Way, Bethesda, MD 20892-3560
800/GET LEVEL (800/438-5383) or 301/654-3327
National Eye Institute (NEI)
Bldg. 31, Room 6A32
31 Center Drive, MSC 2510
Bethesda, MD 20892-2510
301/496-5248 or 800/869-2020 (to order materials)
301/402-1065 (fax)
Educating People with Diabetes Kit
(Sponsored by the National Eye Institute)
2020 Vision Place, Bethesda, MD 20892
Office of Minority Health Resource Center
US Department of Health and Human Services
P.O. Box 37337, Washington, DC 20013-7337
800/444-MHRC (444-6472)
o Non-Federal Government Organizations
Links to non-Federal organizations are provided solely as a service to our
users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or
their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred.
The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization Web
pages found at these links.
American Association of Diabetes Educators
100 West Monroe, 4th Floor, Chicago, IL 60603-1901
800/338-3633 for names of diabetes educators
312/424-2426 to order publications
American Diabetes Association
1660 Duke Street, Alexandria VA 22314
800/232-3472 or 703/549-1500
800/ADA-ORDER to order publications toll free
ADA's D.I.A.L. Program (Diabetes Information and Action Line)
800/342-2383 or 800/DIABETES for diabetes information
American Dietetic Association
National Center for Nutrition and Dietetics
216 West Jackson Boulevard, Suite 800, Chicago, IL 60606-6995
800-366-1655 Consumer Nutrition Hotline (Spanish speaker available)
800-745-0775
American Heart Association National Center
7272 Greenville Avenue, Dallas, TX 75231
214/373-6300
American Optometric Association
1505 Prince Street, Alexandria, VA 22314
800/262-3947 or 703/739-9200
International Diabetic Athletes Association
1647-B West Bethany Home Road, Phoenix, AZ 85015
800/898-IDAA or 602/433-2113
602/433-9331 (fax)
idaa@getnet.com (e-mail)
Juvenile Diabetes Foundation International
The Diabetes Research Foundation
120 Wall Street, 19th Floor, New York, NY 10005-4001
800/JDF-CURE or 800/223-1138
212/785-9595 (fax)
Medical Eye Care for the Nation's Disadvantaged Senior Citizens
The Foundation of the American Academy of Ophthalmology
P.O. Box 429098, San Francisco, CA 94142-9098
800/222-EYES (222-3937)
National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse
1 Information Way, Bethesda MD 20892-3560
301/654-3327 (phone); 301/907-8906 (fax)
ndic@aerie.com (e-mail)
============
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site at
Posted: 15 Nov 01
TRICARE Retiree Dental Program
The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP)--the only dental benefits program
authorized by the government for Uniformed Services retirees--will soon be
moving into its fourth year. The TRDP, which is administered by Delta Dental
Plan of California in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense, offers
affordable dental benefits to retirees of the uniformed services and their
family members throughout the 50 United States, the District of Columbia,
Canada and the U.S. territories of Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands,
American Samoa and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Over 600,000 people are currently enrolled in the TRDP, which allows
subscribers to obtain covered services from any licensed dentist within the
service area and to further limit their out-of-pocket costs when using any one
of about 25,000 DeltaSelect USA Network dentists.
In October 2000, the TRDP added coverage for cast crowns, bridges, full and
partial dentures, orthodontia and dental accidents to its basic package of
preventive and restorative services. These changes make the TRDP one of the
most complete and competitively priced dental plans available outside of a
traditional, employer-sponsored program.
Those interested in more information about the TRDP, including eligibility and
enrollment, may visit the TRDP web site at
http://www.ddpdelta.org
or call toll-free 1 (888) 838-8737.
---------
SOURCE: TRDP News Article
***************************************
Additional Delta Dental contact information -
1. Delta Dental Contact Info for Retirees:
By Phone:
Enrollment - 1 (888) 838-8737
Customer Service - 1 (888) 336-3260
By Mail:
Delta Dental Plan of California
Federal Services
P.O. Box 537008
Sacramento, CA 95853-7008
By E-mail:
Enrollment - ddpenroll@delta.org
Customer service - ddpservice@delta.org
Billing - ddpbilling@delta.org
2. Delta Dental Contact Info for Dentists:
By Phone:
Participation - 1 (888) 838-8737
Customer Service - 1 (888) 336-3260
By Mail:
Delta Dental Plan of California
Federal Services
P.O. Box 537007
Sacramento, CA 95853-7007
By E-mail:
Posted: 15 Nov 01
Glitch Forces Some to File Own TRICARE for Life Claims
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2001 -- A paperwork error caused the names of some 195,000
TRICARE For Life beneficiaries to not be provided to Medicare claims
processors to allow for automatic claims processing.
Steve Lillie, TRICARE's director of over-65 benefits, said the names of
roughly 13 percent of eligible TRICARE for
Life beneficiaries didn't get "matched up" with their files in the Medicare
rolls. He said they're still eligible for
benefits, but they may have to take one extra step for the time being: They
may have to file TRICARE claims themselves if they received care after Oct. 1
and the provider sends a bill for what remains after Medicare has paid its
share.
Ideally, the TRICARE and Medicare databases would be synched so claims for
anything not covered by Medicare are
automatically forwarded to TRICARE. The bill-paying process would be invisible
to beneficiaries.
Lillie said the databases don't match because of the mistake, so Medicare
isn't forwarding some claims to
TRICARE. Healthcare providers might send affected beneficiaries bills from
unpaid amounts.
TRICARE expects to send affected beneficiaries letters by mid-month explaining
the problem and telling them how best
to handle it. Lillie recommended beneficiaries who receive bills contact their
healthcare providers' billing office
and explain the problem.
The billing office can then submit the claim directly to TRICARE.
Alternatively, the beneficiary can file the claim
with TRICARE. The beneficiary still won't have to pay for things covered by
TRICARE, Lillie said.
Two specific groups were affected by this problem. The smaller group includes
about 10,600 survivors of people who
died on active duty.
The rest are people who updated their Medicare status in the Defense
Eligibility Enrollment Reporting System
themselves. Lillie explained that DEERS is the way DoD keeps track of who is
eligible for what benefits. DEERS and
Medicare exchanged data in July so that all the people eligible for TRICARE
for Life would be listed as such in
the Medicare databases.
"People who had updated their information ... with the best of intentions
accidentally got left out of the submission
to Medicare," Lillie said. Apparently these names weren't sent to Medicare to
cross-check for eligibility because
DEERS had already verified their Medicare enrollment status, he said.
The problem will be resolved by Dec. 1. All claims submitted to Medicare after
Dec. 1 -- even for care
received before Dec. 1 -- will automatically be forwarded to TRICARE, he said.
On the other hand, healthcare claims
won't go to TRICARE automatically if providers submit them from Oct. 1 up
until the problem is corrected, he added.
TRICARE officials noticed the problem in mid-October during a routine overview
of the program and immediately took
steps to correct it. Defense Department officials are also discussing the
matter with officials from the American
Medical Association to determine if there's a way to make healthcare providers
aware of the temporary situation.
"The key emphasis is it's a temporary glitch. The claim will be paid," Lillie
said. "It's not what we wanted to
happen, but we anticipated a few problems with start up. This happens to
have affected more people than we would
have liked. But it will be fixed pretty quickly."
There are several avenues available to individuals seeking more information or
experiencing problems with TRICARE for Life, Lillie explained. They can call
TRICARE's main helpline at 1-888-DOD-LIFE (363-5433), visit any regional
Posted: 8 Nov 01
Smallpox Information
Listed below are frequently asked questions and answers that are posted on the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site. More smallpox
related information is available at
-----------------------
1. What should I know about Smallpox?
ANSWER: Vaccination is not recommended, and the vaccine is not available to
health providers or the public. In the absence of a confirmed case of smallpox
anywhere in the world, there is no need to be vaccinated against smallpox.
There also can be severe side effects to the smallpox vaccine, which is
another reason we do not recommend vaccination. In the event of an
outbreak, the CDC has clear guidelines to swiftly provide vaccine to people
exposed to this disease. The vaccine is securely stored for use in the case of
an outbreak. In addition, Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy
Thompson recently announced plans to accelerate production of a new smallpox
vaccine.
2. Are we expecting a smallpox attack?
ANSWER: We are not expecting a smallpox attack, but the recent events that
include the use of biological agents as weapons have heightened our awareness
of the possibility of such an attack.
3. Is there an immediate smallpox threat?
ANSWER: At this time we have no information that suggests an imminent
smallpox threat.
4. If I am concerned about a smallpox attack, can I go to my doctor and
request the smallpox vaccine?
ANSWER: The last naturally acquired case of smallpox occurred in 1977. The
last cases of smallpox, from laboratory exposure, occurred in 1978. In the
United States, routine vaccination against smallpox ended in 1972. Since the
vaccine is no longer recommended, the vaccine is not available. The CDC
maintains an emergency supply of vaccine that can be released if necessary,
since post-exposure vaccination is effective.
5. Are there plans to manufacture more vaccine in case of a bioterrorism
attack using smallpox?
ANSWER: Yes. In 2000, CDC awarded a contract to a vaccine manufacturer to
produce additional doses of smallpox vaccine.
6. If someone comes in contact with smallpox, how long does it take to show
symptoms?
ANSWER: The incubation period is about 12 days (range: 7 to 17 days)
following exposure. Initial symptoms include high fever, fatigue, and head and
back aches. A characteristic rash, most prominent on the face, arms, and legs,
follows in 2-3 days. The rash starts with flat red lesions that evolve at the
same rate. Lesions become pus-filled after a few days and then begin to crust
early in the second week. Scabs develop and then separate and fall off after
about 3-4 weeks.
7. Is smallpox fatal?
ANSWER: The majority of patients with smallpox recover, but death may occur
in up to 30% of cases.
8. How is smallpox spread?
ANSWER: In the majority of cases, smallpox is spread from one person to
another by infected saliva droplets that expose a susceptible person having
face-to-face contact with the ill person. People with smallpox are most
infectious during the first week of illness, because that is when the largest
amount of virus is present in saliva. However, some risk of transmission lasts
until all scabs have fallen off.
Contaminated clothing or bed linen could also spread the virus. Special
precautions need to be taken to ensure that all bedding and clothing of
patients are cleaned appropriately with bleach and hot water. Disinfectants
such as bleach and quaternary ammonia can be used for cleaning contaminated
surfaces.
9. If someone is exposed to smallpox, is it too late to get a vaccination?
ANSWER: If the vaccine is given within 4 days after exposure to smallpox, it
can lessen the severity of illness or even prevent it.
10. If people got the vaccination in the past when it was used routinely,
will they be immune?
ANSWER: Not necessarily. Routine vaccination against smallpox ended in 1972.
The level of immunity, if any, among persons who were vaccinated before 1972
is uncertain; therefore, these persons are assumed to be susceptible. For
those who were vaccinated, it is not known how long immunity lasts. Most
estimates suggest immunity from the vaccination lasts 3 to 5 years. This means
that nearly the entire U.S. population has partial immunity at best. Immunity
can be boosted effectively with a single revaccination. Prior infection with
the disease grants lifelong immunity.
11. How many people have not had the vaccination?
ANSWER: Approximately half of the U.S. population has never been vaccinated.
12. Is it possible for people to get smallpox from the vaccination?
ANSWER: No, smallpox vaccine does not contain smallpox virus but another live
virus called vaccinia virus. Since this virus is related to smallpox virus,
vaccination with vaccina provides immunity against infection from
smallpox virus.
13. How safe is the smallpox vaccine?
ANSWER: Smallpox vaccine is considered very safe. However, some people with
pre-existing conditions such as eczema or immune system disorders have a
higher risk for having complications from the vaccine. Adverse reaction
s have been known to occur that range from mild rashes to rare fatal
encephalitis and disseminated vaccina. Smallpox vaccine should not be
administered to persons with a history or presence of eczema or other skin
conditions, pregnant women, or persons with immunodeficiency diseases and
among those with suppressed immune systems as occurs with leukemia, lymphoma,
generalized malignancy, or solid organ transplantation.
14. Is there any treatment for smallpox?
ANSWER: There is no proven treatment for smallpox, but research to evaluate
new antiviral agents is ongoing. Patients with smallpox can benefit from
supportive therapy (e.g., intravenous fluids, medicine to control fever or
pain) and antibiotics for any secondary bacterial infections that may occur.
15. Is there a test to indicate if smallpox is in the environment like there
is for anthrax?
ANSWER: Various agencies are currently validating tests designed to test for
the smallpox virus in the environment.
16. If smallpox is discovered or released in a building, or if a person
develops symptoms in a building, how can that area be decontaminated?
ANSWER: The smallpox virus is fragile and in the event of an aerosol release
of smallpox, all viruses will be inactivated or dissipated within 1-2 days.
Buildings exposed to the initial aerosol release of the virus do not need to
be decontaminated. By the time the first cases are identified, typically 2
weeks after the release, the virus in the building will be gone. Infected
patients, however, will be capable of spreading the virus and possibly
contaminating surfaces while they are sick. Therefore, standard hospital grade
disinfectants such as quaternary ammonias are effective in killing the virus
on surfaces should be used for disinfecting hospitalized patients’ rooms or
other contaminated surfaces. Although less desirable because it can damage
equipment and furniture, hypochlorite (bleach) is an acceptable alternative.
In the hospital setting, patients’ linens should be autoclaved or washed in
hot water with bleach added. Infectious waste should be placed in biohazard
bags and autoclaved before incineration.
17. What should people do if they suspect a patient has smallpox or suspect
that smallpox has been released in their area?
ANSWER: Report suspected cases of smallpox or suspected intentional release
of smallpox to your local health department. The local health department
is responsible for notifying the state health department, the FBI, and local
law
enforcement. The state health department will notify the CDC.
18. How can we stop the spread of smallpox after someone comes down with it?
ANSWER: Symptomatic patients with suspected or confirmed smallpox are capable
of spreading the virus. Patients should be placed in medical isolation so that
they will not continue to spread the virus. In addition, people who have come
into close contact with smallpox patients should be vaccinated immediately and
closely watched for symptoms of smallpox. Vaccine and isolation are the
strategies for stopping the spread of smallpox.
-------------
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site at
Posted: 8 Nov 01
TRICARE Dental Program Provides Smile Insurance
TRICARE Dental Program Provides Smile Insurance
November 5, 2001
No. 01-28
As with medical prevention, dental prevention should begin at an early age.
Having a regularly scheduled dental examination is essential for maintaining
overall good health. The TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) serves active duty
family members, members of the Selected Reserve and the Individual Ready
Reserve, and their family members.
The TDP provides a comprehensive benefit package at low monthly premiums. It
covers preventive care at 100 percent to encourage family members and
Reservists to seek dental care early to avoid more costly or serious dental
diseases in the future. Approximately 1.5 million beneficiaries are enrolled
but only about 54 percent have actually used the TDP benefit and scheduled an
appointment for a routine dental check-up.
Recent studies show that periodontal "gum disease" is the most common cause of
tooth loss for adults and children. In early stages, it's called gingivitis
and is both preventable and reversible. "Approximately 75 percent of American
children and adults have some form of gum disease or gingivitis and don't even
know it because it is usually painless in its early stages," said Navy Capt.
Lawrence McKinley, senior dental consultant, TRICARE Management Activity.
"And while daily brushing and flossing are important, it's not enough.
Periodontal disease starts below the gum-line where toothbrushes and floss
cannot reach. By having regularly scheduled dental exams routinely every six
months, your dentist or dental hygienist can check for signs and symptoms of
diseases, and remove plaque which can build up over time and harm teeth and
gums," McKinley said.
If left untreated, gingivitis can lead to diseases which affect gum tissue,
bone and other supporting tissues of the teeth. Early detection and
intervention by a dentist or dental hygienist can reduce the risk of
developing gum disease and prevent permanent damage to teeth and gums.
For infants, the biggest oral health problem is baby-bottle tooth decay. This
problem occurs mostly in infants who routinely fall asleep with bottles in
their mouths filled with sugary liquids such as milk, formula, juice, or
anything other than plain water. Wiping baby's gums after feeding with a clean
gauze pad or infant wash cloth, can help remove food particles and reduce
plaque build up on erupting infant teeth.
The TRICARE Dental Program provides "smile insurance" to enrollees because it
offers 100 percent coverage for diagnostic and preventive services, such as
examinations, cleanings, x-rays, fluoride treatments and emergency services.
The program also provides some coverage for fillings, braces, athletic
mouthpieces, root canals, crowns and bridges.
Overall good dental health starts at an early age by establishing good oral
hygiene routines and by visiting your dentist regularly. Enrolling in and
using the TRICARE Dental Program provides the insurance for a lifetime of
healthy smiles. For general information on the program, active duty
family members, Reservists and their family members may contact United
Concordia (UCCI), the dental program administrator at 1-888-622-2256, or visit
the UCCI Web site at
http://www.ucci.com .
Family members and Reservists may also contact their local health benefits
adviser, beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator or dental treatment
facility for information on how to enroll.
=============
***********************************
NOTE: Information about the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) is
available
Posted: 8 Nov 01
Gulf War - New Defects Study Contradicts Past Research
November 5, 2001 - WASHINGTON (DeploymentLINK) -- The seventh study on
reproductive health of Gulf War veterans, released October 12, still leaves
researchers unclear on any significant differences in birth defects between
Gulf War veterans and non-Gulf War veterans and signifies the need for further
study.
"Pregnancy Outcomes among U.S. Gulf War veterans: A population-based survey of
30,000 veterans," is the seventh published study on Gulf-War veterans'
reproductive health and the second to find a statistical difference between
Gulf veterans and a comparison group of veterans who did not deploy to the
Gulf. The report was published in the October issue of the Annals of
Epidemiology, and found that both men and women deployed to the Gulf reported
significant excesses of birth defects among their live born infants and that
male Gulf veterans reported a significantly higher rate of miscarriage.
The study is sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the project
is called the National Health Survey of Persian Gulf Veterans. Veterans
were contacted for this study by mail and telephone. Gulf War veterans had a
75
percent response rate and 65 percent of non-deployed veterans responded.
Pediatricians analyzed the data, and the self-reported birth defects were
reviewed by two pediatric epidemiologists and then classified into one of 12
descriptive groups of a hierarchical system.
"The strength of this study is that it is a population-based study with
randomly selected groups of Gulf veterans and non-Gulf veterans," said U.S.
Army Col. Frank O'Donnell, M.D., the deputy director for medical readiness in
the Deployment Health Support Directorate. "However, the main weaknesses are
that the results come from a self-reported survey and that the veterans'
reports of birth defects were not validated through medical records."
O'Donnell said an important next step would be to go back and look at the
children's medical records to find out if their parents' reports were
accurate. Until such a record review is done, the findings of the study must
be regarded
as preliminary. Nevertheless, it is clear that the results warrant further
investigation.
Most previous research has not shown an excess rate of birth defects among the
offspring of Gulf War veterans.
Scientists from the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and the
Mississippi state health department studied the health problems and birth
defects among children born to Gulf War veterans in Mississippi. This study
was prompted by media stories about birth defects among children of
Mississippi National Guardsmen, including one parent's report that 12 out of
15 babies were affected. The findings, published in 1996, revealed only five
children with birth defects among the 54 born following the Gulf War
whose medical records were reviewed. This was a small study, so the authors
could conclude only that the frequency of birth defects was not greater than
would be expected in the
general population.
In a large study done by the Navy Health Research Center, researchers studied
the frequency of birth defects among offspring of military personnel deployed
to the Gulf (33,998 births) compared with military personnel who were not
deployed (41,463 births). The birth defect rates were identical at
approximately seven and-a-half percent.
A significant limitation to these studies was the fact that births occurring
only in military hospitals were recorded.
In another study by the NHRC designed to overcome the above limitation,
researchers collaborated with the Hawaii Department of Health, which requires
physicians to report all birth defects detected during a child's first year of
life. All births occurring in Hawaii and all birth defects reported to the
state registry were matched against lists of all personnel in the military
during the Gulf War. The frequency of birth defects in children born to Gulf
War veterans and military parents who did not deploy was similar. Rates of
birth defects among Gulf veterans' children were similar before and after the
Gulf War.
In 1997, in the only other survey to find a higher rate of birth defects in
Gulf War veterans, Canada surveyed all Canadian Gulf War veterans and a sample
of non-Gulf veterans. Completed questionnaires were returned by 73 percent of
Gulf veterans and 60 percent of the comparison group. Like the U.S. VA
National Health Survey, veterans were asked about their own health as
well as the outcomes of any pregnancies. The two groups reported similar
frequencies of stillbirths and miscarriages. The Gulf veterans' group reported
a frequency of birth defects more than twice as high as the frequency
among the comparison group. This difference was true even for babies conceived
before the Gulf war. As in the recent VA study, the Canadian survey was
self-reported and did not attempt to validate reported birth defects by
reviewing the children's medical records.
A study of male Danish soldiers compared 661 veterans of service in the Gulf
region between 1990-97 to 215 men who had not deployed to the Gulf. There were
no differences between the two groups with respect to reproductive hormone
levels, fertility, miscarriages, and birth defects among their offspring.
"While the new report from the VA accurately reflects the data collected, the
apparent increased risk of birth defects among Gulf War veterans is remarkably
high," said O'Donnell. "It's hard to believe that a doubled risk would have
been missed in the larger studies, particularly those which verified birth
defects from medical records. Nevertheless, these new findings prompt the need
for further study. Fortunately, there are at least three more studies nearing
completion."
