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| ADVOCATE NEWSLETTER | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Volume 23• Number 4 » VA Provides Overdue Relief for Veterans in Nursing Homes » VA Document Tampering and Mishandling are Subjects of Oversight Hearing » Senate VA Chairman Applauds President’s Advanced Funding Proposal » AMS Supports Legislation to Provide TRICARE to “Gray Area” Guard/Reserve Members » Senate VA Committee Holds Hearings on Rural Veterans » First Lady Vows More Support for Military Spouses, Families » U.S. Forces in Iraq Pay Tribute to Bataan Death March Victims |
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VA Provides Overdue Relief for Veterans in Nursing Homes Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisc.) recently applauded news that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is finally implementing a law to reimburse state nursing homes for the full cost of the care they provide for certain seriously disabled veterans. More than two years after Congress passed legislation to provide full nursing home reimbursements for veterans with disabilities rated 70 percent or greater, cash-strapped states and more than a thousand disabled and elderly veterans stand to benefit from the law’s implementation. VA will pay retroactive reimbursements for nursing home care back to March 21, 2007. “This long-overdue benefit will help disabled veterans receive the care they earned through their service. It will provide relief to nursing homes across the country that have been burdened with the cost of their care, despite Congress’s order that VA provide reimbursement. I am pleased that VA will provide retroactive benefits for the veterans and state homes that have waited for over two years to receive the assistance they are entitled to,” said Akaka. Feingold stated, “For over a year, I have been pressing the VA to put in place these regulations so that veterans, and the state homes that care for them, won’t have to pay for care in state long-term care facilities that they would receive for free in VA facilities. I am pleased that the new administration has finally acted on this issue and our veterans who have more than earned this care will be able to receive it in more facilities and without having to use their often limited income to pay for it.” On May 5, 2006, Senator Akaka introduced the Veterans Long-Term Care Security Act directing VA to pay the full cost of nursing home care for certain disabled veterans. That bill was later incorporated into the omnibus Veterans Benefits, Health Care, and Information Technology Act of 2006, which became Public Law 109-461 on December 22, 2006. When more than a year had passed and VA had yet to implement the law, Akaka and Feingold were joined by a bipartisan group of Senators in calling on VA to quickly issue the regulations necessary for implementation. Report from the Hill The President has presented a $3.55 trillion budget for fiscal year 2010 beginning 30 September 2009. The budget increases taxes on the wealthy and forecasts a deficit of $1.2 trillion. The OMB (Office of Management and Budget) Director stated that the administration has identified $2 trillion in long term reductions to cut the deficit in half by 2013. The 2010 Budget sets aside a reserve fund of $634 billion as a down payment on universal health care coverage over a 10-year period. The down payment is estimated to cover two-thirds of the expected cost of the government health plan which is projected to cost $1 trillion. $318 billion of the down payment would come from cutting payments to hospitals and insurance companies under Medicare and Medicaid. Another $318 billion would come from increasing taxes on couples who make more than $250,000 per year and individuals who make over $200,000. The Administration budget would also impose a carbon tax on gasoline, oil, coal, natural gas and other fossil fuels, which will translate into higher prices for those fuels. Part of these funds ($120 billion) will be set aside for federal subsidies to develop alternative energy sources. The remainder of energy taxes will finance the $400 per individual and $800 per couple refund of their payroll taxes. Income taxes will go up for the wealthy with the highest rate up from 35 % to 39.5 %. Capitol gains tax rates would move from 15 to 20 percent for the wealthy and the budget would limit their tax deductions. In addition, a variety of business taxes would go up while cutting capitol gains taxes for small business. Defense Budget The budget includes a pay raise of 2.9 percent. It also includes a proposal to expand concurrent receipt of military pay and VA compensation to all Chapter 61 retirees. We do not have the details on how this will be implemented as yet and, as you know, the devil is always in the details. However, we thank the President for including this provision that AMS has long supported. The DoD Health Care System, which DoD leaders have stated is too expensive, is being funded at $47 billion. Over the past two years the Pentagon, under Republican leadership, tried to impose significant TRICARE fee increases on retirees. In each case the Democratic Congress rejected them. However, the players have changed. We now