= N  E  W  S      R  E  L  E  A  S  E 
= 
= OFFICE OF THE ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE 
= (PUBLIC AFFAIRS) 
= WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301 
= 
= PLEASE NOTE DATE 
==================================================== 

No. 673-00 
(703)695-0192(media) 
(703)697-3189(copies) 
IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
November 1, 2000 
(703)697-5737(public/industry) 
ELIGIBLE UNIFORMED SERVICES RETIREES, SPOUSES, SURVIVORS TO GET 
EXPANDED HEALTH CARE BENEFITS 
Medicare-eligible uniformed services retirees, their spouses and survivors
who are age 65 and over will be entitled to expanded health care benefits
under legislation signed by President Clinton on Oct. 30. 

According to Pentagon data, this population represents approximately 1.4
million people. The new benefits include coverage under TRICARE, the
military's health care program, and pharmacy coverage. 

April 1, 2001, is the start date for eligible beneficiaries to receive
pharmacy benefit to include access to military treatment facility
pharmacies, the National Mail Order Pharmacy program and retail pharmacies.
Beneficiaries who currently are age 65 or older or who will be 65 before
April 1, 2001, will be eligible to use the pharmacy benefit without being
enrolled in Medicare Part B. Those who turn 65 on or after April 1, 2001,
will need to be enrolled in Medicare Part B in order to use the pharmacy
benefit. 

Effective October 1, 2001, under the new law, eligible beneficiaries who
continue to receive medical care from their current Medicare providers will
have TRICARE as their second payer. TRICARE will pay their out-of-pocket
costs for services covered under Medicare.  In addition, they will have
access to TRICARE benefits which may not be covered under Medicare. To
participate in the health program, beneficiaries must be eligible for
Medicare Part A and enrolled in Medicare Part B. 

"We are pleased to have the legislative authority to provide our
Medicare-eligible beneficiaries health care benefits similar to those other
military beneficiaries receive.  We have begun to work out the many details
for each new authority and will continue to update our web site as we
progress at 
http://www.tricare.osd.mil//ndaa/fast_facts.htm . This new authority
gives us the ability to keep the faith with America's military," said Acting
Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs J. Jarrett Clinton. 

According to TRICARE Management Activity officials, who will administer the
new benefit, eligible seniors should NOT immediately cancel their current
"Medigap" insurance coverage. The Department of Defense is working with the
Health Care Financing Administration (the organization that administers the
Medicare benefit) to provide the most accurate information on the
appropriateness of continued enrollment in "Medigap" insurance policies. 

According to TRICARE Management Activity officials, eligible
beneficiaries should do two things now to ensure their future eligibility
for TRICARE benefits. 

First, they should update their Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting
System (DEERS) record with their correct address and any changes in family
status such as marriage, divorce, birth or adoption.  Home addresses are
important because the address on file with DEERS is used to send out
information on health benefits.  In addition, health benefits could be
denied if DEERS is not updated to reflect a new spouse or child.  Retirees
may update DEERS by: 
-Going to the nearest military personnel office; 
-  E-mailing changes to [email protected] 
-  Mailing changes to the DEERS Support Office, ATTN: COA, 400 Gigling Road,
Seaside, CA 93955-6771; 
-  Calling the toll-free numbers for the DEERS Support Office,
1-800-334-4162 (California only), 1-800-527-5602 (Alaska and Hawaii), and
1-800-538-9552 for the rest of the United States. 

Second, eligible beneficiaries should enroll in Medicare Part B if they
haven't already.  If they are not sure if they are enrolled, they can check
the back of their Social Security card for this information.  To enroll,
beneficiaries must submit an application for Medicare Part B directly to the
Social Security Administration. The General Enrollment Period for enrollment
in Medicare Part B is held January 1 through March 31 of each year, and Part
B coverage starts on July 1 of that year.  For details on enrollment in Part
B, beneficiaries may call the SSA toll-free number, 800-772-1213, or visit
any Social Security office.  They also can find information on the Medicare
Web site,  http://medicare.gov