New TRICARE Benefits Announced -- TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR), October 2010 Contact Center UTA Support , Enhancement to New Accounts in vPC-GR, Enhancement to Awards and Decorations Listing, Update on New Air Force Integrated Personnel and Pay System Published Sept. 22, 2010 ARPC NOTAM 080 - Commanders -- NEW TRICARE BENEFITS ANNOUNCED-- TRICARE RETIRED RESERVE (TRR) -- More than 62,000 retired Reservists and their eligible family members can purchase the newly approved TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) healthcare benefit. This new benefit includes any retired Reservist who is eligible for retired pay at age 60, and does not qualify for Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB). TRR is a premium-based, worldwide health plan that will be available to purchase on October 1, 2010 by qualified retired Reserve members who are under the age of 60, as well as surviving family members. TRR offers comprehensive health coverage from any TRICARE-authorized provider or hospital. Law requires members to pay the full cost of coverage under TRR with no government subsidy. The comprehensive health care coverage provided by the premium-based TRR is similar to TRICARE standard. After purchasing TRR, members will receive the TRICARE Retired Reserve Handbook that includes details about covered services, how to receive care, and who to contact for assistance. For instructions on how to qualify and purchase TRR go to: www.tricare.mil/trr. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ OCTOBER 2010 CONTACT CENTER UTA SUPPORT (ANG, AFRC) - Air Reserve Personnel Contact Center phone counselors will provide UTA support on Saturday, October 2 and Saturday, October 16. There will not be support the second Saturday, due to the Federal Holiday. Counselors can be reached by calling 800-525-0102 or DSN 926-6528 from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. MT. Citizen Airmen can always request assistance 24/7/365 by visiting vPC-GR, the customer service Web portal for personnel services, at http://arpc.afrc.af.mil/vPC-GR. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ENHANCEMENT TO NEW ACCOUNTS IN vPC-GR - There has been a recent update to New Accounts in the vPC-GR encouraging all military members, regardless of their status, to use their rank when creating an account. For more information about this enhancement, contact the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102. For online personnel transactions, visit vPC-GR at https://arpc.afrc.af.mil/vPC-GR/ 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ENHANCEMENT TO THE AWARDS AND DECORATIONS LISTING IN vPC-GR - There has been a recent update to the Awards and Decorations Listing in the vPC-GR for ANG members regarding their State/Territory Awards and the method to obtain and correct them. For more information about this enhancement, contact the Total Force Service Center at 800-525-0102. For online personnel transactions, visit vPC-GR at https://arpc.afrc.af.mil/vPC-GR/ 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ UPDATE ON NEW AIR FORCE INTEGRATED PERSONNEL AND PAY SYSTEM (AF-IPPS) (ANG, AFRC) - AF-IPPS is a comprehensive, Web-based solution that will integrate many existing personnel and pay processes into one self-service system. It will support the Total Force and represents the Air Force's commitment to modernizing business practices and providing enhanced support for today's servicemembers and their families. In September 2009, the Department of Defense (DOD) terminated the Defense Integrated Military Human Resources System (DIMHRS) program and approved a plan to allow the Services to pursue separate personnel and pay systems. AF-IPPS will improve delivery of services, leverage new technology to replace outdated legacy systems, and reduce payroll errors. The program will be rolled out incrementally on a timeline after a vendor is selected. We will continue to keep you posted as we get closer to the launch of this new system. //signed// DAVID E. ZEH, Colonel, USAF Vice Commander, HQ Air Reserve Personnel Center Subscribe to ARPC News Service http://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/news/subscribe.asp View past NOTAMs http://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/news/index.asp?catid=284