Tricare benefits improved significantly for reservists Published Nov. 1, 2004 WASHINGTON (AFPN) -- The National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2005 significantly improves the overall health benefits available to guardsmen, reservists and their families. It also makes permanent several of the Tricare benefits authorized “temporarily” under defense legislation, while extending secretarial authorization for others. President Bush signed the act Oct. 28.“Our reservists and guardsmen who are called to duty, and their families, deserve these great new benefits for their service to their country,” said Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs. “We welcome these new Tricare provisions as a means to improve active and reserve component force readiness, and to enhance family member access to care.”For reserve component servicemembers with delayed effective date orders to serve on active duty supporting a contingency operation for more than 30 days, the new legislation permanently authorizes Tricare eligibility for up to 90 days before the servicemember’s activation date for eligible troops and their families. It also makes permanent a 180-day transitional benefit after deactivation for servicemembers and their families eligible for the transitional assistance management program. Troops must also now receive a comprehensive physical examination before separating from active duty service, officials said.The legislation also authorizes waiver of the Tricare standard and extra deductibles of reserve component family members for troops ordered to active duty for more than 30 days, and authorizes Tricare to pay nonparticipating providers up to 115 percent of the Tricare maximum allowable charge. To ensure seamless implementation of these provisions, Tricare officials have extended the Tricare Reserve Family Demonstration Project through Oct. 31, 2005. The demonstration, which began on Sept. 14, 2001, was scheduled to end Nov. 1.Reserve component servicemembers who were called to support a contingency operation for more than 30 days after Sept. 11, 2001, and who served or will continuously serve for 90 or more days, can now purchase Tricare standard healthcare coverage for themselves and their family members after they demobilize. The servicemember must sign an agreement to continue serving for one year or more in the selected reserve after their active duty ends. For every 90 days of consecutive active-duty service, the servicemember and family member may purchase one year of Tricare standard coverage for the same period they commit to serve in the selected reserves. Servicemembers will be able to purchase the new Tricare standard coverage on a self-only or self and family basis. The Tricare standard coverage under this program will begin once the servicemember’s eligibility for 180 days of transitional Tricare coverage under TAMP ends. For servicemembers who served on active duty supporting a contingency operation for 90 days or more on or after Sept. 11, 2001, and who were released from active duty before Oct. 28, or within 180 days of that date, may commit to serve continuously in the selected reserve for one or more years and begin this program at that time. More information will be posted on the reserve affairs Web site at www.defenselink.mil/ra.