From the Navy Times
Retired Technician's Pay
Military
retired pay and veterans' disability compensation will increase
by 3.3 percent on Dec. 1, marking an annual cost-of-living
adjustment that is both less than expected and smaller than
last year's 4.1 percent increase. The 3.3 percent increase
will first appear in January checks. For the second straight
year, it is larger than Jan. 1 increase in military basic
pay, which will be just 2.2 percent.
Click Here to read more
From the WV National Guard Newsletter,
The Informer
Tricare for National Guard Retirees
Eligibility to participate in the TriCare retiree
benefit begins when a retiree turns age 60 and begins
drawing retired pay. At age 60, retirees and their eligible
family members should obtain a retiree
military identification card at a DEERS ID card facility.
Those residing in West Virginia will then have
TriCare Standard coverage. This means that retirees
and their eligible family members will have 75% coverage and
may see the TriCare-approved
providers of their choice. There are no premiums to pay for
this coverage. It is a free benefit that
National Guard retirees have earned. There are, however, annual
deductibles of $150 per person or
$300 per family.
Some retirees may choose to
maintain other health insurance until they attain age 65 so
that they
have dual coverage. However, at age 65, retirees who purchase
Medicare Part B (current cost is
approximately $89/month) will be eligible for TriCare for Life.
Using TriCare for Life, Medicare will
pay first and TriCare will become the secondary coverage, which
generally results in no medical
costs to the patient. Again, the retiree and all eligible family
members will need to obtain a military
identification card. In order for claims to be properly processed,
DEERS information should be kept
up-to-date at all times.
Prescription coverage is part
of the TriCare retiree benefit. A 30-day supply of a generic
medications
are currently $3, brand-name medications are $9 and non-formulary
medications are $22.
Dental insurance is not included in the Tricare
retiree benefits. Retiree dental insurance is available
through Delta Dental of California.
For more information on retiree dental coverage,
go to: www.trdp.org. For more information on
retiree health insurance coverage, go to: www.tricare.osd.mil/retirees.
You may also contact 1LT
Meghan Pohlenz at (304) 561-6362, meghan.l.pohlenz@us.army.mil or Lisa Silver at (304) 561-
6824, lisa.silver1@wv.ngb.army.mil.
