From: Director, RAO Baguio [raoemo@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Thursday, June 14, 2007 8:26 PM
Subject: RAO Bulletin Update 15 June 2007
Attachments: Veteran Legislation Update 07-06-14.doc
RAO Bulletin Update
15 June 2007
THIS BULLETIN UPDATE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLE= S:
=3D=3D Mobilized Reserve 13 June 07 ------------ (N= et Increase 5636)
=3D=3D Small Business Administration (03) ---------= (Patriot Express Loans)
=3D=3D DoD Disability Evaluation System (01) ------= ------ (Firms Volunteer)
=3D=3D Parkinson’s Disease --------------- (I= sradipine Treatment Promising)
=3D=3D VA Bonuses (03) ---------------------------- (Acknowledges Problems)
=3D=3D
=3D=3D VA Fraud -----------------------------------= --- (Defrauders Prosecuted)
=3D=3D ID Card Copying (01) ---------------- (Trica= re Providers Authorized)
=3D=3D Vet Suicide --------------------------- (Twi= ce non-Vet Rate)
=3D=3D VA
=3D=3D AFRC Shades of Green (04) ------------------= -- (Vet Rooms Offered)
=3D=3D NDAA 2008 (04) --------------------------- (= Senate Debate Late JUN)
=3D=3D WRAMC (10) --------------------------- (Road= Ahead)
=3D=3D Military Funeral Disorderly Conduct (08) ---= ------- (NH Legislation)
=3D=3D Crime Victim Resource Overseas -------- (Cri= me Victim Assistance)
=3D=3D Crime Victim Resources
=3D=3D VA
=3D=3D VA Claim Fixers -------------------- (Jeopar= dizing Benefits)
=3D=3D Medicare Fraud ----------------- ($142 Milli= on)
=3D=3D VDBC (17) --------------------- (
=3D=3D Medicare Reimbursement Rates 2008 ----------= - (10% Cut Pending)
=3D=3D Tricare Triwest RC Resource Center ---------= (Website for Reserves)
=3D=3D
=3D=3D Prostrate Problems (02) ------------------ (= Omega 3-Fatty Acids)
=3D=3D Hurricane Preparedness ---------------- (Are= you Ready?)
=3D=3D VA Consolidated Mail-out Pharmacy ----------= -- (Major Expansion)
=3D=3D Death Issues ---------------------- (Things = to Consider)
=3D=3D Military Health Care Growth (01) --- (DoD Overestimated Savings)
=3D=3D
=3D=3D POW/Missing Personnel Database ----------- (= WWII Now Available)
=3D=3D Twilight Brigade -------------------------- = (Do Not Die Alone)
=3D=3D Navy Sabbaticals --------------------- (Under Consideration)
=3D=3D VA Health Care Funding (09) ----------------= ----- (Increase Praised)
=3D=3D
=3D=3D Kentucky Vet Home --------------------------= -- (Completion by 2018)
=3D=3D
=3D=3D
=3D=3D Military Enlistment Tips ---------------- (H= ow to proceed)
=3D=3D Tax Burden by State ----------------------- = (Rankings)
=3D=3D Veteran Legislation Status 14 JUN 07 -------= ----- (Where We Stand)
Editor’s Note: Attached is a listing of veteran legislation with current cosponsor status that has been introduced in the 110th Congress. To see any of these bills passed i= nto law representatives need input from their veteran constituents to instruct = them on how to vote.
MOBILIZED RESERVE 13 JUNE 07: The Army, Air Force and Mari= ne Corps announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 30 MA= Y 07 in support of the partial mobilization. The net collective result is 5636 m= ore reservists mobilized than last reported for 30 MAY 07. At any given time, services may mobilize some units and individuals while demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. Total number currently on active duty in support of the partial mobilization for = the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 74,155; Navy Reserve, 5,102; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 6,169; Marine Corps Reserve, 6,200; a= nd the Coast Guard Reserve, 358.This brings the total National Guard and Reser= ve personnel, who have been mobilized, to 91,984, including both units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel, who are currently mobilized, can be found at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2007/d20070613ngr.pdf. [Source: DoD News Release 13 June 07 ++]
SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION UPDATE 03: With nearly a quarter of newly discharged veterans considering starting their own businesses, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson praised a new Small Business Administration (SBA) venture to make business ownership easier for all veterans. The SBA h= as unveiled a program called “Patriot Express” that offers a wide variety of assistance to veterans interested in setting up or expanding the= ir own small businesses. Assistance under the new SBA program for veterans ran= ges from help writing a business plan and managing a business, to obtaining financing and learning how to export goods. Participants may also qualify f= or loans between 2.25% and 4.75% over the prime interest rate. That computes to 10.5 to 13%. The program, offered through a network of lenders, will provide loans of up to $500,000. The SBA will guarantee up to 85% of loans below $150,000, and up to 75% of loans between $150,000 and $500,000. It also promises a fast turnaround for loan approvals and reduced paperwork. Loans = can be used for starting or expanding a business, equipment or inventory purcha= ses, working capital or business-related real estate acquisitions.
= Patriot Express is open to veterans, reservists and National Guard members, current spouses of eligible personnel, the surviving spouses of service members who die on active duty, or spouses of veterans who die from= a service-connected disability. Sen. John Kerry (D-MA), chairman of the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, said in response to the program's unveiling that he will = work with the SBA to lower the interest rate and fees. Expanding veterans’ eligibility to SBA’s Patriot Express program was a key recommendation= of a presidential task force on the needs of returning veterans that Nicholson chaired. Nicholson delivered = the panel’s report to the White House on 23 APR. More information about t= he SBA program is available at the Small Business Administration’s Patri= ot Express website: http://www.sba.gov/patriotexpress. [Source: VA News Release 13 Jun 07 ++]
DOD DISABILITY EVALUATION SYSTEM UPDATE 01: Injured forces returning from
= Danny Soto, a national service officer acting as an advocate for the soldiers and a liaison between DAV and Walter Reed, said much of the backlo= g is the result of an overload on the Physical Evaluation Board, which determines disability and compensation. The board plows through about 80 cases a week = at Walter Reed alone, not counting the appeals. On top of that, JAG officers, = the military attorneys assigned to represent the soldiers, are overloaded and soldiers don’t often feel the attorneys are on their side, Soto said.=
"They are getting to the point where they just= want to get out," Soto said of the soldiers who have become leery and weary= of the evaluation process and frequently end up taking whatever disability pay they can.
The law firms — which include, LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, King & Spaulding and Foley & Lardner — w= ill not only provide assistance to soldiers from the start of the process, but = will assure the best interest of the soldier is well in hand, he said. Some sold= iers have already expressed newfound confidence since the announcement.
Recent official reports, DAV investigations and personal accounts all suggest that the system appears to be unfairly stacked against individual soldiers, particularly in the Army. Defense Department officials say they a= re working hard to rectify the problem. But the stack against the soldier seems evident. According to the current evaluation process, even if a service mem= ber has more than one potential disability, the military assigns a rating from = 0 to 100% to just one injury that renders the soldier unfit for duty. Anything b= elow 30% affords the soon-to-be veteran a one-time severance check based on his = or her rank and years of service and nothing else. Anything above 30% provides= the soldier and his or her family with lifetime care, plus a pension based on t= he member's active duty pay. In April, the congressionally-mandated Veterans Disability Benefits Commission provided Congress with preliminary findings = from its investigation into whether the military has been lowballing disability ratings, a charge denied by the Pentagon. Its analysis is based on thousand= s of disability records since the War on Terror began. It found that 81% of all disabilities between 2000 and 2006 were rated 0 to 20% by the military. Out= of 50,676 Army soldiers deemed unfit for duty, 27% received 0 percent ratings.= In 59% of those cases, according to the commission's early findings, the VA has given a 30 to 100% disability rating to the same soldier who earned a zero = to 30% rating from the military. [Source: Fox News Kell= ey Beaucar Vlahos article 12 Jun 07 ++]
PARKINSON’S DISEASE: Northwestern University rese=
archers
have discovered a drug that slows and may even halt the progression of
Parkinson’s disease. The drug rejuvenates aging dopamine cells, whose
death in the brain causes the symptoms of this devastating and widespread
disease. D. James Surmeier, t=
he
Nathan Smith Davis Professor and chair of physiology at
= The illness is the second most common neurodegenenerative disease in= the country, affecting about 1 million people. The incidence of Parkinson’= ;s disease increases with age, soaring after age 60. Isradipine may also significantly benefit people who already have Parkinson’s disease. In animal models of the disease, Surmeier’s team found the drug protected dopamine neurons from toxins that would normally kill them by restoring the neurons to a younger state in which they are less vulnerable. The principal therapy for Parkinson’s disease patients currently is L-DOPA, which is converted = in the brain to dopamine. Although L-DOPA relieves many symptoms of the diseas= e in its early stages, the drug becomes less effective over time. As the disease progresses, higher doses of L-DOPA are required to help patients, leading to unwanted side-effects that include involuntary movements. The hope is that = by slowing the death of dopamine neurons, isradipine could significantly extend the time in which L-DOPA works effectively. The work by Surmeier’s gr= oup is particularly exciting because nothing is known to prevent or slow the progression of Parkinson’s disease. The next step will be launching a clinical study. For additiona= l info refer to http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2007-06/nu-nfd060707.php. [Source: Northwestern University Press Release 10 Jun 07 ++]
VA BONUSES UPDATE 03: The VA acknowledged problems on 12=
JUN
in its award of $3.8 million in bonuses to senior officials who put health =
care
at risk and said it would consider changes to avoid conflicts of interest a=
nd
improve oversight. Testifying before a House panel, Veterans Affairs Deputy
Secretary Gordon Mansfield insisted the hefty awards were appropriate and
necessary to retain hardworking VA employees. But he agreed the process mig=
ht
lack objectivity because members who sit on VA performance review boards --
charged with recommending bonuses for top employees -- all come from within=
the
agency and typically get bonuses themselves.