have a Democratic President and a Democratic Congress. The current budget includes full funding for the Defense Health Program without the need for imposing additional fee increases on retirees. Unfortunately, Secretary Gates has said the matter is open for discussion. Insiders say they worry Congress will be pressured by the Pentagon behind the scenes to do the dirty work and impose the fees. AMS and other associations must fight this effort if it develops. AMS President, CSM Doug Russell, said, “Retirees have prepaid their health care fees by dangerous, challenging service and it is outrageous if the Administration and Congress even consider imposing further fees on retirees and their widows. It would be a breach of promises made over many years and in effect a retired pay cut.” Before imposing more fees on military retirees there are many actions DoD can take. For example, a recent Inspector General report outlined serious failures by the military to collect fees for treatment from contractors and others in Iraq. Over time this has amounted to millions of dollars if not billions. AMS has long proposed a review of health care spending. We believe some of the cost of providing medical care in combat is not being properly categorized. This could result in allocations of costs improperly to medical care being provided in the U.S. Of course, care in combat is the highest priority and no expense should be spared to give our warriors the best care possible. However, it should be properly funded and accounted for. This budget also recognizes that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) are medical challenges that will continue for years. DoD is implementing a comprehensive TBI registry to track incidents and recovery. The service Surgeons General will expand the numbers of mental health professionals with deployed units to provide care more quickly. The National Intrepid Center of Excellence is funded for psychological health and Traumatic Brain Injury and will be dedicated in late fall of 2009. This will serve as the clinical research and educational center of DoD’s Center of Excellence for Psychological Health. Department of Veterans Affairs The budget increases overall VA funding by $25 billion above the base line over the next five years. The increased funding for health care will enable the VA to create centers of excellence and provide additional veteran-oriented specialty care in areas including prosthetics, vision and spinal cord injury, aging and women’s health. The budget enhances outreach and services related to mental health care and cognitive injuries with a focus on access for veterans in rural areas. In addition, new funding will help veterans and their families to stay informed of these resources and encourage them to pursue needed care. Funds are also provided for implementation of the post 9/11 GI Bill. In summary, the President’s Budget contains several key benefits for AMS members. This is the President’s proposal and it will go through a lot of discussion. In particular, the defense Budget will face tough scrutiny. There is a lot of unhappiness in Congress over the weapons systems cuts which include the C17 Transport Aircraft, the F22 fighter, part of the Army’s Future Combat Systems and other weapons programs. We will work hard to keep our programs in the budget and may call on you for help as the year progresses. Douglas Russell At last, the President has sent his FY 2010 budget to Congress and given us his spending goals for the next fiscal year. Be sure to read the “From the Hill” column by AMS Government Relations Representative, Chuck Partridge, and see what the President’s proposals are. Although Congress will make changes in what he has asked for, they will use his budget proposal as a starting point. The new fiscal year starts October 1, so they have a lot of work to do if they’re going to pass a new budget before then. We will keep you posted on the issues that are important to you and you can be sure we will be fighting to protect all of your hard-earned military benefits. * * * I want to pay tribute in this issue to a good friend of mine, Lt. Gen. Richard Trefry. General Trefry was honored by the Army earlier this year for his 65 years of service to the Army and the nation when they created the Lt. Gen. Richard Trefry Lifetime of Service Award. The award will go to soldiers and civilians who have had a significant impact on the Army through a long-standing commitment to innovation and leadership. General Trefry spent 40 years in the Army and 25 (and counting) as a civilian and contractor. He began his career as an enlisted man in the Army Air Corps during World War II. After the war he went to the United States Military Academy and graduated in the class of 1950. He served in both Korea and Vietnam and became Inspector General of the Army in 1977. After retiring from the Army in 1983, he went on to serve as military assistant to President George H.W. Bush and director of the White House Military Office. I express my sincerest congratulations to him on this well-deserved honor. VA Document Tampering and Mishandling are Subjects of Oversight Hearing Recently, two subcommittees of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs held a