\
Phase III of the VA National Health Survey, in progress now, entails clinical
examinations of 1,000 of the self-reported Gulf War veterans and their family
members and 1,000 of the self-reported non-deployed veterans and their family
members. Because this phase of the study includes actual examinations of the
children in both groups, the frequency of birth defects and other medical
problems among the children can be reliably compared between the groups.
The NHRC is expanding the Hawaii study to examine birth defect rates in
Arkansas, Arizona, California, Georgia, Hawaii and Iowa. Like Hawaii, these
states require the reporting of all birth defects. Over two million births
occurred in these areas during the study period. The results of this study are
still pending.
Lastly, research supported by the Medical Research Council of the United
Kingdom has attempted to assess the reproductive health of all 52,000 British
Gulf War veterans and compare it to a similarly large group of military
personnel who did not deploy to the Gulf. Through use of a survey
questionnaire, the study will examine such factors as infertility,
miscarriage, low birth weight, birth defects, and childhood illnesses. Data
collection is complete and analysis is underway.
=============================
Posted: 8 Nov 01
DoD Works to Better Educate Healthcare Workers on Vaccines
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Nov. 5, 2001 -- Military allergy and immunization specialists have
worked hard to educate
healthcare providers on vaccine safety. But in light of rising bioterrorism
concerns, they've ratcheted up their
efforts.
Army Dr. (Col.) Renata Engler is the medical director of the Vaccine
Healthcare Center Network, which recently
opened its first center here at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. She explained
that vaccines are tools to protect
DoD's members, but they also need to be afforded the same care, respect and
safety precautions given other
prescription medicines.
DoD and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta became
partners this summer to provide a network of clearinghouses for information on
vaccine safety and procedures throughout DoD.
The new initiative was in response to "the growing challenges that have arisen
in the context of immunization
healthcare," Engler said, particularly concerning the public controversies
surrounding immunization safety in
general as well as the DoD Anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program specifically.
"Knowledgeable resources had to be developed to support the providers and the
small outlying immunization clinics who are dealing with the challenges and to
support special, complex patient issues that local medical facilities might
not be resourced to handle," she said.
Engler said her work has come into a whole new light in the aftermath of Sept.
11 -- the contamination of the mail with
anthrax has made the threat of bioterrorism clear to Americans.
She said her organization has been involved in developing plans for possible
new or changing vaccination programs for
service members.
Any possible use of smallpox vaccine is of particular concern, since America's
stockpiles of vaccine for this
deadly, disfiguring disease are old and were made with outdated technology,
experts have said. Engler and her
staff are consulting with various agencies to work up contingency plans in
case experts decide there's a need to
vaccinate Department of Defense as well as emergency response personnel
against smallpox, she said.
"There are some concerns about adverse events related to that vaccine," Engler
said. "We've gotten busier faster
than we wanted to in response to new bioterrorism threats that are arising."
But this is why the organization was
created in the first place.
"The Vaccine Healthcare Center is really a resource to address the need for
outreach education in this rapidly
changing world of immunization challenges," Engler said "We need to do
everything we can to give the right shot to
the right person at the right time in the right way."
She said service members 20 years ago received "a handful" of vaccines, but
now routinely take more than 50 shots
during their careers. And another 30 vaccines are at various stages of the
developmental pipeline and may be
introduced into the immunization requirements over the next five years.
Adverse reactions and drug reactions occur in 1 percent to 2 percent of people
with any drug, Engler said. That small
percentage, she noted, can mean big problems in a large enough population.
"That's 20,000 to 40,000 people in a population of 2 million," she said.
"Improving our understanding of rare
adverse events would enhance vaccine safety surveillance and lead to higher
quality immunization healthcare delivery
overall."
The Vaccine Healthcare Center Initiative began in September and is scheduled
to expand to include several regional
centers in the future. Several more are set to open in regional DoD medical
centers in the United States in 2002,
leading up to a total of 15 regional centers by 2006, Engler said.
"These vaccine healthcare centers would work as a network to share
information, not just internally but with the Food
and Drug Administration, CDC, and the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System,
too, as questions arise surrounding a vaccine," she said.
####
Any photos, graphics or other imagery included in the article may also be
viewed at this web page.
Visit the Defense Department's newest Web site for the latest news and
information about America's
response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the war against
terrorism: "Defend America"
Posted: 8 Nov 01
Winkenwerder Sworn in as Health Affairs Assistant Secretary
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
No. 550-01
(703)695-0192(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2001
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
WINKENWERDER SWORN IN AS HEALTH AFFAIRS ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr. took the oath of office yesterday as the new
assistant secretary of Defense.
Winkenwerder was nominated for the position by President Bush on September 21,
2001, and confirmed by the Senate on October 16, 2001.
Winkenwerder has held a variety of senior-level positions in the healthcare
industry. Most recently, he was vice chairman, Office of the Chief Executive,
and executive vice president of Health Care Services for Blue Cross Blue
Shield of Massachusetts, the largest health insurance plan in New England with
more than 2.4 million enrollees. Before moving to Massachusetts,
Winkenwerder served as associate vice president for Health Affairs and vice
president of
Emory Healthcare at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga. From 1992 to 1995,
Winkenwerder held the position of vice president and chief medical officer for
Southern Operations for Prudential Healthcare based in Atlanta. Prior to this
position, he served as the associate medical director at the Southeast
Permanente Medical Group of Kaiser Permanente in Atlanta. From 1987 to 1988,
Winkenwerder worked at the Health Care Financing Administration, now Centers
for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Department of Health and Human Services,
in Washington, D.C.
Winkenwerder received his bachelor's degree of science from Davidson College,
Davidson, N.C., in 1976, his medical degree from the University of North
Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, N.C., in 1981, and his master's of
business administration from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania,
Philadelphia, Pa., in 1986.
Winkenwerder has completed post graduate training and fellowships in internal
medicine, epidemiology and health services research. He also completed a
fellowship at the Department of Health and Human Services where he helped
develop a catastrophic Medicare legislation proposal for the Reagan
Administration. Winkenwerder holds a number of board memberships, has written
broadly on health policy issues, and is active in a variety of professional
associations.
As the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, Winkenwerder serves
as the principal staff assistant and advisor to the secretary and deputy
secretary of Defense and the under secretary of Defense for Personnel and
Readiness for all Department of Defense health policies, programs, and
activities. He will have the responsibility to effectively execute the
department's healthcare mission. This mission is to provide, and to maintain
readiness to provide, healthcare services and support to members of the armed
forces during military operations. In addition, the department's healthcare
mission provides healthcare services and support to members of the armed
forces, their family members, and others entitled to DoD healthcare.
Posted: 8 Nov 01
DoD Announces New Ways to Express Support
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
No. 556-01
(703)697-5131(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 30, 2001
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
DOD ANNOUNCES NEW WAYS TO EXPRESS SUPPORT
The Department of Defense today announced new ways for Americans to
show support for their servicemembers deployed overseas. The initiatives,
made necessary by a moratorium on mail addressed to "Any Servicemember,"
provide alternatives to traditional letter-writing campaigns. DoD suggests
that Americans support the troops by instead supporting the communities in
which they live.
One way to show support is by doing a good deed on behalf of
servicemembers. Visit a VA hospital or nursing home, or volunteer in the
local community to help make up for servicemembers who normally would
volunteer but are now deployed or otherwise too busy with their duties. Many
servicemembers volunteer to coach children's teams, feed the homeless, and aid
their communities in a variety of other ways. Interested Americans can show
their support and honor their military by volunteering in their local
communities.
Although many towns do not have a military base nearby, military
recruiters are stationed nearly everywhere. Local governments and chambers of
commerce are encouraged to reach out to these local members of the military,
invite them to speak at community events, and encourage members of the
community to learn more about America's military.
Members of the community who know military families might want to
offer their support by reaching out to those
families while their loved ones are deployed.
A number of private organizations are developing Web-based methods for
Americans to show support. While
donations of food and gifts for delivery overseas can no longer be accepted,
interested Americans might contribute instead to military relief societies.
For more information see
.
All of these initiatives are in response to the suspension of the "Any
Servicemember" mail program for operations in Bosnia and Kosovo. Military
postal officials will not be implementing a similar program for Operation
Enduring
Freedom. Operation Dear Abby, a morale booster for servicemembers overseas
for more than 17 years, will also be
suspended. DoD officials are working on alternatives to that program as well.
Servicemembers value and appreciate expressions of support from the
American people, and these and other mail
programs are a significant boost to morale. However, recent mail-related
attacks have resulted in additional precautions and the safety of
servicemembers is paramount. The increased manpower required to ensure
safe mail handling coupled with the increased volume of mail that
letter-writing campaigns generate could exceed capabilities, and therefore
cannot be supported at this time.
Normal mail delivery addressed by name to individual servicemembers
will continue uninterrupted.
Posted: 8 Nov 01
Active Duty Uniformed Services Members to Get Permanent Chiropractic Care
Active Duty Uniformed Services Members to Get Permanent Chiropractic Care
Benefit
October 25, 2001
No. 01-27
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) passed last year authorizes
chiropractic care for active duty service members, but not for family members
of active duty personnel, effective Oct. 1, 2001.
Previously, chiropractic care services were provided to active duty personnel
and family members under the Chiropractic Health Care Demonstration Program (CHCDP),
which ended on Sept. 30, 2001.
Chiropractic care is a health care discipline that focuses on the relationship
between the structure (primarily the spine) and the function (as coordinated
by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and
restoration of health. Chiropractic care emphasizes healing without the use of
drugs or surgery. However, chiropractic providers work in cooperation with
other health care providers in the best interest of the patient.
Chiropractic care for active duty members is available only at sites
authorized by the Department of Defense which for the Army includes:
Fort Benning, Martin Army Community Hospital, Columbus, Ga.; Fort Carson,
Evans Army Community Hospital, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Fort Jackson, Moncrief
Army Community Hospital, Columbia, S.C.; Fort Sill, Reynolds Army
Community Hospital, Lawton, Okla.; and Walter Reed Army Medical Center,
Washington, D.C.
Chiropractic sites in the Navy include: Camp Lejeune, Naval Hospital, Camp
Lejeune, N.C.; Camp Pendleton, Naval Hospital, Camp Pendleton, Calif.;
Jacksonville Naval Air Station, Naval Hospital, Jacksonville, Fla.; and
National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.
Air Force chiropractic sites include: Offutt Air Force Base (AFB), Ehrling
Bergquist Hospital, 55th Medical Group, Omaha, Neb.; Scott AFB, 375th Medical
Group, Belleville, Ill.; Travis AFB, 60th Medical Group, Fairfield, Ca.; and
Wilford Hall Medical Center, San Antonio, Texas.
Active duty service members may be treated by a chiropractic provider for
neuro- musculoskeletal conditions if referred by their primary care manager at
one of the designated military treatment facilities. During the course of
treatment, the primary care manager will determine if specialty care
(traditional or chiropractic care) is required. If chiropractic care is
considered an option, the patient will undergo a screening process to rule out
any medical conditions that would prohibit chiropractic care. If
appropriate, the primary care manager may refer the patient to a chiropractic
provider for treatment.
These procedures must be followed to receive chiropractic care under the
Chiropractic Care Program. Chiropractic care received outside of the
designated locations may not be covered under the Chiropractic Care Program.
Updates on the new chiropractic benefit for active duty service members,
including new sites, will be available on the MHS/TRICARE Web site at
http://www.tma.osd.mil/ndaa . Service members are also encouraged to
contact or
visit their local health benefits adviser or beneficiary counseling and
assistance coordinators with any questions they may have regarding the new
chiropractic benefit.
-----------
Posted: 8 Nov 01
Mailing List Info, TROA Pamphlets, and Info for Folks in Las Vegas
1. Mailing List Info:
a. Many beneficiaries join this mailing list thinking it's a newsletter,
i.e., published on a weekly, monthly or quarterly basis. This is not true.
Messages are sent to the mailing list randomly, depending on receipt or
availability of TRICARE and/or Military Health System information. You may
receive several messages in a single day or no messages for several days.
b. While we try to ensure mailing list messages are of interest to most
of our mailing list members, sometimes messages may pertain to a single
TRICARE region. Sorry for any inconvenience such messages may cause.
2. TROA Pamplets: The following TRICARE For Life related pamphlets are
available from The Retired Officers Association (TROA) web site at
http://www.troa.org/Booklets/
a. "TRICARE For Life: The Road to Honoring Health Care Commitments" -
Explains all the who, what, where, when, why, and how regarding TRICARE's role
as a "huge step toward fulfilling the 'lifetime health care' promise."
b. "TRICARE For Life: A Friendlier Option for Providers" - This new
"Handbook for Providers" clarifies how TRICARE will work with providers,
including how it will help cut claims-processing red tape.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to view/print the above pamphlets. If you
don't have this program, it's available free from
http://www.adobe.com
NOTE: This is not intended an endorsement of TROA or its activities. The
above information is provided for the use of mailing list members, as
desired. Please do not contact me if you're unable to use the Adobe Acrobat
Reader
software, access the TROA web site, or encounter any other difficulties when
attempting to view/print the TROA pamphlets.
3. Below listed information is provided for the benefit of beneficiaries
residing in the Las Vegas/Nellis Air Force Base area.
############
TriWest Builds Las Vegas TRICARE Provider Network to 1,000+ Providers
PHOENIX (Oct. 22, 2001)-TriWest Healthcare Alliance is pleased to announce
that a strong health care provider network is in place to serve the 65,000
TRICARE beneficiaries in the Las Vegas/Nellis Air Force Base area.
Sierra Health Services, as one of 14 TriWest shareholders, previously had been
responsible for developing and managing the TRICARE network for TriWest in
Nevada. When TriWest purchased Sierra's ownership interest in TriWest last
year, TriWest assumed that responsibility for network development and
management.
In all more than 95 percent of the providers who had been part of Sierra's
network have been retained. The network currently consists of 174 primary care
physicians and 857 specialists. TriWest also has added the following hospitals
and outpatient surgery centers as network providers in the Las Vegas area:
* Desert Springs Hospital,
* Summerlin Hospital Medical Center,
* Valley Hospital Medical Center,
* Goldring Surgical Center and
* Plaza Surgery Center.
According to Dave McIntyre, TriWest's president and chief executive officer, "TriWest
received a four-year contract extension in July. With this extension and with
our robust provider network, TriWest will continue to provide our
beneficiaries in the Las Vegas and Nellis Air Force Base vicinity with access
to high-quality health care services and superior customer service."
"TriWest is committed to serving the health care needs of the area's military
families and of those who have previously served in the defense of freedom,"
says Dr. Jerry Sanders, the company's vice president of medical affairs.
"Amid the current uncertainty, TriWest assures our beneficiaries that we will
continue to support the military health system and that
families will have access to seamless delivery of health care services."
TRICARE is a regionally managed health care program for active duty and
retired members of the uniformed services, their families and survivors. It
brings together the health care resources of the Army, Navy and Air Force and
supplements them with networks of civilian health care professionals to
provide better access and high quality service while maintaining the
capability to support military operations.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance is a Phoenix-based management service organization
that is contracted with the Department of Defense for the managed care support
and administration of the TRICARE program in the 16-state TRICARE Central
Region. TriWest's goal is to provide the region's TRICARE beneficiaries with
access to cost-effective, quality health care and superior customer service.
More information about TriWest and TRICARE can be
--------------
SOURCE: TriWest News Release
Corporate Communications Specialist
TriWest Healthcare Alliance
15451 North 28th Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85053
602-564-2074
Posted: 8 Nov 01
TRICARE Basic and Advance Student Course
Training conducted by Military Liaison Directorate
The Tricare Basic and Advance Student Course (TBASCO) is sponsored by the
Military Liaison Directorate (MLD). The course is open to anyone who wants to
attend. The audience typically includes representation from all services,
including Active, Reserve, and Guard personnel, as well as retirees, Health
Benefits Advisors/Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinators, other
hospital personnel, contractors affiliated with the federal government, and
beneficiaries. There is no cost for the course, in terms of registration, etc.
The course is currently being held at the Double Tree Hotel, located at 32nd
Street and Quebec, Denver, Colorado (about 6 miles East of downtown Denver).
Hotel telephone number is (303) 321-3333.
Registration for the course is done online through the TRICARE web site at
http://www.tricare.osd.mil . Click on the pull-down menu and select
"Training," then click on "TBASCO" (TRICARE Basic & Advanced Student
Course).
The following is a list of training dates. Any necessary changes to training
dates will be posted on the web site:
November 14-16,2001 Basic Course only
December 4-7,2001 Basic and Advance Course
January 29-31, 2002 Basic Course only
February 26-28,2002 Basic Course only
April 2-4, 2002 Basic Course only
May 14-17, 2002 Basic and Advance Course
August 13-15,2002 Basic Course only
September 24-26, 2002 Basic Course only
November 5-7,2002 Basic Course only
December 10-13, 2002 Basic and Advance Course
=========
SOURCE: TRICARE Management Activity
Posted: 19 Oct 01
DoD to Re-look Anthrax Vaccine Issue, Rumsfeld Says
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 18, 2001 -- DoD will look at ways to kick-start U.S.
production of anthrax vaccine that, up to now, has been manufactured by just
one company in Michigan, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.
Rumsfeld remarked to Pentagon reporters that DoD is going to try to save its
anthrax vaccine program with
manufacturer Bioport. He noted that other efforts to produce anthrax vaccine
for the U.S. military had "failed over a period of years."
DoD's business relationship with Bioport to acquire anthrax vaccine may or may
not be savable, he added.
Bioport was DoD's sole contractor for anthrax vaccine. The company has had
quality control problems and hasn't
produced any vaccine for some time. Its manufacturing operations currently
lack Food and Drug Administration
approval.
Rumsfeld said he discussed the vaccine issue today with S.C. "Pete"
Aldridge, defense undersecretary for
acquisition, technology and logistics, and David S.C. Chu, defense
undersecretary for personnel and readiness. He said they or their
representatives will meet with Department of Health and Human Services
officials to discuss the vaccine situation.
Rumsfeld said DoD would try to fashion an arrangement that would give Bioport
one more chance at supply an FDA-
approved anthrax vaccine.
Officials said DoD has anthrax vaccine on hand to meet anticipated military
needs.
####
Visit the Defense Department's newest Web site for the latest news and
information about America's
response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the war against
terrorism: "Defend America"
====================================================
Virtual tour of the Pentagon
Posted: 19 Oct 01
TRICARE Claims Information
NOTE: Below listed telephone numbers are provided for the benefit of
beneficiaries residing in the TRICARE regions indicated. Although
telephone numbers for Regions 6 and 11 are not included, customer service
personnel at the numbers listed will reportedly respond to TRICARE For Life (TFL)
claims and TFL pharmacy related questions from beneficiaries in all TRICARE
regions.
Regions 6 and 11 apparently do not have special telephone numbers for TFL
claims. However, here are customer service telephone numbers to call for
all claims related assistance:
Region 6: 1-800-406-2832, Option 2
Region 11: 1-800-404-0110
------------------
1. These are the correct telephone numbers for TRICARE For Life (TFL)
claims for all regions except 6 & 11 (all states except Oregon,
Washington, Texas and Oklahoma):
Region 1: 1-888-999-6355 (Sierra) 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST Mon.-Fri.
Regions 2/5: 1-866-TFL-PGBA (1-866-835-7422) 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST Mon.-Fri.
Regions 3/4: 1-866-TFL-PGBA (1-866-835-7422) 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST Mon.-Fri.
Regions 7/8: 1-866-TFL-PGBA (1-866-835-7422) 9:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. EST
Mon.-Fri.
Regions 9/10/12: 1-866-TFL-PGBA (1-866-835-7422) 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. EST
Mon.-Fri.
2. For TRICARE Senior Pharmacy and all non-TFL TRICARE claims questions
(for all regions except 6 and 11), these are the correct numbers:
Region 1: 1-800-578-1294 8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. EST Mon.-Fri.
Regions 2/5: 1-800-493-1613 (beneficiaries)
1-800-613-7124 (providers) 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST Mon.-Fri.
Regions 3/4: 1-800-403-3950 8:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST Mon.-Fri.
Regions 7/8: 1-800-225-4816 9:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m. EST Mon.-Fri.
Regions 9/10/12: 1-800-930-2929 (beneficiaries)
1-800-977-1255 (providers) 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m. EST Mon.-Fri.
======================
SOURCE: Palmetto Government Benefits Administrators (PGBA) news release
Point of Contact:
Lynda Scott
Director, E-Commerce
Phone: 843.650.6100 ext. 17486
Fax: 843.650.0552
Email: lynda.scott@mytricare.com
Posted: 19 Oct 01
How to Handle Anthrax and Other Biological Agent Threats
CDC Health Advisory
October 12, 2001, 21:00 EDT (9:00 PM EDT)
How To Handle Anthrax And Other Biological Agent Threats
Many facilities in communities around the country have received anthrax threat
letters. Most were empty envelopes; some have contained powdery
substances. The purpose of these guidelines is to recommend procedures
for handling such incidents.
A. DO NOT PANIC
1. Anthrax organisms can cause infection in the skin, gastrointestinal
system, or the lungs. To do, so the organism must be rubbed into abraded
skin, swallowed, or inhaled as a fine, aerosolized mist. Disease can be
prevented after exposure to the anthrax spores by early treatment with the
appropriate antibiotics. Anthrax is not spread from one person to
another person.
2. For anthrax to be effective as a covert agent, it must be aerosolized
into very small particles. This is difficult to do, and requires a great
deal of technical skill and special equipment. If these small particles
are inhaled, life-threatening lung infection can occur, but prompt recognition
and treatment are effective.