= Mansfield spoke as a few members of a veterans advocacy group, Grassroots America, silently held up signs in the hearing room that read, '= 'My 80% disabled son backlogged 1 1/2 years,'' and ''$$ for vets not execs.'' T= he hearing before a House Veterans Affairs subcommittee comes after The Associ= ated Press reported last month that 21 of 32 officials who were VA performance review board members received more than half a million dollars in payments themselves. Among them: nearly a dozen senior officials who received bonuses ranging up to $33,000. Those officials, however, were involved in crafting a budget that came up $1.3 billion short by repeatedly failing to anticipate needs of growing numbers of veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. A= lso rewarded was the deputy undersecretary for benefits, who manages a system w= ith severe backlogs of veterans waiting for disability benefits. The current wa= it for veterans averages 177 days, nearly two months longer than the VA's strategic goal of 125 days.
=
Earlier in the hearing, government investigators told House members =
the
VA needed to do a better job in linking its bonuses to the department's ove=
rall
success in treating veterans. The GAO said confusion still exists in the VA=
on
the proper criteria, and executives based in
'When the backlog of claims has been increasing for= the past few years, one would not expect the senior-most officials to receive t= he maximum bonus. Indeed, it appears the bonuses in the central office were awarded primarily on the basis of seniority and proximity to the secretary.” Florida Rep. Ginny Brown-Waite, the panel's top Republica= n, said she wanted to make sure the bonuses were awarded based on VA officials' 'actual performance, and not just performance on paper. “The federal government should not be in the practice of awarding bonuses to people who permit failure on their watch. It should be limited only to the very best, particularly in time of war.” [Source: New York Times article 13 Jun 07 ++]
=
At present the Wisconsin G.I. Bill provides a waiver
(“remission”) of tuition and fees for eligible veterans and the=
ir
dependents for up to 8 full-time semesters or 128 credits at any University=
of
Wisconsin System (UWS) or Wisconsin Technical College System (WTCS)
institution. The Wisconsin G.I. Bill is a state program that is entirely
separate from the federal VA's Montgomery G.I. Bill. For additional
information, eligibility criteria, instructions on how to apply for the
Wisconsin G.I. Bill, and statutory citations for the program, refer to
http://dva.state.wi.us/benefits.asp.
In accordance with 2005
The benefit recipient must reside in
= Additionally, a 100% remission is provided to the qualifying depende= nts of an eligible veteran.
Spouse; or Unremarried Surviving Spouse; or Child b= etween the ages of 18 and 25, qualify if the veteran was a Wisconsin resident at t= he time of entry onto active duty provided the veteran:
- Is c= urrently rated by the federal VA with a combined service-connected disability rating= of 30% or greater (Effective Fall Semester 2005); or
- Died= in the line of duty while on active, Reserve, or Guard duty (Effective Fall Semest= er 2005); or
- Died= as the direct result of a service-connected disability, as determined by the feder= al VA (Effective July 1, 2006).
For qualifying spouses and unremarried surviving sp= ouses, the benefit must be used within 10 years of the date of death or the initial disability rating of 30% or greater. The spouse or unremarried surviving sp= ouse may attend full-time or part-time. For qualifying children, the benefit is available from ages 18 through 25. The child must attend full-time. For the Wisconsin G.I. Bill, the veteran must have been a Wisconsin resident at the time of entry onto active duty. Character of service and active duty service requirements apply and the benefit recipient must reside in Wisconsin. [Source: WI Dept of VA Website Jun= 07 ++]
VA FRAUD: Continuing a long-standing campaign to identify and prosecute those = who defraud veterans of their rightful benefits, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently highlighted several successes by its Inspector General in investigating people who mishandle the finances of veterans and family memb= ers unable to manage their own affairs. Among recent cases successfully prosecu= ted as a result of investigations by VA’s Office of the Inspector General are:
- Los = Angeles resident Anne Chavis pleaded guilty to perjury and forgery in embezzling $1 million from veterans who were too disabled to handle their own financial matters. She is awaiting sentencing.
- The = daughter and son-in-law of an elderly Alaskan veteran with Alzheimer’s disease diverted about $500,000 from the veteran to make personal purchases while failing to pay the veteran’s bills.&= nbsp; Phyllis Talas was sentenced to 60 months’ probation, and Frank Talas to six months’ incarceration and 36 months’ probation.
- A Wa= shington state woman overseeing her niece’s VA benefits pleaded guilty to misappropriating funds and was sentenced to 36 months of probation. Christina May diverted to her pers= onal use funds from VA’s Dependency and Indemnity Compensation awarded to = her under-age niece.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson said, “VA is committed to protecting our veterans, especially our most vulnerable veterans. We will investigate and help bring charges against anyone suspected of defrauding veterans of the disability compensation or any other assistance they have earned. Fiduciary fraud is a heinous crime. We will bring the full force of law against offenders.” From JAN 2005 through 5 APR 07 the VA’s Off= ice of Inspector General investigated 61 cases of alleged fiduciary fraud. Twenty-seven people were indicted = on related charges, of whom 19 have been convicted so far. Resulting penalties have included = $1.9 million in court-ordered restitution for veterans or their estates, 191 months’ imprisonment and 838 months of probation. To report suspected fraud involving veterans benefits, other crimes, fraud, waste or mismanagem= ent in the VA, contact the Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1(800) 488-82= 44 or email at vaoig.hotline@forum.va.gov.&nb= sp; [Source: VA News Release 12 Jun 07 ++]
ID CARD COPYING UPDATE 01: With identity theft on the r=
ise,
it is understandable to feel a little uncomfortable with ID card copying.
VET SUICIDE: = The risk of suicide among male U.S. veterans is double that of the general population, according to a study published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Dr. Mark S. Kaplan, professor of community health at Portland State University in Oregon is the lead author of the study. For 12 years, Kaplan = and his team of researchers followed more than 104,000 veterans who had served = in the armed forces at some time between 1917 and 1994 and compared them with = more than 216,000 non-veterans. In all, between 1986 and 1997, 508 of them commi= tted suicide -- 197 veterans and 311 non-veterans. After adjusting for a host of potentially compounding factors, including age, time of service and health = status, the study showed that those who had been in the military were 2.13 times mo= re likely to die of suicide over time. At biggest risk were veterans who were white, those who had gone to college and those with activity limitations, according to the study, which was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.
= Still, Kaplan would not say that the study proves that military serv= ice itself results in an increased risk of suicide. “I never feel comfortable cl= aiming a causal relationship, he said. “Life is too complex.” No surpr= ise was the finding that veterans were more likely to use guns to end their liv= es than were their non-veteran counterparts. One unanticipated finding was that being overweight appeared to confer protection from suicide by more than 50= %, the study found. Kaplan cited a paucity of data on the subject, but said it might have to do with the fact that people who are underweight are more lik= ely to smoke, and smokers are more likely to be depressed. Though the study did= not include veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, “We can say quite confidently that, regardless of the era when they served, that veteransR= 17; status alone seems to be a risk factor for suicide, he told CNN.
