**Important-Medical Repayment Guard/Reserves

[VAK]

Here's a Press Release that's going to be time sensitive, so check into it if you were deployed or activated while in the Guard or Reserves:

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 26, 2004 -- National Guard and reserve members who paid their
medical and dental bills and saved their receipts may now seek reimbursement
from Tricare, officials of the military health care system announced July 23.

Officials said the system will begin processing medical and dental claims for
Guard and Reserve members who meet certain eligibility requirements.

Only guardsmen and reservists issued "delayed-effective-date active-duty
orders" for more than 30 days in support of a contingency operation, and their
families, may be eligible to have medical claims reimbursed.

And according to Tricare, only those medical expenses incurred during the
military member's "early eligibility" period -- up to 60 days prior to
reporting to active duty -- from Nov. 6, 2003, to the present are eligible for
reimbursement.

This temporary entitlement is part of the Defense Department's 2004 Temporary
Reserve Health Benefit Program, which sought to enhance benefits for Guard and
reserve members called to active duty.

Normally, under Tricare guidelines, Reserve and Guard members cannot be
enrolled into Tricare until they reach their final duty location. The temporary
entitlement gives them access upon receipt of activation orders, up to 60 days
in advance.

Last year, President Bush signed legislation authorizing three new temporary
provisions for guardsmen and reservists and their families that provided
enhanced access to for a limited time during contingency activation. The
provisions were made retroactive to Nov. 6, 2003.

A second provision temporarily extended eligibility for Tricare benefits to 180
days for those guardsmen and reservists who separated from active duty status
during the period Nov. 6, 2003, through Dec. 31, 2004.

The third provision extends Tricare medical benefits to reserve-component
sponsors and family members who are either unemployed or employed but not
eligible for employer-provided health coverage.

All temporary provisions will end on Dec. 31, 2004.

However, the measure did include three provisions for permanent health
benefits: making benefit counselors available for Guard and Reserve members in
each Tricare region, authorizing medical and dental screening and care for
members alerted for mobilization, and providing Tricare eligibility for reserve
officers pending orders to active duty following commissioning.

Guardsmen, reservists and their family members must be registered in the
Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System and be Tricare eligible to
qualify for the temporary benefit.

In order to apply for reimbursement, eligible members must submit a Tricare
(CHAMPUS) claim form, a copy of their itemized bill, an explanation of
benefits, and proof of payment (if the bill was already paid) to their regional
Tricare claims processor.

Claims processing instructions and a downloadable Tricare claims form, DD Form
2642, are available at local Tricare service centers or from Tricare regional
contractors, or may be downloaded from the Tricare Web site.

(Based on a Tricare Activity release.)

God Bless,
usaftacp