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L E G I S L AT I V E N E W S
T H AT A F F E C T S Y O U
DoD: No TFL Fee
A January report by a DoD committee recommends no changes
to TRICARE For Life but supports hikes in retail pharmacy
copayments and fees for retirees under age 65.
T
he December 2007 base rate). TRICARE Standard deduct-
COLA WATCH
report of the Task Force ibles would be increased by an amount
a73The January CPI posted
on the Future of Military suffi cient to provide the same relative
an increase for the first
Health Care urged large fee level of benefi ciary cost-sharing.
time this fiscal year, mak-
hikes for military retirees
ing a small dent in the
Tiered fees/means-testing: The com-
5-percent October to
under age 65 and an enrollment fee for mittee recommended setting different
December deflation hole.
TRICARE For Life (TFL), among many tiers of fees based on retirees’ family ad- Cumulative inflation for FY
other proposals. justed gross income.
2009 now stands at -4.5
For the past year, those Pharmacy copayments:
percent — the lowest figure
recommendations have
MOAA is
It proposed eliminating co-
in 40 years for the first four
months of a fiscal year. If
been under review by a
pleased
payments for generic and
inflation is negative for the
special committee appoint-
with the
brand-name formulary medi- year, there won’t be any
ed by the secretary of de- cations purchased through
2010 COLA; the law doesn’t
fense. Now that committee proposals the mail-order pharmacy
allow a negative COLA.
has issued its proposals on
to eliminate
system. For retail pharmacy
the recommendations.
mail-order
purchases, copayments
The good news is the
panel didn’t propose fee
copayments
would be $4 for generics
hikes as severe as those
for most
(versus the current $3), $20
for brand names (versus $9),
urged by the task force and
medica-
and $30 for non-formulary
didn’t support a TFL enroll-
tions.
medications (versus $22).
ment fee. The bad news is it MOAA is pleased with its
still recommended signifi - proposal to eliminate mail-
cant fee hikes for retirees order copayments for most
under age 65. Here are some medications, which offers signifi cant
selected specifi cs: savings for servicemembers.
Fees for retirees under age 65: The But most of the other recommenda-
DoD committee agreed with the task tions still violate what MOAA thinks
force that TRICARE fees should be in- should be fair principles for military
creased and periodically adjusted to re- health care fees. MOAA doesn’t accept
fl ect some percentage of military health that military retirees’ TRICARE ben-
costs but declined to propose specifi c fee efi ts should be subject to means-testing,
levels. They recommended tying TRI- which would be at odds with virtually
CARE Prime enrollment fees to some all other employer health programs.
percentage of the Medicare Part B pre- MOAA also rejects having military ben-
mium ($96.40 a month this year for the efi ciaries pay any set share of DoD costs
A P R I L 2 0 0 9 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R 2 9
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