source GAIA package: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201410310310070_5675.zip Origin key: Sx_MilitaryTimes_M6201410310310070 imported at Fri Jan 8 18:19:06 2016
All 4,000-plus airmen who were approved for the fiscal 2014 Voluntary Separation Pay program will receive transitional health benefits, the Air Force said Nov. 3.
The Air Force reversed course on health care benefits after mistakenly granting health benefits — and later revoking them — to more than 1,000 of those airmen earlier this year. Voluntarily-separating airmen were not eligible for Transition Assistance Management Program benefits, which include 180 days of transitional Tricare medical coverage, but some Air Force installations did not correctly update airmen's statuses. Many angry airmen said in interviews and online that they received conflicting or incorrect information on the benefits for which they were eligible.
Some of the affected airmen were issued Tricare cards and used them to pay for medical treatment, only to learn later they were not eligible. Several told Air Force Times they feared being hit with major medical bills.
The Air Force said Oct. 31 — a month after the problems came to light — that senior leaders had authorized medical benefits for airmen separating under the 2014 VSP program. In a follow-up email, Air Force spokeswoman Rose Richeson said the medical benefits would be for all airmen separating under that program, not just the ones who were incorrectly promised medical benefits.
According to charts provided by the Air Force, 4,247 airmen were approved for the 2014 VSP program.
"Based on inconsistent issuance and confusion with transitional medical benefits for Airmen separating under the VSP program, the Air Force requested clarification from the Office of the Secretary of Defense General Counsel," the Air Force's Oct. 31 release said. "A review of the law (10 USC 1175a) determined that the Air Force is authorized to pay the transition assistance management program (TAMP) benefits to Airmen separated under VSP."
When asked last week during a twitter chat about the uncertainty, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said attorneys were reviewing the Air Force's options.
"This is on my radar big time," she said Oct. 27.
In the Friday announcement, James said she was "pleased to see our Airmen will receive the needed transitional benefits they deserve."
"I understand this situation affects the livelihood of our Airmen, which is why we aggressively sought clarification from the department," she said.
A Defense official told Air Force Times on Oct. 22 that the Air Force could either pay for the health care costs itself out of an emergency and extraordinary expenses fund, which would require James' approval, or the Air Force could recoup the costs by billing the separated airmen.
The announcement said affected airmen will receive specific instructions regarding implementation of the TAMP benefits late next week.
TAMP benefits also include permissive TDY, commissary, exchange and morale, welfare and recreation privileges for those who commit to serve in the Inactive Ready Reserve.
