Commissioned Officers Association

Welcome to the Commissioned Officers Association

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Welcome to the website of the Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service. COA is dedicated to improving and protecting the public health of the United States by addressing unmet health needs and providing support for more than 7,000 members.

COA protects the interests of the Commissioned Corps officers of the U.S. Public Health Service, who are leaders in the realms of public and global health. Recent achievements in legislative advocacy include final congressional approval of Post-9/11 GI Bill transferability for PHS officers (December 16, 2010) and congressional passage of all COA-backed health care reform proposals (March 23, 2010). The association also provides educational opportunities such as the U.S. Public Health Service Professional Conference, held annually.

TRICARE Waives Referrals in West Region

05/08/2013 - The Tricare Management Activity has released details on how uniformed service beneficiaries in the West Region can access specialty health care without first receiving approval by Tricare West Region contract manager UnitedHealth Military & Veterans.

Tricare Prime customers who are referred to a specialist by their primary care provider should ask their doctor for a paper copy of their referral - or have it faxed to the specialist - and have them complete a copy of a waiver letter from UnitedHealthcare, available at www.uhcmilitarywest.com.

The waivers will be available through at least May 18, according to a letter sent from Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Dr. Jonathan Woodson to the military services on May 2.

Tricare officials said the unprecedented move was necessary to ease a referral backlog that has mounted since UnitedHealthcare assumed responsibility for the West Region contract on April 1.

Woodson described "inordinate delays" resulting form the contractor's "failure to meet the contract requirements for referral and authorization management."

In addition to the delays in referral care, UnitedHealth's call center and website are experiencing tie-ups with customer service, with some callers being placed on hold for more than an hour.

A UnitedHealthcare Military & Veterans spokesman said last week that since the company took over management of the contract, its call centers have received 531,000 calls with an average wait time of about five minutes.

TMA officials said they are working with UnitedHealthcare to address the problems, and Woodson said the waiver period could be extended if the backlog is not adequately reduced by May 18.

The waiver does not apply to beneficiaries using Tricare Standard, Tricare For Life or Prime enrollees in the U.S. Family Health Plan, available to some beneficiaries in Washington state.

- From Navy Times News

BASIC AND APPLIED SCIENCES PROFESSIONAL ADVISORY GROUP

04/29/2013 - The Basic and Applied Sciences Professional Advisory Group (BASPAG) provides advice to the Surgeon General, through the Health Services Professional Advisory Committee (HS PAC), and the Health Services Chief Professional Officer on professional and personnel issues related to Public Health Service officers working in basic and applied science disciplines. Selections will be made by the BASPAG Voting Members and will be based on the nominees’ commitment to public health, to advancing the goals of fellow officers in the basic and applied science disciplines, and other specified criteria (e.g., prior involvement with BASPAG, discipline, gender, and minority representation). Click the link below for full details.
BASPAG Self-Nomination Form for Voting Membership

TRICARE Dental Benefits

12/14/2012 - Good News!! PHS active duty family members are eligible for TRICARE dental benefits through Metlife.

For more information, please go to: www.metlife.com/tricare
TRICARE Dental Benefits

More association news

Below is a 1936 film that includes the history of the USPHS, including the work in the prevention of disease.

Public Health Sciences Track

One of the most important new initiatives for the future of the Commissioned Corps is the Public Health Sciences Track (PHS Track) authorized by the Affordable Care Act. The PHS Track would create an ROTC-like mechanism to expand the Corps, greatly increasing its ability to provide desperately needed care to the underserved. COA is working hard to secure funding for this vital program. Please take a minute to read over these sources for more information.

Click here to read the text of the ACA section 5315.

Click here to read the report commissioned by the Department of Health and Human Services detailing the need for the PHS Track.

“Too many Americans already live in communities where health care services are scarce. But the problem will only get worse as the Baby Boom generation ages and more Americans need access to health care. We need to begin tackling this problem now by both training more health care professionals and encouraging them to work in underserved communities.”
- Sen. Jeff Bingaman, D-NM, sponsor of the original PHS Track bill and a COA health leader of the year.

The May Frontline is available for viewing on the COA Members Only website. Interested in submitting an article for Frontline? See GUIDELINES for submissions (located @ Members Only/Frontline). Then email submission to Malissa Spalding at mspalding@coausphs.org.

Click here to login to the COA Members Only website!

One of COA's newest member benefits, is the ability to join Pentagon Federal Credit Union. Go to the COA Members Only Website, and click on the PenFed link to join now!

GI Bill Transferability

Want to take advantage of this great benefit but don’t know where to start? Two slide presentations can help. The Cincinnati COA Branch has developed “Notes from the Road,” a new tool based on officers’ experiences. Below it is guidance prepared by GI Bill experts at PHS. Transferability became available to PHS officers in August, following a three-year legislative campaign by COA.

Revised 05/08/2013