By CWO4 Lewis Tolleson, USCG-Ret., Director; CWO3 Patrick A. DeCrane, USA-Ret.; Lt. Col. William A. Pierce, USA-Ret.; and Capt. Bud Schneeweis, USCG-Ret., Benefits Information

	NEW NAME, SAME GREAT INFO
	If you've logged on to TROA's Web Base (www.troa.org) recently, you may have noticed a new title, "Benefits Information Department." The name "Personal Affairs Department" has disappeared. Has TROA abandoned one of its most valued services? No way! We've simply changed the name. Why? Basically, to make the title more accurate, reduce confusion, and make it easier for members to find the information they seek. The term "personal affairs" is extremely broad, conjuring up different images for different people. "Benefits information," on the other hand, is very specific. It's more likely to be recognized by someone trying to find answers to military pay and other benefits questions. For a time, you may see both names appear in publications or on TROA's Web Base. Be assured, however, that the function is the same, our phone numbers haven't changed, and whether you e-mail persaff@troa.org or persaff@troa.org (our new address), your message will go to the same people.

TFL Pays the Bills

If I am using TRICARE For Life (TFL), do I have to pay Medicare's deductible?

No. TFL pays all Medicare deductibles and copayments. Some TFL claims contractors initially denied claims for Medicare deductibles, but that error has been corrected. Those denied claims will be reprocessed automatically.

Reserve Retired Pay

I retired from the reserves and am about to apply for retired pay. What is the formula for computing reserve retired pay?

The formula for members whose date of initial entry into military service (DIEMS) was before Sept. 8, 1980, is:

Total retirement points divided by 360; result multiplied by 2.5 percent; that result multiplied by current basic pay of grade in which you retired (i.e., points ÷ 360 × .025 × monthly retired pay).

For example, a reserve O-5 with more than 22 years of service would calculate retired pay as follows: 5,142 points ÷ 360 × .025 × $6,262 (from FY 2002 pay tables) = $2,236.05 a month.

If the DIEMS was Sept. 8, 1980, or after, the formula is almost the same, except the 2.5 percent is applied to average basic pay for the highest 36 months' pay rather than the final basic pay amount.

Medicare Enrollments

I will turn 65 in May. How do I enroll in Medicare Part B? Will Medicare cover my wife, who is 64?

If you are not receiving Social Security cash benefits before age 65, it is your responsibility to enroll in Medicare Part b. If you are receiving Social Security benefits before age 65, you will be enrolled in Medicare automatically and must specifically decline Part b if you don't want it.

Your spouse is not eligible for Medicare at age 64 unless the Social Security Administration has deemed her disabled and she has maintained that disability for 24 months. Once she meets those criteria, she is eligible for Medicare Part a and must enroll in Medicare Part b to be eligible to use TFL.

If she is not eligible for Medicare before age 65, she continues to be eligible for tricare (Prime, Extra, or Standard). Which tricare option she elects to use is up to her. Enrollment in tricare Prime depends on the availability of care at a military treatment facility. To use tricare Prime, she must enroll through the military treatment facility and pay an annual enrollment fee.

Long Term Care Insurance

How can I get information about the Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program (FLTCIP)?

One way is to read the fltcip bulletin Get Smart About Your Future. It's free from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

Subscribe on-line via TROA's links page, www.troa.org/magazine/links.asp, or call toll-free, (800) 582-3337 (ltc-feds). You also can write to Federal Long Term Care Insurance Program, P.O. Box 1923, West Chester, PA 19380-9647.