B. SUSPICIOUS UNOPENED LETTER OR PACKAGE MARKED WITH THREATENING MESSAGE
SUCH AS “ANTHRAX”:
1. Do not shake or empty the contents of any suspicious envelope or
package.
2. PLACE the envelope or package in a plastic bag or some other type of
container to prevent leakage of contents.
3. If you do not have any container, then COVER the envelope or package
with anything (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and do not remove this
cover.
4. Then LEAVE the room and CLOSE the door, or section off the area to
prevent others from entering (i.e., keep others away).
5. WASH your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder
to your face.
6. What to do next…
a. If you are at HOME, then report the incident to
local police.
b. If you are at WORK, then report the incident to
local police, and notify your building security official or an available
supervisor.
7. LIST all people who were in the room or area when this
suspicious letter or package was recognized. Give this list to both the local
public health authorities and law enforcement officials for follow-up
investigations and
advice.
C. ENVELOPE WITH POWDER AND POWDER SPILLS OUT ONTO SURFACE:
1. DO NOT try to CLEAN UP the powder. COVER the spilled contents
immediately with anything (e.g., clothing, paper, trash can, etc.) and do not
remove this cover!
2. Then LEAVE the room and CLOSE the door, or section off the area to
prevent others from entering (i.e., keep others away).
3. WASH your hands with soap and water to prevent spreading any powder
to your face.
4. What to do next…
a. If you are at HOME, then report the incident to
local police.
b. If you are at WORK, then report the incident to
local police, and notify your building security official or an available
supervisor.
5. REMOVE heavily contaminated clothing as soon as possible and place in
a plastic bag, or some other container that can be sealed. This clothing
bag should be given to the emergency responders for proper handling.
6. SHOWER with soap and water as soon as possible. Do Not Use
Bleach Or Other Disinfectant On Your Skin.
7. If possible, list all people who were in the room or area, especially
those who had actual contact with the powder. Give this list to both the local
public health authorities so that proper instructions can be given for medical
follow-up, and to law enforcement officials for further investigation.
D. QUESTION OF ROOM CONTAMINATION BY AEROSOLIZATION:
For example: small device triggered, warning that air handling system is
contaminated, or warning that a biological agent released in a public space.
1. Turn off local fans or ventilation units in the area.
2. LEAVE area immediately.
3. CLOSE the door, or section off the area to prevent others from
entering (i.e., keep others away).
4. What to do next…
a. If you are at HOME, then dial “911” to report
the incident to local police and the local FBI field office.
b. If you are at WORK, then dial “911” to report
the incident to local police and the local FBI field office, and notify your
building security official or an available supervisor.
5. SHUT down air handling system in the building, if possible.
6. If possible, list all people who were in the room or area. Give
this list to both the local public health authorities so that proper
instructions can be given for medical follow-up, and to law enforcement
officials for further
investigation.
E. HOW TO IDENTIFY SUSPICIOUS PACKAGES AND LETTERS
1. Some characteristics of suspicious packages and letters include the
following…
a. Excessive postage
b. Handwritten or poorly typed addresses
c. Incorrect titles
d. Title, but no name
e. Misspellings of common words
f. Oily stains, discolorations or odor
g. No return address
h. Excessive weight
i. Lopsided or uneven envelope
j. Protruding wires or aluminum foil
k. Excessive security material such as masking tape,
string, etc.
l. Visual distractions
m. Ticking sound
n. Marked with restrictive endorsements, such as
“Personal” or “Confidential”
o. Shows a city or state in the postmark that does
not match the return address
===========
Posted: 19 Oct 01
Guidance for Emergency Care at Base/Post Facilities Under Enhanced Security
TRICARE Provides Guidance for Emergency Care at Base Facilities under Enhanced
Security
October 12, 2001
No. 01-26
In times of enhanced security at military installations it may be difficult
for TRICARE beneficiaries to access uniformed services hospitals and clinics.
The TRICARE Management Activity developed the following guidance for
beneficiaries
seeking emergency, urgent and routine care at uniformed services facilities
that are under these conditions.
In case of medical emergency, TRICARE beneficiaries should seek immediate
treatment at the nearest hospital. This is true whether or not they are
enrolled in TRICARE Prime. TRICARE defines an emergency as a medical,
maternity
or psychiatric condition that would lead a "prudent layperson"
(someone with average knowledge of health and medicine) to believe that a
serious medical condition exists. An emergency condition is one in which the
absence of medical attention would result in a threat to life, limb, or sight
and requires immediate medical treatment. Further, it may be a condition
marked by severe pain that requires immediate relief to alleviate suffering.
While the definition of an emergency may sound complicated, it really means
that beneficiaries who believe they are experiencing a serious medical
condition that requires immediate treatment should go to the nearest emergency
room. TRICARE will assist in paying for the cost of their care. This is true
for beneficiaries who use TRICARE Standard or Extra or who are enrolled in
Prime.
TRICARE beneficiaries who become ill but don't require emergency care as
described above need urgent care. Those enrolled in TRICARE Prime who have a
primary care provider who works out of a uniformed services facility that is
inaccessible due to increased security are encouraged to call their provider
for assistance. Providers or staff members at military treatment facilities
can inform beneficiaries of their best options for necessary care. In many
circumstances, this may include taking care of oneself under the advice of a
provider or a change in timing of the needed visit as appropriate.
Beneficiaries also may contact their regional Health Care Information Line for
information on self-care.
During times of increased security, routine appointments should be rescheduled
if access to a military treatment facility is restricted. As with urgent care,
beneficiaries should call ahead to their providers' offices for guidance.
================
Posted: 12 Oct 01
Anthrax - Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is anthrax?
Anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium
Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in wild and domestic lower
vertebrates (cattle, sheep, goats, camels, antelopes, and other herbivores),
but it can also occur in humans when they are exposed to infected animals or
tissue from infected animals.
2. Why has anthrax become a current issue?
Because anthrax is considered to be a potential agent for use in biological
warfare, the Department of Defense (DoD) has begun mandatory vaccination of
all active duty military personnel who might be involved in conflict.
3. How common is anthrax and who can get it?
Anthrax is most common in agricultural regions where it occurs in animals.
These include South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia,
Africa, the Caribbean, and the Middle East. When anthrax affects humans, it is
usually due to an occupational exposure to infected animals or their products.
Workers who are exposed to dead animals and animal products from other
countries where anthrax is more common may become infected with B. anthracis
(industrial anthrax). Anthrax in wild livestock has occurred in the United
States.
4. How is anthrax transmitted?
Anthrax infection can occur in three forms: cutaneous (skin), inhalation, and
gastrointestinal. B. anthracis spores can live in the soil for many years, and
humans can become infected with anthrax by handling products from infected
animals or by inhaling anthrax spores from contaminated animal products.
Anthrax can also be spread by eating undercooked meat from infected animals.
It is rare to find infected animals in the United States.
5. What are the symptoms of anthrax?
Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but
symptoms usually occur within 7 days.
- Cutaneous: Most (about 95%) anthrax infections occur when the bacterium
enters a cut or abrasion on the skin, such as when handling contaminated wool,
hides, leather or hair products (especially goat hair) of infected
animals. Skin infection begins as a raised itchy bump that resembles an
insect bite but within 1-2 days develops into a vesicle and then a painless
ulcer, usually 1-3 cm in diameter, with a characteristic black necrotic
(dying) area in the center. Lymph glands in the adjacent area may swell. About
20% of untreated cases of cutaneous anthrax will result in death. Deaths are
rare with appropriate antimicrobial therapy.
- Inhalation: Initial symptoms may resemble a common cold. After several days,
the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and shock. Inhalation
anthrax is usually fatal.
- Intestinal: The intestinal disease form of anthrax may follow the
consumption of contaminated meat and is characterized by an acute inflammation
of the intestinal tract. Initial signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting,
fever
are followed by abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea.
Intestinal anthrax results in death in 25% to 60% of cases.
6. Where is anthrax usually found?
Anthrax can be found globally. It is more common in developing countries or
countries without veterinary public health programs. Certain regions of the
world (South and Central America, Southern and Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa,
the Caribbean, and the Middle East) report more anthrax in animals than
others.
7. Can anthrax be spread from person-to-person?
Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely to
occur. Communicability is not a concern in managing or visiting with
patients with inhalational anthrax.
8. Is there a way to prevent infection?
In countries where anthrax is common and vaccination levels of animal herds
are low, humans should avoid contact with livestock and animal products and
avoid eating meat that has not been properly slaughtered and cooked. Also, an
anthrax vaccine has been licensed for use in humans. The vaccine is reported
to be 93% effective in protecting against anthrax.
9. What is the anthrax vaccine?
The anthrax vaccine is manufactured and distributed by BioPort, Corporation,
Lansing, Michigan. The vaccine is a cell-free filtrate vaccine, which means it
contains no dead or live bacteria in the preparation. The final product
contains no more than 2.4 mg of aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant. Anthrax
vaccines intended for animals should not be used in humans.
10. Who should get vaccinated against anthrax?
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommend anthrax
vaccination for the following groups:
- Persons who work directly with the organism in the laboratory
- Persons who work with imported animal hides or furs in areas where standards
are insufficient to prevent exposure to anthrax spores.
- Persons who handle potentially infected animal products in high-incidence
areas. (Incidence is low in the United States, but veterinarians who travel to
work in other countries where incidence is higher should consider being
vaccinated.)
- Military personnel deployed to areas with high risk for exposure to the
organism (as when it is used as a biological warfare weapon).
- The anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program in the U.S. Army Surgeon General's
Office can be reached at 1-877-GETVACC (1-877-438-8222).
- Pregnant women should be vaccinated only if absolutely necessary.
11. What is the protocol for anthrax vaccination?
The immunization consists of three subcutaneous injections given 2 weeks apart
followed by three additional subcutaneous injections given at 6, 12, and 18
months. Annual booster injections of the vaccine are recommended thereafter.
12. Are there adverse reactions to the anthrax vaccine?
Mild local reactions occur in 30% of recipients and consist of slight
tenderness and redness at the injection site. Severe local reactions are
infrequent and consist of extensive swelling of the forearm in addition to the
local reaction. Systemic reactions occur in fewer than 0.2% of recipients.
13. How is anthrax diagnosed?
Anthrax is diagnosed by isolating B. anthracis from the blood, skin lesions,
or respiratory secretions or by measuring specific antibodies in the blood of
persons with suspected cases.
14. Is there a treatment for anthrax?
Doctors can prescribe effective antibiotics. To be effective, treatment should
be initiated early. If left untreated, the disease can be fatal.
15. Where can I get more information about the recent Department of Defense
decision to require men and women in the Armed Services to be vaccinated
against anthrax?
The Department of Defense recommends that servicemen and women contact their
chain of command on questions about the vaccine and its distribution. The
anthrax Vaccine Immunization Program in the U.S. Army Surgeon General's Office
can be reached at 1-877-GETVACC (1-877-438-8222).
http://www.anthrax.osd.mil
===============
SOURCE: Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site at
Posted: 12 Oct 01
More Anthrax Info
The recent anthrax-related death and ongoing investigation have many asking
about anthrax what is it and what do I need to do to protect myself and my
family?
Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that
anthrax is an acute infectious disease caused by the spore-forming bacterium
Bacillus anthracis. Anthrax most commonly occurs in hoofed mammals and can
also infect humans.
Symptoms of disease vary depending on how the disease was contracted, but
usually occur within seven days after exposure. The serious forms of human
anthrax are inhalation anthrax, cutaneous (skin) anthrax, and intestinal
anthrax.
Initial symptoms of inhalation anthrax infection may resemble a common cold.
After several days, the symptoms may progress to severe breathing problems and
shock. Inhalation anthrax is often fatal.
In its most common form, anthrax is a skin disease that causes skin ulcers at
the site where the bacterium enters the skin. Up to 20 percent of these cases
are fatal if left untreated.
The intestinal form of anthrax may follow the consumption of contaminated food
and is characterized by an acute inflammation of the intestinal tract. Initial
signs of nausea, loss of appetite, vomiting, and fever are followed by
abdominal pain, vomiting of blood, and severe diarrhea.
Direct person-to-person spread of anthrax is extremely unlikely, if it occurs
at all. Therefore, there is no need to immunize or treat contacts of persons
ill with anthrax, such as household contacts, friends, or coworkers, unless
they were also exposed to the same source of infection.
In persons exposed to anthrax, infection can be prevented by antibiotic
treatment. Early treatment of anthrax is essential delay lessens chances
for survival. Anthrax usually is susceptible to penicillin, doxycycline, and
fluoroquinolones.
An anthrax vaccine also can prevent infection. Vaccination against anthrax is
not recommended for the general public to prevent disease and is not
available.
We continue to hear stories of the public buying gas masks and hoarding
medicine in anticipation of a possible bioterrorist or chemical attack.
Officials at the CDC do not recommend either. Local and state health
departments are primed to investigate possible cases of anthrax and will
inform the public about the actions individuals need to take.
To learn more about anthrax, visit the CDC's web site at
============
Posted: 12 Oct 01
Drug, Alcohol Treatment Available to DoD Beneficiaries
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Oct. 11, 2001 -- DoD aggressively treats drug and alcohol abuse in
family members and retirees as well as active duty service members.
"Addiction is an illness. It's a medical condition that requires
identification and treatment and rehabilitation,"
said Roger Hartman, a health policy analyst with the Office of the Secretary
of Defense for Health Affairs.
Military and family members identified as substance abusers will receive
counseling and treatment, Hartman said. He
noted that active duty members who use illegal drugs will typically be
separated from their service.
"There was a time years ago that we would counsel and rehabilitate and
try to return drug abusers to duty," he
said. "But in this day and age of high technology and sophisticated
systems, we can't afford any lapse in
performance or behavior on the job."
Whether drug abusers step forward and ask for help or wait to be caught by
urinalysis testing can make a difference on their future employment prospects.
Members who self-refer themselves for treatment could be administratively
separated from the military as opposed to punitively separated, Hartman said.
"With alcohol, the military is a bit more tolerant because it's a legal
beverage if you're over the age of 21,"
Hartman said. "We encourage early identification of those who do have a
drinking problem, referral into an
appropriate level of counseling and treatment, and then return to duty and
participation in an after-care program."
The same counseling and treatment services are available to family members and
retirees. Hartman said DoD has been a leader in the field of substance abuse
treatment for 30 years and uses the standards established by the American
Society of Addiction Medicine. "We have quality programs characterized by
stringent certification requirements for
our counseling staff and accreditation requirements for the facilities
themselves," he said.
Hartman said he believes the nature of substance abuse is similar, whether the
substance be drugs or alcohol. "The
substance becomes something that begins to control and take over the life of
the individual," he said. "Everyone's use
of drugs or alcohol starts out experimentally. I don't think anybody ever sets
out to become an alcoholic or a
drug addict, but for some that path ultimately leads to addiction."
There are many avenues individuals seeking help for substance abuse can take.
They can seek help through the
military medical system, base community or family counseling centers,
chaplains or their chains of command,
Hartman explained.
Ultimately, Hartman said, substance abuse is a readiness issue.
"Substance abuse treatment is part of the overall
effort to get our people as healthy, as fit and as ready as they can to do
their job as a military member," he said.
####
Any photos, graphics or other imagery included in the article may also be
viewed at this web page.
Visit the American Forces Information Service’s newest Web site for the
latest news and information about
America’s response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and the war
against terrorism: “Defend America”
Posted: 7 Oct 01
Providers Begin Seeing TRICARE For Life Patients Today (1 Oct 01)
Providers Begin Seeing TRICARE For Life Patients On October 1
As TRICARE For Life begins today, Oct. 1, about 1.5 million uniformed services
retirees, their family members and survivors, age 65 and older, will receive
expanded medical coverage through the Department of Defense (DoD) health care
program. TRICARE For Life will be second payer to Medicare for services and
supplies that are benefits under both programs, and the provider does not have
to file a TRICARE claim.
Combined with the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Program that was implemented last
April, TRICARE For Life will cover most medical costs not covered by Medicare.
There are some health care services that are benefits under either Medicare or
TRICARE, but not both. For example, Medicare covers some chiropractic
services, whereas TRICARE does not. Conversely, TRICARE covers retail pharmacy
prescriptions and Medicare does not. In these circumstances, the beneficiary
will remain responsible for the applicable Medicare or TRICARE cost share and
deductible. For those TRICARE For Life users who have other health insurance,
such as an employer-sponsored health plan, TRICARE will pay after the other
health insurance and Medicare.
"The DoD worked with Medicare to integrate our payment systems, so that
the TRICARE payment is done so seamlessly that the individual is hardly aware
of it," said J. Jarrett Clinton, M.D., the DoD's Acting Assistant
Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs. Most Medicare-eligible beneficiaries
of the uniformed services will no longer need an individual Medigap policy, he
added.
No TRICARE For Life beneficiary card is necessary for them to receive care,
and no enrollment is required. However, to be eligible for the expanded
TRICARE coverage, uniformed services retirees, eligible family members and
survivors, age 65 and over, need to be registered in the Defense Enrollment
Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). They also must have Medicare Part A, and
be enrolled in Part B.
Anyone with questions about TRICARE For Life should call TRICARE's toll-free
number, 1-888-DOD-LIFE (1-888-363-5433).
Details about the TRICARE For Life program recently were mailed regionally by
TRICARE managed care support contractors to eligible beneficiaries, using
addresses from DEERS.
Many age 65 and over beneficiaries already are taking advantage of the TRICARE
Senior Pharmacy Program, which started April 1. Eligible uniformed services
retirees, their family members and survivors receive comprehensive
prescription drug coverage with minimal co-payments through its National Mail
Order Pharmacy Program, or through TRICARE network and non-network retail
pharmacies. Co-payment amounts may be higher if beneficiaries choose
non-network pharmacies. They may also continue using military treatment
facility pharmacies, which require no co-payments.
To learn more about the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Program, call 1-877-DOD-MEDS
(1-877-363-6337) toll-free.
-end-
Posted: 7 Oct 01
DoD Moves to Restrict Civilian Blood Collections on Bases
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2001 -- DoD officials have approved a policy to restrict
blood drives by civilian agencies on military bases should the services need
extra blood in coming months.
"The support required for an operation such as this may require us to …
conserve our donor resource in case we need
them for specific support missions for the military," said Army Col.
Michael Fitzpatrick, director of DoD's Armed
Services Blood Program Office.
Some bases may need to reduce blood drives by civilian agencies such as the
Red Cross if they plan to increase
military blood drives. Other bases may need to suspend civilian blood drives
because deployments have reduced the
available donor population, Fitzpatrick said.
A similar policy was enacted during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm
for the same reasons, he said.
No bases have actually begun restricting access to civilian agencies wanting
to conduct blood drives, but several are
considering it. Fitzpatrick said the largest post considering the move is the
Army's Fort Jackson, S.C. Its 54,000 trainees per year, located an hour from
Dwight D. Eisenhower Regional Medical Center at Fort Gordon, Ga.,
make an ideal donor pool.
"We plan to collect more blood from trainees and recruits at Fort Jackson
than we have in the past," he said.
Fitzpatrick seemed confident the move to restrict access to military
installations wouldn't negatively affect civilian
blood-collection agencies. "The civilian supply should remain
stable," he said. "If needed, we believe that both
DoD personnel and civilians would respond like they did the week of the
attacks on the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon. The population has always responded in a situation like that if the
call goes out for blood donors."
This is only intended to be a temporary move. "We'll monitor the blood
supply and the restrictions. When it
appears that we can loosen the restrictions, we'll do that," Fitzpatrick
said.
DoD maintains a blood supply separate from that maintained by civilian
organizations. There are several reasons.
"In order to make sure the Department of Defense isn't impacted by a
possible blood shortage, we've always
maintained our own blood collection system," Fitzpatrick said. "We
also want to make sure we don't cause a shortage
in the civilian system. Since we run our own medical support system, we've
always felt that it's important to
make that a complete system."
Related story:
DoD Delays New Blood Donor Deferral Rules at
_______________________________________________________
Posted: 7 Oct 01
Anthrax Vaccines Not Harmful to Women's Reproductive System, Study Shows
by Harry Noyes
FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas (Army News Service, Sept. 28, 2001) -- A study
conducted by an Army preventive-medicine officer has calmed concerns that
anthrax vaccinations might damage the reproductive success of military women.
Maj. Andrew R. Wiesen tracked the health of 4,092 active-duty service women.
Out of that number, 513 women became pregnant during the course of the
15-month study, including 384 women who had been vaccinated against anthrax.
Compared to unvaccinated women, the vaccinated soldiers were just as likely to
get pregnant and just as likely to give birth to healthy babies, Wiesen
studies indicated. Birth problems and defects were no more frequent for the
vaccinated
moms than for others.
The study was conducted at Fort Stewart, Ga. All of the women in the study
were stationed at Fort Stewart or nearby Hunter Army Airfield.
"Pregnancy is an outcome that is almost never studied with vaccination,
given the inherent difficulties in studies of that nature," Wiesen said.
"We were just very fortunate to have a set of databases that allowed us
to get the information we needed when we needed it."
Wiesen was chief of preventive medicine at Fort Stewart's Winn Army Community
Hospital during the study, which ended in March 2000. He has since transferred
to Madigan Army Medical Center, Fort Lewis, Wash., as chief of epidemiology.
Wiesen initiated and conducted the study on his own, but his protocol was
reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the department of
clinical investigation at Southeast Regional Medical Command. He was assisted
by Capt. Christopher Littell, a pediatrician who served as a subject matter
expert on adverse birth outcomes.
Wiesen reported on the preliminary study results to a committee of the
Institute of Medicine in July. He acknowledged that a larger study might
reveal more, but that this one strongly indicates that there are no
reproductive health problems associated with vaccination of military women.
"It is impossible to prove a negative, i.e., it cannot be proven that
anthrax vaccine does not cause any harm," Wiesen explained. "The
major benefit of negative studies such as this one -- studies that do not show
a relationship between the exposure of interest and an outcome -- is that it
increases our confidence that there is not a relationship.
"These types of studies are always subject to criticism that they should
have been bigger, or a small effect could have been overlooked, etc. However,
the likelihood of that occurring in this case is very small."
Wiesen's report on the research is being peer-reviewed for use in a major
medical journal and should be published before the end of the year.
(Editor's note: Harry Noyes is a member of the public affairs team for the
Army's Medical Command at Fort Sam Houston, Texas.)
Posted: 7 Oct 01
Frozen Blood Set Aside Overseas for Emergencies & DoD Asks Troop Donors to
Pace Blood Donations
Frozen Blood Set Aside Overseas for Emergencies By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T.
Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2001 -- DoD stockpiles frozen blood around the world in
case of military emergencies.
"We use computer models to project casualties in different scenarios, and
we also add some extra for redundancy," said Col. Michael Fitzpatrick,
director of the Armed Services Blood Program Office.
He said about 38,000 pints is stored in Korea and Japan. The services also
keep about 6,000 pints in Italy for use
in the European theater and on Navy ships that might receive casualties in a
conflict. The hospital ships USNS
Comfort and USNS Mercy also carry frozen blood, Fitzpatrick said.
The stockpiles are based on how long it would take to get fresh blood supplies
to an area in a major emergency. For
instance, the Korea stockpile is larger because it would take longer to get
fresh blood supplies there than to Europe.
New technology and equipment may make the system of stored frozen blood more
flexible and responsive to global crises. "The Air Force, Navy and Army
are working together right now to freeze additional blood at the Armed
Services Whole Blood Processing Laboratory in McGuire Air Force Base,
N.J.," Fitzpatrick noted.
################
DoD Asks Troop Donors to Pace Their Blood Donations By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen
T. Rhem, USA American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2001 -- Troops wishing to give blood shouldn't be
surprised if the donor center asks them to come back in a week or two.
"That just means we're trying to make sure there's a steady supply of
blood available if we need it," said Col. Michael
Fitzpatrick, director of the Armed Services Blood Program Office. Fresh blood
products can be used for 42 days after collection, but individuals can only
donate blood every 56 days.
So, he said, an installation that holds a massive blood drive on one day could
be in trouble if it needs large
amounts of blood six to eight weeks later. Service blood program officers and
installations try to prevent such
problems by pacing collections.
"Right now, there's no need for a lot of additional blood,"
Fitzpatrick said.
Posted: 7 Oct 01
Conversion Between FEHB and TRICARE
Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) - Conversion Between FEHB and
TRICARE or Medicare/Medicaid and Certain State Sponsored Health Plans
--------------------------
The Office of Personnel Management has issued an interim rule (see notes
below) to allow TRICARE-eligible FEHB Program annuitants and former spouses to
suspend their FEHB enrollments, and then return to the FEHB Program during the
Open Season, or return to FEHB coverage immediately if they involuntarily lose
TRICARE coverage. The intent of this rule is to allow TRICARE-eligible
beneficiaries to avoid the expense of continuing to pay FEHB Program premiums
while they are using TRICARE coverage, without endangering their ability to
return to the FEHB Program in the future.
Effective October 1, 2001, the National Defense Authorization Act for 2001
will reinstate TRICARE coverage for Medicare-eligible uniformed services
retirees, their survivors and eligible dependents. TRICARE coverage will be
advantageous to many Medicare-eligible military system beneficiaries who now
are covered under the FEHB Program as Federal civilian retirees, family
members, or former spouses.
Under previous FEHB regulations, an annuitant or former spouse who canceled
his or her FEHB coverage to use TRICARE coverage would not be allowed to
return to FEHB coverage. Therefore, OPM has issued these interim regulations,
with a request for comments, to allow these FEHB participants to suspend,
rather than cancel, their FEHB coverage when they begin TRICARE coverage.
Under this rule, they are allowed to return to FEHB coverage immediately if
they involuntarily lose TRICARE coverage or, if not, during the next annual
FEHB Open Season.
We also amended our regulations to clarify a similar situation involving FEHB-
covered annuitants and former spouses. The regulations allow an individual who
drops FEHB coverage when he or she enrolls in a Medicare-sponsored plan, or in
Medicaid or a similar State-sponsored program of medical assistance for the
needy, to return to FEHB coverage during the annual Open Season or immediately
upon being involuntarily disenrolled from the non-FEHB coverage.
-----------------
POSTMASTER NOTES:
1. If you have FEHB related questions, please send them to fehb@opm.gov
2. The above mentioned interim rule is available online in text and PDF
format at the following web addresses:
---------
Posted: 7 Oct 01
Eat Right, Feel Right in Stressful Times
by Sgt. Ed Passino
WASHINGTON (Army News Service, Sept. 27, 21) --First came denial, then the
shock, as television sets played and replayed the gruesome terrorist acts
Sept. 11.
For service members and military family members, it was more than just
watching. It was a sudden attack on our lives and everything America stands
for -- freedom, democracy, hot apple pie, red, white and blue, Ford pick ups,
'57
Chevys, baseball, space exploration, Harley Davidsons, Converse sneakers,
sunsets, and Budweiser beer.
As we sit here as a country, in the aftermath we face reality -- the daunting
task of picking ourselves up and dusting ourselves off. We face the horror of
the unknown -- what next?
We sit worried, jumpy, short-fused, impatient, scared, hungry, troubled,
tearful, victimized, alone. We are stressed and depressed.
Stress brings with it the ugly face of reduced feelings of security,
self-worth and accomplishment. It also brings health problems like heart
disease, and weight issues related to unhealthy eating.
Some people gain weight, while others lose weight. Point blank, stress is not
good for the body or soul.
But there are ways to battle stress. I am reminded of the serenity prayer,
"God, grant me the courage to change things I can change, the serenity to
accept the things I can't change, and the wisdom to know the difference."
For some, stress comes at us with increased workloads, longer travel times,
and shorter periods of self and family time.
Yet the rut of stacking too much on our work plates must not affect what is
placed on our breakfast, lunch and dinner plates. That, to an extent, we
control.
Studies show stress resistance can be enhanced by regular exercise and a diet
rich in a variety of vegetables, fruit and whole grains. Our bodies are apt to
fight stress better when we take the time to prepare and fuel it with well-
balanced meals.
For the average person this means 5 to 6 percent of your daily intake of
calories should come from carbohydrates, no more than 25 percent from fat and
15 percent from protein.
Carbs are the energy source for our bodies, without enough of them we don't
function like we should. If at all possible, these carbs should be primarily
from vegetables, then fruits and lastly unrefined whole grains.
These higher-complex carbohydrates (which are burned more slowly by the body)
release glucose (sugar) into the bloodstream at a more efficient pace.
Examples of these include broccoli, grapefruit, brown rice, apples, baked
beans, oatmeal, multi-grain and whole-wheat breads. Some indicators of not
getting enough carbs are sudden, continuous headaches, the inability to
concentrate, longer recovery time from strenuous physical activities, dizzy
spells and a sudden lack of energy.
Fats should represent mo more than 25 percent of total calorie intake. The key
to this is having the fats come from monounsaturated oils such as olive
oil.
Another good fat to consume are omega-3 fatty acids. These are present in most
types of fish, nuts and flax seeds.
Many recent diet books and magazines claim protein should have a more
predominant role in a person's diet than carbs. This concept is based on the
benefits protein and amino acids provide muscles. But for the average person
having 15 to 2 percent of your diet consist of protein is a good start.
Good sources of protein include lean meat such as grilled chicken, turkey
breast, lean cuts of beef and fish. For vegetarians, protein alternatives
include beans, soy products and supplement replacement meals like Slim Fast,
Ensure, or protein drinks.
Healthy eating guidelines regarding carbs, fat and protein consumption to
fight stress include:
- Eating in moderation; eating too much at one sitting makes us sluggish and
tired.
- Eating five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables per day, every day.
- Consuming enough fiber in your diet; fiber has been known to control fat
consumption.
- Maintain a healthy weight for yourself.
- Limit snacks and treats. It's OK to have some every so often.
- Don't make large changes in your diet all once; work in changes over a
period of time.
- Choose foods low in saturated fat and cholesterol.
- Limit your amount of alcohol consumption.
- The major conception with healthy eating is time it takes to prepare meals.
Unless you still live in the 16th century there are things called
refrigerators, coolers, freezers and dozens of other gadgets to keep things
hot, warm and cold. Not to mention, Tupperware, Glad, and others have invented
just as many container sizes to maintain freshness.
Eating healthy begins at the grocery store, not at the local burger or pizza
joint. Avoid highly processed and junk foods.
In the end, as we sit here and battle the stress of today's tragic happenings,
we can at least fuel our bodies with the right nutrients to help withstand the
events to come.
Remember what you eat is important because it supplies your body with
nutrients and fuel for muscle activity. The better prepared we are to eat more
consistently and timely, the better success we'll have in the long run.
Although healthy eating and exercise cannot bring back our fellow Americans,
it can provide us benefits that will last us throughout our own personal
lifetimes.
(Editor's note: Sgt. Edward Passino, a staff writer for the Fort Belvoir
Eagle, interviewed personnel at the DeWitt Army Community Hospital's nutrition
care section for this article.)
Link to original news item:
Posted: 7 Oct 01
TRICARE For Life Info
1. Following documents were mailed to eligible 65 and older
beneficiaries by Managed Care Support Contractors during July-August, 2001.
If you did not receive the documents, they are available online at the web
addresses listed
below:
NOTE: To view/print the TRICARE For Life Beneficiary Letter and
Brochure, Adobe Acrobat Reader software is required. The Adobe program
is free and is available at
http://www.abobe.com
2. If you're unable to access the above web sites, following information
is printed on the TRICARE For Life Beneficiary Information Card:
Beneficiary Information Card for TRICARE For Life
FRONT OF CARD
TRICARE for Life
To Provider: File claims in the usual manner to Medicare.
To Patient: Services that are a benefit of both Medicare and TRICARE
- no deductible or cost share is required.
Medicare only benefit: Medicare deductible and cost share required.
TRICARE only benefit: TRICARE deductible and cost share required
For benefits questions
call 1-888-DoD-LIFE
BACK OF CARD
TRICARE Senior Pharmacy
Military Treatment Facility: No Co-pay
National Mail Order Pharmacy: $3 generic/$9 brand name/90 day supply
TRICARE Network Pharmacy: $3 generic/$9 brand name/30 day supply
TRICARE Non-Network Pharmacy: $9 or 20% of cost/30day supply.
$150/person or $300/family annual deductible applies
For pharmacy questions call
1-877-DoD-MEDS
Posted: 22 Sep 01
Mobilized Reservists May Retain Employers' Family Healthcare
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2001 -- Federal law provides mobilized Guard and Reserve
members the opportunity to keep their employer-sponsored healthcare coverage.
If the employee will be absent for more than 30 days, the employer may require
the employee to pay the entire premium cost plus a 2 percent administrative
fee.
The Uniformed Services Employment and Re-employment Rights Act of 1994 allows
mobilized reservists to keep health insurance provided through their civilian
employer for up to 18 months, said Air Force Col. Kathleen Woody, director of
medical readiness and programs with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of
Defense for Reserve Affairs.
"The employer could continue to provide coverage at no cost to the
employee," she said. If the employer requires the
reservist employee to pay the whole tab, however, coverage could be cost
prohibitive for many families, she
acknowledged.
For members who elect healthcare for their families under TRICARE programs,
USERRA allows them to return to their civilian employer insurance plans with
no waiting period or penalty for pre-existing conditions (other than service-
connected conditions, which are covered by the military)," Woody said.
"For example, if a reservist elects to get his family care under TRICARE
while he's activated and his daughter
subsequently is diagnosed with diabetes, he can still go back to his employer
healthcare plan under the same
conditions as before he was mobilized," Woody explained. "The family
would be covered as if the reservist employee
had never left."
Employees with questions about their rights under this act should contact
their agency's human resources department or visit the National Committee for
Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve Web site at
http://www.esgr.org
or call 1-800-336-4590.
_______________________________________________________
Posted: 22 Sep 01
TRICARE Covers Most Activated Reservists' Families
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 21, 2001 -- Family members of Guard and Reserve members
called to active duty for more than 30 days are eligible for TRICARE benefits
the day their military sponsor mobilizes.
President Bush authorized the Defense Department to mobilize up to 50,000
National Guard and Reserve members to
deal with the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon and
in New York City. DoD officials have
indicated they intend initially to call up about 35,000.
The type of TRICARE coverage reserve component family members receive depends
on the length of the sponsors'
activation orders, Air Force Col. Kathleen Woody said. Woody, a full-time
reservist, is director of medical readiness and programs in the Office of the
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Reserve Affairs.
Woody said Guard and Reserve members who are activated receive the same
individual healthcare as their active duty
counterparts. Coverage for their families, though, can take many different
forms.
Guard and Reserve families are ineligible for DoD medical benefits if their
military sponsors have orders that call
them to duty for 30 days or less.
If sponsors have orders to active duty for more than 30 days, their families
are covered under the TRICARE Extra or
Standard programs from the day the member is activated, Woody said. While
these family members would be eligible
for space-available care in any military medical treatment facility, Woody,
who is a nurse, cautioned that available
space is limited and suggested using it only for an emergency.
"You want to have them in a program with some continuity with the
providers," she said.
Eligible family members pay deductibles and cost-shares under both TRICARE
Extra and Standard, Woody explained. Using a TRICARE Extra network provider
can minimize those costs. Beneficiaries can get information on finding network
providers in their area on the TRICARE Web site at
www.tricare.osd.mil,
or at their local TRICARE service center.
In addition, family members of reservists and guardsmen activated under orders
for 179 days or more have the option
to enroll in TRICARE Prime, the military's version of a health maintenance
organization. They will receive care in
a military medical treatment facility or be assigned to a network provider in
their area with no cost-shares or deductibles.
"TRICARE Prime is the only one of the TRICARE options that requires
pre-enrollment on the part of the family members," Woody said. Enrollment
information can also be found on the TRICARE Web site or by contacting a local
TRICARE benefits counselor. "Enrollment has to occur by the 20th of the
month in order to be eligible for care on the 1st of the following
month."
For instance, reserve component members who might be mobilized in coming weeks
must have their enrollment forms
in to TRICARE by Oct. 20 in order for their families to start receiving care
on Nov. 1 under the Prime option, she
explained. The family would be covered under TRICARE Standard or Extra until
enrolled in Prime.
She said the most important thing for all reserve component members to do is
make sure all the information in the
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System is accurate, Woody said. Since
DEERS is the system used to determine eligibility for military health care,
family members could be denied care if DEERS information is
incorrect or incomplete.
Activated reservists are given a chance to review and make changes to their
families' DEERS enrollments during the
mobilization process, Woody said.
In cases where service members are activated for contingency operations, they
and their family members are
eligible to retain their military medical benefits for up to 30 days after
they're released from active duty, unless
sooner covered by an employer sponsored health care plan.
"This gives them a cushion to get civilian healthcare coverage in
place," Woody said.
Dental care for both reservists and their family members fall under somewhat
different rules. Since earlier this
year, reserve component members and their families have been eligible to
enroll in the TRICARE Dental Program.
Woody explained that reserve members who had previously enrolled in the
program are automatically removed when
mobilized because they receive dental care from military providers while on
active duty.
Reserve members in the Dental Program pay monthly premiums of $19.08 for one
family member or $47.69 for a family enrollment. If the reserve sponsor is
called to active duty, the premiums fall to the active-duty rates of $7.63
per month for one family member or $19.08 for multiple family members, Woody
said.
Families who had previously declined TRICARE dental coverage but who wish to
enroll after their sponsors are
mobilized will be able to join at active-duty rates during the first 30 days.
Enrollment forms and information are
Woody noted that once the sponsor leaves active duty the rates revert to the
higher premiums.
%%%%%%%%%%%
Any photos, graphics or other imagery included in the article may also be
viewed at this web page.
Posted: 22 Sep 01
TRICARE For Life Ready to Kick Off Oct 1
By Sgt. 1st Class Kathleen T. Rhem, USA
American Forces Press Service
ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 20, 2001 -- "TRICARE for Life is green -- all signs
are go" for the program to begin as
scheduled Oct. 1, Air Force Col. Frank Cumberland said.
"It's going to happen. It's funded. Let's press on," said
Cumberland, director of communications and customer service
at the TRICARE Management Agency here.
The TRICARE for Life program extends TRICARE benefits to military retirees who
are over age 65 and Medicare-
eligible. The fiscal 2001 National Defense Authorization Act directed DoD to
extend the medical coverage to this
previously ineligible population.
For eligible retirees and their spouses who are over age 65 and enrolled in
Medicare Part B, TRICARE will become a
second payer to Medicare starting Oct. 1. This will end their need to pay many
out-of-pocket expenses, and most
will probably conclude they no longer need to buy "Medigap"
supplemental insurance, TRICARE officials said.
The only requirements for beneficiaries are that they check their enrollment
information in the Defense Eligibility
Enrollment Reporting System (DEERS) to ensure its accuracy and that they be
enrolled in Medicare Part B.
All but about 70,000 of the 1.5 million retirees eligible for TRICARE for Life
are enrolled in Medicare Part B, said
Steve Lillie, TRICARE's director of over-65 benefits. Those 70,000 can take
care of business during Medicare's next
general enrollment period of January through March 2002, he said.
As individuals start to use the program, questions are bound to crop up.
Lillie recommended beneficiaries take
full advantage of the newly expanded TRICARE for Life call center at toll-free
1-888-DOD-LIFE (1-888-363-5433). He also said beneficiaries can use this
number to help educate healthcare providers who are unsure of the expanded
benefit.
"There are people there who can explain the program to the
provider," he said. The call center staff helped many
people iron out details when the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Benefit began in
April. "We'd have a three-way call with
the beneficiary, the pharmacist and the call-center representative, helping
them through the process and acquainting them with the program," Lillie
said.
Lillie wanted beneficiaries to know the program will begin on schedule even if
Congress and the president don't pass a
fiscal 2002 Defense Appropriations Act by Oct. 1.
"The program will start even under a continuing resolution because it is
an expansion of an existing program to new
beneficiaries rather than a brand-new program that might be affected by the
rules in a continuing resolution," he said.
Lillie also said he believes TRICARE for Life will continue to be fully funded
in the future. "The bills that enacted
TRICARE for Life passed the House and Senate by overwhelming majorities, and
there is no indication of any
diminished support for the principles embodied in it," he said.
Program officials said beneficiaries can get more information on TRICARE for
Life and on checking their DEERS
enrollment status by visiting the TRICARE Web site at
www.tricare.osd.mil
or by calling 1-888-DOD-LIFE (1-888-
363-5433).
Answers to TRICARE For Life related questions may also be
Posted: 22 Sep 01
Sun Can Cost You More Than the Skin off Your Nose
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 10, 2001 -- Maybe you've had your last sunbath for the year,
but don't drop your guard. Summer's just the highest-risk season for
sun-damaged skin. Fact is, your face and hide are at risk when the sun's up.
While you bask in those compliments about your great tan, here are the usual
health carps about tans: You injured the
largest organ of your body. You've sped the day you will be a leathery prune.
You upped your chances of contracting
skin cancer.
You tan when your body begins to find ultraviolet-B radiation intolerable. The
most potent UVB source is sunlight for most people. Your body's defense is to
create UVB-absorbing melanin -- skin coloring. You get darker as the exposure
continues. The defense is not perfect; that's why people burn.
Repeated tanning and burning damage skin cells and wear out the skin's natural
immunity and repair systems over time.
As UVB compromises the skin's ability to protect and fix itself, damaged cells
and tissues can wreak havoc. If you're unlucky, moles, rashes and other
lesions erupt. If the only luck you have is bad, you're looking at lethal
malignant melanoma -- skin cancer.
Then there's ultraviolet-A radiation. UVA plays no role in tanning and
burning, but it penetrates the skin deeper than
UVB rays and also damages the skin's immunity and repair systems. The skin
dries, loses flexibility and wrinkles in
time; the risk of cancer increases.
On any given day of the year, the sun's most intense UVB radiation arrives at
midday. While people usually know to
take precautions at high noon, they may not realize the sun's ultraviolet
energy is almost all a constant,
imperceptible, day-long, year-round stream of deep-penetrating UVA radiation.
Keep that in mind when you've
been out long enough to catch a tan.
People of color may have a protective head start against UVB, but they too can
darken and burn -- it may just take
longer. Further, skin color offers no protection against UVA.
Fortunately, protection is easy. Stay indoors. Stay out of the sun. When those
aren't options, your best defenses are
the same as in summer: sunscreens and clothes.
Sunscreen racks may be gone from stores. Sunscreen chemicals, however, are
increasingly easier to find year-
round in commercial cosmetics, skin creams and lotions, and lip balms.
Sunscreen protection is expressed as a "sun protection factor." The
SPF multiplies the time you can be exposed to
UVB safely. If your normal limit in the sun is 10 minutes, a UVB sunscreen
rated at SPF 15 would help protect you for
2.5 hours.
There's no standard way to express UVA protection, such as an SPF, so it's
possible your sunscreen and cosmetics offer none. Read the ingredients list.
Common screens such as padimate and homosalate only stop UVB. If your product
contains an effective UVA sunscreen such as benzophenone and avobenzone, the
maker probably trumpets that fact.
