Is the military healthcare system in trouble? That’s the conclusion some have made after reading a Pentagon Inspector General report issued on November 29, 2023. Among the major issues listed in that report? Access to medical care for military families stationed overseas. Military Times notes, “Service members consistently ranked medical care as a top cause… Read more »
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff warns that PCS moves and military construction projects may be threatened if lawmakers in the House and Senate can’t agree to a full-year defense budget. The DoD would be nearly $6 billion short if a full-year Pentagon spending bill cannot be agreed to. A Brief History of… Read more »
Those receiving prescription drugs through the TRICARE Pharmacy program will see increased copays in 2024. The increases are, according to a press release at TRICARE.mil, mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act passed in 2018. TRICARE Pharmacy copay increases in 2024 range between $1 and $8, as we’ll explore below. Who is Affected by TRICARE… Read more »
The Department of Veterans Affairs has pledged to end veteran homelessness in the United States. And since that pledge was formally made the VA has met its housing goals to find permanent homes for nearly 40 thousand vets for two years running. When it passed that milestone for a second time in 2023, it did… Read more »
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced a six-month pause in foreclosures to help military members avoid losing their homes in the wake of financial hardships brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. The VA has contacted its participating lenders, asking them to delay taking foreclosure action on VA home loans as a crucial VA… Read more »
The 2023 Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA) Open Season is now closed. It ran until December 11, 2023, and after that date, the enrollment period was closed until the same time in the following year. What Is DCFSA Open Season? This is the period of time when you may set up a DCFSA to… Read more »
In June 2023, the House Armed Services Committee issued a press release announcing the committee’s then-brand-new military Quality of Life Panel, designed to address “issues that impact U.S. service members and their families, including compensation, child care, housing, support programs for spouses of service members, and health care.” The panel began its work in 2023… Read more »
The Department of Veterans Affairs has added Parkinson’s Disease to a list of conditions covered under the Camp Lejeune Family Member Program. This means that military spouses and dependents who lived at the Marine Corps base exposed to contaminated drinking water there from August 1, 1953 to December 31, 1987, may qualify for VA reimbursement… Read more »
How much should you expect in TRICARE fee increases in 2024? TRICARE open season for 2024 runs between November 13 and December 12 2023. During open season, servicemembers and their families can start, modify, or cancel health insurance without needing a qualifying life event. But even if you don’t need to add or change your… Read more »
In November 2023, Military.com noted there are less than 120 thousand World War Two-era veterans alive today. In the same month, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced that those 120 million vets may now qualify for free healthcare from the VA thanks to the 2022 Cleland-Dole Act, which requires the federal government to provide no-cost… Read more »