Newsbytes October 25, 2024
In this issue:
URGENT! Pass Concurrent Receipt Now
TRICARE Enrollment Freeze
VA Grants to Increase Public Engagement with Veteran Stories
URGENT! Pass Concurrent Receipt Now
The FRA and numerous other organizations have signed a joint letter and sent it to House Speaker Mike Johnson (La.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.), requesting their support in passing the Major Richard Star Act (H.R.1282/S.344) before the end of the 118th Congress to ensure that thousands of wounded veterans receive the benefits they are due. This legislation has overwhelming bipartisan support, with 326 cosponsors in the House and 73 co-sponsors in the Senate. Ask your legislators to support including this bill in the must-pass FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). https://www.votervoice.net/FRA/Campaigns/100773/Respond
TRICARE Enrollment Freeze
The Defense Health Agency has announced that from October 25–27, 2024, there will be a global enrollment freeze for any TRICARE health plan changes. This means beneficiaries will not be able to update their information or make changes to their plans, including overseas and dental enrollments.
“This is a scheduled outage,” explained Jim Frank, Health Plan Operations Support Branch DEERS Integration Manager, TRICARE Health Plan, at the Defense Health Agency. “The DHA and its partners will use this time to transfer beneficiary enrollment information to the regional contractors.”
Following that, between October 28 and December 31, if you live in the U.S. and need to make health plan changes, you will need to call your regional contractor. You will not be able to make any health plan updates online in milConnect via the Beneficiary Web Enrollment (BWE) portal. This limitation will allow the DHA and regional contractors to transfer beneficiary enrollment information in DEERS ahead of the start of health care delivery under TRICARE’s new regional contracts, which begin on January 1, 2025.
VA Grants to Research and Increase Public Engagement with Veteran Stories
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that the National Cemetery Administration awarded nine grants totaling more than $2.4 million as part of the Veterans Legacy Program (VLP). This project honors America’s veterans and service members by uncovering and sharing their stories. This year’s VLP grants represent an increase, rising from six to nine recipients and totaling more than $260,000 above last year’s awards. These grants provide funding for research into veterans’ service, accomplishments, and their roles in their communities. The educational tools generated by this research support teaching the histories of those interred in VA national cemeteries and VA grant-funded state and Tribal Veterans’ cemeteries.
Established in 2016, VLP memorializes veterans through educational outreach, connecting students, educators, and citizens with NCA cemeteries and the histories of veterans interred in them. Since fiscal year 2022, the VA has awarded 21 grants totaling over $6.8 million to educational organizations, engaging more than 1,600 students and teachers at all levels in veteran research and commemoration. To learn more about the Veterans Legacy Grant Program, visit: https://www.cem.va.gov/legacy/