joint hearing on document tampering and mishandling incidences that occurred at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The document mishandling issue surfaced last year when, during a VA Office of Inspector General audit of VA mailroom operations, important veterans’ documents were found in a ‘shred bin’. In a follow-up nationwide investigation, VA discovered hundreds of inappropriately placed documents at forty-one different VA regional offices. In a separate incident, document tampering issues were discovered by VA officials in July 2008 during a routine site visit at the VA regional office in New York. Committee Ranking Member Steve Buyer of Indiana requested an investigation of the situation in which erroneous receipt-of-claim dates were intentionally entered into VA’s work tracking system to artificially bolster productivity measures. Though the office’s performance was skewed, no resultant harm was done to veterans. During the hearing, Congressman Doug Lamborn of Colorado, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, was joined by Congressman Phil Roe, M.D. of Tennessee, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigation. Both members voiced deep concern over the issues, and encouraged VA to accelerate its move toward an electronic, paperless claims system to help mitigate such problems. Lamborn reminded members of a bill he introduced, which became a provision within Public law 110-389, to require VA to create such a system. “While my idea for a paperless rules-based system would not be a panacea for all of VA’s problems, I am convinced that with electronic files, the shredding incident could have been avoided,” Lamborn said. “When veterans submit claims for benefits, they must be able to have trust that VA will adjudicate them in a timely and accurate fashion. Unfortunately, the shredding incident has violated this trust for many veterans and it is now VA’s job to regain it. It is very unfortunate that the actions of a few have tarnished the work of so many dedicated VA employees.” “Our nation’s veterans deserve better than this,” Roe said. “The mishandling of claims documents is unacceptable. Veterans must be assured that when important documents are submitted to VA, they are immediately entered into their files, and processed in a timely manner.” Senate VA Chairman Applauds President’s Advanced Funding Proposal Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) has applauded President Barack Obama’s commitment to work with Congress on providing advance appropriations as set forward in his proposed budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “By allowing VA to plan ahead, taxpayer dollars will go further and veterans will receive better health care. I look forward to working with President Obama’s Administration to make the goal of on-time funding for veterans’ health care a reality,” said Akaka. The Appendix to President Obama’s proposed Budget, includes projections on advance appropriations, as well as the statement that “the Administration plans to work with the Congress to develop a specific advance appropriation proposal for the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Care program.” Earlier this year, Chairman Akaka sponsored the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act of 2009 (S. 423), which would provide timely and predictable funding for the veterans health care system. Currently, veterans’ health care is funded through a year-by-year appropriation, which has been late 19 of the past 22 years. VA operates the largest health care system in the nation, providing care for millions of wounded and indigent veterans. S. 423 is cosponsored by a bipartisan group of over 40 Democratic, Republican, and Independent senators, and has the strong backing of many national veterans service organizations. President Obama expressed his support for advance funding for VA last month. AMS Supports Legislation to Provide TRICARE to “Gray Area” Guard/Reserve Members AMS recently joined with other veterans groups in supporting HR 270, a bill authored by Representative Robert Latta of Ohio that would permit retired members of the National Guard and Reserves with 20 or more years of honorable service to purchase TRICARE health insurance prior to age of 60, the date they would normally be entitled to military health care coverage under the TRICARE program. AMS regards H.R. 270, the TRICARE Continuity of Coverage for National Guard and Reserve Families Act of 2009, as a career retention incentive for Guard and Reserve men and women. The Latta bill supports military readiness by encouraging our Guard and Reserve members to complete a full reserve career so that they can continue to have family health coverage after retiring but before they reach age 60. In addition, because “gray area” reserve retirees are subject to recall into the active armed forces -- and many have been re-activated since September 11, 2001 -- they are an important source of mobilization manpower. During their time in the “gray area”, they should not have to suffer any gap in their military health insurance coverage. We believe our nation’s “operational reserves” can no longer be managed as they were during the Cold War. H.R. 270 sends a powerful