Healthcare

LVMAC Tidbit: Did You Know Your TRICARE PRIME Primary Care Manager May Have Changed?

The Department of Defense has announced there are now only two TRICARE Regions as of 1 January 2018. The North and South Regions have combined to form the new TRICARE East Region, while the West Region remains mostly the same.  Humana Military is the new regional contractor for TRICARE East, and Health Net Federal Services, LLC, is managing TRICARE West.  Originally, Health Net Federal Services managed our area.

Why are we mentioning this?  While some of you using TRICARE Prime may have been notified already – and Humana has stated that during the transition you will be able to see your new or previously assigned Primary Care Manager (PCM) – the transition period is not stated upfront, and a change of PCM may have already been made for you.  That should be worth your finding out now, according to one of Healthcare in Our Community Co-Chairs, Alexander Alex. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center to Conduct Town Hall in Lehigh Valley

The Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center is returning on 14 June 2017 to conduct its third Community Town Hall in the area since the establishment of the quarterly requirement a couple of years back.  It is part of an attempt by the VA to regain the trust among the veterans it serves.  Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center services 19 counties, to include one in New York.  The service area requires distributing the quarterly meetings over a wide area or we would have more of these useful events.  For details, see: (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Another “Veterans as Prey” Fraud Scam

The Veterans Choice Program has been beset with problems.  While the program is actually improving, a phone scam has now occurred to add to the VA’s and clients’ frustrations with the program.  Someone is after your credit card number.  Why would the VA be asking that?

See below.   One key thing to remember is that while many VA numbers start with 1-800, not all do, and the Veterans Choice Program is one of them — it uses a 1-866 prefix.

(more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — President Trump signs S. 544, The Veterans Choice Program Extension and Improvement Act

Click on image for the Military.com article

LVMAC Poster Art 2005Yesterday, the President signed Senate Bill 544 into law.  It extended and amended the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014.  Otherwise, the controversial Veterans Choice (Card) Program would have expired in August, although $1 billion of the original $10 billion remained in the account and the number of veterans enrolled in the VA healthcare system using  private care, under VA direction, had risen from approximately 10 to 33 percent.   Essentially, the bill was a no-brain’er, as no doubt the good senator from Montana, Jon Tester (D), would himself admit.  It was not a remarkable feat on the part of the Congress or the President — or the VA. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago