DoD benefits database rife with errors

Report: DoD benefits database rife with errors
By Rick Maze
Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday Jun 5, 2012

The Senate Armed Services Committee wants quick action to improve the accuracy of the Defense Enrollment Eligibility and Reporting System, both to correct mistakes about beneficiaries qualified to receive health care and other benefits, and to weed out those who are not eligible.

In a report filed Monday about the pending 2013 defense authorization bill, the committee is calling for a swift response to an April 2012 report by the Defense Department inspector general that found 200,000 discrepancies in DEERS, and 2,495 instances in which Tricare health benefits were used by ineligible people. The erroneously paid health care benefits totaled $11.2 million, according to the Senate committee report.

DEERS has about 9.4 million people enrolled, including active-duty, reserve and retired service members and their spouses and children, who are eligible for military health care and other benefits. The inspector general report found supporting documents were missing for up to 2.8 million beneficiaries.
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