= With the projected rise in functional impairments and psychiatric morbidity among veterans of the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq, clinical= and community interventions directed towards patients in both VA and non-VA hea= lth care facilities are needed,” the authors concluded. Kaplan said offic= ials in the Veterans Administration were surprised by the findings, but welcomed them, “because it does point to a problem that they need to be addressing.” The VA has recently begun expanding its mental health screening facilities, but that may not solve the problem, said Kaplan, beca= use three-fourths of veterans do not receive their care from VA hospitals. “Our concern is that that only touches a fraction of all veterans; th= at most of the veterans are not being perhaps properly screened outside the VA facilities.” About 1.3% percent of deaths in the country are estimate= d to be suicides, Kaplan said. But the true rate may be off by 25%, given that suicide has long been shrouded in stigma. “Health care facilities don’t like to talk about suicide,” he said. “It’s o= ften viewed as a failure of the system. ... Many physicians feel, if you even mention suicide, that might prompt the behavior.” [Source: CNN.com article 11 Jun 07 ++]
VA SUICIDE CALL CENTER: The recently announced Veterans Af= fairs Suicide Mental Health Crisis Hotline call center at the Canandaigua VA Medi= cal Center will be the first of its kind in the United States. Suicidal veterans will have access to highly trained professionals able to refer them to a ra= nge of programs and facilities not available to civilians, Stephenson said. That may include specialized behavioral health units, partial hospitalization centers and post-traumatic stress disorder specialists all across the count= ry. Krista Stephenson, assistant to hospital director Craig Howard said operati= onal details are scant at the moment, but Stephenson said that the 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week hotline will work much like the National Suicide/Crises Prevention Hotlines 1-800-SUICIDE/1-800-273-TALK, but with a focus on veter= ans. Nor could Stephenson comment on how the program originated or why it’s being located in Canandaigua. The hospital is currently recruiting nurses a= nd behavioral health professionals to fill the approximately 23 full time positions. The call center is on track to open in September. or October Medical professionals interested in working at the center should call human resources at (585) 939-7766.
= In the interim the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced pla= ns to hire suicide prevention counselors at each of its 153 medical centers. T= he new suicide prevention counselors will join the 9,000 mental health professionals already employed by VA. The Department spends nearly $3 billion a year for mental health services. About 1 million VA patients have a mental health diagnosis. Mental health services are provide= d at each of VA's 153 medical centers and more than 700 community-based outpatie= nt clinics. Last month, VA Secre= tary Nicholson announced an initiative to hire 100 new employees to provide readjustment counseling at each of the Department's 207 community-based Vets Centers. At present 30,000 Americans die by suicide and 50,000 Americans attempt suicide each year. [Source: Finger Lake Times article 11 Jun 07 ++]=
AFRC SHADES OF GREEN UPDATE 04: Shades of Green, the Armed Forces Recreation Center Resort on Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, rece= ntly announced the commencement of its Salute to Veterans Program. This program expands current eligi= bility to allow any honorably discharged veteran the opportunity to stay at Shades= of Green Resort during the months of September 2007 and January 2008. Under the guidelines of the special program, you do NOT need to be a military retiree but you will need a valid DD214 indicating Honorable Discharge. Shades of Green, Surro= unded by one of the best golf courses in Florida, completed a full renovation and expansion in 2005. For more information about the resort refer to the Shade= s of Green website at http://www.shadesofgreen.org/ or call (407) 827- 8387. [Source: NAUS Update 8 Jun 07 ++]
NDAA 2008 UPDATE 04: With the full House of Representatives passing its version of the of= the FY2008 Defense Authorization Bill on 17 MAY (H.R.1585) and the Senate Armed Services Committee having approved its draft (S.1547) the last week in May,= the next step on the road to enactment of this important legislation is consideration by the full Senate. The Senate Armed Services Committee appro= ved draft followed its counterpart in the House by rejecting the Bush administration’s call to raise Tricare fees and deductibles for a sec= ond year. They also rejected raising Tricare retail drug co-payments. Senators = want to delay action on any such changes for at least another year. Lawmakers and their staffs want to study the final report of the Task Force on the Future= of Military Healthcare, which is due in DEC 07. Some other details from the Se= nate committee bill are:
- Accu= mulated leave: The Senate committee voted to allow any servicemember to carry up to= 90 days of unused leave into the fiscal year. The current ceiling is 60 days f= or members not in a war zone. Senators said that is too limiting given the pac= e of operations today.
- Chap= ter 61 retirees: The Senate committee bill would take a more dramatic step than the House to expand eligibility for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC) = to Chapter 61 retirees’ members forced by service-connected disabilities= to leave service short of 20 years. The Senate language would allow any Chapte= r 61 retiree with combat-related disabilities to receive both disability compensation and CRSC. Their CRSC payment would be the equivalent of retired pay based on years served. The House voted to expand CRSC eligibility only = to Chapter 61 retirees who served at least 15 years and have combat-related disabilities rated 60 percent or higher.
- Rese= rve retirement: One item that will spark negotiation is the Senate committee’s language to lower the start of Reserve retirement below a= ge 60 by three months for every 90 days a reservist or National Guard members = is recalled to active duty. This change at first glance looks like a boon to career reservists mobilized for Iraq and Afghanistan. But the committee could find= no money to apply this change retroactively to deployments since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. This change, therefore, would only lower retirement age for Reserve and National Guard personnel mobilized after the date the bill is signed.
- SBP-= DIC offset: The Senate bill is silent on ending or phasing out of the so-called SBP-DIC offset that impacts 61,000 surviving spouses. Current law requires = that payments under the military’s Survivor Benefit Plan be reduced by amo= unts surviving spouses receive in Disability and Indemnity Compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The House bill would take a first step towa= rd elimination the offset by paying up to a $40 a month survivor indemnity allowance starting in OCT 08. Though the Senate committee ignored the SBP-D= IC offset issue, an initiative still might be added when amendments voted on during floor debate on the authorization bill later in June.
- Surv= ivor benefits: The committee did adopt two smaller changes to survivor benefits.= One provision would allow guardians and caretakers of dependent children to rec= eive SBP benefits, closing a coverage gap brought to light with U.S. deaths in I= raq and Afghanistan. Grandparents or other guardians have been left to care for surviving children, but they are ineligible for SBP to help raise them.The Senate bill also would allow servicemembers to designate in writing anyone = as beneficiary of their death gratuity. This change would treat the death paym= ents more like an insurance policy.
- Drug discounts: Both the House bill and Senate-committee bill would squeeze pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide federal pricing discounts to medici= nes dispensed through Tricare retail pharmacy network. Such discounts already a= re given on medicines dispensed on base, through the military’s mail ord= er program and through VA clinics and hospitals. The Senate language orders th= e discounts for Tricare retail outlets. The House language is not as rigid. It would al= low the department to exclude drugs from the Tricare retail formulary if drug makers do not provide the discounts. The Senate committee decided the House approach could hurt patients.
All indications are that the Senate will take up th= e bill during the last week in June -- the week before the Senate is scheduled to break for the traditional 4th of July recess. Because the Senate bill traditiona= lly draws hundreds of time-consuming amendments, Senate leadership usually schedules it for action just before a recess. That gives senators an incentive to compromise and finish action on the amendment list in a timely fashion or r= isk having to stay in session and eat into their scheduled home time. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) already has indicated his intention to offer an amendment to repeal the SBP/DIC offset and implement 30-year, paid-up SBP this year. In addition, veteran organizations= are working with other potential sponsors on a short list of key amendments we including provisions to increase Tricare fee protections, make further prog= ress on concurrent receipt, help restore military pay comparability, and fix GI = Bill inequities. [Source: Stars & Stripes Tom Philpott article 2 Jun & M= OAA Leg Up 8 Jun 07 ++]
WRAMC UPDATE 10: On 5 JUN at the Army's Milit= ary and Veteran Service Organization Leadership Conference, top Army leaders acknowledged the Army health care system had broken down and the gaps in ca= re identified by the Washington Post at Walter Reed were a wake up call. The n= ew leadership is focused on ensuring that problems get fixed in a way that puts soldiers and families first. Speakers included MG Gale Pollock, acting Army Surgeon General; MG E= ric Schoomaker, commander of Walter Reed; LTG James Campbell, Director of the A= rmy Staff; Gen George Casey, Chief of Staff of the Army; and Pete Geren, acting Secretary of the Army. Each speaker expressed a clear message of positive, immediate change. They highli= ghted the new Army Medical Action plan (AMED) that will be fully implemented by 1= JUN 08. AMED is the Army's initiative to develop a sustainable system where disabled and ill soldiers are medically treated and vocationally rehabilita= ted to prepare them for a successful return to duty or transition to citizenship.
= One change also being considered is a complete revision of the disability evaluation process. According to BG Reuben Jones, the Army's Adjutant General, a possible option is to have the services determine "= ;fitness for duty" but pass the responsibility for assigning a disability ratin= g to determine retirement eligibility to the VA. This proposal has received endorse= ments from other commissions and task forces on the severely wounded. Other recommendations from the leadership include:
- Redu= cing the 8-year rule affecting separation for pre-existing conditions.
