From: Director, RAO Baguio [raoemo@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Sunday, October 14, 2007 6:14 AM
Subject: RAO Bulletin Update 15 Oct 2007
Attachments: Veteran
Senate Legislation Update 07-10-13.doc; Veteran
House Legislation Update 07-10-13.doc
RAO Bulletin Update
15 October 2007
THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES
VA Physician Quals ---- (Hiring system validity questioned)
Marine Reserve Bonus ----------------------------- (Expanded)
Overseas
VA Obesity Initiative [02] ------------ (Epidemic of diabetes)
VA Flu Shots --------------------------------- (200= 7/08 Season)
VA Health Care Funding [11] --------------- (IL referendum)
VA Polytrauma Rehab Centers ------------ (Not up to speed)
VA Clinic
VA VistA [01 ----------------- (Outage cripples pat= ient care)
Check/Money Order Scams --------- (Consumers easy p= rey)
Funeral Honors [03] --------------- (Customs and Traditions)
VA Facility Expansion [10] -------------- (
MA DPL Data Breach ------------- (450,000 SSN’= ;s released)
SBP Basics [02] -------------------------- (Good or= Bad deal?)
Tricare Reserve Select [08] -------- (Continuation coverage)
CT Vets Wartime Service Medal ------ (270K Vets Eli= gible)
VA CWT & IT ------------------------ (Change in= Tax Status)
VDBC [22] ------------------------- (25% Disability= Pay Hike)
VDBC [23] ------------------------ (Action delayed = until 2008)
Medicare Rates 2008 --------------------- ($2.90 Increase/mo)
NDAA 2008 [09] ------------------------- (Senate Bi= ll Passed)
VA Polytrauma Care [01] -------------- (5th PRC Announced)
Medicare Part D [16] ---------- (Closing the Doughn= ut Hole)
Military Related Job Fairs [01] -------------- (15 = thru 31 Oct)
Veteran Legislation Status 30 SEP 07 ---- (Where We Stand)
VA PHYSICIAN QUALIFICATIONS: Sens. Dick Durbin and Barack=
Obama
say their own investigation raises serious questions about Veterans Affairs
Department claims that officials couldn't have known about a surgeon's
troubling history before he was hired at an Illinois VA hospital. In a hars=
hly
worded letter to acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon Mansfield on 11
OCT, the Illinois Democrats said their staffs easily found enough informati=
on
to warrant a closer look at the qualifications of Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez.
Veizaga-Mendez resigned from the
=
Veizaga-Mendez was hired in
=
In a separate announcement the VA said that they will be adding 2,000
advanced residency positions for Doctors in the next 5 years. The VA already
helps to train nearly half of all physicians in the
MARINE RESERVE BONUS: The Marines are offering the following expanded bonuses for affiliation with a Marine Corps Reserve dril= ling unit:
• Prior-service corporals, sergeants and staff sergeants who join a unit within three years= of leaving active duty will get a $15,000 bonus.
• Enlisted Marines already assigned to a drilling unit who re-enlist for three years w= ill garner $7,500 for a first-time re-enlistment and $6,000 for subsequent re-enlistments. Such re-enlistments include a supplementary “kicker” of up to $350 monthly under the Montgomery GI Bill-Selected Reserve (MGIB-SR).
• High school graduates who agree to serve in drilling units for six years after completing initial pipeline training, plus an additional two years in the Individual Ready Reserve, will receive a $20,000 bonus. They also will be eligible for the $350 MGIB-SR kicker.
• Company-grade officers who left the active component within the last three years and join= a drilling unit in fiscal 2008 will be eligible for a $10,000 affiliation bonus.
MarAdmins 567/07, 568/07, 572/07 and 573/07 apply to enlisted Marines, and MarAdmin 566/07 applies to officers. [Source: Armed Forces News 12 Oct 07 ++]
OVERSEAS HOLIDAY MAILING 2007: Officials at the Military Postal S=
ervice
Agency in
VA OBESITY INITIATIVE UPDATE 02: NC8-TV Washington, DC broadcast on=
9 OCT
a report on a growing problem that's troubling the Department of Veterans
Affairs. Namely, why are so m=
any
military veterans becoming obese and developing diabetes? Now the VA is loo=
king
into possible causes and promising cures. Former VA Secretary James Nichols=
on
was shown saying, "We have an epidemic of diabetes among veterans in o=
ur
country, and it's mostly adult-onset Type 2 diabetes, which is
preventable." NC8 added, "At health fairs like this one at
VA FLU SHOTS: Flu season will soon be here and vete= rans, especially the more elderly, are encouraged to get their shots. Most VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) are making preparations to administer these shots at no charge to enrolled veterans. If in doubt whether or not yours will be scheduling shots it is recommended you contact them. Shots are at no charge to enrolled veterans who would normally pay $20 to $30 if = they were to obtain them through local medical services. Following are a few locations that have already made announcements:
• The
Portland VA Medical Center has announced a series of flu vaccination clinics
for enrolled veterans. The clinics will be held at VA facilities in Southwe=
st
Portland, East Portland,
• "The Jack C. Montgomery VA Medical Center reminds all enrolled veterans that the= flu vaccine is now available to veterans during their regularly scheduled appointments beginning 22 OCT through JAN 07. There will be also be a walk-= in flu clinic from 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. 5-9 NOVin the medical center's auditorium on the second floor at the south end.
• Veterans
enrolled in VA health care may obtain flu vaccines at upcoming walk-in clin=
ics
scheduled the following Saturdays and Sundays, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, and 28 O=
CT
at VA Western New York Healthcare System,
[Source: Various Oct 07 ++]
VA HEALTH CARE FUNDING UPDATE 11: Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn has asked county
boards in all 102 counties to approve placing an advisory referendum on the
February primary election ballot asking voters whether the federal governme=
nt
should be required to adopt mandatory full funding of the Department of
Veterans Affairs for the purpose of ensuring that all eligible honorably
discharged U.S. veterans receive quality and accessible health care. In a
letter to county clerks, Quinn said the issue of veterans' health care is of
paramount importance to
=
The increased cost is not the only concern of county clerks. Kern sa=
id
since the referendum is advisory, it is simply meant to demonstrate support=
and
would not create any binding effects. "Advisory basically means it isn=
't
worth the paper it was printed on," Kern said. Placing a referendum on=
the
primary ballot would also require additional education and training for poll
workers. Quinn and his citizen support organization sent letters petitioning
support for the referendums in September, stating that three counties,
including
=
The West Virginia Veterans Council is composed of men and women who
served in
VA POLYTRAUMA REHABILITATION CENTERS: On 25 SEP 07 the House Veterans' A=
ffairs
Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee held a hearing on the Department =
of
Veterans' Affairs (VA) Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers (PRCs) and their
management issues. The hearing focused on VA Central Office’s oversig=
ht
over the PRCs and specific management issues affecting the Palo Alto PRC.
Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers provide acute rehabilitative care to
seriously injured service members. They are managed locally, but are part o=
f a
national program supervised by the Office of Patient Care Services in the
Veterans Health Administration. The
Committee found that PRCs were not using or had never heard of the Joint
Patient Tracking Application and the Veteran Tracking Application systems.
Critical medical information was being transferred through multiple phone
calls, e-mails, faxes, and videoconferencing instead of using an electronic
system. In addition, PRCs have not completed securing access to department
facilities and computer network.
Two PRCs were highlighted with specific issues. Visits to Palo Alto =
PRC
by the VA’s Office of Medical Investigations and Congressional staffe=
rs
found disarray, morale problems, insufficient programs for families, and a =
lack
of leadership. This lack of staffing and resources has caused a history of
empty beds. Data revealed
VA CLINIC
VA VISTA UPDATE 01:
A day-long system outage at a new Veterans Affairs Department data
processing center in northern California on 31 AUG 07 crippled critical
information systems used to manage patient care at VA hospitals and clinics
scattered across more than a third of the world, according to details from =
an
internal VA after-action report. The outage at the VA's
=
The
=
Both Volpp and Davoren testified that the outage hit 17 VA medical
facilities. But more than one VA medical staffer told Government Executive =
that
this figure understates the scope of the outage, because the 17 are in turn
electronically linked to numerous clinics and outpatient facilities. A VA
source in
The VA's plans to establish four regional data centers are part of an
overall effort to centralize IT resources and personnel to help eliminate t=
he
computer security breaches that have plagued the VA over the past year. But
Davoren told the House hearing that medical center employees expressed conc=
erns
as early as 2005 that "the regionalization of IT resources would create
new points of failure that could not be controlled by the sites experiencing
the impact, and that the system redundancy required to prevent this was nev=
er
listed as a prerequisite to centralization of critical patient care IT
resources." The VA did not immediately respond to queries from Governm=
ent
Executive about the outages in
CHECK/MONEY ORDER SCAMS: Investigators led by the U.S. Post=
al
Inspection Service have arrested 77 people as part of a global fraud crackd=
own
that intercepted more than $2.1 billion in counterfeit checks bound for the=
• Foreign Business Offers: Scammers pretend t= o be businesspeople or government officials and promise millions of dollars. But real companies and government agencies don't offer legitimate business prop= ositions to people they don't know.
• Love Losses: The scammer poses as a romantic interest online, and promises to come to the U.S. to be with the victim. So= on after, the online friend asks the victim to cash a check or money order to cover "travel expenses."
• Overpayments: Scammers buy merchandise onli= ne, and then claim they mailed the wrong amount by mistake. The seller is asked= to deposit the "wrong" check anyway, and then return the "excess" amount to the scammer. But the check doesn't clear, and = the victim has sent the scammer his own money.
• Rental Schemes: Scammers claim to be moving= to the area, and put down a rental deposit. Then they tell their landlord they have unexpected expenses, so they ask for some of their deposit back as a favor. They never move in, and the deposit check never clears.
• Sudden Riches: The scammer claims the victi= m has won a foreign lottery or sweepstakes. The notice comes by mail, phone, fax = or email. Consumers should know that winners of real cash prizes are notified = by certified mail. Also, keep in mind that you can't win a lottery you didn't enter.
• Work-at-Home: The scams promise easy money = by "processing" checks. The victim deposits the checks and sends the money to the scammer, minus a small fee. Legitimate companies don't do busi= ness like this.
= If consumers believe they have been defrauded by a scam, the Postal Inspection Service wants to hear from them. These crimes can be reported by calling 1(800) 372-8347.
[Source: Consumer affairs article 4 Oct 07 ++]
FUNERAL HONORS UPDATE 03: As with the military itself, our a= rmed forces' final farewell to comrades is steeped in tradition and ceremony.
1. Pr= ominent in a military funeral is the flag-draped casket. The blue field of the flag= is placed at the head of the casket, over the left shoulder of the deceased. T= he custom began in the Napoleonic Wars of the late 18th and early 19th centuri= es, when a flag was used to cover the dead as they were taken from the battlefi= eld on a caisson.
2. On= e will notice, during a military funeral that the horses that pull the caisson whi= ch bears the body of the veteran are all saddled, but the horses on the left h= ave riders, while the horses on the right do not. This custom evolved from the = days when horse-drawn caissons were the primary means of moving artillery ammuni= tion and cannon, and the riderless horses carried provisions.
3. Th= e single riderless horse that follows the caisson with boots reversed in the stirrup= s is called the "caparisoned horse" in reference to its ornamental coverings, which have a detailed protocol all to themselves. By tradition in military funeral honors, a caparisoned horse follows the casket of an Army = or Marine Corps officer who was a colonel or above, or the casket of a preside= nt, by virtue of having been the nation's military commander in chief. The custom is believed to date bac= k to the time of Genghis Khan, when a horse was sacrificed to serve the fallen warrior in the next world. The caparisoned horse later came to symbolize a warrior who would ride no more. Abraham Lincoln, who was killed in 1865, was the first U.S. president to be honored with a caparisoned horse at his fune= ral.
4. Gr= aveside military honors include the firing of three volleys each by seven service m= embers. This commonly is confused with an entirely separate honor, the 21-gun salut= e. But the number of individual gun firings in both honors evolved the same wa= y.
= a. The three vol= leys came from an old battlefield custom. The two warring sides would cease hostilities to clear their dead from the battlefield, and the firing of thr= ee volleys meant that the dead had been properly cared for and the side was re= ady to resume the battle.
= b. The 21-gun salute t= races its roots to the Anglo-Saxon empire, when seven guns constituted a recogniz= ed naval salute, as most naval vessels had seven guns. Because gunpowder in th= ose days could be more easily stored on land than at sea, guns on land could fi= re three rounds for every one that could be fired by a ship at sea.
