DEERS / ID CARD CHALLENGES
To our Coast Guard, PHS and NOAA retirees and their families,
Referencing the DEERS eligibility outage, the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) has restored 99% of our retired community’s TRICARE eligibility. There are a small group of accounts requiring additional attention and the Coast Guard continues to actively work with DMDC to address those cases this week. Thank you for your patience and support during this difficult time. We regret the inconvenience and uncertainty this outage has caused and appreciate you checking PPC’s website for the latest information and sharing it with our Coast Guard family.
Additionally, PPC sent notifications to all retired members using their Direct Access email on file. If you did not receive this notification, please take a moment to update your Direct Access contact information. In addition to helping us pass information for emergencies such as this, it will greatly assist everybody for future messaging . . . especially with tax season right around the corner.
Given this weekend’s events, please take a moment to verify your DEERS status/eligibility by visiting the milConnect website: milConnect (osd.mil). If you continue to experience eligibility issues, contact DMDC’s Beneficiary Line at 1-800-538-9552. If your situation requires a deeper dive, DMDC will refer you to PPC’s DEERS specialist.
Should you require emergent medical assistance or an Emergency Room visit before your eligibility is restored:
1. Obtain medical assistance as needed!
2. Keep all receipts/ records of medical assistance.
3. 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.