Three year-round sunscreen rules: Use it liberally. Use it often. Apply it to
exposed skin at least 20 minutes before
going outside. According to some medical researchers, sunscreens fail because
people skimp. After all, the stuff's expensive, and people get distracted and
are rushed.
Follow the product instructions. While "apply generously" doesn't
say how much is enough, it's a hint that the stingy little dab on your
fingertip that you've been using is not enough to protect your whole face.
Wash your hands? Reapply sunscreen. Wash your face? Reapply. Sweat? Reapply.
Wipe your brow? Reapply. SPF
protection time's up? Reapply.
Sunscreens don't work until they set, generally in 20 to 30 minutes. If your
normal sun limit is 10 minutes but you apply your SPF 3000 screen only after
you're on that lift up the sunny ski slope, you may be overdosed on UVB before
you reach the top.
All clothing can provide some protection against UVB rays and also some
against UVA if layered or heavy. Yardsticks: One layer of T-shirt fabric
provides minimal protection against UVB and none against UVA. Tightly
woven fabrics protect better than loose weaves against both UVB and UVA. Dry
protects better than wet. The Centers for Disease Control estimate blue denim
jeans have an SPF of 1700! The jury's still out on whether fabric color makes
any protective difference.
It's smart to wear a hat and sunglasses in the sun outdoors, regardless of the
season. Sunglasses should say they filter both UVA and UVB. If they don't say
or they filter only UVB, consider them good only for fashion statements.
Don't use tanning booths and beds. UVB radiation isn't safe whether it's from
Mr. Sun or bulbs. Look pasty
from October to June? Get over it.
####
Posted: 22 Sep 01
DOD Announces Stricter Blood Donation Standards
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
No. 409-01
(703)695-0192(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 7, 2001
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
DOD ANNOUNCES STRICTER BLOOD DONATION STANDARDS
Dr. J. Jarrett Clinton, acting assistant secretary of Defense for Health
Affairs, announced today new blood donor criteria for the Department of
Defense. "To ensure the health and safety of servicemembers and
their families, we are adopting additional precautionary measures against the
very small theoretical risk of the human form of 'mad cow' disease, "
said Clinton.
Effective Sept. 14, the DoD criteria will restrict from donating (1) anyone
who has traveled or resided in the United Kingdom from 1980 through 1996 for a
cumulative period of three months or more; (2) DoD-affiliated persons who have
been stationed in Europe from 1980 through 1996 for a cumulative period of six
months or more; (3) others who have traveled or resided in Europe from 1980 to
present for a cumulative period of five years (applies to DoD personnel on or
after Jan. 1, 1997); (4) anyone who has received a transfusion in the United
Kingdom since 1980; and (5) anyone who has received bovine insulin produced in
the United Kingdom since 1980.
DoD is following draft guidance from the Food and Drug Administration on
restricting blood donors who may have been exposed to the agent that causes
variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). The risk of vCJD transmission
from
human blood/blood products is theoretical-no cases of the disease have been
transmitted in this manner, and no scientific study has established such a
link.
Clinton advised, "DoD currently has enough blood to meet operational
requirements as well as the requirements of our military medical treatment
facilities." However, this precautionary restriction will
disqualify an estimated 18 percent of active-duty personnel, not all of whom
are donors. DoD will maintain its blood supply by increasing recruitment
efforts to replace the restricted donors from the remaining pool of those
eligible.
To encourage increased blood donation through the Armed Services Blood
Program, DoD plans an information campaign in its internal media directed to
its donor population and beneficiaries. The campaign targets blood
collections at training bases to maximize collections from training commands
and new recruits, who are unlikely to be affected by the new restrictions.
-END-
Posted: 22 Sep 01
Health Care Update
NOTE: Following information was obtained from an Air Force source,
however, the info provided also applies to other services.
- Postmaster
-------------------
09/07/01 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- The Air Force remains
committed to providing servicemembers and their families with quality health
care, according to a message sent to the field Aug 29.
In a joint memo from the offices of the surgeon general, manpower and reserve
affairs, and people, a TRICARE update gave beneficiaries the latest
information concerning their health care, officials said.
In the first of a series of health care messages the Air Force will deliver
over the next several months, officials addressed the new authority for
TRICARE Prime remote for family members. The message also provided tips for
registering newborns in DEERS and enrolling them in TRICARE Prime, and the
importance of briefing health care information during in- and out-processing
briefings.
TRICARE Prime remote offers benefits very similar to TRICARE Prime for
active-duty people who are stationed more than 50 miles or a one-hour drive
from a military hospital or clinic, officials said.
In 2002, the TRICARE Prime remote benefit will be offered to family members.
To participate, family members must enroll in the TRICARE Prime remote for
active-duty family member program.
The benefits include lower out-of-pocket costs for most health care, enhanced
access to preventive services and the ability to select a primary care manager
when one is available in the area, officials said.
To get more information about the program, officials urged military members
and their families to visit the TRICARE Management Activity Web site at
www.TRICARE.osd.mil
and to click on "TRICARE beneficiaries, understanding your TRICARE
benefits." For specific questions or to inquire about eligibility status,
people can speak with a TRICARE Management Activity representative by calling
(800) DOD-CARE, or (800) 363-2273.
An additional concern for active-duty family members, especially those in
remote locations, is how to register a newborn child in DEERS, officials said.
A little-known fact is the sponsor-signed DEERS enrollment form, DD Form 1172,
together with a certificate of a live birth signed by the attending physician,
can be mailed to the nearest military personnel flight.
Initially, sponsors do not need to have a social security number or birth
certificate to register a child into DEERS or for initial enrollment into
TRICARE Prime, officials said. These can be submitted at a later date once the
sponsor receives the official documents.
To limit out-of-pocket costs and problems with claims processing, a newborn
should be enrolled in TRICARE Prime not more than 120 days after birth,
officials said.
The office of the secretary of Defense directed all military services to
incorporate TRICARE education and enrollment into their in- and out-processing
programs to ensure all beneficiaries are aware of their health care options
The Air Force surgeon general also directed all military treatment facility
commanders to ensure either knowledgeable medical staff or TRICARE staff
educate beneficiaries about their TRICARE benefits.
It is very important that active-duty people and their spouses understand
their TRICARE options and have an easily accessible point of contact to obtain
additional TRICARE information if needed, officials said. (Courtesy of Air
Education and Training Command News Service)
######
Posted: 22 Sep 01
Let's Dispel Those TRICARE For Life (TFL) Myths
Following is an extract from The Retired Officers Association web site at
www.troa.org
and is provided for your information.
-Postmaster
-------------
On October 1, military Medicare-eligible beneficiaries will become eligible
for TRICARE For Life, under which TRICARE will provide second-payer coverage
to Medicare. Unfortunately, such major and expensive benefit changes are
frequently accompanied by rumors and misinformation, often spread by
well-intentioned but worried people. While one can never fully protect against
Murphy's Law, everything we see indicates TFL will be implemented and funded
as planned on October 1. So it's time to put the kibosh on those exasperating
TFL myths.
Myth # 1: "TFL is not a permanent program and Congress is looking at
cutbacks because of its high cost."
Reality: TFL is set in permanent law, in the same way as Social Security,
Medicare, and military retired pay. As such, annual action by Congress to
re-authorize TFL is not required. Public Law 106-398 established a DoD
Medicare-
Eligible Health Care Trust Fund, to be effective October 1, 2002. The Fund
will be resourced with annual mandatory contributions from the Department of
Defense and the U.S. Treasury. Congress certainly has the power to change any
program, including Social Security, Medicare, military retired pay, or TFL,
but that would take another law change. There has been no discussion in
Congress of any TFL cutback. Congress and the Defense Department are committed
to bringing TFL on line, on time, as promised.
Myth #2: "TFL has not been funded for FY 2002 so the program can't begin
on October 1, 2001."
Reality: It's technically true that Congress has not yet passed the FY 2002
Defense Appropriations Act, but this is merely a formality as far as TFL is
concerned. First-year TFL funding of $3.9 billion was included in the
President's Budget and in the FY2002 Budget Resolution, which set Congress's
spending agenda. Therefore, funds are already earmarked for inclusion in the
FY 2002 Defense Appropriations Bill when Congress takes it up next month. If
this defense-spending bill is not passed by October 1st, Congress will approve
a Continuing Resolution (CR) to sustain funding for previously authorized
initiatives. TROA has confirmed with the House and Senate Appropriations
Committees and the Defense Department's General Counsel that, since TFL
authority is already on the law books, it will still be implemented and funded
on Oct 1 under the terms of the CR, even if no Defense Appropriations Act has
been enacted by that date.
Myth #3: "My doctors will not accept me as a TFL patient because they
don't participate in TRICARE."
Reality: Under TFL, all Medicare-approved providers are automatically "TRICARE-approved
providers." If Medicare pays the doctor, TRICARE will too
automatically. There is no requirement for the doctor to formally participate
in TRICARE. In the worst case, a skeptical doctor may ask you to pay the
Medicare copayment up front until he can be sure TFL will pay on time. Next
month's TROA magazine will be accompanied by two copies of TROA's new TRICARE
For Life Handbook for Providers. TROA designed this 8-page handbook
specifically to show doctors how TFL will work, and persuade them that they
won't need to require such upfront copayments.
Myth #4: "Doctors who treat TFL patients will have to file a secondary
TFL claim for the supplemental coverage that my Medigap insurance now
pays."
Reality: For the vast majority of cases, all the doctor has to do is file the
claim with Medicare, with no extra paperwork for TFL. Most providers already
bill Medicare. Medicare will process the primary claim and send the Medicare
payment directly to the provider. The paid Medicare claim will be
automatically forwarded to TRICARE, which will generate a TRICARE copayment
directly to the provider. You will get an Explanation of Benefits (EOB)
statement from both Medicare and TRICARE showing that both programs have paid
their share of the bill and that you owe nothing. (Note: This automatic
payment system will be in place for beneficiaries age 65 and over as of Oct 1,
but won't be available until sometime next year for disabled Medicare-
eligibles under 65. In the interim, a separate paper claim to TRICARE will
still be necessary for the under-65 Medicare-eligibles.)
Myth #5: "Before I can get any benefits under TFL, I must have a new
Uniformed Services Identification Card that shows eligibility for health
care."
Reality: A new ID card is not required. Eligibility for TFL is based on your
having correct information in DEERS, the Defense Enrollment Eligibility
Reporting System. Even if the back of the Military ID Card indicates, "No
civilian medical care is authorized" (after a stated date), TFL benefits
will be paid so long as your DEERS information is accurate. In addition,
TRICARE contractors mailed out a letter in late July and early August to all
uniformed services beneficiaries 65 and older with a wallet-size
"Information Card" that can be shown to a provider. The card states
the provider should "file claims (for reimbursement) in the usual manner
to Medicare." It also shows that the patient has no copay or deductible
for TRICARE and Medicare-covered benefits and provides contact numbers for TFL
information.
Myth # 6: "Because I am enrolled in a Medicare HMO or have other health
insurance (OHI) coverage, TFL will not benefit me."
Reality: We believe you won't need other health insurance under TFL, but if
you decide to keep it anyway, you will not get all the benefits of your
premium-free TFL coverage. That's because TFL will be third-payer after
Medicare and your other insurance. TROA recommends that all TFL eligibles
should review their situation to assess whether it still makes sense to pay
premiums for coverage that TFL provides at no cost. But even if you retain a
Medicare HMO, Medigap insurance or a former employer's plan after October 1,
TFL may still be of some value. If you pay copays under your other plan, you
can file a TRICARE claim and be reimbursed for those costs. Also, if your plan
has limited coverage, you can file a TRICARE claim for the out-of-pocket
expenses, but you must enclose proof that your other plan's benefits have been
exhausted. In order to submit a claim, the receipt or explanation of benefits
form from your other insurer must show the patient's name, date of care, and
type of service. If you are in a Medicare HMO, you should indicate that the
receipt is from a Medicare Plus Choice HMO and is for your cost-share. The
receipt and a claim form may then be submitted to TRICARE for adjudication.
For more information, call the DOD Customer Call Center at 888-DoD-LIFE
(888-363-5433).
Myth #7: "For retirees who travel or live outside the United States (its
possessions or territories), Medicare will not pay. Thus, TFL offers no
benefits overseas."
Reality: While Medicare doesn't provide benefits outside the United States,
TRICARE does. If you are a TFL beneficiary (enrolled in Medicare Part B) and
become ill while traveling or residing outside the United States, TFL will be
the first payer for TRICARE-covered benefits. In this case, you'll be
responsible for paying the TRICARE copayments and deductibles, up to the
catastrophic cap of $3,000 per family per year plus any excess charges. You
also will be responsible for paying any billed charges above what TRICARE
allows. For more information, call DoD's TFL Call Center toll-free at
1-888-363-5433.
Myth # 8: "TRICARE For Life will pay for long-term nursing care services,
so I won't need long-term care insurance."
Reality: TFL does not cover long-term custodial care. Medicare and TRICARE
cover certain "medically-necessary" skilled nursing care either in a
Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) or at home. Such services are very different
from long-
term care services. SNF care may be needed following a period of
hospitalization for rehabilitation or for stabilization of a condition.
Long-term care, also called "custodial or personal care", is for
people who require permanent assistance in activities of daily living, such as
eating, bathing, dressing and physical movement. Beneficiaries are solely
responsible for paying for custodial services. Beneficiaries desiring such
coverage may want to purchase long-term care insurance, but they will have to
meet certain "medical underwriting conditions" as determined by an
insurance carrier.
########
Copyright © 2001, The Retired Officers Association (TROA), all rights
reserved. Part or all of this message may be retransmitted for information
purposes, but may not be used for any commercial purpose or in any commercial
product, posted on a Web site, or used in any non-TROA publication (other than
that of a TROA affiliate, or a member of The Military Coalition) without the
written permission of TROA. All retransmissions, postings, and publications of
this message must include this notice.
Posted: 5 Sep 01
TRICARE For Life Will Begin on October 1
TRICARE For Life Will Begin Oct. 1 - Uniformed Services Beneficiaries, 65 and
Over, Will Receive Expanded Coverage
August 30, 2001
No. 01-24
When TRICARE For Life begins Oct. 1, about 1.5 million uniformed services
retirees, their family members and survivors who are age 65 years and older,
will receive expanded medical coverage through the military's health care
program.
The TRICARE For Life program will make TRICARE available as a secondary payer
to Medicare, which means TRICARE will pay most of the costs not covered by
Medicare for these beneficiaries, eliminating many co-payments and
deductibles. Details about the TRICARE For Life program were mailed regionally
by TRICARE managed care support contractors to this beneficiary population,
using addresses from the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).
Those persons who believe they may be eligible, but did not receive this
mailing, can request it by calling toll-free 1-888-DOD-LIFE (1-888-363-5433).
No TRICARE For Life beneficiary card is necessary for eligible beneficiaries
to receive reimbursement for covered services, and no enrollment is
required. However, to be eligible for the expanded TRICARE coverage,
uniformed services retirees, eligible family members and survivors, age 65 and
over, need to be registered in DEERS and have valid military identification
(ID) cards. They also must have Medicare Part A, and be enrolled in Part B.
Beneficiaries eligible for TRICARE For Life who do not possess a valid ID
card, will need to obtain one from their local military ID card issuing
facility. Beneficiaries can go online to find the three closest personnel
offices or ID card facilities at
http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/.
They also can call 1-888-DOD- LIFE (1-888-363-5433) for these locations, and
for other information about TRICARE For Life. To check their DEERS
information, they may call the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office
(DSO) on its toll-free number, 1-800-538- 9552.
Other ways TRICARE-eligible beneficiaries may update their DEERS addresses
include:
o Making changes on the Web site:
o Faxing the address change to DSO, Attn: COA, 1-831-655-8317;
o Mailing changes to the DSO, Attn: TFL, 400 Gigling Road, Seaside, CA
93955-6771; or,
o Calling the toll-free number for DSO at 1-800-538-9552.
Documentation is required, and may be faxed or mailed. Beneficiaries who need
to update their DEERS information other than address changes, should contact
or visit the nearest military ID card issuing facility.
To become enrolled in Medicare Part B, beneficiaries should apply to the local
Social Security Administration (SSA) office. The front of their Medicare card
will indicate Part B enrollment status. For details on enrollment in Part B,
beneficiaries may call the SSA toll-free number, 1-800-772-1213, or visit any
Social Security office. They also can find information on the Medicare Web
site,
http://medicare.gov
(or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to speak to a Medicare Customer
Representative).
TRICARE For Life users may continue obtaining care from their Medicare
providers, or they may receive care as available in military treatment
facilities. Some may have the opportunity to use TRICARE Plus, a local primary
care enrollment program available at some military treatment facilities.
TRICARE Plus has no enrollment fees or premiums.
Many age 65 and over beneficiaries already take advantage of the TRICARE
Senior Pharmacy Program, which started April 1. Eligible uniformed services
retirees, their family members and survivors receive comprehensive
prescription drug coverage with minimal co-payments through the National Mail
Order Pharmacy Program, or through TRICARE network and non-network retail
pharmacies. Co- payment amounts may be higher if beneficiaries choose
non-network pharmacies. They may also continue using military treatment
facility pharmacies, which require no co-payments.
To learn more about the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Program, call 1-877-DOD-MEDS
(1-877-363-6337) toll-free.
++++++++++++
SOURCE: TRICARE News Release
Posted: 30 Aug 01:
Upgrade of Computer-based Records as DC Area Military Hospitals and Clinics
The computer system that military health care providers use to keep track of
patients' medical information is getting an upgrade that will improve services
for all military medical beneficiaries in the DC area. Until now, the computer
system known as CHCS (Composite Health Care System), which is used to record
information regarding visits and order prescriptions or tests, has been
maintained separately by Army, Navy and Air Force medical facilities in this
area. With a new consolidated system set to start functioning Sept. 4,
information inputted into your patient record will be accessible whether you
are at Malcolm Grow Medical Center, National Naval Medical Center, Walter Reed
Army Medical Center, or any of their associated branch clinics in the National
Capital area. This will mean more efficient and coordinated health care.
Some services may experience a minor interruption.
Planners for the upgrade have scheduled the switch from the current system to
the upgraded CHCS during the upcoming Labor Day weekend, beginning on Friday,
Aug. 31. In doing so, they will take advantage of the long holiday weekend to
make the switch as transparent to customers as possible. While most people
will not notice any change, health care providers will be taking steps to
ensure that all activities over the weekend are tracked and recorded on the
new system, which will be up and running before the end of the holiday.
Do you need to take any specific action?
All services will be open and available. However, if you happen to need to use
the pharmacy, lab or radiology services on Aug. 31 and during the weekend,
they may be running a bit slower than normal. Also, you will not be able to
schedule a new appointment for a visit or service during that period. If you
know you are going to need to refill a prescription, or you have an
outstanding lab test or X-ray you need to have done, you are encouraged to get
those items taken care of prior to Aug. 31 to avoid experiencing any delays in
service. Prescriptions may be refilled 14 days before your current supply runs
out instead of the usual 7 days.
=============
SOURCE: TRICARE News Release
Posted: 30 Aug 01:
Public Access to TRICARE Web Site Has Been Restored
Access to the TRICARE web site from non-military domains has been restored.
Please take steps to notify your communities/mail groups/friends and neighbors
that the block has been lifted.
Thank you,
Milton Bell
Listserver Mgr
Posted: 30 Aug 01
TRICARE Senior Prime to End December 31, 2001
TRICARE Senior Prime to end December 31, 2001
August 23, 2001
No. 01-23
Over the last several years, TRICARE Senior Prime was one of several test
programs utilized by Department of Defense to evaluate its ability to provide
health care services to its over age 65 beneficiaries. With direction from the
Fiscal Year 2001 National Defense Authorization Act, the Department of Defense
will implement TRICARE for Life to meet this need. Consequently, the TRICARE
Senior Prime program will end December 31, 2001.
TRICARE Senior Prime enrollment applications received by August 31, 2001 will
be accepted for an effective date of September 1, 2001. These enrollees may
remain enrolled until December 31, 2001. Enrollees in TRICARE Prime who turn
65 and become entitled to both Medicare and TRICARE and are assigned to an MTF
primary care provider, may have priority for TRICARE Plus if capacity exists.
Enrollment applications for TRICARE Senior Prime received between September 1,
2001 and December 31, 2001 will be returned. Current enrollees may remain
enrolled until December 31, 2001 and will receive a letter that describes
their rights and health care options for 2002. Current TRICARE Senior Prime
enrollees may continue to utilize the military health care system through the
TRICARE for Life program.
Information on TRICARE for Life will be mailed in August to age 65 and over
Military Health System beneficiaries who are registered in the Defense
Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).
NOTE FROM POSTMASTER: TRICARE For Life related information is available
online
########
SOURCE: TRICARE News Release
Posted: 30 Aug 01
Shelton Talks Change, Troops, Transformation
By Gerry Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 27, 2001 -- Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Henry
H. Shelton reflected on change and present and future challenges facing the
military during an Aug. 22 interview with American Forces Information Service.
The 59-year-old Army Ranger and Special Forces-schooled paratrooper is slated
to complete his four-year term as
chairman and to retire Sept. 30.
Shelton, who received his commission in 1963 through the ROTC at North
Carolina State University, said he was proud of his military service and that
of U.S. service members performing duty worldwide. He also commented on
recently enacted pay, housing and health initiatives that improve the lives of
service members, and of efforts to transform the military for envisioned 21st
century threats.
The chairman noted that things have "changed considerably" across
the military since he pinned on his gold
lieutenant's bars.