= c. Later, as gunpowder= and storage methods improved, salutes at sea also began using 21 guns. The Unit= ed States at first used one round for each state, attaining the 21-gun salute = by 1818. The nation reduced its salute to 21 guns in 1841, and formally adopted the 21-gun salute at the suggestion of the British in 1875.
5. A = U.S. presidential death also involves other ceremonial gun salutes and military traditions. On the day after the death of the president, a former president= or president-elect -- unless this day falls on a Sunday or holiday, in which c= ase the honor will rendered the following day -- the commanders of Army installations with the necessary personnel and material traditionally order that one gun be fired every half hour, beginning at reveille and ending at retreat.
6. On= the day of burial, a 21-minute gun salute traditionally is fired starting at noon at all military installations with the necessary personnel and material. Guns = will be fired at one-minute intervals. Also on the day of burial, those installations will fire a 50-gun salute -- one round for each state -- at f= ive- second intervals immediately following lowering of the flag.
7. The playing of "Ruffles and Flourishes" announces the arrival of a fl= ag officer or other dignitary of honor. Drums play the ruffles, and bugles play the flourishes – one flourish for each star of the flag officer's ran= k or as appropriate for the honoree's position or title. Four flourishes is the highest honor.
When played for a president, "Ruffles and Flourishes" is followed by "Hail to the Chief," which is believed to have been written in England in 1810 or 1811 by James Sanderson= for a play by Sir Walter Scott called "The Lady of the Lake." The pla= y began to be performed in the United States in 1812, the song became popular, and = it became a favorite of bands at festive events. It evolved to be used as a greeting for important visitors, and eventually for the president, though no record exists of when it was first put to that use.
8. Th= e bugle call "Taps" originated in the Civil War with the Army of the Poto= mac. Union Army Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfield didn't like the bugle call that signaled soldiers in the camp to put out the lights and go to sleep, and wo= rked out the melody of "Taps" with his brigade bugler, Pvt. Oliver Wil= cox Norton. The call later came into another use as a figurative call to the sl= eep of death for soldiers. Another military honor dates back only to the 20th century. The missing-man formation usually is a four-aircraft formation with the No. 3 aircraft either missing or performing a pull-up maneuver and leav= ing the formation to signify a lost comrade in arms. While this can change slig= htly from service-to-service, and -- based on preferences of family members, bel= ow is the standard sequence of events for a military funeral at Arlington Nati= onal Cemetery:
• The caisson or hearse arrives at grave site, everyone presents arms.
• Casket team secures the casket, NCOIC, OIC and chaplain salute.
• Chaplain leads the way to grave site, followed by casket team.
• Casket team sets down the casket and secures the flag.
• The NCOIC ensures the flag is stretched out and level, and centered over the casket.
• NCOIC backs away and the chaplain, military or civilian, will perform the service= .
• At conclusion of interment service and before benediction, a gun salute is fir= ed for those eligible ( i.e. general officers).
• Chaplain concludes his service and backs away, NCOIC steps up to the casket.
• The NCOIC presents arms to initiate the rifle volley.
• Rifle volley complete, bugler plays "Taps."
• Casket-team leader starts to fold the flag.
• Flag fold complete, and the flag is passed to the NCOIC, OIC.
• Casket team leaves grave site.
• NCOIC, OIC either presents the flag to the next of kin, or if there = is a military chaplain on site he will present the flag to the chaplain, and then the chaplain will present to the next of kin.
• Arlington Lady presents card of condolences to the next of kin.
• The only person remaining at the grave is one soldier, the vigil. His mission i= s to watch over the body until it is interred into the ground.
[Source: http://dva.state.wi.us/Ben_funeralhonors.a= sp Jul 07 ++]
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY UPDATE 01: The nation's shrine to its militar= y dead had 6,785 funerals in the just-concluded fiscal year, an all-time record. N= ow, as the dying of the World War II generation peaks, the cemetery is so busy = that despite careful choreography, people attending one funeral can hear the bug= le and rifle salutes echoing from another. As a result, the cemetery is about = to begin a $35 million expansion that would push the ordered ranks of tombston= es beyond its borders for the first time since the 1960s. The Millennium Proje= ct has been in the works for years as the cemetery has grown busier, dead from the Iraq war have been laid to rest with the veterans of wars past, and visitors have flocked to the see the Tomb of the Unknowns and the graves of such fig= ures as President John F. Kennedy. Timing at Arlington has become critical. Some= of the funerals can be fairly elaborate, with a band, a procession and a horse-drawn caisson, and can take up to 2 1/2 hours. Others might last only= 35 or 40 minutes. All must be meticulously scheduled to minimize distractions = and avoid traffic tie-ups on the cemetery roadways.
= The Millennium expansion has involved, among other things, the sensi= tive transfer of 12 acres within the cemetery from the National Park Service's historic Arlington House, the onetime home of Robert E. Lee. The Park Servi= ce has lamented the likely loss of woodland and the cemetery's encroachment on= the majestic hilltop home, which dates to 1802. The project, which focuses on t= he northwest edge of the cemetery, includes expansion into about 10 acres taken from the Army's adjacent Fort Myer and four acres of cemetery maintenance property inside the boundaries, officials said. The extra space would provi= de room for 14,000 ground burials and 22,000 inurnments in a large columbarium complex, officials said. The project comes on the heels of extensive work underway to utilize 40 acres of unused space in the cemetery, creating room= for 26,000 more graves and 5,000 inurnments. And there are plans for further outside expansion in the years ahead.
= The cemetery, established in 1864, covers more than 600 acres, and m= ore than 300,000 people are buried there. The expansions are, in part, a respon= se to the deaths of members of the country's World War II generation, about 16 million of whom served in the armed forces. The Department of Veterans Affa= irs says more than 3 million World War II veterans are alive. About 1,000 die e= ach day. The department's National Cemetery Administration says the number of veteran deaths is peaking, at about 680,000 annually, and is expected to fa= ll gradually to 671,000 in 2010, 622,000 in 2015 and 562,000 in 2020. At Arlington, which is run by the Army, the steady death toll from Iraq and Afghanistan has added to the numbers, although the cemetery gets only about= 11% of those cases. More than 400 members of the armed forces who have died in = Iraq and Afghanistan have been buried there.