- Rais= ing the cap for severance pay from 12 years of basic pay to 15 years.
- Offe= r early retirement to all members found unfit for duty with 15+ years of service.
- Elim= inating the deduction of VA pay from disability severance payments.
- Reta= ining injured, recalled retirees on active duty for medical care (vs. current pro= cess of immediate return to retirement).
- Expa= nding eligibility for retroactive traumatic injury protection under SGLI.
[Source: MOAA Leg Up 8 Jun 07 ++]
MILITARY FUNERAL DISORDERLY CONDUCT UPDATE 08: The New Hampshire House on 7 JUN approved creating a new medal to honor the state’s war dead, and to shield their funerals from protests. The state’s Medal of Honor would go the families of New Hampsh= ire military members killed in the line of duty. The same bill also would ban protests at funerals. The ban was prompted by a protest at a New Hampshire military funeral in April by a Kansas-based group. The bill would ban prote= sts within 150 feet of the road entrance and 300 feet from a cemetery, from an = hour before to an hour after a funeral. “This bill protects the sanctuary = of a military member’s final resting place. When someone loses somebody, it can’t be about politics,” said Rep. Kris Roberts, a Keene Democ= rat and Marine Corps veteran who added the protest ban to the bill. “Peop= le need the time to say their last goodbye,” he said. [Source: NavyTimes Daily News roun= dup 8 Jun 07 ++]
CRIME VICTIM RESOURCE OVERSEAS: The Bureau of Consular Affairs, Ov= erseas Citizens Services is committed to assisting American citizens who become victims of crime while traveling, working, or residing abroad. Government officials, known as consuls or consular officers, at embassies and consulat= es in nearly 250 cities throughout the world are responsible for assisting U.S. citizens who may be traveling, working, or residing abroad. In addition, in approximately 50 cities where a significant number of Americans reside or v= isit and there is no U.S. embassy or consulate, consular agents provide emergency assistance to U.S. citizens. Consuls, consular agents, and local employees = work with their counterparts in the Bureau of Consular Affairs Overseas Citizens= Services Office in Washington, D.C. to provide emergency and non-emergency services = to Americans abroad. Consular duty personnel are available for emergency assistance 7/24 at embassies, consulates, and consular agencies overseas an= d in Washington, D.C. To contact the Office of Overseas Citizens Services in the U.S. call 1(888) 407-4747 (during business hours) or (202) 647-5225 (after hours). To contact the U.S. Embassy in Manila call 63-2-528-6300 ext 2246, = if after work hours ask for the Duty Officer.
If you are the victim of a cr= ime overseas contact the nearest U.S. embassy, consulate, or consular agency for assistance. Also, contact loc= al police to report the incident and obtain immediate help with safety concern= s. Request a copy of the police report. Consular personnel can provide assistance to crime victims. When a U= .S. citizen becomes the victim of a crime overseas, he or she may suffer physic= al, emotional, or financial injuries. Additionally, the emotional impact of the crime may be intensified because the victim is in unfamiliar surroundings. = The victim may not be near sources of comfort and support, fluent in the local language, or knowledgeable about local laws and customs. Consuls, consular agents, and local employees at overseas posts are familiar with local government agencies and resources in the country where they work. They can help American crime victi= ms with issues such as:
- Repl= acing a stolen passport;
- Cont= acting family, friends, or employers;
- Obta= ining appropriate medical care;
- Addr= essing emergency needs that arise as a result of the crime;
- Obta= ining general info about the local criminal justice process and information about your case;
- Obta= ining information about local resources to assist victims, including foreign crime victim compensation programs;
- Obta= ining information about crime victim assistance and compensation programs in the U.S.; and
- Obta= ining a list of local attorneys who speak English.
Consular officials cannot investigate crimes, provi= de legal advice or represent you in court, serve as official interpreters or translators, or pay legal, medical, or other fees for you. [Source: Manila Embassy Newsletter= Jun 07 ++]
CRIME VICTIM RESOURCES U.S: If you are the victim of a crime w= hile overseas or in the states you may benefit from specialized resources for cr= ime victims available in the U.S. Throughout the country thousands of local cri= me victim assistance programs offer help to victims of violent crime and most = will help residents of their community who have been the victim of a crime in another country. These include rape crisis counseling programs, shelter and counseling programs for battered women, support groups and bereavement counseling for family members of homicide victims, diagnostic and treatment programs for child abuse victims, assistance for victims of drunk driving crashes, and others. To locate crime victim assistance programs refer to the following:
- Vict= im Compensation - All states operate crime victim compensation programs and nearly half of = them offer benefits to their residents who are victims of violent crime overseas. These state compensation programs provide financial assistance to eligible victims for reimbursement of expenses such as medical treatment, counseling, funeral costs, lost income or loss of support, and others. Generally victim compensation programs require the victim to report the crime to law enforce= ment and they usually request a copy of the police report. Info about each state’s crime victim compensation program and how to apply for compensation is available = on the Internet at the web site of the National Association of Crime Victim Compensation Boards, http://www.nacvcb.org.
- Sexu= al Assault - The 7/24 hotline for sexual assault crisis counseling and referrals in the U.S is 1(800) 656-HOPE. It is operated by a non-profit organization, RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), which also has info at http://www.rainn.org. Info ab= out local sexual assault victim assistance programs in the U.S. is also available from each state’s sexual assault coalition. Contact information for these state coalitions are listed on the website of the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/ .
- Dome= stic Violence - The 7/24 National Domestic Violence Hotline, which provides cris= is counseling and referrals in the U.S., is 1(800) 799-SAFE. Info about local domestic violence victim assistance programs in the U.S. is also available = from each state’s domestic violence coalition. Contact information for the= se state coalitions is listed on the the U.S. Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women website http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/statedomestic.htm.<= /p>
- Viol= ant Death - The 7/24 crisis counseling and referral line for families and friends of those who have died by violence is 1(888) 818-POMC. It is operated by a non-profit organization, POMC, Inc., (The National Organization of Parents = of Murdered Children) which also has info at http://www.pomc.org.
- Drunk Driving - Info about national and local resources for victims and family members of victims of drunk driving crashes is available on the web site of Mothers Against Drunk Driving, http://www.madd.org.
- Cont= act info for non-emergency victim assistance services in communities throughout the = U.S. is available on the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime = web site, http://ovc.ncjrs.org/findvictimservices/.
- Info= for crime victims on the impact of crime, safety planning, legal rights and civ= il legal remedies, and options for assistance and referrals to local programs = is also available from the National Crime Victim Center. Call 0830 to 2030 EST 1(800) FYI-CALL or call TTY for hearing impaired 1(800) 211-7996. Info is also available at http://www.ncvc.org .
- Info= and referral to victim assistance programs is available from the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA). Call 7/24 1(800) TRY-NOVA. Information is also available at http://www.trynova.org/
- Info= about victim assistance programs in approximately 20 countries is available at Vi= ctim Assistance On-line, http://www.vaonline.org.
[Sour= ce: Manila Embassy Newsletter Jun 07 ++]
VA NURSING ACADEMY: To address a shortage of nurses across the nation and ensure that veterans continue to receive personalized, world-class care in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) facilities, VA has announced their creation of a new multi-campus Nursing Academy. It will expand the teaching faculty, improve recruitment and retention, and cr= eate new educational and research opportunities for VA nurses. VA has one of the largest nursing staffs of any health care system in the world, with about 61,000 registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, vocational nurses and nursing assistants at the Department's 153 medical centers and nearly 900 clinics. A five-year, $40 mil= lion pilot program will establish partnerships with 12 nursing schools across the country during the next three years, beginning with four for the 2007-2008 academic year. The VA nursing academy is a virtual organization with central administration in Washington and teaching at competitively selected nursing schools across the country who partner with VA. VA currently provides clini= cal education to nearly 100,000 health professional trainees annually, including students from more than 600 schools of nursing. Despite a nationwide shorta= ge of nurses, the American Association of Colleges of Nursing has reported that more than 42,000 qualified applicants were turned away from nursing schools= in 2006 because of insufficient numbers of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space and clinical mentors. “The new partnerships will reinvigorate VA’s nursing academic affiliations and ensure continued quality in cl= inical education,” said Dr. Michael J. Kussman, VA’s Acting Under Secretary for Health. Further information about the pilot program can be obtained from VA’s Office = of Academic Affiliations Web site at www.va.gov/oaa. [Source:
VA CLAIM FIXERS: The US Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) in Manila is receiving an increasingly number of claims for= VA benefits from veterans or survivors who avail of the services of a “CLAIMS FIXER”. VA often find these claims contain fraudulent evidence submitted by the fixers. In the Philippines when VA discovers that= a claim involves a claim fixer it is fully investigated which delays processi= ng of the claim. If it is determined that fraud was committed, the veteran or = his survivor’s right to VA benefits are forfeited. This is a lifetime forfeiture meaning the veteran and /or their dependents lose all rights to = ever be considered for VA benefits for the rest of their lives. Claims Fixers ha= ve no connection within the VA. If approached by someone claiming to have an &= #8220;IN” with the VA, notify the nearest VA office immediately. Claim fixers cannot affect the outcome of your claim. They can only jeopardize your entitlement= to VA benefits. To protect yourself:
- Avoi= d claim fixers. Anyone charging a fee to assist you is a claims fixer.
