Tricare to cover laser treatments for troops with severe shaving bumps – By Patricia Kime (Military Times) / Dec 30 2019
Service members will no longer need a waiver to get laser treatments for severe razor bumps at a civilian facility.
The Defense Department announced Dec. 17 that Tricare will cover claims filed by active-duty personnel who require laser therapy for pseudofolliculitis barbae, or PFB, from a non-military provider.
The change, which is backdated to July 17, 2019, follows the Navy’s termination earlier this year of its permanent no-shave chits for sailors with the condition.
Sailors had been allowed to request a waiver to a military requirement that all personnel be clean-shaven, but Navy leadership decided to scrap the practice, citing two Naval Safety Center reviews that found beard growth can obstruct the seal of face masks, potentially exposing service members to hazardous and lethal conditions.
“We are ensuring that all our sailors will remain safe in the operational, maintenance and training environment that they’re under,” said Rear Adm. Jeff Jablon, director of the military personnel, plans and policy division within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.
Continue to article: https://www.militarytimes.com/pay-benefits/2019/12/30/tricare-to-cover-laser-treatments-for-troops-with-severe-shaving-bumps/