"We had a draft at that time and a force that was predominately
single," Shelton remarked, adding that the majority of service members in
today's volunteer military force are married.
The active components performed most of DoD's missions during the Cold War
years, said Shelton, a Vietnam and Gulf War veteran. However, with the fall of
the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the ensuing drawdown, the reserve components had
to shoulder more of the load.
"Today, it is a Total Force and we rely very heavily on our great troops
in the Guard, as well as those in the
reserves," Shelton said.
Shelton noted that today's military is 40 percent smaller than it was after
the Gulf War. He said today's U.S. Army
may be only the seventh or eighth in size in the world, but he "has
watched it get better and better" throughout the
years.
"I've seen the quality of our force continue to improve, to where today
-- there is no question about it -- we have the
finest armed forces in the world," Shelton said, adding he also has seen
the quality of commissioned and enlisted
leadership improve significantly.
The noncommissioned officer corps "sets the example for others throughout
the world to emulate," he said. Commenting on today's officer corps,
Shelton remarked, "I'm just glad I that don't have to compete against
those young lieutenants and ensigns that I bump into as I travel around the
world."
America's armed forces are the best in the world, but "we have
significant challenges that we'll have to deal with in
the future," Shelton said. One of those challenges, he noted, is to guard
against complacency.
When Shelton spoke to Veterans of Foreign Wars members in Milwaukee Aug. 21,
he said, he reminded them of history, and "the need to make sure that
we're never surprised again."
Shelton said U.S. troops weren't ready to fight in the battle at Kasserine
Pass in North Africa during World War
II and in the Task Force Smith debacle during the Korean War. In both actions,
ill-trained and badly equipped
American units were forced to retreat.
"We were not prepared to carry out the missions our armed forces were
given, and we paid a price in blood for having
done that," he emphasized.
Another challenge for America's military is change, Shelton said.
"We need to make sure that we can change and transform our armed forces
today to be prepared to deal with the 21st century threats that we will face,
which may look a little bit different" from those of the past, he said.
"Cyber warfare -- certainly, we have to be prepared to deal with
that," Shelton continued. "We've talked about
(ballistic) missile defense and the need to protect American citizens against
that, to include homeland security in a larger context."
Transformation isn't easy whether within DoD or in the corporate world, he
acknowledged. "Institutional resistance
to change is always something you have to contend with," he observed.
Military transformation is a complex endeavor, where leaders must not only
prepare for today's threats, but also
those foreseen in 15 to 20 years, he said. As the world becomes more automated
and relies more on information
technology, the armed forces need to maintain information superiority and be
able to "protect our own systems from
attack by an adversary," Shelton said. He also spoke of
"sensor-to-shooter" technology "that will maybe even allow
an unmanned aerial vehicle to respond with some type of robotic device to a
threat."
Yet, Shelton emphasized that threats abound today.
"We've some nations today that concern us, [such as] North Korea,"
he said. "We've 38,000 great Americans in South Korea that stand guard
day in and day out protecting America's interests along the DMZ.
"Over in the Persian Gulf, we have roughly 22,000 of our troops that on
any given day are subjected to potential
attack by individuals such as Saddam Hussein," Shelton noted.
"Making sure that we're prepared to deal with that
at a low to moderate level of risk is very important."
DoD's military and civilian leaders, Shelton said, "will continue to make
sure that our forces are trained and ready
today, even as we modernize the force, bringing in the latest in technology to
ensure that we'll always have that
technological edge when we put our men and women in harm's way."
He said incorporating those new capabilities costs money, and sometimes
"creates the friction" for resources among
the services, none of which want to be left out.
"But, I think we've got a good game plan laid out," Shelton
emphasized. "The Quadrennial Defense Review is helping in that regard.
I'm confident that we'll be in great shape for the future."
Back to the present day, Shelton said he is "thankful to get feedback
from our troops in the field, whether it is
the young airman, young Marine, soldier, sailor, and the NCOs and the
officers, because they kind of frame the
issues for us here in Washington inside the Pentagon."
Feedback from service members has prompted senior leaders to re-evaluate
personnel policies and deployment schedules, Shelton said.
"It started off pretty heavily with perstempo and operational tempo …
the lack of predictability in their lives in terms of knowing what was coming
next. I think we've made some great headway," Shelton said. "Are we
there, yet? No, we're not, and part of the Quadrennial Defense Review's goal
is to try to bring all that (perstempo and optempo) back into balance."
Listening to service members' issues has also resulted in better quality of
life in the form of higher military pay,
improvements in military housing, health care and retirement, he added.
"It helped us achieve the largest pay raise in the last 18 years,"
Shelton said, adding that more will be done in the
military pay realm in the future. "We corrected the retirement system
that had been changed back in 1986 that had made our retirement program more
of a disincentive than an incentive for those that stayed for 20 years. We've
been
able to reduce the out-of-pocket expenses for housing for those who have to
live off the installation."
Myriad improvements in the TRICARE health care system have also been made in
recent years, Shelton said, to include "better business practices such as
access and the management of the program, the transferability from one
region to another … reducing the out-of-pocket expenses for our active
force." He recalled a visit to Fort Leavenworth, Kan., where he posed the
question, 'Have you had an experience with TRICARE?' to 1,000 people
representing all the services.
"Almost every hand went up and I asked, 'How many of you had a positive
experience?' I saw almost no hands go up and I asked a whole series of
questions and I got very, very negative feedback. We found out that this was
something
that we really needed to take on," he said.
Shelton noted that access to the system was a problem that has been mostly
fixed. "Once you gained access, you
couldn't ask for a finer group of people, doctors and nurses," he added.
He also spoke of times when he read letters from military retirees who
expressed feelings of disenfranchisement over
military health care. Their concerns, he added, were acted upon, and thanks to
Congress military retirees will have
access to the "TRICARE for Life" health care system.
"We made a commitment to them when we brought them in," Shelton
said. "If you talk to any recruiter in the last 15
years, they'll tell you that was one of the selling points for a military
career, so we said we've got to fix this."
Maintaining competitive military pay and benefits, to include retirement,
helps to keep good people in uniform,
Shelton said. The quality of today's armed forces will "remain our No. 1
challenge," he added, as the armed
services and corporate America continue to compete for qualified young people.
"We must continue to appeal to young men and women, to bring them into
the services by letting them know of the
opportunities that exist in today's environment, and what they are really
signing up for," he said.
The men and women who join the armed services "become members of
America's 'first team,'" Shelton said. "We're
the ones that America turns to when the chips are down. We provide for -- in
part, at least -- for the great
prosperity that our nation has today."
Posted: 24 Aug 01
Patient Experiences, Survey Findings Reveal Secrets of USFHP Success {01}
Personal Approach, Customer Service Improvements Drive Satisfaction Increases
In TRICARE Prime Option Health Plan
Washington, D.C. (Aug. 22, 2001) - After 56 years of marriage, five children,
and more than 30 years in the Navy and Air Force, Lawrence and Lucille
Mitchell figured they could face just about any challenge. But this summer,
the senior Louisiana couple was confronted with their biggest challenge ever -
they were diagnosed with cancer within one week of each other.
Lucille's mammogram revealed that she had "suspicious-looking"
calcium deposits in her left breast, which were later determined to be
malignant. After consulting with her general surgeon, Dr. Issam Harmoush, at
Saint Mary's CHRISTUS Health in Port Arthur, Texas, Lucille had a mastectomy
and began her recovery. Throughout the diagnosis, treatment and recovery
process, Dr. Harmoush was a constant presence, providing Lucille with detailed
information so she could make important health care decisions. As a military
beneficiary, Lucille and Lawrence use the CHRISTUS Health system through their
enrollment in the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP). CHRISTUS
Health is one of seven community-based, non-profit provider groups in the
country that contract with DoD to administer USFHP.
"I don't know how I would have coped with Lawrence's cancer diagnosis had
I not felt so comfortable with the care I received from Dr. Harmoush,"
said Mrs. Mitchell. "His personal approach, the excellent treatment
programs and the high level of care that we receive are the reason we keep
coming back to CHRISTUS and stay in USFHP."
A recent member satisfaction survey, conducted by Market Street Research,
indicates that innovative programs and quality services like those received by
the Mitchells are creating healthier and happier members in each of the USFHP
programs. For the eighth-straight year, USFHP's members are significantly more
satisfied than members of national HMOs with the major components of the plan,
including overall satisfaction, satisfaction with care received and
satisfaction with their primary care providers and specialists.
In the 2001 survey, 82 percent of USFHP members rated overall satisfaction
with the plan as an 8 or higher on a 10-point scale; nearly 91 percent rated
it a 6 or higher. This rating is significantly higher than the national
average of overall satisfaction for HMOs, where 57 percent of members rated
the plan as an 8 or higher on a 10-point scale. In addition, the proportion of
members who are very satisfied has increased over the past year (82 percent in
2001 vs. 78.6 percent in 2000). Survey respondents specifically mentioned
providers' listening skills, thoroughness of explanations, and length of time
providers spend with them as positive plan attributes.
Survey respondents also were highly satisfied with customer services and with
plan administration (reasonable claims turnaround, accurate claims processing,
understanding written information and paperwork). Specifically, USFHP members
mentioned accuracy of the information given out by representatives and
friendliness of plan representatives in these areas. "Based on the survey
and my personal conversations with the users, the USFHP provides a very high
standard of health care," said the President of the National Association
for Uniformed Services, Major General Richard D. Murray, (Retired). "That
standard, in place now for 20 years, has delivered on the promise of lifetime
health care to the families of active duty career military personnel and to a
patient population not covered by most other TRICARE options - those 65 and
older. With the advent of TRICARE for Life, that experience makes USFHP a very
successful model for DoD to base its new, over-65 health care programs
on."
Sixty-eight-year-old Evelyn Hickman offers a good example of that model of
service. Evelyn is a member of the USFHP located at Johns Hopkins in Maryland.
She credits her primary care physician at Monacacy Valley Health Center in
Frederick, Md. - a Johns Hopkins health center - for saving her eyesight and
possibly her life. In June 2000, Hickman visited Dr. Naaz Hussain after
experiencing significant peripheral vision loss. After examining Hickman, Dr.
Hussain immediately referred her to an ophthalmologist. The following day,
Hickman was admitted to Johns Hopkins to remove a brain tumor that was
impinging on the optic nerves and affecting performance of the pituitary
gland.
"During appointments, Dr. Hussain spends a great deal of time with me,
especially going over the results of my lab tests," said Hickman.
"The treatment and personal attention I've received through USFHP
enrollment has been tremendous; even a nurse from the health center offered to
come to the house and check on me if needed during my recovery."
USFHP is a TRICARE option available to families of active duty military,
retirees and their eligible family members, including those age 65 and over,
through networks of community-based hospitals and physicians in seven areas
of the country.
USFHP enrollment is offered through:
JOHNS HOPKINS COMMUNITY PHYSICIANS
Serving central Maryland and parts of Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia
MARTIN'S POINT HEALTH CARE
Serving Maine and southern New Hampshire
BRIGHTON MARINE HEALTH CENTER
Serving eastern Massachusetts, including Cape Cod, and Rhode Island
SAINT VINCENT CATHOLIC MEDICAL CENTERS OF NEW YORK
Serving parts of New York, all of New Jersey and southern Connecticut
FAIRVIEW HOSPITAL/CLEVELAND CLINIC HEALTH SYSTEM
Serving northeast Ohio
CHRISTUS HEALTH
Serving southeast Texas and southwest Louisiana
PACMED CLINICS
Serving the Puget Sound area of Washington State
For more information, visit the USFHP web site at
http://www.usfhp.org
or call 1-888-25-USFHP (87347).
# # #
SOURCE: USFHP Press Release
Jennifer Garfinkel
Director, Health Care
Dittus Communications
1150 17th Street, NW
Suite 701
Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 775-1401
Fax: (202) 775-1404
Posted: 17 Aug 01
Healthful Web Sites
Healthful Web Sites
(Courtesy U. S. Army Medical Command Public Affairs Office)
1. Gateways and Publications
Healthfinder.gov
This comprehensive site is the federal government`s gateway to consumer health
and human services information
MEDLINE Plus
With over 9 million biomedical journal article abstracts, Medline is highly
regarded by medical professionals. Plus links for health topics, dictionaries,
organizations, news, and more
The Surgeon General
Visit the virtual office of the Surgeon General of the United States
Reports of the Surgeon General
Reports on smoking, suicide, nutrition, physical activity and health, and
HIV/AIDS, to name a few
National Institutes of Health
Easy access to the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) 25 institutions and
research trials (an NIH site specifically devoted to cancer trials is
cancertrials.nci.nih.gov)
Health Topics A to Z
Health Topics A to Z from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
provides a listing of disease and health topics found on the agency’s Web
site
Links to State and Local Health Departments
Click on your state or selected counties
Health Web Links
Health consumer information from the Federal government
Government and Consumer Publications on Health
General health information from the Federal Consumer Information Center in
Pueblo, Colorado
Healthcare Cost & Utilization Project
Identify, track, analyze, and compare statistics on hospitals at the national,
regional, and state level
ACCESS America for SENIORS
A government wide initiative to deliver electronic services from government
agencies and organizations to seniors. Some features include Benefits, Health,
Consumer Protection, Services, Employment & Volunteer Activities, a
Retirement Planner online, Taxes, Travel & Leisure, Education &
Training, and Other Links.
2. Food and Nutrition
Food Information Gateway
Consumer information on food from the Federal government
Interactive Healthy Eating Index
Provides a quick assessment of the quality of your diet, including nutrition
information targeted to your specific score
FoodSafety.Gov
Gateway to government food safety information
Nutrition Navigator
A rating guide to nutrition Web sites
Center for Food Safety & Applied Nutrition
Food and nutrition information from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Recommended Dietary Allowances
From the National Academy of Sciences
Local Farmers Markets
Click on your state to find a local farmers market
Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Online access to the fifth edition of Nutrition & Your Health: Dietary
Guidelines for Americans, a joint publication of the U.S. Departments of
Health & Human Services and Agriculture
3. Specific Topics or Concerns
Healthfinder Hot Topics
Healthfinder’s monthly top search topics and perennial favorites are
highlighted here for quick and easy searches. Topics include AIDS, diabetes,
allergies, depression, pregnancy and alternative medicine
Help with Substance Abuse or Mental Health Problems
This site has resources to help you with a mental health or substance abuse
problem, including directories of service providers, referral hotlines, and
mental health/consumer survival resources
Mental Health: A Report of the Surgeon General
A look at mental illness as a critical public health problem
Help with Stress and Anxiety
Review the publications or use the search function to find information on
dealing with stress and anxiety and other issues
Asthma and Indoor Environments
Basic information about asthma and reducing common asthma triggers in your
home
Diet, Health and Fitness
Consumer education publications in English and Spanish on topics such as
dieting, indoor tanning, vision correction procedures, and infertility
services to name a few
My Medicines
Advice for women on using medicines wisely
Travelers’ Health
How to protect yourself from disease when traveling outside the U.S. and
alerts about disease outbreaks
CancerNet
Gateway to the most recent and accurate cancer information from the National
Cancer Institute
Clinical Trials
Provides patients, family members, and members of the public current
information about clinical research studies
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM)
Sponsored by The National Institutes of Health, NCCAM conducts and supports
basic and applied research and training and disseminates information on
complementary and alternative medicine
Choosing and Using a Health Plan
Booklet to help you make sense of your choices for getting health care
insurance
Oral Health
First-ever Surgeon General`s Report on oral health
Oncology Tools
A variety of information related to cancer and approved cancer drug therapies
from the Food and Drug Administration
Organ Donation
Information on how to become an organ and tissue donor
For Your Heart
Information for women about cardiovascular disease, including exercise,
nutrition, smoking, diabetes, cholesterol, and high blood pressure
What About Men`s Health?
Information geared to help women learn more about the leading health concerns
of the men in their lives; also includes a quiz for men to test their
knowledge of women's health
Diabetes Frequently Asked Questions
Learn about diabetes, its symptoms, types, major risk factors, and more
Prostate Cancer Fact Sheet
Learn about prostate cancer, its symptoms, risk factors, and more
Screening Mammograms Fact Sheet
Learn the difference between screening and diagnostic mammograms, the factors
that place a woman at increased risk for breast cancer, and more
Tuberculosis (TB)
Information on TB, how to get tested and treated, and more
Cosmetics
Answers to questions about cosmetic safety, animal testing, allergic
reactions, and more
HIV/AIDS
Frequently asked questions on HIV/AIDS from the Centers for Disease Control
& Prevention
4. Health Sites for Kids
Girl Power
This site seeks to reinforce and sustain positive values about health among
girls ages 9-14
Kids' Home at the National Cancer Institute
Site for young persons being treated for cancer, HIV, and other illnesses
Snack Smart for Healthy Teeth
Site for kids’ dental care
Food Safety at Home, School and When Eating Out
Activity book for kids to color
Smoke-Free Kids
Encourages adolescent girls to participate in soccer to maintain physical
fitness and resist pressures to smoke
-------------------------
##################
SOURCE: US Army Warrant Officer Association (USAWOA) at
More Web Sites
The first Internet site with one-stop access to federal consumer information
including information on health and health care quality.
This is the official site of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The mission of HHS is to protect health and give a special helping hand
to those who need assistance. HHS provides support and protection to older
Americans, and to the Nation's infants and children. The Department also
provides aid to people with disabilities, as well as assistance and new
opportunity for those in need.
The Department of Veteran Affairs site provided information on VA programs,
veterans benefits, VA facilities worldwide, and VA medical automation
software. This site services several major constituencies including the
veteran and his/her dependents, Veterans Service Organizations, the military,
the general public, and VA employees around the world.
The first-ever government website to provide the public with easy, one-stop
access to all online U.S. Federal Government resources.
Healthfinder.gov helps consumers find reliable health information from many
Federal agencies, States, professional associations, nonprofit organizations
and universities. Healthfinder brings consumers to information that can help
them stay healthy, understand diagnosis, explore treatment options, find
support, and generally become more informed about health and medical topics of
interest to them.
Do your (children or) grandchildren need health insurance? The State Child
Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) is the largest single expansion of health
insurance coverage for children in more than 30 years. Today, nearly 11
million
American children -- one in seven are uninsured. S-CHIP enables States to
insure children from working families with incomes too high to qualify for
Medicaid, but too little to afford private coverage. Help get your
grandchildren the health coverage they need to grow up healthy and strong.
The official site of the Social Security Administration. Some online services
are also available on this website including, ordering a replacement Medicare
card, changing your address or phone number, and applying for Social Security
Retirement Benefits.
TRICARE for Life (TFL) starts October 1, 2001. It provides expanded medical
coverage for: Medicare-eligible retirees, including retired guard members and
reservists; Medicare-eligible family members and widow/widowers; and certain
former spouses if they were eligible for TRICARE before age 65. You must have
Medicare Part B to be eligible for TFL.
If eligible, you get all Medicare-covered benefits under the Original Medicare
Plan, plus all TFL-covered benefits. If you use a Medicare provider, Medicare
will be the first payer for all Medicare-covered services, and TFL will be the
second payer. TFL will pay all Medicare copayments and deductibles and cover
most of the costs of certain care not covered by Medicare.
For more information on TFL call 1-888-DOD-LIFE (1-888-363-5433) or, look at
TRICARE on the Web. Call 1-800-538-9552 for other military retiree benefit
questions.
======================
Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to speak to a Medicare Customer
Representative
Posted: 17 Aug 01
[Health.mil] "C o d e R e d" Worm Affecting Access to the TRICARE Web
Stie {01}
The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) has been contacted by hundreds of
beneficiaries about the TRICARE web site being down/inaccessible. Here
are two quick points regarding this problem:
1. The problem is a result of the "C o d e R e d" (no
spaces) worm that has been covered extensively in the national media.
2. TMA and the DoD "computer community" are working to
fix this problem as soon as possible.
The following information will provide more background/detail on the technical
side of the problem, what we're doing to fix it, and what can be done in the
mean time.
Due to the C o d e R e d worm, the Joint Task Force-Computer Network
Operations has ordered that the DoD gateways be blocked from the Internet on
TCP port 80 (protocol http). This is the port that the TRICARE web site
utilizes.
This will primarily affect those trying to connect to the TRICARE web site
through a commercial Internet Service Provider such as AOL or Earthlink.
Those with a .mil address utilizing a direct connection to the Pentagon
network
should be able to access the site. However, those with a
.mil address using a commercial connection, will not be able to access the
site.
Users utilizing a browser with 128 bit encryption will be able to access the
web site if they add an "s" to the http: of the address. In
other words, to access the TRICARE web site, users with a commercial
connection can type
------- ********* --------
SEE POSTMASTER NOTES BELOW
------- ********* --------
This block was originally set on August 1, 2001 for all of the Defense
Information Systems Agency (DISA) gateways. On August 2, 2001 the block
was partially lifted. Again on August 7, 2001 the block was again
imposed and is
currently in effect until further notice. Users may be able to
access other .mil sites as the block is not affecting all .mil sites globally.
The TRICARE Management Activity is actively seeking relief from the block
because of the web site's importance to our 8.3 million beneficiaries.
The bottom line remains: TMA and the DOD computer experts are working hard to
resolve this problem as soon as possible.
TRICARE Management Activity points of contact for this issue: Mr. Gary Thomas,
TMA/IMTR, 703-681-8826; and Ms. Kristi Beck, TMA/CCS, 703-681-1770.
-------------
POSTMASTER NOTES:
1. The
https://www.tricare.osd.mil
route may not work well for everybody. Some mailing list members have
reported that they could not view FAQs, etc., while using this address.
2. If you need to connect to the TRICARE web site to get a form, etc.,
please advise. We may be able to get it and E-mail it to you.
