JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. –
Dental Winning Streak into 17th Year
Winning streaks receive a lot of attention in the sports world, but military retirees in the greater Washington, D.C. area are more interested in winning streaks that are established at Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling. For the 17th straight year, Bolling Dental Clinic's advanced education in general dentistry residents offer dental examinations and potential treatment for selected members. Interested participants should call the Bolling Retiree Activities Office (202 767-5244) at noon on June 10. Calls at any other time or calls to the Dental Clinic will not be honored.
Dental technicians will review the caller's dental history and look for conditions that meet the needs for resident training. Selected retirees will be scheduled for examinations June 17. No dependents will be scheduled. Results of the examinations will be reviewed by the dental staff. Those determined to meet the residents' educational needs will be considered for appointments.
More than 50 retirees were recipients of treatment over the past year. Patience and courtesy are musts in calling the Retiree Activities Office. Busy signals should be expected. If the recorder picks up your call, leave a number and calls will be returned.
Burial Benefits Available
Eligibility for burial in a national cemetery includes military retirees and their families. Benefits include a grave site, headstone, perpetual care, burial flag and a Presidential Memorial Certificate at no cost to the family. There are 147 national cemeteries, 131 of them maintained by the department of Veterans Affairs, including one at Quantico, Va. Arlington National Cemetery is operated by the U.S. Army. Arrangements for burial can be made directly with the cemetery staff by the funeral director or next of kin. Verification of eligibility is required. The VA also provides assistance through the State Cemetery Grants Program for up to 100 percent of funds needed to build, expand or improve state veterans cemeteries. The Department of Defense is responsible for providing military funeral honors. Veterans' service organizations may also assist in furnishing honors. For additional information, call 1-800-827-1000 or go to www.cem.va.gov.
Rx Home Delivery: Win-win Situation
Tricare officials continue to encourage beneficiaries, especially those taking long-term medications, to have their prescriptions delivered to their doorsteps. The health care system's home delivery option is a win-win situation that saves patients, as well as the government, money.
Tricare's almost 9.7 million beneficiaries filled 10.5 million prescriptions through home delivery in 2009, up from some 9 million in 2007. Still, it represents only about 8 percent of the 130 million prescriptions filled in 2009. About 48 million of those prescriptions -- 37 percent -- were filled at military medical facilities, the least expensive delivery method for the Department of Defense, and where patients have no co-payment. But those unable to use a military facility are increasingly turning to retail pharmacies within the Tricare network. Last year, beneficiaries filled more than half of their prescriptions -- 71.4 million -- at retail pharmacies.
Beneficiaries pay the same co-payment for a 30-day supply of medication at the corner drugstore that they would pay for a 90-day supply delivered through Tricare's home-delivery option. In addition, beneficiaries using home delivery can get automatic refills -- a plus for those taking medications for a chronic, long-term condition.
The Retiree Activities Office is open from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Visit our office in room A-200A, 1535 Command Drive, call us at 301-981-2726, or e-mail us at rao@andrews.af.mil. Calling the office prior to visiting is recommended to ensure someone is on duty. The RAO also has a website at www.andrews.af.mil, click on ''Retirees" on the right side of the page. There you will find a wealth of information that might be of interest to you. Copies of ''Retiree Activities Corner" articles are online as well. Go to the retirees webpage and find information under the heading ''Newspaper Column."