FRA Newsbytes
November 10, 2005

THIS BULLETIN UPDATE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES:

Senate Approves FRA-endorsed Amendments  
Senate lawmakers are finishing work on the FY2006 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and approved three FRA-endorsed amendments this week.  These are among a total of 24 amendments to the legislation and include:

SBP Reform:  Senators voted 93 to 5 to adopt an amendment to advance the effective paid-up date for participants in the military's Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP).  Existing law allows participants to stop paying SBP premiums once they reach the age of 72 and have paid premiums for 30 years, but the law is not slated to take effect until October 2008.  The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Bill Nelson (Fla.), will move the effective date to October 2005.  Additionally, the amendment seeks to end the dollar-for-dollar deduction of VA benefits for service-connected deaths from survivors' SBP annuities. 

Concurrent Receipt for IU Retirees:  The Senate also approved an amendment to authorize full, immediate concurrent receipt of military retired pay and VA disability compensation to otherwise qualifying retirees who are rated as "individually unemployable" (IU) by the VA.   Sen. Harry Reid (Nev.), a longstanding champion for concurrent receipt legislation, sponsored the amendment.

Limits on Predatory Lending:  The Senate NDAA also includes an amendment capping interest rates on short-term loans to military personnel at 36 percent.  Sen. Elizabeth Dole (N.C.) sponsored the amendment and referenced FRA's support in her remarks on the Senate floor.  The amendment is similar to the House's Servicemembers Anti-Predatory Lending Protection Act (H.R. 97), introduced by Rep. Sam Graves (Mo.).

Senate approval of these amendments is a major victory for FRA and The Military Coalition, but the fight isn't over. Because these provisions are not included in the House version of the bill (approved in late May), we must continue our efforts to ensure they are part of the final conference report that will resolve differences between the House and Senate versions of the legislation.  FRA will post an action alert in support of these and other key issues related to the NDAA at www.fra.org once the Senate completes work on the legislation.

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FRA Announces Membership Expansion
FRA, the leading advocacy association for Sea Service personnel, announced today that veterans with enlisted service in the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are now eligible for membership. Founded on Veterans Day in 1924, the announcement comes on the eve of FRA's 81 st   Anniversary.

'FRA has a long history of advocating for Sea Service personnel, retirees and veterans who serve a full military career, so opening membership to all Sea Service veterans is a natural progression for us," said Ed Zerr, FRA national president, "Veterans' issues almost always impact retirees and active duty enlisted personnel, too, either now or in the future.  It only makes sense to come at these things with a unified voice."

A national media campaign launches today to highlight the expanded eligibility requirements.  Visit www.fra.org to learn more about FRA's exciting new membership opportunity for Sea Service veterans.

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TRICARE Uniform Formulary
TRICARE Management Activity approved the addition of three therapeutic classes of medications used to treat benign prostatic hypertrophy (enlargement) and
cardiovascular disease to the TRICARE Uniform Formulary (UF).  Additionally,16 medications will be moved to non-formulary status over the next few months. 

The UF is a set of medications approved by DoD for distribution throughout the Military
Health System. Drugs are grouped into three tiers: formulary generic (tier one), formulary brand name (tier two) and non formulary (tier three).  Beneficiaries' co-payments are based on a medication's grouping within the UF.

The UF process involves the review of different classifications of FDA-approved medications on the basis of their clinical and cost effectiveness.  The DoD Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee recommends medications as formulary or non-formulary.  FRA's Director of Membership and Health Care Legislative Analyst Bob Washington sits on the Uniformed Beneficiary Pharmacy Advisory Panel which reviews P&T committee suggestions and offers its own recommendations to Dr. William Winkenwerder, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs.

For additional information about various medications, their availability
and cost, beneficiaries may use the TRICARE Formulary Search Tool at:
www.tricareformularysearch.org/dod/medicationcenter/default.aspx. ;

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New Address for CRSC
The Secretary of the Navy's Council of Review Boards has published a new address for Sailors and Marines filing applications for Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC).

Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards
ATTN: Combat-Related Special Compensation Branch
720 Kennon Street SE, Suite 309
Washington Navy Yard, D.C. 20374-5023

Correspondence previously sent is already being forwarded to the above address and should not be returned to the sender; however, applications previously sent may take longer to arrive at the new address.

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Marine Corps Celebrates 230 Years
FRA salutes all men and women of the Marines on the Corps' 230 th   anniversary.  The honor, courage, and patriotism that epitomized the first patriots of the Continental Marine battalions in 1775 is still prevalent in Marines today. The Association applauds your commitment on this important date in history.

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Veterans Day Closing
FRA National Headquarters Offices will be closed in observance of Veteran's Day on 11 November 2005.  National Officers will be attending various ceremonies around the country in accordance with long-standing FRA traditions.  The Association also wishes all FRA Shipmates a very happy 81 st   Birthday.

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