= The initial work, to be contracted through the Army Corps of Enginee= rs, would control drainage into the new sections. Katherine Basye Welton, cemet= ery project manager for the Corps of Engineers, said the first contracts were t= o be awarded by this month, but because of inadequate bids, the work might not be awarded until the end of the year. The project is expected to unfold over t= he next 10 years with funding hoped for from Congress. But it has not thrilled everyone. Although the transfer of the Arlington House land from the Park Service was decreed by law five years ago, it still rankles there. The parc= el, which could lose many of its trees, has not been logged since the Civil War. The cemetery also plans to acquire the Navy Annex in 2010 and demolish it in 2013, and move underground utility lines within the next year or so, to gain more space. The projects should keep the cemetery open through about 2060. Meanwhile, the pace at Arlington remains brisk. The cemetery handles 25 to = 30 funerals a day. Some, involving cremated remains, are scheduled for next ye= ar. [Source: Washington Post Michael E. Ruane article 7 Oct 07++]
VA FACILITY EXPANSION UPDATE 10: A unique health care facility comb=
ining
the resources of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department=
of
Defense (DoD) will be named in honor of local native, Navy veteran and
astronaut James A. Lovell. The new VA-DoD Federal Health Care Facility,
scheduled to open in 2010, will care for nearly 100,000 veterans, sailors,
retirees and family members. =
The
new facility will result from the merger of the North Chicago VA Medical Ce=
nter
and the Great Lakes Naval Hospital. This joint $130 million initiative marks
the first totally integrated federal health care facility in the country. J=
im
Lovell, a Chicago native, naval aviation veteran of the Korean War and form=
er
astronaut, was command pilot of Apollo 8, the first Apollo mission to enter
lunar orbit. He also commanded
Apollo 13, which suffered an explosion enroute to the Moon and was brought =
back
safely to Earth by the efforts of its crew and mission control. Lovell is a recipient of the
Congressional Space Medal of Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
MASSACHUSETTS DPL DATA BREACH: The Massachusetts Division of Professional Licensure (DPL) last month mailed out 28 computer disks contai= ning publicly available information such as names and addresses of state license= es to 23 individuals who requested the public records. This week, it followed up those ma= ilings by informing 450,000 individuals that their Social Security numbers were al= so inadvertently included in the public data contained on those 28 disks, which were mailed out between 13 and 17 SEP. The letter urged affected individual= s to contact the major credit bureaus and place fraud alerts on their credit. The agency also assured them that there has been no indication yet that the exp= osed information was misused. The letter also noted that all of the disks but two have already been recovered from the individuals who got them. DPL Director George K. Weber said in a letter posted on the division's Web site that non= e of the individuals who received the disks has indicated that they were even aw= are the disks contained Social Security information. The Massachusetts DPL, is = an agency within the state's Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation which regulates more than 40 trades and professions.
= According to a description of the incident on its site, the foul-up = was the result of a programming error and the upgrading of computer hardware and software at the DPL. Several categories of licensed professionals were affe= cted by the breach, including licensed nurses, health care professionals, certif= ied public accountants, engineers and land surveyors. Such snafus are by no means uncomm= on. Earlier this year, the Chicago Board of Elections found itself facing charg= es that it failed to adequately protect the privacy of voters in the city afte= r it inadvertently distributed more than 100 computer disks containing the Social Security numbers of more than 1.3 million voters to alderman and ward commi= ttee members. In FEB 06, the Boston Globe found itself having to apologize to about 240,000 subscribers after an attempt to recycle office paper ended up with the company labeling newspaper bundles with routing slips containing customer credit card information. That same month, a human error at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina allowed the Social Security numbers of more than 600 members to be printed = on the mailing labels of envelopes sent to them with information about a new insurance plan. If you are co= ncerned about your financial data being compromised it is recommended that you obta= in insurance against identity theft. One such company which I use with very reasonable rates can be locat= ed at www.lifelock.com. [Source: Computerworld Security Jaikumar Vijayan artic= le 4 Oct 07 ++]
SBP BASICS UPDATE 02: A question raised by many older re=
tirees
is, "I've been paying into SBP for decades. The government has made a lot of m=
oney
on me. Why can't I get some o=
f that
money back after all these years?"&nb=
sp;
On the flip side, those nearing military retirement want to know
"Is SBP really worth it? It
seems awfully expensive - how much bang for my buck am I going to get?"
Anyone who thinks the government is making money on SBP is way off-base.
• Your SBP benefit is 40% subsidized by the government to help recognize the value= of your service...(much different than the negative subsidy of civilian insura= nce, for which premiums must cover 100% of benefit costs, as well as company overhead, salaries, commissions, and profit).
• Much like Social Security, every dollar you pay in SBP premiums goes toward payi= ng part of the benefit for someone else’s survivor, just as other retire= es' premiums will help fund your survivor's benefits in the event of your death= .
• Any civilian insurance that provides cash back if you don't die is going to cost you a lot bigger premium per death benefit dollar (and we don't know of any civilian insurance that provides a fully inflation-protected annuity like S= BP does).
[Source: MOAA Leg Up 5 Oct 07 ++]
TRICARE RESERVE SELECT UPDATE 08: Tricare outreach efforts are
ensuring that nearly all of the 11,000 Tricare Reserve Select (TRS) members
under the “tier” version of TRS will stay covered under the
restructured program. As of 1=
OCT
approximately 90% had either switched over to the new program—or were=
in
the process. The restructured TRS has also attracted interest from members =
of
the Selected Reserves not previously covered under the tier program and nea=
rly
10,000 have begun the process of qualifying for TRS. On 30 SEP, all current
members in the tier program were disenrolled as the restructured TRS went i=
nto
effect 1 OCT under changes mandated by the 2007 National Defense Authorizat=
ion
Act. Despite an instruction l=
etter
sent out in early August, less than half had transferred to the restructured
program by mid-September. The few remaining Tier TRS members who still have=
not
heard about the need to make the switch will not be left out in the cold.
