June 29, 2004

Subject:  IG Complaint - TRICARE Management Activity (TMA)

To:  Inspector General of the Department of Defense

1. This is to report a waste of resources. The resources wasted are the time and energy of the beneficiaries of the TRICARE program who are stressed out and overloading the telephone system trying to obtain their duly authorized benefits. This stress, the overloading of the telephone system and the resultant delay in acquiring benefits for thousands of recipients, including myself (Mental Health Crisis) is due to the confusing and, in my opinion, egregiously feckless letter at Attachment 1. The responsible authority is the TRICARE Management Activity (TMA), Attention: Provider & Beneficiary Services, 16401 E. Centretech Pkwy, Aurora, CO 80011. TMA apparently either (1) gave TriWest Healthcare Alliance carte blanche to send a welcoming letter to Tricare members or, (2) were negligent in their review and approval of referenced letter.

2. My review and detailed comments on the TriWest Letter are at Attachment 2.

3. The remedy sought is to have the letter republished, this time in simple, crystal-clear text.

Sincerely yours,

Alan Lubke
2550 Fleetwood Drive
San Bruno, CA 94066

Attachment 1 - TriWest Letter, undated, with header reading: "IMPORTANT: PLEASE CHOOSE A NEW PRIMARY CARE MANAGER"

Attachment 2 - My (Alan Lubke) detailed comments on the letter.