MEDDAC-AK Nurse Practitioner of the Year Page 13 WWW.COAUSPHS.ORG COAUSPHS.ORG SALUS POPULI SUPREMA LEX ESTE VOLUME 58, ISSUE 6 | AUGUST 2020. from the COA’s Legislative Affairs Executive Committee Returns to Director Jacqueline Rychnovsky, Action PhD, RN, CPNP, FAANP Captain (ret.), Nurse Corps, US Navy by Judy Rensberger available to civilians, and (3) an exception in the new immigration law that would After a long hiatus, the Commissioned permit au pairs from abroad to continue Mask-to-Mask in DC Officers Association’s (COA) Legislative I was in Washington, DC last week for to come to the U.S. to live with USPHS Affairs Committee is preparing for action several meetings and had the chance families and care for their children. (See once Congress returns from its own to visit the Commissioned Officers Legislative Update in this issue.) Summer break. COA’s core mission is to Association (COA) headquarters work with the U.S. Congress on behalf Amending Title 42 building for the first time. As some of you know, I was recruited and of the USPHS Commissioned Corps, The biggest legislative challenge before onboarded through a completely both active-duty and retired. Essential to us, however, is to obtain a change in virtual environment. My first trip back fulfilling that mission is COA’s Legislative Title 42 that would put USPHS on an to DC since March was surreal. Not Affairs Committee. equal footing with the other services surprising, it was easier than normal Leadership in terms of personal leave available to driving through what is known as the officers following frequent, high-stress “DMV”—the District of Columbia, Two members of the COA Board of deployments to communities affected by Maryland and Virginia. I noted a Directors have agreed to lead the COVID-19. Legislative Affairs Committee, CAPT complete absence of taxicabs within (retired) Lisa Tonrey, and CAPT Renée Changing federal law is never easy. the District of Columbia but was able Joskow. In addition, the Committee Amending Title 42 will require a full- to quickly hail an Uber, something expects to benefit from the active throated response from COA’s entire typically difficult in congested areas. membership. We can do this; longtime Hotel rooms were readily available, and participation of CAPT Paul “P.J.” Jung, the COA members will remember the battle very affordable, but came with a dark, Committee’s immediate past chair. to obtain GI Bill Transferability for USPHS lonely lobby, a shuttered restaurant, Issues officers. It was a big win, but it took two and no daily housekeeping services. I did welcome the opportunity to have a COA members are welcome to suggest, years. Here, I don’t think we have two few “mask-to-mask” (M2M) meetings, either through the committee or directly years. formally known as face-to-face (F2F), to staff, legislative matters they would like Membership so it was all worth it. While I hope M2M COA to pursue. On the table right now are COA members whose names remain meetings don’t become the norm, I four issues proposed by COA members. on the committee list from last year may was grateful for the opportunity. Three are benefit issues: (1) paternity assume that they are still members in leave for new USPHS fathers that are Having the occasion to meet the good standing. Still, I would appreciate comparable to benefits afforded new Assistant Secretary of Health, Admiral confirmation of your interest in continuing. fathers in the other uniformed services; (2) Brett Giroir, was a great moment. His We will be paying close attention to flexible spending accounts and/or health pride and excitement over the creation attendance this year. Absences because see on page 14 savings accounts comparable to those EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR see RETURN TO ACTION on page 13 COA Member Benefits Capitol Hill Representation Efforts on Capitol Hill continually support all Commissioned Corps officers – active duty and retired Local Representation COA Local Branches provide venues for meeting fellow officers and a forum for the discussion of issues within the Commissioned Corps Newsletter Newsletter reports on monthly Legislative Update activities and items of interest about the Corps & COA Glitch in Federal Rule Troubles PHS Insurance Programs Parents Low-cost insurance programs Labor Market Following the Coronavirus that may continue as long as your by Judy Rensberger Outbreak.” The stated goal was to flatten membership in COA remains current In the middle of a pandemic with an the curve of COVID-19 and reduce the uncertain trajectory, PHS parents of $7,500 for Online Degrees spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that young children are home-schooling their causes COVID-19. Au pairs were scooped $7,500 scholarships to earn online kids while also