= The number of new TRS members represents a moving target as it climbs daily. Already, the number of Selected Reservists purchasing coverage is ne= arly double the average number of members in the old TRS. With the end of the complicated tier program and its many qualifications, the majority of Natio= nal Guard and Reserve members in the Selected Reserve are now eligible for TRS = at a monthly premium of $81 for the Service member only and $253 for the Service member and their family. Cove= rage is comparable to Tricare Standard and Extra. The restructured TRS also features continuously open enrollment. National Guard and Reserve members must be in= the Selected Reserve to be eligible for TRS.&n= bsp; There is an important exclusion:&nb= sp; Selected Reserve members cannot be eligible for Federal Employees He= alth Benefits (FEHB), or currently covered under FEHB (either under their own eligibility or through a family member). Members of the Selected Reserve can find out about TRS costs, what’s covered, and how to purchase coverage through the “My Benefit” portal at www.tricare.mil. Selected Reserve members who wish to see if they are qualified to purchase TRS cover= age under the restructured program should go to the TRS Web application at https://www.dmdc.osd.mil/appj/trs/ and follow the instructions. If qualifie= d, the member can print out the TRS Request Form; attest that they are not eligible for or covered by an FEHB plan; then send the form with one month’s premium to the appropriate Tricare regional MCSC. National Gu= ard and Reserve members may also contact their Reserve Component if they have additional questions about eligibility for TRS. [Source: TMA News Release 5= Oct 07 ++]
CONNECTICUT VETERANS WARTIME SERVICE MEDAL: All Connecticut veterans with qual= ifying wartime military service are eligible to receive the Connecticut Veterans Wartime Service Medal. Since = last fall, the Connecticut State Department of Veteran's Affairs has hosted invitation-only ceremonies during which veterans of all wars receive the Me= dal. It is the first of its kind that the state has minted since the end of World War I. The 270,000 veterans who will receive it are Connecticut natives or current residents who served in a war and received honorable discharges. All living war veterans from World War II to the current war in Iraq are entitl= ed to the medal. The medal can also be mailed to the veteran's home. In order = to receive the medal, the veteran must meet all of the following requirements:=
1. Submit documentary proof of qualifying military wartime service (90 days wartime service, unless the war or operation lasted less than 90 days); (i.e. DD Fo= rm 214 or other documentation if DD Form 214 is unavailable)
2. Submit pr= oof of an honorable discharge from military service (or discharge due to injuries received in the line of duty) for the qualifying wartime service.
3. Submit pr= oof that you currently are a resident of the State of Connecticut or that you were a resident at the time of your qualifying wartime service. (e.g., photocopy of State of Connecticut driver’s license).
4. Submit a Completed and signed application form (CTMD VM-1) availabe online at http://www.ct.gov/ctva/cwp/view.asp?a=3D1992&q=3D313194
Awards will not be made posthumously. Send applications & supporting documentation to: Department of Veterans' Affairs, ATTN: Wartime Medal and Registry, 287 West Street, Rocky Hill, CT 06067 or Fax: (860) 721-5919. [Source: Military.com 1 Oct article ++]
VA CWT & IT: The Department of Veterans A= ffairs Compensated Work Therapy (CWT), and Incentive Therapy (IT) programs are work therapy programs intended to help veterans receiving treatment at VA Hospit= als to return to employment. Veterans who have participated in these programs a= nd received payments from VA as part of their therapy may have had their payme= nts reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), if they received over $600 = in any year. The payments from t= hese programs may have been treated as taxable income, based on IRS regulations = in place at the time. The United States Tax Court has recently determined that= the payments from these VA programs are not taxable because they are tax-exempt veterans’ benefits. Veterans who reported CWT or IT work therapy prog= ram payments as taxable income may be eligible to file amended tax returns clai= ming refunds of the tax they paid on program payments. Veterans who reported the= se payments as taxable income are advised to speak with a tax advisor regarding this matter. [Source: Veterans Service Organizations Liaison, Office of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs notice 2 Oct 07 ++]
VDBC UPDATE 22:&nb= sp; A presidential commission has called for an immediate 25% increase in veterans’ disability compensation while awaiting a larger overhaul of disability and transition benefits. The Veterans’ Disability Benefits Commission (VDBC) says the current compensation system is outdated and fail= s to consider the complete impact that a service-connected disability has on the life of veterans and their families. The current system also is unnecessari= ly cumbersome to the point that it discourages veterans from getting the help = they deserve, says the commission report, a copy of which was obtained 2 OCT by = the Military Times. The 562-page report was released 3 OCT, although what happe= ns next is unclear. Most of the recommendations, including the proposed 25% benefits boost, would require congressional action before they could take effect. With the Bush administration already balking at the $4 billion incr= ease in veterans’ health care and benefits programs being pushed by Congre= ss, it is unlikely that administration officials would support further increase= s. However, an overhaul of the veterans’ disability rating system, streamlined claims processing and an easier transition from military to veterans programs are all issues under consideration by Congress, and could= end up included in the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act that lawmakers expect to = pass later this year. An overhaul of the military’s complicated disability retirement and physical evaluation process is expected to be part of that b= ill.
= The report by the 13-member commission, led by retired Army Lt. Gen. James Scott, caps more than two years of work, including several precedent-setting studies of disabled veterans and their compensation that looked at their total income and compared military and veterans’ bene= fits to those received by disabled workers who never served in the military. In calling for an overhaul of the military and Department of Veterans Affairs rating systems, the commission said a revised system needs to be fair so th= at people who have experienced similar losses receive similar compensation. Veterans with mental disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, a= re particularly poorly served by the current rating system, the report says. T= he VA ratings schedule that sets disability levels has not been changed in 62 years, and needs to be updated, the commission says, with top priority goin= g to revising the ratings for PTSD, traumatic brain injury and other mental heal= th and neurological body systems says. This could be done quickly, in time to = help Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans, while leaving a review of the rest of the ratings to roll out over five years.
= The commission comes down squarely on the side of veterans on several controversial issues. For example, it supports allowing disabled retirees to receive full veterans’ disability compensation and military retired p= ay when they are eligible for both, and to allow survivors to receive their fu= ll veterans’ and military survivors’ benefits. On both of those issues, the Pentagon has resisted efforts in Congress to allow both payment= s in full, although in recent years lawmakers have been phasing out the mandatory offsets in one pay or the other that had been on the books for decades. One recommendation that may not please veterans calls for periodic reviews of c= ase in which disability pay is based, in part, on the fact that a veteran’= ;s disability prohibits him or her from holding a job. When former VA Secretar= y R. James Nicholson made a similar recommendation several years ago, veterans w= ent wild about the government trying to cut their payments. The commission calls for periodical and comprehensive evaluations of disabled veterans’ employability status, and a way to slowly wean veterans off benefits if it = is possible for them to return to work at some point. [Source: ArmyTime Rick Maze article 3 Oct 0= 7 ++]
VDBC UPDATE 23:&nb= sp; The House Veterans' Affairs Committee likely will not consider until next year legislation to address the recommendations of two major commissio= ns created to study veterans' health and disability issues. A commission chair= ed by former Sen. Bob Dole and former Health and Human Services Secretary Donna Shalala examined servicemembers' transition from military to civilian life = and released its report in JUL 07, while the congressionally mandated Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission released its report 3 OCT. Committee Chairman Bob (D-CA) said that he plans= to combine the recommendations of the two reports in a single piece of legisla= tion that the panel likely would not mark up until next year. Retired Army Lt. G= en. James Terry Scott, chairman of the Veterans' Disability Benefits Commission, said that his commission and the Dole-Shalala commission have parted on some issues, which could prove a challenge in drafting legislation. However, Fil= ner suggested that the commissions' findings would give a new secretary a windo= w of opportunity to make major changes at VA.