signal that the country values the service and sacrifice of our citizen- warriors. AMS is very confident this legislation will encourage more Guard and Reserve families to consider staying the course and earning a reserve retirement. Senate VA Committee Holds Hearings on Rural Veterans The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee recently held hearings to discuss the health care problems our newest veterans face when they return to homes in rural areas. Many veterans live in small towns and communities, including a large number of Guard members and Reservists who have been such a big part of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Members of the Guard and Reserve face challenges different from their active duty counterparts, who return to military bases with the support of their unit and programs geared toward re-acclimating them to life outside of the combat zone. When a Guardsman or Reservist returns home, he or she can be isolated from their unit and must reintegrate without a strong VA or DoD presence or support system. Frequently, these servicemembers live up to, and beyond, 50 miles from their home base. When health care is needed, a rural community may not have providers who offer mental health services like group counseling or therapy. The doctors may not be familiar with treating combat-related disorders. “We have an obligation to care for all our veterans in need, regardless of location,” stated Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka. “We must ensure that adequate resources are available in our small communities, and that VA engages fully with local health care providers. Every resource must be united in the effort to care for our wounded warriors, be it a community hospital or VA clinic. When there is no VA presence available, this may mean paying community providers for the reasonable costs of care.” First Lady Vows More Support for Military Spouses, Families First Lady Michelle Obama was surprised to learn that the majority of military families feel their struggles often go unnoticed, she said during an interview recently with The Pentagon Channel and American Forces Press Service. “I just saw the results of a recent survey done by Blue Star Families that shows that 94 percent of military families feel as if the country doesn’t understand their challenges,” Obama said. “That’s a pretty powerful statement.” The struggles include moving from city to city and trying to find good schools, or child care, or a new job. In the case of a military spouse, all of these struggles fall on one set of shoulders when a servicemember is deployed. The administration is moving ahead with concrete measures to make military families’ lives a little easier, Obama said. “We’re seeing a 2.9 percent increase in salary for our [servicemembers] to ensure that we’re retaining and attracting new numbers of individuals who want to be part of the military forces and feel like they can build a life as a result,” she said. “In terms of our spouses, the administration is investing $80 million just for career development and training for spouses, which is critical.” That’s just the beginning. “You’ll see more down the line that will show, not just in word but in deed, that we have to invest in our military, their families, and our veterans in a real meaningful way,” she added. “Whether that’s job training, mental health support [or] whether that’s ensuring that people have access to the health care they need.” These are all good steps to lowering the number of military families who feel disconnected from the rest of the American public, but more can be done, the first lady said. “There’s also a separate call to the nation that has nothing to do with the government,” she said. “It’s what we do in our own neighborhoods that’s also an important part of what this community of families needs to feel.” It’s about neighbors reaching out, businesses reaching out to new military families in the area. Even schools and colleges can help military families and spouses by thinking creatively about helping them transfer credits and gain access to training and other educational opportunities, she said. The outreach doesn’t need to be a grand gesture, as even the smallest act is a signal to the military community that the nation understands the sacrifices its servicemembers and their families are making, Obama said. And even though she, too, has endured having an absent spouse, she said there is no comparison to the extra burden on military spouses. “I try not to compare my experience in any way to what a military spouse faces,” the first lady said. “When I was away from my husband during the time of the campaign, he wasn’t at war. “What I do know is that when you’re married to somebody who feels a call to serve, that you’re part of that service as well,” she said. That means she’ll stand behind, next to, or with her husband, Obama added. “The women and men that I’ve met who are serving alongside their spouses feel the same way,” she said. “They feel a part of this challenge and they embrace it with pride and dignity and courage and strength.” