Tricare Reinstates Veteran Benefits At J.F.L.

ST. CROIX — The Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center (J.F.L.) announced on Friday via press release that beneficiaries of the TRICARE Overseas Program (T.O.P.) are once again able to access services at J.F.L.

According to the release, effective January 14, TRICARE has agreed to allow T.O.P. beneficiaries to use J.F.L. for all routine and elective procedures. The decision comes on the heels of a recent inspection by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (C.M.S.), and the federal agency’s January decision to allow J.F.L. to maintain certification.

TRICARE had previously suspended services for its members in late 2014 following C.M.S.’s decertification of the then-troubled facility. Last month, TRICARE officials met with executives from J.F.L. and toured the hospital, assessing its services. Once the decision was made by C.M.S. to retain J.F.L.’s certification, TRICARE immediately lifted the suspension.

“The reinstatement of Tricare affords the members and beneficiaries of our cherished military personnel access to acute care, diagnostic services and treatment without the inconvenience of traveling off-island,” said Dr. Mavis Matthew, the hospital’s chief medical officer, currently mired in another J.F.L. scandal involving Nedra Dodds.

TRICARE is the health care program for almost 9.5 million beneficiaries worldwide, including active duty service members, National Guard and Reserve members, retirees, their families, survivors, certain former spouses, Medal of Honor recipients and their families, and others registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.

Lt. Governor Osbert Potter, and Veterans Affairs Director Patrick Farrell, also met with TRICARE officials in January to discuss the reinstatement of services for its beneficiaries at JFL.

Feature Image: From left to right: Col. Alfonso Alarcon, MD, Tricare Area Office Latin America & Canada Director; Richard Evangelista, Esq., JFL chief legal counsel; Keila Rodriguez-Serra, International SOS assistance, Inc. Provider Relationship manager; Tim Lessing, JFL CFO; Jacqueline Zyck, International SOS, Assistance, Inc. Global Assistance Network, Department Director; Dr. Mavis Matthew, JFL chief medical officer; Gordon C. Peters, TRICARE medical director.

Image Credit: J.F.L.