performing their own jobs degrees, which include: up in the broad definition of “aliens.” on lockdown. Many PHS parents face The President said he was suspending, MPH@GW a particular difficulty: they need to find “for a period of 60 days, the entry of MHA@GW high-quality, live-in childcare so they can HealthInformatics@GW aliens as immigrants, subject to certain deploy on short notice to wherever they MBA@UNC exceptions.” MBA@Simmons are needed. HealthcareMBA@Simmons The promise of the word “exceptions” By mid-July, there had been nearly 8,000 IRonline (American) underlies the effort of COA and other PHS deployments to COVID-19 hot spots MBA@American advocacy groups to liberate au pairs around the country. That figure comes from under what appears to be an NYMC Online MPH from Dr. Joel Dulaigh, a USPHS Captain unintentionally over-broad regulation. 50 percent discount for the online and Chief of Staff to the Surgeon General. MPH and certificate programs Some PHS officers have deployed more Case in Point than once; others are awaiting their turn. Scholarship Program COA has heard from concerned parents. College scholarships for children and For PHS parents of young children, So has the National Military Families spouses of COA members especially single parents, the problem Association (NMFA), one of COA’s of finding reliable, high-quality, round- organizational partners in The Military Ribbon the-clock childcare in the context of a Coalition. As I write, PHS parents are Authorized to be worn on the PHS pandemic is difficult, to say the least. awaiting the results of a review that seems uniform by members in good standing In the past, PHS parents have relied on to be implied, if not actually promised, in when attending COA functions live-in au pairs from abroad. Parents have the language of the regulation itself. By been dismayed to learn that a new federal the time you read this, the issue may have regulation - now under review - rules out been settled. Or not. OFFICER D S A E S that option, at least for now. President N S O IO Meanwhile, the situation has complicated S C Trump has shut it down. S I I A the lives of active-duty PHS officers T M I O O Presidential Proclamation M who must remain ready to deploy on N N O O C C On 22 June, President Trump issued a short notice. In some PHS families, both proclamation titled “Suspending Entry of parents are affected. A PHS mother O . Aliens Who Present a Risk to the U.S. I spoke with and her non-uniformed F C T IN see LEGISLATIVE continued on page 13 HE USPHS Enrollment Fees Begin On 1 January 2021for Some TRICARE Select Retired Beneficiaries by Jack Du Teil, President, The Military Coalition On 1 January 2021, TRICARE will implement enrollment fees for “Group A” retiree beneficiaries. Group A beneficiaries are defined as those who entered the uniformed services prior to 1 January 2018, and the annual enrollment fees will be set at $150 per year for an individual or $300 for a family (deducted on a monthly basis, in monthly increments of $12.50 or $25, respectively). Additionally, the catastrophic cap will increase to $3500, although enrollment fees paid will apply toward the cap. Medically retired Group A beneficiaries and their families and survivors will be exempted from both the new enrollment fees and the increased annual catastrophic cap (which for them will remain at $3,000). Recent articles in military publications reminding beneficiaries of this change sparked outrage, and cries of “another promise broken” on social media. Many implored the 34 military and Veteran service organizations in The Military Coalition (TMC) to fight these changes. In reality, this battle was waged in the summer of 2016, prior to the reconciliation and passage of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) of 2017 (which codified these changes). Had TMC and our allies on Capitol Hill not engaged so forcefully, not only would these fees have likely been enacted three years earlier (in 2018), but they proposed by the Pentagon. Having said this, it imposes several would have been far worse. additional fees that USAWOA cannot support!” The Battle to Preserve TRICARE The New TRICARE Select The battle really began in September 2015. In a meeting with senior Pursuant to bicameral bargaining between the HASC and SASC, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee staff, it became there was a consensus to combine TRICARE Standard and clear that many in Congress wished to dismantle TRICARE as we TRICARE Extra into what is now TRICARE Select. Although TMC know it, and replace it with a more expensive tiered system, similar objected to any enrollment fees (and increases in other associated to the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP). This costs), both the House and Senate versions included these.