R 191300Z JAN 05
FM CMC WASHINGTON DC(UC)
TO AL MARADMIN(UC)
UNCLASSIFIED//
MARADMIN 024/05
MSGID/GENADMIN/CMC WASHINGTON DC/MR//
SUBJ/PERMANENT HEALTH CARE BENEFITS FOR RESERVISTS//
REF/A/DOC/PUB.L.NO.108-136/YMD:20031124//
REF/B/DOC/DOD/YMD:20040107//
REF/C/DOC CMC(RAP)/MARADMIN/202201ZMAY2004//
REF/D/DOC CMC(MPO)/MARDMIN/252108ZJUN2004//
REF/E/DOC/PUBLIC LAW NO 108-375/YMD:20041008//
NARR/REF A IS THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR
2004. REF B IS USD P&R MEMO "HEALTHCARE BENEFITS FOR RESERVE
COMPONENT MEMBERS AND THEIR DEPENDENTS." REF C IS MARADMIN ON
EXPANDED HEALTHCARE BENEFITS FOR RESERVISTS. REF D IS MARADMIN ON
CLARIFICATION REGARDING TRANSITIONAL HEALTHCARE BENEFITS FOR
SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES. REF E IS THE NATIONAL DEFENSE
AUTHORIZATION ACT (NDAA) FOR FISCAL YEAR 2005.//
POC/M. M. HOESING/CAPT/CMC (MRH)/LOC:DSN 278-9522--
/EMAIL:MICHELLE.HOESING@USMC.MIL/-//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. PURPOSE. TO PROMULGATE UPDATED GUIDANCE, BASED
ON THE NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT (NDAA) FOR FISCAL YEAR
2005 AND REFS A, B, C AND D, REGARDING EXPANDED PERMANENT HEALTHCARE
BENEFITS FOR MEMBERS OF THE READY RESERVE AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
COORDINATING INSTRUCTIONS TO CLARIFY ADDITIONAL ENTITLEMENTS
AUTHORIZED BY NDAA FY05 WILL BE PROVIDED VIA SEPARATE MARADMIN BY
CMC (RAP).
2. BACKGROUND. A. THE NDAA FY05 IMPROVES SIGNIFICANTLY THE
OVERALL HEALTH BENEFITS AVAILABLE TO RESERVISTS AND THEIR FAMILIES
AND MAKES PERMANENT SEVERAL OF THE TRICARE BENEFITS PREVIOUSLY
AUTHORIZED TEMPORARILY UNDER THE REFS.
B. THIS HEALTHCARE COVERAGE APPLIES TO THE FOLLOWING CATEGORIES OF
THE READY RESERVE: MEMBERS OF SELECTED MARINE CORPS RESERVE (SMCR)
UNITS, INDIVIDUAL MOBILIZATION AUGMENTEE (IMA) DETACHMENTS, AND THE
INDIVIDUAL READY RESERVE (IRR) WHO ARE ACTIVATED IN SUPPORT OF A
CONTINGENCY OPERATION. THIS COVERAGE DOES NOT APPLY TO MEMBERS OF
THE ACTIVE RESERVE (AR) PROGRAM.
3. ANY RESERVE MEMBER WHO IS ADVISED BY THEIR UNIT THAT THEY ARE
ELIGIBLE FOR THE SUBJECT BENEFIT MUST ENSURE THAT BOTH THEIR
PERSONAL INFORMATION AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBER INFORMATION IS UPDATED
IN THE DEERS-RAPIDS SYSTEM. THIS COORDINATION MUST BE MADE VIA THE
UNIT ADMIN SECTION. ACTIVATED MARINES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING
THAT THEY AND THEIR ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS ARE ACCURATELY REFLECTED
IN DEERS.
4. DESCRIPTION OF EXPANDED HEALTHCARE COVERAGE MADE PERMANENT
UNDER NDAA FY05.
A. PER REFS A, B AND C, MEMBERS OF THE READY RESERVE AND
THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS WERE ELIGIBLE FOR EARLIER TRICARE BENEFITS
STARTING AS EARLY AS 60 DAYS PRIOR TO THE MEMBER'S ACTIVATION DATE.
PER REF E, THIS HAS BEEN CHANGED TO REFLECT UP TO 90 DAYS PRIOR TO
THEIR ACTIVATION DATE. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS REMAIN THE SAME IN
ACCORDANCE WITH REF C.
B. REF E ALSO MAKES PERMANENT THE 180-DAY TRANSITIONAL TRICARE
HEALTH BENEFIT AFTER DEACTIVATION FOR TRANSITIONAL ASSISTANCE
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (TAMP) FOR ELIGIBLE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THIS WAS A TEMPORARY BENEFIT UNDER REFS A, B, C, AND D.
5. TRICARE DENTAL PROGRAM (TDP) FOR ELIGIBLE ACTIVE DUTY FAMILY
MEMBERS. ACTIVE DUTY MEMBERS MUST INITIATE ENROLLMENT OF THEIR
FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE UNITED CONCORDIA DENTAL PLAN VIA THE UNITED
CONCORDIA WEBSITE AT WWW.UCCI.COM OR BY CALLING 1-800-866-8499.
A. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
(1) SELECTED RESERVE AND IRR MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES SPONSORS
MUST HAVE AT LEAST 12 MONTHS REMAINING OF THEIR SERVICE COMMITMENTS
AT THE TIME THEY OR THEIR FAMILIES ENROLL.
(2) RESERVISTS WHO ARE ORDERED TO ACTIVE DUTY FOR MORE THAN 30
CONSECUTIVE DAYS HAVE THE SAME BENEFITS AS ACTIVE DUTY SERVICE
MEMBERS.
(3) RESERVISTS WHO ARE ON ACTIVE DUTY FOR SPECIAL WORK OR TRAINING.
B. UNIT COMMANDERS WILL ENSURE THAT IF ACTIVATED RESERVISTS CHOOSE
NOT TO ENROLL IN THE TDP PROGRAM, A PAGE 11 ENTRY IS PLACED IN THE
MEMBER'S SERVICE RECORD TO STATE "THIS MEMBER DOES NOT ELECT TO
ENROLL ELIGIBLE FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE TRICARE DENTAL PLAN PROGRAM."
6. ADDITIONAL TRICARE INFORMATION. THE FOLLOWING IS A LIST OF
SOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL TRICARE INFORMATION.
A. ACCESS THE TRICARE WEBSITE AT WWW.TRICARE.OSD.MIL OR CALL
1-888-DOD-CARE FOR TRICARE PROGRAMS.
B. TO CONTACT YOUR NEAREST REGIONAL TRICARE BENEFICIARY COUNSELING
AND ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR (BCAC), ACCESS THE LIST OF BCAC NAMES AND
TELEPHONE NUMBERS AVAILABLE AT WWW.TRICARE.OSD.MIL/BCACDIRECTORY.HTM
C. BENEFICIARIES ALSO MAY CONTACT A TRICARE CUSTOMER SERVICE
REPRESENTATIVE. A LIST OF REPRESENTATIVES IS AVAILABLE AT
WWW.TRICARE.OSD.MIL/TRICARESERVICECENTERS/DEFAULT.CFM.//