At the hea= ring Scott said, “A VA pilot program that would allow veterans to get bene= fits without having to prove their claim first, subject to random audits later f= or validity, might work if the new VA secretary works closely with Congress to ensure there are no unintended consequences. Such a proposal has been touted before by Harvard professor Linda Bilmes and more recently by former VA Secretary Jim Nicholson in his final days before leaving office." Separately, two major veterans groups expressed impatience with government delays in improving care for wounded troops. They called on President Bush = to move quickly to nominate a new VA secretary who would finally make the need= s of our nation's veterans a national priority. "This is no time for the president to fill such an important position with a placeholder for the remainder of his term," said David W. Gorman, an executive director of Disabled American Veterans. Testimony to Congress by Scott is the first amo= ng several commissions and task forces to weigh in on the issue of reducing intractable delays in veterans disability pay. In early OCT the 13-member commission issued a 544-page report on the ailing system that called the current 177-day wait unacceptable. It called for better technology, standardized procedures and additional staff to reduce the claims backlog to about 90 days within two years.
= Under questioning Scott acknowledged that more radical efforts might= be needed. "The VA as an institution has been hit about the head and shoulders so much that trying something new is sometimes resisted because they're afraid they'll be left holding the bag," Scott told the House Veterans Affairs Committee. "I wouldn't object to a pilot program. The current system is so complicated, it's a wonder to me that anyone can get a claim processed." Scott said. The comments come as the Bush administra= tion and Congress struggle to find clear answers to some of the worst problems afflicting wounded warriors more than seven months after disclosures of sho= ddy outpatient treatment at the Pentagon-run Walter Reed Army Medical Center. T= he Government Accountability Office earlier this month in particular cited Army problems in providing personalized medical care and the VA's backlogs in disability pay. Nicholson, who stepped down 1 OCT, has said his successor w= ill have "think outside the box" to solve intractable delays in disability pay. Gordon Mansfield, the VA's deputy secretary, is serving as acting secretary pending a nomination of a successor by Bush. On 10 OCT the group Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America aired a new television ad th= at chastises both Congress and the Bush administration for continuing problems= in veterans care. [Source: AP Ho= pe Yen and USA Today articles 11 Oct 07 ++]
MEDICARE RATES 2008: The Bush administration anno= unced 1 OCT that the standard Medicare premium would rise to $96.40 a month next ye= ar, an increase of $2.90 a month. The 3.1% increase is the smallest since 1999-2000, when the premium was at the same level, $45.50, for two years in= a row. Most of the 43 million beneficiaries pay the standard premium for Medi= care Part B, which covers doctors’ services, outpatient hospital care, X-r= ays, laboratory services and other diagnostic tests. About 5% of beneficiaries, = with annual incomes exceeding $82,000 for individuals and $164,000 for couples filing joint tax returns, will pay higher premiums on a sliding scale. The maximum will be $238.40 a mont= h for the most affluent, individuals with annual incomes exceeding $205,000 and e= ach member of a couple reporting combined income of more than $410,000. For an individual with annual income from $102,000 to $153,000, the premium will be $160.90 a month. Most beneficiaries pay separate premiums for Medicare cove= rage of prescription drugs on top of the standard premium. The drug premiums typically range from $25 to $40 a month.
= The increase in the standard Part B premium was less than many exper= ts had expected, in part because officials decided to correct an accounting er= ror. As a result of the error, money for certain hospice benefits was inadverten= tly drawn from the Part B trust fund rather than a separate trust fund that pays hospital costs. The money will be paid back in the coming year. In addition, the premium for 2008 is artificially low because it assumes that Medicare payments to doctors will be cut about 10% next year, as required by law. Congress has usually stepped in to avert such cuts, and the cost is passed = on to beneficiaries in subsequent years. The chief Medicare actuary, Richard S. Foster, said, “The low increase in premiums is good news for 2008,= 221; but added that it was probably a one-time phenomenon. The annual deductible= for doctors’ visits and other Part B services will be $135, up from $131.= The deductible was fixed at $100 a year from 1991 to 2004. It now increases to reflect the growing average cost of Part B services for beneficiaries 65 and older. For a beneficiary admitted to a hospital, the deductible will be $1,= 024 next year, up from $992. [Source: the New York Times Robert Pear article 2 Oct 07 ++]
NDAA 2008 UPDATE 09: On 1 OCT the Senate finally passed their version of the National Def= ense Authorization Bill (H.R. 1585) by a vote of 92-3. The bill now moves to conference w= ith the House to work out differences. The bill faces a possible veto by President Bush over an expansion of federal hate-crime laws, unrelated to national defense but stuck in regardl= ess, if that provision makes it through the conference. Among the many amendments added to the bill are several items of imminent interest to retirees and th= eir families. They include:
• The Lautenberg amendment to prohibit increases in TRICARE fees for FY2008 and to express the sense of the Senate that military service is unique and that military members have earned their benefit by virtue of their service and sacrifices.
• The Nelson amendment to eliminate the SBP/DIC offset and accelerate 30-year pai= d-up Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage to 1 OCT 07.
• The Reid amendment providing full, immediate concurrent receipt to disabled retirees deemed “unemployable” by the VA retroactive to 1 JAN 0= 5.
• An amendment by Sen. Lott concerning the Armed Forces Retirement Home. This amendment would prohibit “privatization” of the Home into a non-government charitable institution.
• The Chambliss amendment to reduce the Reserve retirement age by three months for each 90 days served on active duty since 11 NOV 01.
• The Lincoln amendment to authorize Guard or reserve members to use their mobilization GI Bill benefits up to 10 years after separating from the Sele= cted Reserve.