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen recently declared a “Military Spouse Appreciation Day.” It’s a wonderful recognition, Obama said, “but that’s just one day. We should be doing it every day.” In light of the day, however, she said she wants every military spouse to know they’re loved, valued and appreciated, and that the administration will work hard to make sure that’s realized. She had one other wish for them as well. “Hopefully somebody will take them out to lunch,” she said with a chuckle. U.S. Forces in Iraq Pay Tribute to Bataan Death March Victims Eighty-six soldiers and civilians stationed in Iraq “joined” efforts with Minnesota National Guard soldiers in Minnesota to participate in the 12th Annual Bataan Memorial March in May. The event honored veterans who were victims of the Bataan Death March, a war crime in which 78,000 servicemembers were forced to march more than 55 miles from the Bataan Peninsula to be held as prisoners of war at Camp O’Donnell following the surrender of Allied Forces in the Philippines in 1942. Along the harsh journey, troops were beaten at random, denied food and water for days at a time and executed if they became weak and fell out of the march. As a result of the cruel treatment by the Japanese, who had not counted on transporting such a large number of POWs, nearly 20,000 servicemembers died. Organizers of the memorial event, the Minnesota National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 194th Armor Regiment from Brainerd, Minn., hold a deep connection to the veterans of the Bataan Death March. In 1941, soldiers from the Brainerd Guard’s 194th Tank Battalion deployed to the Philippines and were attacked on the Bataan Peninsula by the Japanese. Those heroes fought for five months in sustained combat and experienced first-hand the atrocities of the Bataan Death March. Those who survived suffered in POW camps for three years after. Soldiers from the 34th Red Bull Infantry Division and 10th Mountain Division stationed in Iraq showed their respect to fallen heroes and surviving veterans of the Death March by competing in 10- and 20-mile marches in both light and heavy divisions. Maj. Thomas Sutton, with the 10th Mountain Division, was the first to complete the 20-mile light division march. “This was a great opportunity,” Sutton said. “I just wanted to finish. But I went slow and kept a steady pace, and everything worked out.” Vacations: Getting There Can Be Fun, Too If you and your family are planning to hit the road this summer, you may already be thinking about what you’ll do once you arrive at your destination. But take some time to plan for the drive, too. Some ideas for fun in the car may make for a more pleasant — and safe — trip.
* This information brought to you by Liberty Mutual and the American Military Society. Our partnership with Liberty Mutual offers competitive rates and superior service to AMS members. For more information, or to request a quote, call toll-free 1-800-524-9400 and mention client #3825. Reprinted with permission from Liberty Mutual. Air Force Leaders Name Next Top Enlisted Leader Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz and Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force Rodney J. McKinley have announced the Airman selected to be the service’s next enlisted leader. Chief Master Sergeant James A. Roy became the 16th Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force during an appointment ceremony on June 30, 2009, which coincided with Chief McKinley’s retirement. “This is a good day for all Airmen,” General Schwartz said. “While they will lose a tremendous leader and advocate in Chief McKinley, they gain a worthy successor in Chief Roy. Given his record and reputation, I am confident that Chief Roy will carry the best interests of our Air Force family forward to our nation’s leaders as we support today’s joint fight and rebalance our force for the challenges ahead.” Chief Roy and his wife Paula will come to the Pentagon from Camp Smith, Hawaii, where the chief currently serves as the senior enlisted leader and advisor to the U.S. Pacific Command combatant commander, representing more than 200,000 Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors and Marines. Chief Roy joined the Air Force in 1982. His career includes assignments as a heavy equipment operator in the civil engineer career field and then in leadership positions at the squadron, group, and numbered air force levels. He has served as the Command Chief Master Sergeant at wings in Air Education and Training Command, Air Mobility Command and Air Combat Command. He was also deployed as the Command Chief Master Sergeant of the 386th Air Expeditionary Wing in Southwest Asia. Prior to assuming his current position he was the Command Chief Master Sergeant for U.S. Forces Japan and Fifth Air Force at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Chief McKinley retired after serving for 30 years. He served as the Master Sergeant of the Air Force since June 30, 2006. “Chief McKinley has devoted his entire adult life to our Air Force and to taking care of Airmen and their families,” General Schwartz said. “He has accomplished so much throughout his career, but as Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, he and his wife Paula have made monumental contributions.”
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