Some hit snags in Tricare Reserve changes

[unhappycamper]

Some hit snags in Tricare Reserve changes
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday Oct 31, 2007 11:18:28 EDT

The Oct. 1 restructuring of the Tricare Reserve Select health insurance program did not go as smoothly as planned, with some reservists not being notified until Oct. 25 that their health care coverage had been canceled.

A Tricare spokesman said steps have been taken to provide retroactive coverage for those left in limbo. However, some people — those who enrolled in the expensive Continued Health Care Benefit Program that provides temporary coverage — may have lost coverage Oct. 1 without knowing it and are not eligible for retroactive coverage.

Tricare officials announced in September that anyone enrolled in the Tricare Reserve Select health plan — about 9,000 people — needed to re-enroll during a restructuring of the program that would change eligibility rules.

Two separate letters were sent to the homes of every person enrolled in Tricare Reserve Select and follow-up phone calls also were made so that everyone was aware of the Oct. 1 change, said Tricare spokesman Austin Camacho.

Officials were pleased with the outcome, Camacho said; 99 percent of the people who were enrolled before Oct. 1 had re-enrolled by Oct. 17.

However, some reservists did not get the word because they were enrolled in a separate military health care plan, the Continued Health Care Benefit Program, an optional program available to National Guard and Reserve members who signed up for temporary coverage — three months at a time — after their free post-mobilization coverage ended.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/10/military_tricarereserve_lapse_071031w/