One NAUS supported provision that did not make the final bill as an amendment w= as the Clinton sponsored Postal Bill to provide vouchers for the families and loved ones of deployed troops in order to send free mail and packages to th= em. It is, however, in the House passed bill. Additionally the Wounded Warrior Act= was reinserted into the NDAA. This legislation addresses the care and treatment of our wounded warriors. It wo= uld:
• Authorize $50 million for improvements in diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of service members who have Traumatic Brain Injury or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• End the inconsistent ratings awarded for the same disabilities by DoD and the V= A.
• Provide for seamless transition from DoD to VA care by requiring the Secretaries of= the DoD and VA to develop a comprehensive plan
• Authorize
medically retired (Chapter 61) with 50% disabilities and higher to receive
active duty medical benefits for three years after leaving active service.<=
/p>
• Authorize
VA and military health care providers to provide urgent and emergency medic=
al
care and counseling to family members. • Extend
eligibility for VA healthcare for combat veterans from two years to five ye=
ars
after discharge. • Establish
a joint DoD/VA program to develop and implement a joint electronic health
record. • Require
Secretary of Defense to establish standards for housing for military
outpatients and for military hospitals, clinics and specialty medical care
facilities. • Increase
minimum severance pay to one year’s basic pay for those separated for
disabilities incurred in a combat zone or combat related operations, and six
months basic pay for all others. • Eliminate
that severance pay be deducted from disability compensation for disabilities
incurred in a combat zone or combat-related operations. The Senate has appointed its conferees for H.R.1585=
, the
FY 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. House conferees have not yet been
announced. The conferees will=
meet
to discuss differing provisions of the NDAA. The Senate conferees are as
follows: Senators Levin; Kennedy; Byrd; Lieberman; Reed; Akaka; Nelson FL;
Nelson NE; Bayh; Clinton; Pryor; Webb; McCaskill; McCain; Warner; Inhofe;
Sessions; Collins; Chambliss; Graham; Dole; Cornyn; Thune; Martinez; and Co=
rker.
[Source: NAUS Special Update for 2 OCT 07 ++] VA POLYTRAUMA CARE UPDATE 01: The Department of Veterans Affairs=
(VA)
announced 28 SEP the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital located in =
San
Antonio, Texas will house the Nation’s newest Polytrauma Rehabilitati=
on
Center (PRC). This Center will provide intensive medical rehabilitation for
seriously injured and wounded service members and veterans who suffer from
Traumatic Brain Injuries, amputations, burns, blindness, and Post-Traumatic
Stress Disorders. Care has been structured around teams of specialists. The=
re
are currently four VA PRCs in Minneapolis, MN; Richmond, VA; Tampa, FL; and
Palo Alto, CA. The San Antonio project will consist of two stages. In the first, VA will construct an
84,000 square-foot, three-level building for rehabilitation, transitional
living and prosthetics. This =
will
be followed by renovation of 32,500 square feet of office and exam room spa=
ces
in the main medical center building at the VA’s medical center. The
Center will eventually house one floor of polytrauma ward space (12 beds) a=
nd
transitional housing (12 apartments); one floor of polytrauma rehabilitation
and multi-purpose space; and one floor for physical medicine and prosthetics
service. The cost of the entire project is estimated at $66 million. Construction is expected to begin =
next
year. [Source: VA News Releas=
e 28
Sep 07 ++] MEDICARE PART D UPDATE 16: Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) h=
as
introduced a bill - the Medicare Prescription Drug Gap Reduction Act of 2007
(S.2089) - to give the Secret=
ary of
Health and Human Services authority to negotiate prescription drug prices on
behalf of Medicare beneficiaries.
Currently, more than one-quarter of all Medicare Part D recipients a=
re
affected by a large gap in coverage, often referred to as the doughnut
hole. After $2,400 in prescri=
ption
expenses, seniors receive no prescription drug coverage but continue to pay
premiums until they exceed $5,451 in expenses. Savings generated by prescription =
drug negotiation
under S.2089 would be directed toward reducing this gap in coverage. [Source: St. John’s DC Updates 2 Oct =
07 ++] CANADIAN FORCES NATIONAL MILITARY CEMETERY: An expa=
nsion
of the Canadian Forces Nation=
al
Military Cemetery (NMC) in Ottawa earlier this year allows veterans of Brit=
ish
forces, along with those of France, the United States and Poland, to be bur=
ied
alongside Canada's military casualties. Former members of allied merchant
navies can also be laid to rest there. Eligibility criteria for internment =
in
the NMC is: - All =
former
members of the Canadian Forces, both Regular and Reserve Force, including t=
he
Merchant Navy of Canada. - Form=
er
members of Her Majesty’s Forces. - Alli=
ed
Active Service members (i.e. U.S. military veterans) who became residents o=
f,
and died while residing in Canada, and were honorably discharged. - A fa=
mily
member or friend of the service member Allied Force members, or a member of their estate m=
ust
provide documents demonstrating that the applicant was honorably released. =
Upon
determination of eligibility, the applicant or their estate will coordinate
burial arrangements directly with the staff of Beechwood Cemetery. Family members and/or funeral dire=
ctors
will facilitate burial arrangements directly with Beechwood Cemetery, once =
the
NMC application has been approved. Burial and most associated costs will be
borne by the military for serving members of the Regular Force and Reserve
Class C Service and by the estate for veterans. Charges for burial and serv=
ices
are based on rates approved annually by the Ontario Ministry of Corporate a=
nd
Consumer Relations. Beechwood offers pre-payment options so that those wish=
ing
to be buried at the NMC can take advantage of current prices. Plots will no=
t be
pre-selected nor will they be allocated on the basis of rank, service,
regiment, or personal preference. Registration applications are available
online at
http://www.forces.gc.ca/hr/nmc-cmn/engraph/coverpage_e.asp?docid=3D2. Applications should be forwarded
to: Director Casualty Support=
and
Administration 6, National Defense Headquarters Major-General George R. Pearkes Building, 101 Colon=
el By
Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0K2.
[Source: VVA Post 75 T=
om
O’Malley article 1 Oct 07 ++] MILITARY RELATED JOB FAIRS UPDATE 01: The Veteran Eagle is a newsletter =
for
veterans, transitioning military, their family members, and friends and
supporters of VetJobs. It provides informational assistance to users in fin=
ding
the job that best meets their needs.
