DHA and ISOS’s Response to Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda)

See TRICARE’s Disaster Information webpage from 20 July 2014.

Can you say SILENCE? What about SILENT? Or maybe the real answer is WE REALLY DON’T CARE? Can you say Déjà vu?

The Defense Health Agency (DHA) likes to go to great lengths to brag to Congress about how caring they are and how much they do for beneficiaries in need.

 

Here is just one example.

See the TRICARE Stakeholders Report, Meeting the Challenges; a report DHA submits to Congress every year. For your convenience we will quote it below.

TRICARE Takes Action

In the days following Hurricane Katrina, TRICARE led the regional contractors, Humana Military Healthcare Services, TriWest Healthcare Alliance and Health Net Federal Services, in removing barriers to care for approximately 360,000 beneficiaries displaced by Katrina.

TRICARE eased access to care for thousands of homeless and frequently document-less beneficiaries, as well as wholly new beneficiaries created by the federal activation of Reserve Component members. In the South region the requirement for referrals and authorizations for non- emergency, non-mental health care was waived. In addition, TRICARE waived copayments for prescription medications and authorized beneficiaries to get their mail order prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies.

TRICARE representatives traveled throughout the affected areas, setting up information booths in the Astrodome, Red Cross shelters and hotel conference rooms and provided wallet cards, fact sheets and brochures with phone numbers, Web sites and special benefit information for hurricane victims. The materials were also sent nationwide to Beneficiary Counseling and Assistance Coordinators, TRICARE Service Centers, family support personnel and other customer service representatives who helped displaced beneficiaries.

How does that translate in the Philippines?

What did beneficiaries in the Philippines see after weeks of begging by multiple retirees for some relief after Typhoon Haiyan?

In a word CRUMBS! We know of beneficiaries who spent thousands of dollars for emergency and immediate care immediately after Typhoon Haiyan in the areas affected by the typhoon who are still dancing with DHA and ISOS over getting reimbursed for the care. Promised letters of explanation and/or demands for additional information repeatedly never arrive. Verbal explanations are filled with gobbledygook and double talk. Demands that beneficiaries convert and cost local bills into the U.S. billing standards continue even after DHA admitted that local providers cannot convert claims when they all quit the Demo in Angeles. In other words business as usual!

This is the crux of the relief that was offered; TRICARE is waiving the proof of payment requirement and allowing emergency prescription refills.

The Proof of Payment for Overseas Claims indicated the victims of Haiyan would not have to provide cancelled checks, credit card receipts, electronic funds transfer receipts or proof of cash withdrawal from their financial institution in the event the claim is over $1,000.

What does Emergency Prescription Refills mean?  This is what the Defense Health Agency (DHA) says; “you may take your prescription bottle to any TRICARE retail network pharmacy. Contact Express Scripts at 1-877-363-1303 or search the Network Pharmacy Locator to find the nearest network pharmacy. If possible, you should visit the pharmacy where the prescription was filled.”

So in plain English if you have a claim that exceeds $1,000 you will not be required to provide the infamous Double Proof of Payment. And if you need a prescription just take the prescription bottle, you all have those right, to any TRICARE network pharmacy in the United States.

See After Weeks of Debate and Coordination DHA Announces Disaster Relief for Haiyan or Did They for more detailed information. Also see the Air Force Times article, Tricare waives some payment rules in Philippines.

One of the claims to fame of DHA was that almost no beneficiaries live in the third of the Philippines devastated by Typhoon Haiyan and therefore such a small number of beneficiaries apparently don’t warrant any special consideration during a disaster. In other words assistance is only warranted when those affected reaches an undefined critical mass. However Typhoon Rammasun devastated a large portion of the upper third of the Philippines. See 1.6M Filipinos still reeling from ‘Glenda’—NDRRMC. This area includes the National Capital Region, Angeles City, Olongapo and Cavite where DHA claims that about 90% of all TRICARE beneficiaries reside. (We and all TRICARE beneficiaries know that is not true but DHA repeatedly make that erroneous claim) So their lame excuse that it was not worth their while to respond to just a few dozen beneficiaries in need does not seem to apply based on their own claims. But then maybe 9,900 affected beneficiaries don’t meet that undefined critical mass either!

This is clearly demonstrated as almost a week after the Typhoon hit and almost two weeks after the typhoon was predicted to hit these areas, all we hear from those responsible for our TRICARE welfare, International SOS (ISOS) and DHA is more SILENCE!

It appears that DHA and ISOS feel SILENCE is adequate for beneficiaries in the Philippines.

But never fear. The Defense Health Agency and International SOS always have your back when it comes to high quality and easy access to care; just ask them!