Karen Jowers, Military Times Journalist Profile

Articles

Thousands in West Region being booted out of military’s Tricare

6 days ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

Thousands of beneficiaries are finding out they are being disenrolled from Tricare health care coverage in the West Region because they didn’t set up recurring payments by an April 30 deadline. “We anticipate the total being approximately 30,000 beneficiaries” who will be disenrolled in the process that is currently under way, TriWest officials said in a statement to Military Times. Those who want to reinstate their coverage must do so by June 30.
Thousands in West Region being booted out of military’s Tricare

6 days ago | yahoo.com | Karen Jowers

Thousands of beneficiaries are finding out they are being disenrolled from Tricare health care coverage in the West Region because they didn’t set up recurring payments by an April 30 deadline. “We anticipate the total being approximately 30,000 beneficiaries” who will be disenrolled in the process that is currently under way, TriWest officials said in a statement to Military Times. Those who want to reinstate their coverage must do so by June 30.
Babysitter sentenced for baby’s death in Hawaii military housing

1 week ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

A former babysitter has been sentenced to 20 years in prison following her manslaughter conviction in the 2019 overdose death of a 7-month-old baby in privatized military housing in Hawaii. Dixie Denise Villa, 46, was sentenced Wednesday in Hawaii civilian court, more than six years after baby Abigail Lobisch died on Feb. 23, 2019, from an antihistamine overdose in Villa’s unlicensed daycare at her house at Aliamanu Military Reservation in Honolulu.
DOD educator unions sue Trump over collective bargaining rights

1 week ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

Unions representing thousands of educators in Department of Defense Education Activity schools have filed a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order excluding certain federal workers from the right to collective bargaining. The lawsuit, filed Monday in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues Trump’s executive order issued on March 27 violates the First and Fifth Amendment rights of educators and their unions.
DOD should fix parent notifications about alleged child abuse, IG says

1 week ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

Military officials need to shore up their policies for notifying parents of children allegedly abused or neglected in child development centers, according to a new report from the Defense Department Inspector General. New DOD rules requiring child development center personnel to notify parents within 24 hours after they learn of an allegation don‘t go far enough, the report states.
DOD working on recipe to improve food on military bases

1 week ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

As healthy food gets more attention in national discussions, defense officials are looking at a coordinated attack on the problem of a lack of tasty, nutritious food on military installations. Defense officials are in the beginning stages of putting together a DOD-wide plan to meet the nutritional needs of service members and their families, Glenn Garrison, the Defense Department’s director of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation and Resale Policy, said during a recent military food service webinar.
Military families get another extension to ease Tricare West problems

1 week ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

Military families enrolled in Tricare Prime in the West Region have an extra two months, through June 30, to get specialty care without having to get approval from the contractor, TriWest Healthcare Alliance. It’s the second time Defense Health Agency officials have extended their referral approval waiver, which was first announced in late January.
Commissary director sees opportunity for stores amid DOD upheaval

2 weeks ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

Amid the whirlwind of changes within the Defense Department under the Trump administration, commissary agency officials said the organization is looking to strengthen the benefit for customers. “We’re going to use everything that is happening to make [the Defense Commissary Agency] a better organization.
Nationwide doorstep delivery getting closer for commissary customers

3 weeks ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

RICHMOND, Va. — Commissary officials are getting close to awarding a contract for the doorstep delivery of groceries, said John Hall, director of the Defense Commissary Agency. “We need this. Our customers want and need this contract,” Hall said during a meeting of the American Logistics Association in Richmond, Virginia, on Tuesday. “I’m really excited about this.”Hall did not provide a specific timeline for the broader rollout of the service, which is currently limited to select pilot locations.
Thousands of military families use child care app devised by airman

3 weeks ago | militarytimes.com | Karen Jowers

A new app is helping to fill a gap in short-term child care needs for some military families. Kinderspot allows parents to sublet their child care spaces at Air Force child development centers when they’re away for vacation or other reasons, connecting them to other eligible Department of Defense families who need the child care. The app, which was the brainchild of Air Force Maj. Jacque Vasta, was launched Air Force-wide in July, following testing at a number of bases.