Interested vets can review data that will enable them to find a job
and/or subscribe to the newsletter at www.vetjobs.com. The site also provides information=
to
employers on the advantages of hiring vets. Following are the scheduled milita=
ry
related Job Fairs for 15 thru 31 OCT: • TX,
10/16, NCOA Job Leader National Job Fair, Fort Hood Conference and Catering
Center, Bldg. 5764, 24th and Wainwright Streets, Fort Hood, 10:00 AM to 2:0=
0 PM • NY,
10/16, TECHEXPO Top Secret, Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas, N=
ew
York, 12pm to 6pm • KY,
10/17, Fort Knox Job Fair, Leaders Club, 1118 Chaffee Avenue, Fort Knox, 10=
AM
to 3 PM • SC,
10/17, Career Fair, Fort Jackson, 9 AM to Noon • AZ,
10/18, Military Stars Western Regional Career Expo, Pointe South Mountain
Resort, 7777 South Pointe Parkway, Phoenix, Noon to 5 PM • VA,
10/18, Corporate Gray Security Clearance Job Fair, Crystal City Embassy Sui=
tes
Hotel, Arlington, 9 AM to 1:30 PM • KY,
10/18, CivilianJobs.com Job Fair, visit www.civilianjobs.com for details.
• VA,
10/18, TECHEXPO Top Secret, Hyatt Regency Reston Town Center, 1800 Presiden=
ts
Street, Reston, 10 AM to 4 PM • TX,
10/21-22, Bradley-Morris, Inc. Hiring Conference for Transitioning Military,
Dallas, visit www.Bradley-Morris.com for more information. • CA, 10/21-22,
Bradley-Morris, Inc. Hiring Conference for Transitioning Military, San Dieg=
o,
visit www.Bradley-Morris.com for more information. • PA,
10/21-22, Orion International Military Hiring Conference, Philadelphia, vis=
it
www.orioninternational.com for details. • IL,
10/21-23, Orion International Military Hiring Conference, Chicago, visit
www.orioninternational.com for details. • MD,
10/23, TECHEXPO Top Secret, BWI Marriott, 1743 West Nursery Road, Baltimore=
, 10
AM to 4 PM. • OH,
10/23-24, AFCEA InfoTech Career Fair, Dayton Convention Center, 322 East Fi=
fth
Street, Dayton, 11 AM to 4 PM. • KS,
10/24, ACAP Job Fair, Frontier Conference Center (FCC) 350 Biddle BLVD, Fort
Leavenworth, 10 AM to 2 PM. • VA,
10/25, Cleared Job Fair, The Westin Tysons Corner, 7801 Leesburg Pike, Falls
Church, 11 AM to 4 PM. • AZ,
10/25, Career Fair, The Windemere Hotel & Conference Center, 2047 South
Highway 92, Sierra Vista, 1 PM to 5 PM. • VA,
10/25, Military Job Fair of Virginia, Hampton Roads Convention Center 1610
Coliseum Drive, Hampton, 9 AM to 3 PM. • MO,
10/25, Mini Job Fair, Audie Murphy Club, Fort Leonard Wood, 9:30 AM to 2:30=
PM. • GA,
10/25, ACS Job Fair, The Commons, Bldg 650, Fort McPherson, 10 AM to 2 PM.<=
/p>
• GA,
10/25-26, Lucas Group Military Hiring Conference, Atlanta, visit
www.lucasgroup.com/services/military.asp for more information. • IL,
10/25-26, Lucas Group Military Hiring Conference, Chicago, visit
www.lucasgroup.com/services/military.asp for more information. • WA,
10/25-26, Lucas Group Military Hiring Conference, Seattle, visit
www.lucasgroup.com/services/military.asp for more information. • VA,
10/26, USO JETS, SOSA Community Center 9800 Belvoir Road, Bldg 200, Fort
Belvoir, 10 AM to 2 PM. • GA,
10/28-29, Bradley-Morris, Inc. Hiring Conference for Transitioning Military,
Atlanta, visit www.Bradley-Morris.com for more information. • GA,
10/29, MilitaryStars Southeast Regional Career Expo, Cobb Galleria Centre, =
Two
Galleria Parkway, Atlanta, Noon to 5 PM. • VA,
10/25-26, Lucas Group Military Hiring Conference, Norfolk, visit
www.lucasgroup.com/services/military.asp for more information. • NY,
10/30, National Veterans Job Expo, Rochester Museum & Science Center, 6=
57
East Avenue, Rochester, 10 AM to 2 PM. [Source:
VetJobs Veteran Eagle 1 Oct 07 ++] VETERAN LEGISLATION STATUS 13 OCT 07: For a listing of Congression=
al
bills of interest to the veteran community that have been introduced in the
110th Congress refer to the Bulletin House & Senate attachments. By clicking on the bill number ind=
icated
you can access the actual legislative language of the bill and see if your
representative has signed on as a cosponsor. Support of these bills through
cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to mo=
ve
through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likeliho=
od is
the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. A cosponsor is a me=
mber
of Congress who has joined one or more other members in his/her chamber (i.=
e.
House or Senate) to sponsor a bill or amendment. The member who introduces =
the
bill is considered the sponsor.
Members subsequently signing on are called cosponsors. Any number of
members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.g=
ov
you can also review a copy of each bill, determine its current status, the
committee it has been assigned to, and if your legislator is a sponsor or
cosponsor of it. To determine=
what
bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped
sponsorship on refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d110/sponlst.html. The key to increasing cosponsorshi=
p on
veteran related bills is letting our representatives know of veteran’s
feelings on issues. At the en=
d of
some listed bills is a web link that can be used to do that. Otherwise, you=
can
locate on http://thomas.loc.gov who your representative is and his/her phone
number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or
letter of your own making. [S=
ource:
RAO Bulletin Attachment 13 Oct 07 ++]
Lt. James "EMO" Tichacek, USN (Ret) Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy W=
arden
& IRS VITA Baguio City RP PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517 Tel: (760) 839-9003 when in U.S. & Cell:
0915-361-3503 when in Philippines. Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net Web: http://post_119_gu=
lfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/=
DD890/AD37
member BULLETIN SUBSCRIPTION NOTES: =3D=3D To subscribe first add both the above RAO em=
ail addees
to your address book and/or white list and then provide your full name plus
either the post/branch/chapter number of the fraternal military/government
organization you are currently affiliated with (if any) "AND/OR" =
the
city and state/country you reside in so your addee can be properly position=
ed
in the directory for future recovery.
Subscription is open to all veterans, dependents, and military/veter=
an
support organizations. This
Bulletin sent to 63,313 subscribers. =3D=3D To automatically change your email addee or =
remove
yourself from Bulletin distribution click the below or send a message which
includes your full name plus your old & new email. _____________________________ Change address / Leave mailing list:
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