Posted: 17 Aug 01
[Health.mil} Updaing DEERS {01}
It is important to update your Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System
(DEERS) data to show any changes of address, family status such as marriage,
divorce, birth or adoption. (Remember: Each family member's eligibility is
independent and must be updated.)
Home addresses are important because DEERS uses them to send out information
on health benefits. Also, health benefits could be denied if DEERS is not
updated to reflect new information.
You may update your DEERS address in several ways:
o Visit the DEERS website at
o Visit a local personnel office that has a Uniformed Services I.D. card
facility. (Call ahead for hours of operation and for instructions if your are
updating a record for someone who is housebound.) To locate the nearest
military ID card facility visit
http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/
(at this site, you may search for an ID card facility by city, state, ZIP code
or name)
o Call the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office (DSO) Telephone Center
at 800-538-9552. The best time to call the Telephone Center is between 0900 -
1500 (Pacific Time) Wednesday through Friday to avoid delays.
o Fax address changes to 831-655-8317.
o Mail the change information to the
DSO
ATTN: COA
400 Gigling Road
Seaside, CA, 93955-6771
o Visit a military treatment facility.
Other aspects of the DEERS record may be updated by sending appropriate
documentation (such as marriage or death certificates) to DEERS by mail or
fax, or by visiting the nearest military ID card facility.
For additional questions regarding your DEERS record, call the DSO Telephone
Center at 800-538-9552. The hours of operation are 0600 - 1530 (Pacific Time)
Monday - Friday (excluding federal holidays).
#############
Posted: 17 Aug 01
Getting TRICARE Info From the Web {01}
The TRICARE web site (
http://www.tricare.osd.mil)
may be not be available to non ".MIL" addressees due to security
precautions taken to protect the site from the Code Red virus.
If you're unable to access the TRICARE web site, suggest you try using the
below listed contractor web site, as applicable.
If you're unable to get desired information from the web sites, suggest you
contact your local TRICARE office or health benefits adviser for
assistance.
Milton Bell
Listserver Mgr
+++++++++++++++++++
TRICARE Northeast
Service area: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode
Island, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, District of
Columbia, Northern Virginia and the NE corner of West Virginia.
Toll-free number: (888) 999-5195
Sierra Military Health Services, Inc. 1-888-999-5195
------------------------
TRICARE Mid-Atlantic
Service area: North Carolina and most of Virginia
Toll-free number: (800) 931-9501
Anthem Alliance for Health, Inc. 1-800-931-9501
------------------------
TRICARE Southeast
Service area: So Carolina, Georgia & Florida (excluding panhandle)
Humana Military Healtcare Services
Toll-free (800)444-5445
------------------------
TRICARE Gulf South
Service area: Florida panhandle, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and eastern
third of Louisiana
Humana Military Healtcare Services
Toll-free (800) 444-5445
------------------------
TRICARE Heartland
Service area: Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky and West
Virginia (excluding the northeast corner)
Anthem Allicance for Health, Inc, 800-941-4501
------------------------
TRICARE Southwest
Service area: Oklahoma, Arkansas, western two-thirds of Louisiana, Texas
(excluding southwest corner)
Foundation Health Federal Services, 800-406-2832
------------------------
TRICARE Central
Service area: New Mexico, Arizona (excluding Yuma), Nevada, southwest corner
of Texas (including El Paso), Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho
(excluding northern Idaho), No Dakota, So Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Minnesota,
Iowa and Missouri
TriWest Healthcare Alliance, 888-874-9378
------------------------
TRICARE Northwest
Service area: Washington, Oregon and northern Idaho
Foundation Health Federal Services, 800-982-0032
------------------------
TRICARE Golden Gate
Service area: Northern California
Foundation Health Federal Services, (800) 242-6788
------------------------
TRICARE Southern California
Service area: Southern California and Yuma, Ariz.
Foundation Health Federal Services, Toll-free 800-242-6788
------------------------
TRICARE Alaska
Service area: Alaska
Toll-free number: (888) 777-8343
------------------------
TRICARE Hawaii
Service area: Hawaiian Islands
Toll-free number: (800) 242-6788
------------------------
TRICARE Latin America
Service area: Panama, Central America and South America
Toll-free number: (888) 777-8343; for Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands (800)
444-5445
------------------------
TRICARE Europe
Service area: Europe, Africa, Middle East, Azores and Iceland
Toll-free number: (888) 777-8343
------------------------
TRICARE Pacific
Service area: Western Pacific
Toll-free number: (800) 777-8343
This is the home page for all TRICARE programs in the Western Pacific Ocean.
Click on on-line titles for information about specific areas.
Foundation Health Federal Services, 800-242-6788
TRICARE Guam
1-800-834-9785
TRICARE Japan
005-3111-4621
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TRICARE DENTAL PLANS AND PROGRAMS
In addition to the above TRICARE medical resources, there are also TRICARE
Family Member Dental Plan and TRICARE Retiree Dental Program as follows:
TRICARE Family Member Dental Plan (active duty) (administered by United
Concordia, Camp Hill, PA) -
http://www.ucci.com.
TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (administered by Delta Dental, Sacramento, CA)
-
Toll Free 1-888-838-8737, Web site:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pharmacy and National Mail Order Pharmacy Programs
Within the U.S. 1-800-903-4680, and Outside the U.S. 1-614-421-8211
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't forget the "s" in the http or you will not be able to get on
the site.
Need help with TRICARE? - Have a TRICARE question? Send an E-mail to
TRICARE_Help@amedd.army.mil
While the address may say 'Army', it is for all beneficiaries from all
services. Get answers from a TRICARE expert. You can also send questions to
questions@tma.osd.mil
myTRICARE.com by PGBA -Access your TRICARE claims information on your time, at
your place. The benefits of myTRICARE.com - It's safe, it's secure, it's
simple, it's free. Register at
http://www.myTRICARE.com
(not available for all TRICARE regions).
#########
SOURCE; US Army Warrant Officer Association OnLine at
Posted: 11 Aug 01
"VA Announces New Benefit, "CHAMPVA for Life"
VA Announces New Benefit, "CHAMPVA For Life"
August 2, 2001
WASHINGTON -- Improvements to the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the
Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) will bring financial relief to older
survivors and dependents of some disabled or deceased veterans who face
medical expenses not paid by Medicare or other third-party payers.
Called "CHAMPVA for Life," the new benefit is designed for spouses
or dependents who are 65 or older. They must be family members of
veterans who have a permanent and total service-connected disability, who died
of a service-
connected condition or who were totally disabled from a service-connected
condition at the time of death. They also must have Medicare coverage.
"This improved benefit is part of VA’s continuing effort to make sure
the families of disabled veterans have health care when the veterans can no
longer provide it," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony J.
Principi. "I’m delighted we can provide prescription outpatient
medication coverage, a benefit not offered by Medicare."
Beginning October 1, CHAMPVA will pay benefits for covered medical services to
eligible beneficiaries who are 65 or older and enrolled in Medicare Parts
A&B. The "CHAMPVA for Life" benefit is payable after
payment by Medicare or other third-party payers. For services not
covered by Medicare or other insurance, such as outpatient prescription
medications, CHAMPVA will be the primary payer.
CHAMPVA beneficiaries who reached age 65 as of June 5, 2001, but were not
enrolled in Medicare Part B on that date, will be eligible for this expanded
benefit even though not enrolled in Medicare Part B. There is no change
in
CHAMPVA coverage for those beneficiaries 65 and older who do not qualify for
Medicare.
Information about the new benefit was recently mailed to all previous CHAMPVA
beneficiaries and providers who have filed claims with CHAMPVA.
People over age 65 who have never been eligible for CHAMPVA can request an
application by writing to the VA Health Administration Center (HAC), P.O. Box
469028, Denver, CO 80246-9028.
Veterans and family members can also call toll-free, 1-888-289-2411, to obtain
the latest recorded information, leave a change of address, or request
information to be mailed to them. This phone line is available 24 hours
a day.
Inquiries may also be e-mailed to hac.inq@med.va.gov
Updates about "CHAMPVA for Life" and other benefits information will
be posted
# # #
SOURCE: VA News Release
Posted: 11 Aug 01
"TRICARE Prime Enrollment Cards Receive A New Look"
TRICARE Prime Enrollment Cards Receive a New Look
Aug. 3, 2001
No. 01-21
Beginning in summer 2001, certain TRICARE Prime enrollees will start receiving
the next generation of the TRICARE Prime enrollment card. The new TRICARE
Prime card has a standardized look around the globe and will be printed
centrally by the Defense Manpower Data Center, the agency that maintains the
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), where eligibility
reporting currently is done. The redesigned card provides beneficiaries with
essential health care contact information.
TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Senior Prime and TRICARE Prime Remote new enrollees, as
well as those who move to a different TRICARE region, will begin receiving the
redesigned card this summer. Replacement cards for these programs also will be
in the new format. Beneficiaries who enroll in the Uniformed Services
Family Health Plan (USFHP) will continue to receive a separate beneficiary
card provided through the Iowa Foundation for Medical Care.
The new Prime enrollment card is filled with essential contact information to
help enrollees access health care. The contact information is based upon the
beneficiary's type of Prime enrollment (TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Senior Prime or
TRICARE Prime Remote) and location (CONUS or overseas). The detailed contact
information includes: whom to contact after receiving emergency treatment and
when to call; the phone number for retail pharmacy questions; the TRICARE
claims telephone numbers; where to call to obtain authorization for non-
emergency care; and a number for health care information. The card also has
spaces for writing in the primary care manager name and phone number. The
beneficiary's name, sponsor's social security number and status appear on all
cards.
The new TRICARE Prime enrollment card does not replace any aspect of the
current enrollment process that beneficiaries use to enroll in TRICARE Prime
or when they move to another region. The only changes for beneficiaries are to
the look and content of the Prime enrollment card.
Beneficiaries currently enrolled in TRICARE Prime and who have a Prime card do
not need to obtain a new card. Their Prime cards are valid until they move or
change status. Medicare-eligible beneficiaries age 65 and over who will begin
using TRICARE For Life on Oct. 1 do not need a TRICARE enrollment card. For
more information on the new Prime cards, beneficiaries may call 1-888-DoD-CARE
(1-888-363-2273).
-end-
SOURCE: TRICARE News Release
Posted: 30 Jul 01
TriWest Signs Four-Year Extension of Its Managed Care Support Contract
for the TRICARE Central Region
************
NOTE: TRICARE Central Region (formerly known as Regions 7 and 8) —
includes Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Montana, Nevada, North
and South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, most of Idaho except for
six counties in northern Idaho, that piece of southwestern Texas that includes
El Paso, and Missouri — except for the St. Louis area, which is in Region 5.
************
PHOENIX, Ariz., July 23, 2001-The U.S. Department of Defense Military Health
System has awarded TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp. a four-year extension of
its managed care support contract for the 16-state TRICARE Central Region.
With this contract extension, TriWest, which has just begun the fifth and
final year of its original contract, will continue to manage health care for
over 1.5 million active duty and retired service members and their families
through 2006.
David J. McIntyre, Jr., president and CEO of TriWest, says, "I am very
pleased that TriWest was awarded this extension. It is an equitable
arrangement for both the taxpayers and the corporation, and we are pleased to
continue serving this most important and deserving population. TriWest has
worked very hard to optimize customer service and access to health care for
our TRICARE beneficiaries in the Central Region, and I believe that the DoD
has recognized this hard work by extending our contract."
TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the largest defense contractor based in Arizona,
was founded in 1995 on the strong belief that health care service should be
community-based. It is unique among the managed care support contractors in
that its shareholders include 11 Blue Cross Blue Shield plans and two
university hospital systems. TriWest, with its community-based approach,
creative solutions and unique relationships, is striving to be the model for
TRICARE administration and customer service. TriWest's strong partnership with
the Central Region Lead Agent Office and the 26 military treatment facilities
(MTF) across the Central Region is one its most notable achievements.
"TriWest, the Central Region Lead Agency and the MTF Commanders have
formed a unique partnership that has resulted in dramatic increases in the
efficiency and effectiveness of health care delivery and customer service
throughout the region," says COL Ted McNitt, Lead Agent, TRICARE Central
Region. "Two of the region's medical groups and their local TRICARE
Service Centers (TSC) were recently saluted as 'Heroes of TRICARE' by the
TRICARE Management Activity. I am convinced that the partnering philosophy
shared by TriWest and the Central Region was the catalyst for these
achievements. I am pleased that TriWest will be continuing to provide
excellent service to our military men and women for four more years."
"TRICARE is an exciting and important program and, now that it will
include providing health care services to the Senior 65+ population, it will
be even more so. I'm thrilled and proud that TriWest will be serving these
deserving
men and women," says McIntyre.
TRICARE is a regionally managed health care program for active duty and
retired members of the uniformed services, their families and survivors.
TRICARE brings together the health care resources of the Army, Navy and Air
Force and supplements them with networks of civilian health care professionals
to provide better access and high quality service while maintaining the
capability to support military operations.
TriWest Healthcare Alliance is a Phoenix-based management service organization
that is contracted with the Department of Defense for the managed care support
and administration of the TRICARE program in the 16-state TRICARE Central
Region. TriWest's goal is to provide the region's TRICARE beneficiaries with
access to cost-effective, quality health care and superior customer service.
More information about TriWest and TRICARE can be found at
http://www.triwest.com
###
SOURCE: TriWest news release
Posted: 28 Jul 01
DOD Tightens Blood Donor Safety Criteria {01}
ArmyLINK News Story
by Harry Noyes
WASHIGNTON (Army News Service, July 27, 2001) -- To reduce further the risk of
spreading "mad-cow disease" by way of blood transfusions, the
Department of Defense is tightening its restrictions on blood donations by
personnel who have lived in Europe for extended periods during the past two
decades.
The stringent rules will cut the active-duty donor pool by 18 percent and
civilian donors by about 5 percent. However, DoD can continue collecting
the 105,000 units of blood that it needs annually by stepping up recruitment
of
donors to replace the 18 percent loss, according to officials in the Armed
Services Blood Program Office.
This can only be done by increasing command support, hiring some additional
blood-collection personnel, integrating DoD and service blood assets, and
optimizing collection sites by putting them at large installations and
training
bases, the program official added.
The new donor restrictions, which are called deferral criteria, will be
implemented by mid September. They are in line with tightened U.S. Food and
Drug Administration guidelines, said Lt. Cmdr. Rebecca Sparks, deputy director
of the Armed Services Blood Program Office.
Under the new rules, DoD-affiliated personnel - whether active-duty
military, civil-service employee or family member - will be barred from
donating blood if he (she) meets any one of the following three criteria:
(1) If, at any time from 1980 through the end of 1996, he (she) traveled or
resided in the United Kingdom for three months or more; or if, at any time
from 1980 to the present, he (she) received a blood transfusion in the U.K.
(2) If, at any time from 1980 through the end of 1996, he (she) traveled or
resided anywhere in Europe for six months or more.
(3) If, at any time from January 1, 1997, to present, he (she) traveled or
resided anywhere in Europe for a five years or more.
The FDA criteria distinguish between Europe north of the Alps and south of it,
applying the more stringent six-month rule only to the 1980-1990 period in
northern Europe. Convinced that many DoD people might have trouble remembering
temporary-duty and travel days in various countries, DoD opted to apply the
six-month rule to the whole 1980-1996 period in all parts of Europe, Sparks
explained.
Both the FDA and DoD rules are less stringent than guidelines announced by the
American Red Cross, which bar all donations from any person who has been in
Europe for more than six months from 1980 to present.
The estimated difference in risk reduction between the two sets of criteria is
very small. The FDA calculates that the new FDA criteria cut the risk of
"mad-cow disease" by 91 percent. The Red Cross approach would
improve the risks
by 92 percent.
The actual risk is small, according to officials. In three countries that have
suffered human cases, less than a hundred people have been infected out of 122
million.
Mad-cow disease is a popular term for a disease called Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy in cows and variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease in humans. It is
a fatal, brain-wasting illness caused by run-amok proteins called prions.
The rare human cases apparently have all come from eating infected meat.
None of the European victims caught the disease from blood transfusions, says
Army Col. Mike Fitzpatrick, ASBPO director. He said there is no evidence that
humans can get the disease that way.
However, animal testing suggests that there is a theoretical possibility of
transmission via blood. Therefore, in view of the disease's devastating
effects and the lack of any way to test blood for renegade prions, DoD and
other health officials have opted to exercise extreme caution.
The only debate has been over how far to go in taking precautions - how to
balance the remote risk of spreading mad-cow disease to a handful of
unfortunate people against the much larger risk of a blood shortfall that
could
jeopardize thousands of lives.
DoD veterinary officials say the risk of mad-cow disease for DoD personnel is
even lower than the tiny risk that Europeans face. That's because the
Americans in Europe get most of their meat from American sources through
military supply channels.
(Editor's note: Harry Noyes is the assistant editor at the Fort Sam Houston,
Texas, Mercury.)
Link to original news item:
===================
Posted: 23 Jul 01
TRICARE Plus Enrollment Will Provide Access to Military Primary Care {01}
TRICARE Plus Enrollment Will Provide Access to Military Primary Care
July 23, 2001
No. 01-20
A new TRICARE enrollment option called TRICARE Plus will allow some Military
Health System beneficiaries to enroll with a military primary care provider.
Enrollees will be provided access to primary care on the same basis as
beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Prime.
The program is being finalized. Local timing and availability will vary, and
opportunities may not exist at all military treatment facility locations.
TRICARE Plus is open to persons eligible for care in military facilities and
not enrolled in TRICARE Prime, or a commercial health maintenance organization
(HMO). There is no annual enrollment fee.
Persons enrolled in TRICARE Plus will be identified in Defense Enrollment
Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), and will use the military treatment
facility as their source of primary care.
The new program differs from TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Senior Prime in several
ways:
TRICARE Plus is not a comprehensive health plan. TRICARE Plus is a primary
care enrollment program ONLY, and has no effect on the enrollees' use or
payment of civilian health care benefits. Thus, TRICARE Standard or TRICARE
Extra or Medicare may pay for civilian health care services obtained by a
TRICARE Plus enrollee.
TRICARE Plus does not lock beneficiaries in to "managed care." They
may seek care from a civilian provider, but are discouraged from obtaining
non-emergency primary care from sources outside the military treatment
facility where they
are enrolled. In addition to providing access to primary care, this plan
enables their physician to coordinate health care more effectively.
TRICARE Plus does not guarantee enrollees access to specialty providers at the
military treatment facility where they are enrolled.
TRICARE Plus is not portable. TRICARE Plus beneficiaries cannot use their
enrollment at another facility.
The availability of TRICARE Plus in a location, and the number of enrollees,
will be based on the local military treatment facility commander's
determination of enrollment capacity. Should the number of applicants exceed
the capacity for TRICARE Plus enrollment, enrollees will be selected by a fair
process. Beneficiaries with existing primary care relationships at
participating military treatment facilities, including those enrolled in the
TRICARE Senior Prime demonstration, will have the first opportunity to enroll
as long as a facility has the resources to provide the necessary primary care.
Military treatment facilities will review continued enrollment in TRICARE Plus
annually. If capacity is no longer available at the military treatment
facility, beneficiaries may be disenrolled. This will not affect their TRICARE
or Medicare benefits.
For more information about TRICARE Plus, call 1-888-DOD-LIFE (1-888-363-5433),
===================
Posted: 17 Jul 01
TRICARE Holds First Beneficiary Awareness Forum on Fraud, Patients' Rights and
Coverage (01)
TRICARE Holds First Beneficiary Awareness Forum on Fraud, Patients' Rights and
Coverage
July 16, 2001
No. 01-19
The TRICARE Management Activity (TMA) Program Integrity office, the central
coordinating agency for investigating alleged cases of fraud and abuse against
the Military Health System TRICARE program, its beneficiaries, and U.S.
taxpayers, is hosting its first Beneficiary Awareness Forum. The objective of
the forum is to ensure that beneficiaries understand their rights and
coverage, and can identify if they have been victims of fraud and abuse. The
forum will
be held this August in San Diego, Calif.
Representatives from TMA's Beneficiary and Provider Services, Military Liaison
directorate, and Program Integrity office, as well as personnel from United
Concordia and Delta Dental will be on hand to discuss ways in which
beneficiaries can resolve problems and report suspected fraud against the
TRICARE program. In addition to beneficiaries, local health benefits advisers,
provider representatives, and TRICARE service center representatives also may
attend.
Topics on the agenda include health care fraud, in general, and its potential
effect on TRICARE For Life beneficiaries, in particular. Presenters also will
unveil the new TRICARE fraud and abuse Web site and other services available
to
assist beneficiaries in identifying suspected fraud against the TRICARE
program. After the formal presentation, beneficiaries will have an opportunity
to discuss in both group and one-on-one discussions any fraudulent practices
to
which they may have been subjected. Although the focus of the forum is fraud
and abuse, TRICARE beneficiaries are welcome to bring their claims and
explanation of benefit (EOB) forms, and receive personal assistance on any
TRICARE-related issue.
All beneficiaries, particularly those in the San Diego area, are invited to
attend one of these sessions. The Beneficiary Awareness Forum will be held at
the Marine Corps Recruit Division (MCRD) Auditorium on the following dates:
Aug. 28, 2001, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Aug. 30, 2001, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Aug. 30, 2001, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Beneficiaries who wish to report health-care fraud may call 800-424-9098 or
send e-mail to
hotline@dodig.osd.mil
=================
Posted: 16 Jul 01
Customer Service is One of Our Best Stories (01)
By Thomas F. Carrato
Executive Director
TRICARE Management Activity
July 10, 2001
Great customer service happens right on the front lines of the Military Health
System (MHS), and, judging from this month's "Salute to the Heroes of
TRICARE," I think it's one of the best untold stories of TRICARE.
