I know many of you may be in contact with military retiree's in the
storm area, so please pass this information on to them, it could be very
important to them.

News for military retirees affected by Hurricane Katrina



(These news notes concern only individuals living in the areas affected by Hurricane Kristina and friends who may be in contact with them. Many retired members in the devastated areas will not have computer access, therefore, AFRNS subscribers who may be in telephone contact with them are urged to share information and pass along pertinent phone numbers. Please do not respond to this announce only message. Directions on how to stop this service, change your e-mail address and reach the editor are presented at the bottom of this article.)



Release No. 09-04-05
Sept 7, 2005

Tricare benefits continue for beneficiaries



The Tricare Management Activity (TMA) assures its beneficiaries and their families affected by Hurricane Katrina that their health care benefits will be maintained and service and support will continue during this time of tragedy.

That's the word from Dr. William J. Winkenwerder, Jr., assistance secretary of defense for health affairs. "We are aware that many of our active duty service members, retirees and their families have been displaced and may be ill or injured because of Hurricane Katrina," he said. "We encourage beneficiaries to seek urgent or emergency care if needed wherever they are located. TRICARE will continue to take care of you."

Affected beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Standard, a fee-for-service option, may seek care from any TRICARE-authorized provider. Displaced beneficiaries enrolled in TRICARE Prime should call Humana Military Healthcare Services (HMHS) at 1-800-444-5445 for more information or to find a provider in their area.



Tricare officials explain pharmacy benefit

Tricare is committed to working with beneficiaries displaced and affected by Hurricane Katrina to ensure they receive their medications, according to TMA officials.

These beneficiaries will be able to get early prescription refills if needed. The Tricare Operation Center in San Antonio is being staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and is working with retail pharmacies to authorize these requests. Beneficiaries with questions about filling prescriptions or submitting claims for the retail pharmacy program may contact Express Scripts Inc. (ESI), the TRICARE pharmacy contractor, at 1-866-363-8779 (1-866-DOD-TRRX).

Beneficiaries previously using the mail order pharmacy may request their prescriptions from retail pharmacies if they are unable to receive their prescriptions by mail. ESI will not ship any medications to ZIP codes that the U.S. Postal Service has blocked. For those relocating to areas where postal service is still available, the mail order pharmacy contractor is updating patient information to include temporary mailing addresses so prescriptions will reach the beneficiaries at their new location. For questions about their mail order pharmacy benefit, beneficiaries may contact ESI at 1-866-363-8667 (1-866-DOD-TMOP).

Additionally, from Sept. 1 through Sept. 14, 2005, the Department of Defense will waive the pharmacy copay for beneficiaries unable to pay it. ESI is notifying more than 50,000 pharmacies in the retail network to contact the TRICARE Pharmacy Operations Center to process these requests. Beneficiaries may contact ESI with questions about this waiver.

AAFES waives interest, suspends credit account payments

The Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) announced it is waiving interest and suspending monthly payment requirements to Exchange Credit Program cardholders displaced by Hurricane Katrina.

"According to our records, there are approximately 15,000 accounts impacted in undeliverable zip codes," said AAFES' Treasurer Grant Morris. "No interest will be charged; and no payments will be due for an undetermined period of time. The interest rate and payment exclusion, will also apply to new purchases for an extended time period."

AAFES determined eligibility by matching accounts to the U.S. Postal Service's listing of impacted zip codes. Affected areas in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi include:

ZIP CODE RANGES City / State

365XX-366XX Mobile, AL
369XX-393XX Meridian, MS
394XX Hattiesburg, MS
395XX Gulfport, MS
396XX McComb, MS
700XX-701XX New Orleans, LA
703XX Houma, LA
704XX Mandeville, LA

All Exchange Credit Program cardholders displaced by Hurricane Katrina can contact Customer Service at the nearest Exchange, call 1-877-991-7827, or visit www.aafes.com to update their contact information.

IRS creates Disaster relief toll-free number
WASHINGTON -- The Internal Revenue Service has announced the establishment of a special toll-free telephone number for use by taxpayers affected by Hurricane Katrina.

People affected by Katrina who need help with tax matters can call 1-866-562-5227, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time.


Callers to this dedicated telephone line can find out about available tax relief, get free copies of their tax return transcripts and receive Disaster Tax Loss Kits. Callers may also be referred to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's assistance lines for additional help.


Affected taxpayers who need copies of tax returns to apply for aid or other purposes can have the normal user fee waived by writing "Hurricane Katrina" in red across the top margin of their Form 4506, Request for Copy of Tax Return.


More information about tax relief for victims, making charitable contributions and links to other government web pages is available at IRS.gov.


The IRS is continuing to monitor the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and will provide additional relief and guidance in the days ahead.



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