DEERS / ID CARD CHALLENGES

To our Coast Guard, PHS and NOAA retirees and their families,

The Coast Guard is actively working the DEERS eligibility issue with the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) that is affecting many members' TRICARE eligibility.  DMDC anticipates it will correct the issue within 48-72 hours.  We regret the inconvenience and uncertainty this outage has caused.  When all is said and done, your DEERS eligibility will be restored to its original state.  Your coverage will not lapse and will be retroactive.  We appreciate your patience as our teams work to resolve this situation as fast as possible.

To verify your status/eligibility, please visit the milConnect website:  milConnect (osd.mil)

Should you require emergent medical assistance or an Emergency Room visit before your eligibility is restored: 

• Obtain medical assistance as needed! 
• Keep all receipts/ records of medical assistance. 
• Contact TRICARE for reimbursement.

DIRECT ACCESS CHALLENGES

Our Pay and Personnel Center team members are users of Direct Access –just like you– and are similarly impacted by challenges with the system.  Though the Pay and Personnel Center does not own or control repairs to Direct Access, we continue to advocate with the Program Office to prioritize repairs and the C5I Service Center to conduct those repairs.  We appreciate your patience and grace during this time period.

In essence, Direct Access is our ship . . . and our ship is damaged and undergoing depot-level repairs.  The crew at the Pay and Personnel Center are just as eager for Direct Access to come back to fully mission capable, so we can better serve our Coast Guard families.

RETIRED PAY

At present, for temporary, permanent, VA offset, AEW’s, CRDP, and CRSC disability, we are encountering a processing delay due to systematic issues and a shortage of personnel. You remain our primary concern. We want to assure you that we are fully committed to resolving these issues promptly and handling your cases with utmost proficiency.