Our unique challenge is to keep everyone happy, from the halls of Congress to
the patient examination room. Toward that end, we've worked very hard to
eliminate confusion about TRICARE, to educate our providers and beneficiaries,
and to simplify our processes. The real test of our success is in public
perception of TRICARE, which to a great extent, is measured in patient
satisfaction levels, and by the tone of TRICARE headlines in the public press.
Often, exceptional customer service occurs during one-on-one contact - between
a beneficiary counseling and assistance coordinator (BCAC) and an active duty
member, between a provider and a patient, or between a TRICARE managed care
support contractor telephone operator and a military treatment facility (MTF)
appointment clerk. Good customer service also results from collaborations
between TRICARE's various entities. Each time
it results in someone having a positive experience with military health care,
it's a victory for TRICARE.
We work hard at customer service, providing training and resources at all
levels. Our customer and beneficiary services offices, the individual
services, lead agents, and managed care support contractors all have created
effective customer service training modules for beneficiaries and providers.
We implemented the beneficiary counseling and assistance
coordinator and debt collection assistance officer (DCAO) programs to
complement other customer service initiatives in place at military treatment
facilities, lead agent's offices and TRICARE service centers, and to deal with
specific issues that were affecting beneficiary satisfaction.
One of our most recent customer service victories is the implementation of
toll-free telephone numbers to assist our beneficiaries with all types of
questions. Deployed just before the launch April 1 of TRICARE Senior Pharmacy
program, the 1-877-DoD-MEDS number contributed significantly to its successful
beginning. Customer service representatives had 300,000 incoming calls and
made 100,000 outgoing calls to assist beneficiaries with questions during the
first 90 days of the program.
Good customer service is not something to be gleaned from textbooks;
ultimately, it boils down to TRICARE attitude. Some individuals are blessed
with a positive, can-do approach to problem-solving, and truly care about the
people they encounter every day in our clinics, hospitals, and offices. They
love what they are doing, and as Humana Military Health Services has so aptly
coined the phrase, they put the "I CARE" in TRICARE. They are the
ones that foster the wonderful anecdotal accounts from our beneficiaries about
how well TRICARE works for them.
Personal experiences are an important gauge of customer service, but they can
vary greatly, depending on many dynamics. To get a truer, more objective
picture of our system-wide efforts, we collect information about customer
service and other important factors from TRICARE users with a variety of
surveys. These include our comprehensive Healthcare Survey of Department of
Defense Beneficiaries which monitors the health and health care needs of the
Military Health System populations, as well as their satisfaction with health
care services in or outside the Military Health System. Our Customer
Satisfaction Survey evaluates beneficiary satisfaction with outpatient
experiences at military clinics; the Purchased Care Survey examines
beneficiary satisfaction with outpatient experiences at civilian provider's
offices, and the MHS Survey of Inpatient Care looks at inpatient satisfaction.
The MHS Survey of Inpatient Care, conducted at 22 MHS hospitals, produced
valuable insight on the experience of patients at those hospitals. Done under
the aegis of a nationally recognized health care research organization with
substantial experience in measurement of patient perceptions of care, it
provides external validation of our outstanding
success in the area of customer service.
Compared with civilian hospitals using this same survey, MHS inpatients
reported high satisfaction with customer service related to their
post-hospital discharge needs. In response to the survey's questions about
"Continuity and Transition," which included explanations about
medications and dangers to avoid at home after hospitalization, MHS
beneficiaries reported nearly 30 percent fewer problems, when compared with
civilian hospital averages. We think these findings reflect a pattern of
concern about, and attention to, the needs of beneficiaries using the Military
Health System.
Ninety-two percent of respondents to the Customer Satisfaction Survey
conducted between October and December 2000 said they were satisfied with
"interpersonal relations" during their outpatient visits to their
military health care facilities. This score was derived from questions about
the friendliness and courtesy of clinic staff, attention given to the
beneficiary, and the personal interest shown for them and their medical
problems.
The Purchased Care Survey, conducted between November 2000 and January 2001,
asked questions similar to those in the Customer Satisfaction Survey. The
survey findings are strikingly close to those reported by outpatients seen at
military treatment facility clinics: over 90 percent of respondents were
satisfied with "interpersonal relations" they
experienced during their outpatient visits to their non-military health care
facilities.
The Healthcare Survey of Department of Defense Beneficiaries examines courtesy
and customer service over a 12-month period, among many other health care
needs and issues. Results from the first calendar quarter of 2001, indicated
that nearly nine beneficiaries out of 10 had no problems related to the
courtesy and helpfulness of military treatment facility office staffs in the
previous 12 months they used TRICARE Prime. However, this survey indicated
that we need to continue our efforts to assist beneficiaries with their
understanding of informational materials, ability
to get help when needed from a TRICARE customer service representative, and
problems with TRICARE paperwork.
The TMA and MHS surveys provide a rich source of information for customer
service staffs at military treatment facilities and clinics to use in
developing their customer service programs. For example, National Naval
Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., uses them, along with letters from
beneficiaries, to select customer service heroes who are featured on a
"Hall of Customer Service Heroes" in their centrally located
Customer Service Center.
But the best indicator of good customer service is the one measured by
individuals in their personal encounters with every person in the Military
Health System. All in all, I believe it ranks very high.
Posted: 16 Jul 01
Mustard Agent Exposure Remains "Indeterminate" (01)
NEWS RELEASE from the United States Department of Defense
No. 309-01
(703)695-0192(media)
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 12, 2001
(703)697-5737(public/industry)
MUSTARD AGENT EXPOSURE REMAINS "INDETERMINATE"
The Department of Defense released today the final version of its case
narrative, "Reported Mustard Exposure Operation Desert Storm."
This final report concludes the investigation into the possibility that a
soldier was exposed to mustard agent during the Gulf War. Investigators
from the Office of the Special Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, Medical
Readiness and Military deployments assessed this incident as
"indeterminate."
This final report concurs with the interim narrative published in October last
year. Since then, no new evidence and no new leads were developed that
contradict the assessment as stated in the second interim report.
However, minor editorial changes were made prior to publishing this final
report.
The investigation examines the March 2, 1991, diagnosis of then-Pfc. David A. Fisher
as having been exposed to liquid mustard chemical warfare agent. Among
the strongest evidence supporting the conclusion that he was exposed to a
chemical warfare agent were statements from well-trained medical personnel who
diagnosed and treated the injury as an exposure to mustard agent.
However, the only surviving evidence that supports a mustard exposure was a
videotape of a MM-1 operator's screen during an examination of a flak jacket.
While the videotape was evaluated in 1993 by an expert as a valid detection,
further examination in 2000 revealed the sample was missing critical ions
necessary for mustard presence.
In 1991, a physician and leading expert in the field of chemical warfare agent
injuries concurred with the diagnosis of chemical warfare agent injury.
However, in 1995 and 1999 interviews, this doctor also stated that other
causes
could explain Fisher's injury. Because another cause could not be found,
the nature of the injury remains open. A urinalysis also failed to
detect thiodiglycol, a mustard breakdown product. This result was
inconsistent with the diagnosis, but not unexpected considering the low-level
of exposure. Additionally, the location of the bunker where Fisher was
believed exposed was 100 miles from Iraq's nearest chemical warfare storage
facility according to
the CIA and the United Nations Special Committee on Iraq. The CIA and
UNSCOM have reported no evidence that Iraq moved any chemical warfare agents
south of Khamisiyah.
Due to the conflicting evidence, investigators are less certain and the
assessment of this event remains as indeterminate.
This narrative, and all other publications of the Office of the Special
Assistant for Gulf War Illnesses, Medical Readiness and Military Deployments,
is posted on GulfLINK at
http://www.gulflink.osd.mil/fisher_final
Posted: 16 Jul 01
Dietary Supplements: Ask Your Doctor To Be Sure (01)
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 11, 2001 - People thinking about taking dietary supplements to
pep up, bulk up or slim down ought to ask their doctor or other health provider
first.
Dietary supplements can affect different people differently and may also
interact adversely with prescription drugs,
said Army Col. Mike Heath, the pharmacy consultant with the Office of the Army
Surgeon General.
"It is in your best interest to talk to your health care provider before
you take a dietary supplement," Heath said,
"particularly if you know that you have a family history of heart disease,
high blood pressure, diabetes, [or] asthma."
Dietary supplements, which include so-called energy boosters, over-the-counter
diet pills and bodybuilding
drinks or mixes, can also pose risks for people not taking prescription drugs.
"Anytime you put a chemical in your body, your body metabolizes or digests
it, and there can be potential side
effects," he noted, to include allergic reactions.
Heath said energy-enhancing dietary supplements provide a caffeine-like boost,
similar to how strong coffee affects
the central nervous system.
"It is a stimulant - it gives you a 'buzz' and affects the heart and
cardio-vascular system in terms of raising your
blood pressure and increasing the heart rate," he explained.
Heath recommends that military members not take dietary supplements, such as
products containing the chemical
compound ephedra, before engaging in strenuous physical activity.
"I'd caution them not to take these performance enhancing drugs or energy
boosters and then go out and perform the PT test, particularly in hot
weather," he said. "If you had some underlying problems, you could be
setting yourself up
for potentially serious side affects."
People should also be aware that, with the exception of vitamins, the Food and
Drug Administration doesn't regulate
dietary supplements the same way as it does prescription and other
over-the-counter products, Heath said.
Under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994, the dietary
supplement manufacturer is responsible
for ensuring that a dietary supplement is safe before it is marketed, according
to the FDA website at http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov
The FDA is responsible for taking action against any unsafe dietary supplement
product after it reaches the market,
according to the website. Generally, manufacturers do not need to register with
FDA nor get FDA approval before
producing or selling dietary supplements.
"There is no [FDA] standardization of quality control in terms of what is
in" dietary supplements, Heath noted,
adding that the potency of doses and other inert additives can vary from batch
to batch.
The bottom line, Heath said, is that dietary supplements are "chemicals you
are putting into your body."
"How do you know, unless you ask someone qualified, whether or not these
products can interfere with other drugs, to
include any other over-the-counter products that you are taking?" he
concluded.
Posted: 16 Jul 01
Change and Toll-Free Numbers (01)
1. CORRECTION: The correct dates for the Fourth Annual Force
Health Protection Conference (mentioned in an earlier message) are 26-30
August 2001 at the Albuquerque Convention Center. For additional
conference information, schedules, registration, etc., visit
http://chppm-www.apgea.army.mil/fhp/
. Points of contact are LTC Wayne Smetana,
wayne.smetna@apg.amedd.army.mil,
(DSN)584-2641 or (COM)410-436-2641, and Ms. Jane Gervasoni, jane.gervasoni@apg.amedd.army.mil,
(DSN)584-5091 or (COM)410-436-5091.
2. CHANGE: New dates for the November 2001 TRICARE Basic Student
Course (TBASCO) are 14-16 November 2001. POC is Mr Theodore Moore at
theodore.moore@tma.osd.mil
3. TOLL-FREE NUMBERS: Please remember, there are several new
toll-free telephone numbers you can call for TRICARE assistance, information,
guidance, etc. The numbers are:
o General TRICARE information/assistance: 1-877-363-2273
o TRICARE Pharmacy: 1-877-363-6337
o TRICARE For Life: 1-888-363-5433
Posted: 29 Jun 01
TRICARE University is Open to The Public
June 28, 2001
No. 01-18
TRICARE University, an on-line version of the TRICARE Basic Student Course is
now available to anyone who wants to improve their understanding of the
TRICARE benefit. This includes individuals whose job it is to provide advice
on the military health care program for those seeking in-depth knowledge of
the benefit. TRICARE University introduces its students to the health care
benefits available for uniformed services beneficiaries and family members. In
addition, this course provides customer service guidance and an overview of
TRICARE administration.
TRICARE University consists of 13 lessons, practice questions and non-graded
examinations that are accessible at the end of each lesson. The questions
reinforce lesson content and promote learning with immediate feedback and, if
necessary, guided review.
A "Course Objectives" button takes students through information
related to objectives, prerequisites, and requirements. Those new to the
TRICARE University's web-based learning environment can use the
"Navigation Tutorial" section to learn how to navigate through the
various features and functions available in the course.
At the end of this course, the student will be able to recall the basic
benefits of TRICARE options, pharmacy and dental programs, to match available
health benefit options with beneficiary eligibility status and category,
calculate costs, and file claim forms. They will also be able to find a list
of resources available on the Internet and from TRICARE Management Activity if
they need further information.
------------------
Posted: 30 Jun 01
Personalized TRICARE for Life Information Available (01)
The Retired Officer Association (TROA) has started a new free service called
the TFL Personal Profile, which provides specific TRICARE for Life (TFL)
information tailored to the personal situation of a specific TFL beneficiary.
The TROA and the Air Force Retiree News Service reports that the new service
is available to all TFL beneficiaries whether or not they are TROA members. By
completing a simple nine-item questionnaire, you can view a personal summary
describing how TFL will work for you. You can print your TFL Personal Profile
for handy reference and also have your spouse or friends complete the survey
to see how TFL will apply to their circumstances. The questionnaire answers
are confidential, and the questionnaire does not ask for a Social Security
number or address.
More health related information for retirees is available at
--------------
SOURCE: Military Report June 28, 2001 Issue
Posted: 1 Jul 01
Fisher House Opens in Germany (01)
By Alicia Gregory
LANDSTUHL, Germany (Army News Service, June 28, 2001) -- In a landmark
partnership between Fisher House Foundation Inc., and the Army Corps of
Engineers, the first Fisher House built outside of the United States was
dedicated here June 18.
Completion of the Landstuhl Fisher House took half the time expected.
The success was due to the teamwork of Fisher House Foundation officials and
U.S. Army Engineers working on the project, according to Ray Flock, Chief U.S.
Army Engineer Group, Project Management Section.
"To pull this together, (U.S. Army Europe) had to find a site, the money
to fund that site, and get the approval to build the house itself. It pulled
together all the team members, the engineers, legal, and contracting,"
said Flock. "We faced complexities with status of forces agreements, so
we turned to the people who could get it done, the Army Corps of
Engineers," said Fisher."We could not have built this house without
them."
The houses are a refuge for what USAREUR Commanding Gen. Montgomery C.
Meigs called "families in crisis."
"One of the difficult things for the chain-of-command is reaching out to
the family when they have to deal with this sort of crisis.This facility will
make that process more capable and efficient," said Meigs.
The 28 Fisher houses already in the United States and now Europe, serve as
comfortable, temporary homes for the families of service members who are
hospitalized. The houses are built near medical facilities, so that family
members can stay near their loved ones undergoing medical care.
The charge is approximately $10 per night.
Located between the hospital and on-post housing, the Landstuhl Fisher
House is a 5,600 square-foot home with eight rooms serving up to 16 family
members.Two of the rooms on the lower floor are designed for handicapped
access. Each room includes bath, common kitchen, dining room, living room and
laundry facilities.
Prior to the Fisher House, families stayed in billeting at Landstuhl Regional
Medical Center or a hotel on the German economy.
The plaque above every Fisher House reads, "Their gift is dedicated to
our greatest national treasure...our military service men and women and their
loved ones."
The Landstuhl facility marks the second house opening since the death of noted
philanthropist Zachary Fisher who began building the houses with the support
of his wife, Elizabeth.Zachary Fisher died, June 4, 1999.
The Fisher Foundation's senior partner Anthony Fisher represented the
family at the dedication.
"The very least we can to for the men and women in the Armed Services is
to provide them with dignity and the comfort of a home, sometimes far away
from their real home," he said.
(Alicia Gregory is the web manager for the United States Corps of Engineers,
Europe District.)
Link to original news item:
Posted: 2 Jul 01
Items covered below:
-- TRICARE toll-free telephone numbers
-- Chiropractic benefit for active duty
-- Separate beneficiary card not required for TRICARE For Life
-- DEERS update info
1. TRICARE has new toll-free telephone numbers. The numbers below
are staffed by experts who can help beneficiaries find out about TRICARE,
TRICARE For Life, the TRICARE Senior Pharmacy Program and TRICARE Prime Remote
for active duty and their family members. Everything you want to know about
TRICARE. The new
telephone numbers greatly expand TRICARE's communications efforts.
o TRICARE General Info and Senior Pharmacy Program
1-877-DoD-MEDS (1-877-363-6337)
o TRICARE For Life program 1-888-DoD-LIFE (1-888-363-5433)
o TRICARE Prime Remote for active duty and their family
members program 1-888-DoD-CARE (1-888-363-2273)
o Hearing or speech-impaired beneficiaries may call TTY/TDD
1-877-535-6778
Hours of operation (all times Eastern) are:
Mon - Fri 0800-2300
Sat
0900-2000
Sun
1000-1730
Holidays Closed
2. DoD is Working on a Chiropractic Benefit. Under the 1995
National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress directed the Department of
Defense (DoD) to conduct a Chiropractic Health Care Demonstration Program (CHCDP)
at selected military treatment facilities (MTFs). DoD completed that
demonstration in September 1999 and submitted a report with recommendations to
Congress on March 3, 2000. Using civilian practitioners, chiropractic services
are still offered at select facilities including: Ft. Benning, Ga.; Ft.
Carson, Colo.; Ft. Jackson, S.C.; Ft. Sill, Okla.; Walter Reed Army Medical
Center, Washington D.C.; Jacksonville Naval Base, Fla.; Camp LeJeune, N.C.;
Camp Pendleton, Calif.; National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md.; Scott
Air Force Base (AFB), Ill.; Travis AFB, Calif.; Offutt AFB, Neb.; and Wilford
Hall Medical Center, Texas. Effective October 1, 2001, chiropractic services
provided within DoD will only be available to active duty personnel at the 13
sites listed above.
As for the future of chiropractic health care, Section 702 of the 2001 NDAA
directed DoD to implement a chiropractic care program for active duty service
members at designated MTFs. An implementation plan will be submitted to
Congress in the summer of 2001.
3. A separate beneficiary card is not required to receive health
benefits under TRICARE For Life. Your Uniformed Services Identification (I.D.)
card and your Medicare card are all you need for Medicare to pay first and
TRICARE to
pay second on your claims starting Oct. 1, 2001. In summer 2001, potentially
eligible beneficiaries will receive a TRICARE For Life package that will
include an information card, letter, benefit comparison chart, brochure, a
survey form and return envelope for notifying TRICARE if you intend to cancel
other health insurance. The information card is not needed to access care. The
card is a handy (wallet-size) TRICARE For Life reference for you and your
doctor.
4. All TRICARE beneficiaries should have up-to-date information in the
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Eligible
beneficiaries must have the most accurate family and beneficiary data in DEERS.
Eligible
beneficiaries may update their addresses in DEERS by:
o Visiting local personnel offices that have an ID card
facility.
o Calling the Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office
(DSO) Telephone Center at 1-800-538-9552. The best time to call the Telephone
Center is Wednesday - Friday, between 9 - 3 (Pacific Time) to avoid delays.
o Faxing address changes to 1-831-655-8317
o Mailing the change information to the DSO, Attn: COA, 400
Gigling Road, Seaside, CA 93955-6771
o Visiting a military treatment facility
Sponsor's Name and Social Security Number
Name(s) of other family members affected
by the address change
Effective date of address information
Telephone number (to include area code),
if available
To change information other than address data, however, beneficiaries may only
visit an ID card facility, mail or fax changes with appropriate documentation
to the address/numbers provided above. To learn what documentation is
required, call an ID card facility or the DSO toll-free number,
1-800-538-9552. The hours of operation for DSO are Monday-Friday (excluding
Federal Holidays), 0600-1530 (Pacific Time).
-----------
SOURCE: Compiled from information available on the TRICARE web page at
http://www.tricare.osd.mil
and RAPIDS Site Locator web site at
http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/
Posted: 3 Jul 01
VA Toll-Free Spina Bifida Hot Line and CHAMPVA Number Change (01)
VA Sets Up Toll-Free Spina Bifida Hot Line
WASHINGTON, DC -- Vietnam veterans now have a new national toll-free hot
line to answer their questions about health care benefits for their children
who have spina bifida.
The number for the hot line, operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA), is 1-888-820-1756. Callers can speak to a benefits adviser Monday
through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.,
Eastern time.
"This new helpline is part of a continuing effort by VA to reach out to
veterans and their families," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Anthony J. Principi, himself a Vietnam veteran.
An after-hours phone message will allow callers to leave their names and
telephone numbers for a return call the next business day. The hot line is
managed by VA's Health Administration Center in Denver.
Eligibility for VA's spina bifida benefits is limited to Vietnam veterans'
children who have been diagnosed with spina bifida (except spina bifida
occulta). The veteran-parent must have served in Vietnam during the Vietnam
War. The Spina Bifida Healthcare Program covers most health services and
supplies that are medically or psychologically necessary for the treatment
of spina bifida and related medical conditions.
---------------------------------
Hours Change for CHAMPVA Toll-Free Number
WASHINGTON -- The telephone hours for CHAMPVA -- “Civilian Health and
Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs” -- have changed.
Callers can now speak to a benefits counselor from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., and
from 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m., Eastern time. The phone number is
unchanged -- 1- 800-733-8387.
CHAMPVA is a health benefits program in which VA shares with eligible
beneficiaries the cost of certain health care services and supplies.
VA’s Health Administration Center (HAC) in Denver manages CHAMPVA.
================
Main Menu
Copyright by Webmaster of this homepage ©2001-2002