- Do = not sign any form unless it is completely filled out and all the information contain= ed on the form is accurate. If possible, you should fill out the forms yoursel= f.
- Do = not sign any affidavit or statement unless they are accurate.
- Do = not sign any statement in support of another person’s claim unless the informa= tion is accurate.
- Do = not submit any medical evidence or doctor’s statements unless the informa= tion is factual.
- Do = not allow any affidavits or statements to be submitted in support of your claim unless the information in the document is accurate.
- Do = not pay someone the benefits you have earned in defense of your country. They have = no right to those benefits.
The provisions for forfeiture only apply in the Philippines, not stateside or anywhere else. In the states the DVA can get = the state attorney general or District Attorney to bring charges and subsequent= ly a prosecution. In lieu of that option in the Philippines, the forfeiture provision applies. If you have questions about VA benefits or services, con= tact the USDVA. The USDVA has representatives available to assist you with your claim. In the Philippines you may visit them at the US Embassy in Manila or call them, toll free (PLDT) 1-800-1888-5252. If you live in Metro Manila, y= ou can dial 528-2500. You may also visit the website: https://iris.va.gov for = more information. VA does not char= ge for services they provide for claim assistance. [Source: Jon Skelly Director VARO = Manila May 07 ++]
MEDICARE FRAUD:&nb= sp; Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales and Secretary Michael Leavitt of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced 9 MAY tht 38 peo= ple have been arrested in the first phase of a targeted criminal, civil and administrative effort against individuals and health care companies that fraudulently bill the Medicare program. The arrests in the Southern Distric= t of Florida are the result of the establishment of a multi-agency team of feder= al, state and local investigators designed specifically to combat Medicare fraud through the use of real-time analysis of Medicare billing data. Since the f= irst phase of strike force operations began on 1 MAR 07 in southern Florida, the strike force has obtained indictments of individuals and organizations that have collectively billed the Medicare program for $142,061,059. Charges bro= ught against the defendants in these indictments include conspiracy to defraud t= he Medicare program, criminal false claims, and violations of the anti-kickback statutes. If convicted, many of the defendants face up to 20 years in priso= n on these charges.
The strike= force is able to identify potential fraud cases for investigation and prosecution quickly through real-time analysis of billing data from Medicare Program Safeguard Contractors (PSCs) and claims data extracted from the Health Care Information System. In phase one operations in Miami, teams have identified= two primary schemes that defrauded the Medicare program – infusion therapy and durable medical equipment (DME) suppliers. All of the strike force case= s to date target these two areas. The work of the strike force is just one step = in a multi-phase enforcement and regulatory project designed to improve the qual= ity of the industry and reduce the potential for fraud in the durable medical equipment and infusion areas. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence = of fraudulent providers. The end result will be better service to beneficiaries and savings of billions of dollars that might otherwise go to fraudulent businesses. On the morning of 8 MAY 07 federal agents arrested an additiona= l 24 people to conclude a sweep in southern Florida of DME supply company owners= who were engaged in various schemes to defraud Medicare based on fraudulent prescriptions bringing the total number of arrests to date to 38. The indictments outline various types of fraudulent schemes. Those schemes included:
- Comp= ounded aerosol medications -- a process where a pharmacist makes medicine to meet a special medical need for a patient, rather than dispensing less expensive commercial pharmaceuticals. The indictments allege that the homemade medications were not necessary and that they were only prescribed to defraud Medicare. In one example, Eduardo Moreno, the owner of multiple DME compani= es, was arrested on 7 APR after being named in a six-count indictment on fraud charges. Two of Moreno’s companies – Brenda Medical Supply Inc., and Faster Medical Equipment Inc. – allegedly billed Medicare for more than $1.9 million for services that were not medically necessary. The FBI h= as seized of some of Moreno’s assets, including a new Rolls Royce Phantom worth approximately $200,000.
- In a five-count indictment out of the Southern District of Florida, Barbara Diaz= and Jose Prieto were charged with conspiring to defraud Medicare, submitting fa= lse claims to Medicare and money laundering. The indictment alleges that Diaz a= nd Prieto engaged in an “infusion therapy scheme” where patients d= id not need the drugs that were purportedly used. From 9 MAR through 31 DEC 06, the defendants billed Medicare more than $900,000 for infusion.
- Seiz= ure warrants have been used to take money back from bank accounts associated wi= th the activity alleged in the indictment. In one case, HHS-Inspector General agents recovered more than $1.2 million from a corporate bank account after arresting Leider Alexis Munoz, the president and chief executive officer of= RTC of Miami, Inc., an infusion clinic located in Hialeah, Fla.
The strike force teams are led by a federal prosecu= tor supervised by both the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section in Washington and the office of U.S. Attorney R. Alexander Acosta of the Southern Distric= t of Florida. Each team has four to six agents, at least one agent from the FBI = and HHS Office of Inspector General, as well as representatives of local law enforcement. The teams operate out of the federal Health Care Fraud Facilit= y in Miramar, Fla. The operation is being prosecuted by attorneys from the Crimi= nal Division’s Fraud Section and the Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, and supervise= d by Fraud Section Deputy and Chief of the Criminal Division in Miami. In additi= on to federal agents, the teams have officers and detectives from the Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Hialeah Police Department. An indictment is merely an allegation and defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. [Source: DOJ Press Release 9 May 07 ++]
VDBC UPDATE 17:&nb= sp; The Institute of Medicine (IOM) on 7 JUN recommended that the Depart= ment of Veterans Affairs should overhaul its outdated system of compensating for= mer military personnel for disabling injuries they suffered during their service. The institute said i= n a report requested by the federal Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission th= at the current system dates, in part, to the World War II era and is out of st= ep with modern medical advances in diagnosing, understanding and treating conditions such as traumatic brain injury.= The institute is a branch of the National Academies, an organization chartered by Congress to advise the government on scientific and technical issues. The disability benefits commission, created by Congress in 2003 to study the VA compensation system, is expected to issue a report this year. = For years, the VA rating system has been criticized for bureaucratic delays and disability ratings that many veterans say are lower than they should be, wh= ich means they get less compensation. The subject is getting renewed attention = as veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan return home with post-traumatic stress disorder, brain damage, amputations and other serious injuries and conditions. The IOM panel also recommended that:
- The = VA and DoD consider comprehensive medical and vocational evaluations of newly separated members.
- VA r= ating boards have access to medical experts who can help interpret new medical evidence.
- The = VA take into account the effect an injury has on the quality of life and ability to engage in usual life activities, not just earning capacity
- The = VA establish a regular process for updating the rating schedule.
- Bett= er vocational determinations be used for the award of individual unemployabili= ty (IU).
- Eli= gibility for IU be based on an individual's disabilities along with education, employment history, and the effects of age on potential employability.
- The = VA implement a gradual reduction in IU compensation for those able to return to gainful employment, rather than abruptly terminating disability payments at= an arbitrary level of earnings
= VA officials said in a statement that they are reviewing the study, = and that they are considering creating a joint process for disability determinations with the Defense Department. Veterans are eligible for month= ly payments of $115 to $2,471 depending on the severity of the disability. Last year, about 2.7 million veterans received $26.5 billion in compensation, an average of more than $9,800 per veteran.&n= bsp;
Joe Violante, national legislative director for the nonprofit advocacy group Disabled American Veterans (DAV), said the report overreached. "A total revamp of the system is uncalled for because VA = has continually looked at that rating schedule and made revisions over the years," he said. "It's not like this rating schedule was done in a vacuum in 1945 and has never been touched." [Source: Washington Post Christopher Lee ar= ticle 8 Jun 07 ++]
MEDICARE REIMBURSEMENT RATES 2008: The American Medical Association (= AMA) launched a $2 million lobbying campaign 4 JUN against a scheduled 10% cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians.&nbs= p; The cut is scheduled to take effect on 1 JAN 08 in accordance with t= he Medicare physician payment formula known as the sustainable growth rate (SG= R.) Congress has blocked scheduled SGR cuts each year since 2002. These Medicare cuts impact military retirees in two ways:
- Tric= are reimbursements are indexed as a percentage (max =3D100%) of Medicare Allowa= ble Amount. Thus, even though you might not be Medicare eligible, your out of pocket medical expenses will increase.
- Rega= rdless of whether you have Basic Tricare or Tricare for Life, you might have difficulties finding a health care provider.
As part of AMA’s campaign, the group released= a survey of nearly 9,000 doctors showing that if the payment cut went into effect:
- 60% = of doctors would limit the number of new Medicare patients they accept;
- More= than two-thirds would defer the purchase of needed information technology in 200= 8;
- 50% = would reduce their staff; and
- 14% = would stop treating patients entirely.
Cecil Wilson, chair of AMA’s board, said the association is deeply concerned by the alarming news of the doctors’ responses to the survey. According to AMA, scheduled SGR adjustments over t= he next nine years would amount to a 40% reduction in payments, while doctors’ costs are expected to increase 20% during the same period. In addition to asking for a reversal of the scheduled 10% cut, AMA is lobbying Congress to eliminate the SGR formula. The Medicare Payment Advisory Commis= sion in March issued a report recommending that Congress cancel the scheduled cut for 2008 and instead increase payments by 1.7%
= The cost of reversing future physician reimbursement cuts could be offset by making payments to private Medicare Advantage plans equal to reimbursements for traditional Medicare. These plans are currently are 12% higher on average than traditional Medicare payments. In their survey, fewer than one in= five doctors said that the additional payments to Medicare Advantage plans should continue. Discussing AMA’s position on Medicare Advantage funding, Wi= lson said, “It doesn’t make sense to cut in traditional Medicare in order to fund Medicare Advantage plans. Better to share that money equally. Reducing Medicare Advantage payments by 12% would raise about $65 billion o= ver five years which would be roughly the same amount needed to keep Medicare physician reimbursements at current levels, with inflation adjustments, for= five years. Every year for the last five years we’ve come to the night bef= ore the end of the year and Congress has stepped in and done something. We̵= 7;re suggesting that doing this year after year is an exercise in futility and certainly is frustrating everyone, and we’re asking Congress to do something more long term this year.”
A permanent reform of the SGR formula is not likely this year unless lawmakers have a significant change of heart. Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-MT) in February said, “I think we’re still at the point where we have to deal with this on a yearly basis. I think we’re going to get there, but I don’t think this year”. House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee Chair Pete Stark (D-CA also has indicated that he does not expect a permanent SGR reform to be implemented this year. Members of the military community = can contact their elected representatives at http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=3D9862801&queueid=3D[capwi= z:queue_id to forward them a prepared email message or modified message as desired to express their concern over this issue. [Source: CA Healthline Daily Digest 5 Jun 0= 7 ++]
TRICARE TRIWEST RC RESOURCE CENTER: Due to their often-times dis= tant proximity to military bases, many National Guard and Reserve members and th= eir families are not able to access the resources and support networks built in= to an active duty military community. For that reason, TriWest’s Guard a= nd Reserve Resource Center (found on triwest.com) was developed with a virtual library of information for West Region Tricare beneficiaries serving in the National Guard and Reserve, their families and leadership. The resource cen= ter offers the following resources for members of the Guard and Reserve and the= ir families:
- Stre= aming video outlining Tricare benefits for Guard and Reserve members.
- Guar= d and Reserve-specific news and updates, including TRICARE On Point, a quarterly e-newsletter.
- Post= -deployment support and behavioral health resources for the entire family.
- Link= s to more than 80 support agencies and programs.
- Reso= urces for military leadership.
Tricare is the health care program for the military, administered by TriWest Healthcare Alliance throughout its 21-state West Region. For more information = about the Guard and Reserve Resource Center or Tricare benefits, refer to www.triwest.com. TriWest Healthcare Alliance partners with the Department of Defense to support the health care needs of 2.9 million members of America's military family. A Phoenix-based corporation, TriWest provides access to cost-effective, high-quality health care in the 21-state Tricare West Regio= n. [Source: DoD MHS News Release 8 Jun 07 ++]
CALIFORNIA VETERAN’ HOME UPDATE 01: Legislation providing an additiona= l $30 million in bonds to ensure the construction of state-owned veterans homes in Redding and Fresno has cleared the California state Senate and now goes to the Assembly. The bill, which was authored by state Sen. Sam Aanestad, R-Grass Valley, was introduced earlier this year after bids for a proposed 396-bed veterans home in West Los Angeles came in about $35 million over constructi= on estimates. The 150-bed Redding home as well as one planned for Fresno were supposed to be covered under $193 million previously approved by the Legislature for five veterans homes. But the cost overrun for the estimated $183.6 million West Los Angeles facility threatened to derail the Redding a= nd Fresno projects. The California Department of Veterans Affairs (CDVA) hopes= to break ground on the Redding home late next year with the veterans’ ho= me possibly opened by 2010. CDVA is also acquiring land, planning, and designi= ng two other veterans’ homes in Lancaster (Los Angeles County) and Satic= oy (Ventura County). Vets desiri= ng to be considered for membership in the state’s veterans’ homes mus= t be residents of California, age 62 or older (or younger if disabled), and have served honorably. Veterans se= eking admission should refer to http://www.cdva.ca.gov/homes and/or contact their home of choice at:
1. Veterans = Home of California, Attn: Admissions, 180 California Drive, P.O. Box 1200, Yountvil= le, CA 94599 Tel: 1(800) 404-8387
2. Veterans = Home of California, Barstow, Attn: Admissions, 100 E. Veterans Parkway, Barstow, CA 92311 Tel: 1(800) 746-0606
3. Veterans = Home of California, Chula Vista, Attn: Admissions, 700 East Naples Court, Chula Vis= ta, CA 91911
[Source: Redding.com article 6 Jun 07 ++]
PROSTRATE PROBLEMS UPDATE 02: According to a study led by Duke University Medical Center researchers, Flaxseed, an edible seed that is ric= h in omega 3-fatty acids and fiber-related compounds known as lignans, is effect= ive in halting prostate tumor growth. The seed, which is similar to a sesame se= ed, may be able to interrupt the chain of events that leads cells to divide irregularly and become cancerous. Wendy Demark-Wahnefried, Ph.D., a researc= her in Duke's School of Nursing and lead investigator on the study said, “= ;Our previous studies in animals and in humans had shown a correlation between f= laxseed supplementation and slowed tumor growth, but the participants in those stud= ies had taken flaxseed in conjunction with a low-fat diet. For this study, we demonstrated that it is flaxseed that primarily offers the protective benefit.” The multisite study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health, also involved researchers at the University of Michig= an and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
= In the study, the researchers examined the effects of flaxseed supplementation on men who were scheduled to undergo prostatectomy (i.e. surgery for the treatment of prostate cancer). The men took 30 grams of flaxseed daily for an average of 30 days prior to surgery. Once the men's tumors were removed, the researchers looked at tumor cells under a microsco= pe, and were able to determine how quickly the cancer cells had multiplied. Men taking flaxseed, either alone or in conjunction with a low-fat diet, were compared to men assigned to just a low-fat diet, as well as to men in a con= trol group, who did not alter or supplement their daily diet. Men in both of the flaxseed groups had the slowest rate of tumor growth, Demark-Wahnefried sai= d. Each group was made up of about 40 participants. Study participants took the flaxseed in a ground form because flaxseed in its whole form has an indigestible seed coat. Participants elected to mix it in drinks or sprinkl= e it on food, such as yogurt.
= The results showed that the men who took just flaxseed as well as th= ose who took flaxseed combined with a low-fat diet did the best, indicating tha= t it is the flaxseed which is making the difference. Flaxseed is thought to play= a part in halting the cellular activity that leads to cancer growth and sprea= d. One reason could be that as a source of omega-3 fatty acids, flaxseed can a= lter how cancer cells lump together or cling to other body cells, both factors in how fast cancer cells proliferate, Demark-Wahnefried said. The researchers = also suspect that lignans may have antiangiogenic properties, meaning they are a= ble to choke off a tumor's blood supply, stunting its growth. The researchers h= ope to next test the effectiveness of flaxseed supplementation in patients with recurrent prostate cancer, and ultimately to study its role as a preventati= ve agent. One out of six American men will develop prostate cancer. More than 218,000 men are expected to be diagnosed with the disease in 2007, accordin= g to the American Cancer Society, and about
27,000 will die from it.
= In a separate unrelated study Dr. Joseph Quinn, associate professor = of neurology, OHSU School of Medicine and the Portland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, is leading the multicenter, National Institute on Aging-funded trial testing whether docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, can impact the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Recent European studies and the Framing= ham Heart Study found that people with the highest blood levels of DHA were abo= ut half as likely to develop dementia as those with lower levels. Dr. Quinn is working with colleagues around the country to evaluate DHA in a randomized, double-blind study in which participants will receive either the DHA or a placebo as part of a nationwide consortium of leading Alzheimer's disease researchers supported by NIA. Researchers will primarily evaluate whether taking DHA over many mon= ths slows the progression of both cognitive (thinking) and functional decline in people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's. During the 18-month experiment, investigators will measure the progress of the disease using standard tests= for cognitive change and ability to carry out daily living activities, such as managing finances, cooking and dressing. [Source: DukeHealth.org article 3 Jun 07 ++= ]
HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS: When it comes to hurricanes = and tropical storms it pays to be prepared and take steps to help ensure the sa= fety of your family and your home. A helpful resource is the Florida Department of Financial Affairs website www.fldfs.com. Here you can find information on how to file an insurance cl= aim, answers to your most-frequently-asked insurance questions, and download disaster preparedness guides. The “Hurricane Toolkit” at http://www.fldfs.com/Consumers/hurricane_2007/hurricanetoolkit.pdf is desig= ned to help you make critical financial decisions during hurricane season. This toolkit contains hurricane preparedness tips, emergency contact information= and lists the information you will need to have on hand in the event you need to make a claim. It can be downloaded or you can call 1(800) 342-2762 to have = one mailed to you. A few precauti= onary steps you should take are:
1. Develop an emergency communication plan. In case family members are separated from one another during a disaster (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at scho= ol), have a plan for getting back together.&nbs= p; Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the family contac= t. After a disaster, it's often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyo= ne in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person.=
2. Create a hurricane supply kit which includes: Flashlight and extra batteries; Portab= le, battery-operated radio and extra batteries; First aid kit and manual; Emergenc= y food and water - enough to last 3-7 days; Non-electric can opener; Essential medicine; Ca= sh and credit cards; Sturdy shoes.
3. Make sure= that you have wood/shutters pre-cut and ready to mount to your windows in the ev= ent of a storm.
4. Test your generator and make any necessary repairs.
5. Have an e= vacuation plan and make sure that your friends and family know the plan.
6. Make arra= ngements for pets.
7. If a hurr= icane approaches, Stay Informed!
[Source: FCFO Consumer eViews Newsletter 1 Jun 07 ++]
VA CONSOLIDATED MAIL-OUT PHARMACY: With mail-out pharmaceutical=
s for
veterans already a $3 billion annual operation for the Department of Vetera=
ns
Affairs (VA), the department made a major expansion in its future capability
with the dedication 11 JUN of a new building and improved production system=
for
the Dallas VA Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy. VA opened its first
mail-out pharmacy in 1994. The
seven existing mail-out pharmacies have become valuable partners in VA's to=
tal
health care program for veterans. With an annual budget of $3 billion, these
pharmacies dispense 75% of all VA prescriptions. Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharm=
acies
will handle nearly 100 million prescriptions this year, a quadrupling of
service compared to the 25 million prescriptions dispensed 10 years ago.
DEATH ISSUES: Death is a subject most of us avoid thinking about, at least in deta= il, until we reach an advanced age unless it is thrust upon us unexpectedly. But there are some practical things that should be considered for the sake of t= he survivors. When somebody dies= , do you know what things must be done just to meet the requirements of the law?= And what things ought to be done beforehand in order to ease the stress on fami= ly members? Classes on death and dying at Pasco Hernando Community College pro= vide some tips and identify some of the requirements, most of which are handled = by a funeral director in cooperation with a surviving spouse or family members.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Some of these are:
- Ther= e must be a death certificate that is signed either by the attending doctor or the county medical examiner and then filed with the county health department. I= t is not required but helpful to have a birth certificate or other document to verify the age of the deceased.
- You = will need several copies. One will have to be filed with Social Security. One wi= ll have to be filed with the will. You may need additional ones for insurance companies, banks, or other entities (particularly those that involve proper= ty). And you should have one for your records.
- If t= he deceased is a veteran, or the spouse of a veteran, who wants to be buried i= n a national cemetery (it does not have to be in the death location—it ca= n be anywhere in the nation), you must have the veteran’s discharge paper (Form DD214).
- Ther= e will have to be a burial permit. Although it is not a requirement, it certainly eases the stress on family in a situation full of stress if the deceased ha= s a written or, at least, an oral directive outlining preferences for funeral arrangements, notes Brewer. The directive could be a part of a will or a separate document.
- Perh= aps the most important of those choices is whether the body is to be embalmed or cremated. There may be religious as well as personal considerations involve= d. The decision can be divisive among family members. That factor is especially applicable if there is no surviving spouse. In the absence of a written directive, there can be no cremation unless ALL the children sign permission for the procedure.
- A di= rective also helps in such decisions as to whether there is to be a memorial servic= e, if it is to be held in a church or funeral chapel and where the burial is to take place. Those decisions, along with many others, play a big part in the cost of the funeral. For information on a Green burial in the United States refer to www.naturaldeathcare.org. For information on burial at sea refer to http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/generalinfo/a/seaburial.htm.
- Gene= rally speaking, cremation costs about half the price of embalming. But while cremation can cost as little as around $700, as compared to probably about $1,500 for a bare-bones embalming, a funeral with a cremation can be in exc= ess of $12,000. The average normal funeral in Florida runs closer to $3,000.
- Ther= e are a wide range of prices involved for a variety of services that can be include= d in a funeral. The choice of a cemetery and the location within that cemetery c= an be a significant cost, ranging from about $300 to around $10,000. Factors involved include whether it is a for-profit, perpetual care cemetery or a community cemetery, whether burial is in a mausoleum or in the ground, and = the distance you have to walk to get to the plot.
- A ma= jor cost can be that of the casket. There’s almost no limit to the price of so= me of the more expensive ones. Other cost factors include picking up the body, whether there is to be a visitation or a graveside ceremony. In addition, consideration has to be given on holding a memorial service, placing newspa= per notices, whether there will be memorial cards and perhaps a video recording= of the service.
- One = cost that people don’t ordinarily think of is a vault. Every grave must ha= ve a concrete or metal vault to prevent a collapse over time.
A funeral director can help the grieving family by leading them patiently through the ropes of what must be done and what choi= ces there are that fit within their budget. Most directors will meet with a fam= ily both before and after services to avoid overwhelming them with details all = at once. If you have questions about any subject connected with aging, except medical conditions, write to Life to the Fullest, Hernando Today, 15299 Cor= tez Blvd., Brooksville, Fla. 34613, or send an e-mail to ataft@herald.com. [Sou= rce: Hernando Today Adon Taft article 5 Jun 07 ++]
MILITARY HEALTH CARE GROWTH UPDATE 01: The Government Accountabilit= y Office (GAO) released its long-awaited report to Congress on Military Health Care.= The GAO was required by the FY 2007 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to evaluate factors identified by the DoD as contributing to increased TRICARE expenditures, the likelihood of achieving savings through proposed increased enrollment fees and deductibles, and increased pharmacy co-payments. DoD attributed its increased healt= h care spending ($17.4 billion in 2000 to $35.4 billion in 2005) to medical care inflation, benefit enhancements required by law, and increased number of eligible beneficiaries choosing TRICARE. GAO’s investigation found: <= /p>
- Esti= mated medical care inflation was not based on DoD’s actual spending trends,= but on the Office of Management and Budget’s inflation rates for various TRICARE components.
- DoD&= #8217;s used incomplete information about TRICARE programs in developing the cost estimates to calculate anticipated TRICARE costs.
- DoD = lacked documentation on how the health care cost associated with Global War on Ter= ror was calculated.
- Incr= eased spending per TRICARE beneficiary from 2001 to 2005 was active duty, 7.3%; active duty family members, 8.6%; and retirees and dependents under age 65, 7.2%. Separate analysis showed an increase of 16.2% in TRICARE for Life spending from 2003 to 2006.
- The = GAO found DoD was unlikely to achieve its expected $9.8 billion savings over fi= ve years through increased TRICARE fees and deductibles for retirees and dependents under the age of 65. DoD had based its estimate on a reduction of 500,000 retirees and dependents under age 65 beneficiaries who would chose = to leave or not enroll in TRICARE, thus saving the Department from having to p= ay for these beneficiaries’ health care.
According to the GAO, there are many reasons for DoD’s savings miscalculation:
- Proj= ected number of TRICARE beneficiaries who would drop out or not enroll was too hi= gh because older and sicker individuals in this group were unlikely to have lo= wer-priced health care insurance options available and stay in TRICARE.
- Esti= mated savings were too high because older and sicker beneficiaries who chose to s= tay or enroll would incur greater-than-average medical expenses.
- Pro= posed savings, without the loss of TRICARE beneficiaries, would equal $2.5 billion over 5 years, not $9.8 billion.
- Accu= rately forecasting savings by DoD was hampered by uncollected and compiled data, s= uch as the cost of other health insurance options and beneficiaries’ acce= ss to them.
The report found DoD’s $1.5 billion expected savings through increased retail pharmacy co-payments for all beneficiaries except active duty service members was unlikely. The reasons DoD overestima= ted the pharmacy savings were that estimated savings were based on a study using non-DoD employer-sponsored insurance programs that was not analogous to DoD’s situation and Increased pharmacy co-payments would not be large enough to offset the higher cost of beneficiaries’ prescription(s) fi= lled at retail pharmacies. While this report was not delivered in time for the H= ouse and Senate Armed Services Committees to consider in developing their versio= ns of the FY 2008 NDAA, it may provide useful information for the House and Se= nate Conferees who will develop the final version of the bill. To view the entire report “TRICARE Cost-sharing Proposals Would Help Offset Increasing Health Care Spending, But Projected Savings Are Likely Overestimated”= ., refer to: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d07647.pdf. [Source: NMFA Government & You e-News 6 Jun 07 ++]
NEW YORK MILITARY ASSISTANCE: Governor Eliot Spitzer has announc= ed a series of measures designed to assist families of deployed soldiers and oth= er military personnel in New York. Spitzer stressed that the package of assist= ance identified below was the beginning of an effort to better address the needs= of military personnel and their families. He said that an interagency task for= ce within his administration would continue to work on other initiatives:
1. Housing Ownership: Initiation of a new Housing for Ve= terans Program designed to help veterans across the state achieve homeownership. As part of this initiative, the State of New York Mortgage Authority (SONYMA) = will be offering a $10 million program to provide eligible veterans a below-mark= et mortgage with a fixed interest rate to help purchase a home. This program will provide mortgage= s at interest rates substantially lower than conventional financing. Low-interest financing coupled with SONYMA’s closing cost assistance, construction incentives, and remodeling financing, will greatly enhance the ability of U= .S. military veterans to buy or improve their homes.
2. Rental Housing:= Approval of tax incentives for the construction of approximately 200 housing units to be built in the Fort Drum area. This project, Summit Wood = in the town of Watertown, will provide rental housing for low and moderate-inc= ome families. The project is being funded through DHCR’s Low Income Housi= ng Tax Credit Program.
3. So= cial Services: Addressing the mult= iple needs of military families dealing with lengthy deployments overseas and wi= th the stress of service during times of war.= To accomplish this the Office of Mental Health (OMH), the Office of = Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services (OASAS), the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS) and the Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA) will offer the following programs and services:
- a.
- b.<= span style=3D'mso-spacerun:yes'> Expand family support services thr= ough the Independent Living Center in Jefferson County to provide support to families who have children with emotional problems;
- c.
- d.
- f.
- g.
4. DV= A: The State Division of Veteran Affa= irs (DVA) will establish a full-time state veterans counselor in Watertown to improve coordination of existing services in the Fort Drum region & schedule training sessions with county mental health, social services and substance abuse providers to help them understand veteran eligibility and available services.
[Source: North County Gazette article 29 May 07 ++]
POW/MISSING PERSONNEL DATABASE: The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (DPMO) announced 4 JUN that an electronic data= base listing the names of servicemembers still unaccounted for from World War II= is now available for family members and researchers. This new listing will aid researchers and analysts in WWII remains recovery operations. Prior to this three-year effort, no comprehensive list of those missing from WWII has existed. This database, listing nearly 78,000 names, was compiled by researchers from DPMO and the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command. They used hard-copy sources including “The American Graves Registration Service Rosters of Military Personnel Whose Remains were not Recovered” from = the National Archives II repository in College Park, Md., and “The World = War II Rosters of the Dead.” Once transferred into electronic formats, th= ey used computer programs to compare the two lists and determined possible discrepancies among the entries. These differences were then resolved using additional sources from the National Archives and thousands of personnel fi= les from the Washington National Records Center.
After more than three years of research and coordination to transfer information into an electronic format, efforts to gather more data on unaccounted-for WWII servicemembers continue. New names and information wil= l be added as historical documents and personnel files are located. The names of servicemen whose remains are recovered and identified in the future will be removed as families accept the identification and inter their loved ones in cemeteries of their choice. This WWII database, along with databases listing the missing from the Korean War, Cold War, Vietnam War and Gulf War, are available on DPMO’s Web site at http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo . For additi= onal information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for missing Americans, refer to the DPMO Web site or call (703) 699-1169. [Source: DoD News Release 689-07 d= td 4 Jun 07 ++]
TWILIGHT BRIGADE: The dying are one of
Society’s most unrecognized and underserved minorities. As individuals near end-of-life th=
ey are
often ignored, discounted, misunderstood and forgotten. The Twilight Brigade, Compassion in
Action is a non-profit organization committed to raising society’s co=
nsciousness
about the needs of the dying through community and professional education,
advocacy, and direct services to the terminally ill and their loved ones.
NAVY SABBATICALS: The Navy is looking at a pil=
ot
program that would let officers and enlisted members leave the service for =
up
to two years with a guarantee of acceptance back if still qualified—b=
ut
with no requirement to return. The program might appeal to sailors wishing =
to
take care of newborn children, carry out caregiving for family members, or
attend colleges or universities. While on such a “sabbatical” t=
hey
would not receive pay or other benefits. Enlisted sailors would keep their =
rank
and time in grade, as well as qualifications for advancement. Although
officials are still considering how to implement the plan for officers, they
might just be moved into different year groups. The Navy has no time table =
for
completing the study, but officials expect a decision within six months.
VA HEALTH CARE FUNDING UPDATE 09: Draft legislation to boost f= unding for veterans programs to $87.7 billion next year is being hailed as a major victory by organizations representing millions of America’s former defenders. The $109.2 billion= bill crafted by the House Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriati= ons Subcommittee provides $43.29 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs. “This represents a significant, much-needed investment in health care and the benefits delivery system for = our nation’s sick and disabled veterans,” according to AMVETS, Disa= bled American Veterans, Paralyzed Veterans of America and Veterans of Foreign Wa= rs. The four veterans’ service organizations said the bill provides a $6 billion increase in VA health care funding, exceeding their own recommendation by $294 million. “This is= the first time that lawmakers have surpassed our recommendations in the 21 years that we have been publishing The Independent Budget,” the groups note= d. The bill also funds the VA biomedical research program at $480 million, as recommended in The Independent Budget, an increase of $68 million over the = 2007 funding level.
= In addition to the increase for veterans medical care and constructi= on projects, the bill includes enough funding for the VA to hire more than 1,0= 00 new employees to tackle a large backlog of almost 640,000 disability compensation claims. Cutting the backlog would reduce the time veterans must wait for a decision on their benefits, which averages 177 days for an origi= nal claim and more than two years for initial appeals. “The proposed incr= ease in VA funding is recognition that caring for our veterans is a continuing c= ost of national security and a willingness to provide the resources to meet tho= se needs,” the groups said. They praised Subcommittee Chairman Chet Edwa= rds (D-TX) for his leadership in crafting the measure, as well House Budget Committee Chairman John Spratt (D-SC) Appropriations Committee Chairman Dav= id R. Obey (D-WI) and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for their suppo= rt of additional funding for veterans programs. The Independent Budget provides the nation's decision-makers a veterans' perspective on federal spending and national policy priorities for veterans programs. These recommendations are well-considered policy and funding proposals based on the actual needs of t= he men and women these programs were created to serve. As a comprehensive, authoritative policy document, The Independent Budget focuses on funding recommendations for veterans health care, benefits delivery, medical facili= ties construction, veterans' cemeteries and other so-called discretionary progra= ms that will be needed in the coming fiscal year. [Source: DAV Legislative Support Specialist= Caren Wooley msg 1 Jun 07 ++]
MICHIGAN VET CEMETERY UPDATE 01: On 3 JUN the Great Lake National Cemetery in Holly MI was dedicated. Burials actually began at the 544-acre site in Oakland County on 17 = OCVT 05 and more than 2,500 interments have already taken place. Nearly 487,000 veterans and their families live within the service radius of the national cemetery, which is = 45 miles northwest of Detroi