All Hands: This notice is to inform you of the Baguio Retiree Assistance Office (RAO) mission; the availability of informational assistance to fellow veterans; and the purpose of the Director's associated Newsletter. The service provides a POC for anyone who has queries on Veteran issues and/or residence in this Geographic area. It also provides a means for Veterans to keep abreast of benefit changes and/or pending Veteran related legislation.

     Bulletin Updates are sent twice a month...on the 1st & 15th. Twice a month allows time for readers to digest the info and make any inquiries they may have. It is understood that not every article that goes out is applicable to every reader but over a period of time every reader will find some article(s) of interest to him or her personally. Unfortunately, the Bulletin cannot be sent to some users of AOL and a few other servers. It does not meet their big Brother policy of deciding what their readers are allowed to receive. A few other servers such as Juno & Netzero allow their readers to receive the Bulletin but will not allow me to communicate with them. I can receive their messages but they cannot receive mine. Anyone currently in receipt of the Bulletin receiving duplicate copies let me know. Those who no longer want to receive it just click Reply and add the word “Remove” in the subject line. If you decide you no longer want the Bulletin feel free to drop me a line in the future if you ever need any assistance.

     The Baguio Retiree Assistance Office [RAO] is basically an "answer place" for all Veterans and Expats in addition to providing FPO mail services; Forms; U.S. & RP Government Services; etc.. There are no longer any bases in the Philippines and the Embassy is 180 km away...so over the last 18 years it has become the unofficial source for just about everything related to Government Programs impacting on those residing in this Geographic area. Because of our remote location...the majority of Veterans' assistance is provided by email. All questions received via email are responded to with either an answer or a source of where to obtain an answer. If you do not receive an answer within 72 hours, your inquiry was probably never received...and you should re-transmit it. The variety of questions, and subsequent research to answer them, has resulted in the development of a 2500+ page Library of articles, a 70+ page index of article titles available upon request for recall, and a Email Directory of over 70,000 email addees for dissemination of the newsletter to other RAO/RSO's, Military Fraternal Organizations and interested Veterans worldwide. The objective is to provide Veteran related information to at least one member of every Veteran Group worldwide who can act as a point of contact to pass on any information felt germane to that Organization's membership. Through their involvement, the Bulletin info presently reaches approximately half a million Veterans and/or Dependents.

     Our RAO meets the criteria, and is recognized as an "Independent RAO" and source of Veteran related info. However the Bulletin is not an "Official" DoD sanctioned newsletter. The articles provide items taken from a wide variety of sources that have been edited or editorialized for retransmission. They also include info to ease transition into the Philippines for those who may be considering relocating there. The information contained therein is just that...informational (FYI). The objective is only to PASS THE WORD in order to keep our Military Community informed. It is the responsibility of readers to verify exactly how information applies to them if they intend to expend funds or time in following up on the data provided in the articles. Unless you have questions concerning Veteran's issues to be answered, there is no need for comments. Although it's nice to get the occasional "thanks for the info", it's not necessary, and just adds to the 50+ emails I receive daily. I do not send out jokes - prayers - religious material or music - chain letters - photos - etc., so please reciprocate by not sending these to me. Nor do I normally participate in "political stuff" unless it is essential to an article being presented in the Bulletin. I would greatly appreciate that you not forward personal political comments/beliefs/prejudices, but I am always open to anything that could benefit other Veterans.

     Updates are sent either Bcc or via a Newsletter Mailing List provider, so recipients are not bothered with large headers nor have their email addee revealed to others. If you want to know if anybody else in your organization is receiving the Bulletin just ask. Articles contain subjects of interest to all Veterans regardless of Geographic location. The existing addees on the directory are about 2%:98% local vs. worldwide. The Bulletin content is for use in any way you see fit and retransmit is encouraged. Sources are provided wherever possible so readers can re-validate info if they desire. The primary source is always listed first and if multiple sources are used it is indicated by "++" after the primary source in the source line. Sometimes my Internet servers are inhibited in their ability to send to other servers worldwide because of filters incorporated by these servers to block spam. However I can always receive incoming messages. If you do not receive your Bulletin just let me know. Request all communications be sent to my primary email addee raoemo@sbcglobal.net even though you may be receiving the Bulletin from some other addee. The email addee of any veteran or military fraternal organization can be added to the directory if desired. It only takes a click on the "Unsubscribe" line at the end of each Bulletin to drop anyone off later if they find the Updates are of no use to them. Of course, there are no charges, advertisements, or solicitations associated this service. Nor do we accept donations.

     If you are interested in other articles contained within the Bulletin, they can be forwarded via email. Attachments sent should be virus free, since it is our policy NEVER to open incoming attachments because they might contain a virus. My installed Norton Anti Virus program tells me about 1% do.

     At http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html you can view the current and review past Bulletins sent in the last 5 years. Bear in mind that the articles shown in these Bulletins were only valid at the time they were written (normally indicated in the source line) and may have since been updated. At this site, you can also find the Bulletin Index to identify any articles you may want to recall. They will be provided upon email request.

All Hands: Some servers block the Bulletin. This blockage has happened over the years to a number of subscriber’s whose computer settings or server automatically respond to the Bulletin as spam because of its size.
Subscribers being blocked who want to continue to receive the Bulletin have three options:

1. Call their server and ask how to bypass the filters that are blocking their Bulletin;
2. Submit a COA to another email addee that they can be reached at; or
3. Go to http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html on the 2nd and 16th of each month to read/download the Bulletin.

Lt. James “EMO” Tichacek, USN (Ret)Associate Director, Retiree Assistance Office,
U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RPPSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517
Tel: (951) 238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines.

Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net
Web: http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html

AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/AD37 member

RAO BULLETIN 1 November 2009 Note:
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Vet Benefits Funding Update 02: Military pay raises, funding for veterans health care and the Post-9/11 GI Bill could be sacrificed
to new fiscal realities as the result of the
deal signed by President Obama on 2 AUG to raise the federal debt ceiling, according to the Military Officers Association and veterans groups.
The law requires the federal budget be cut $2.1 trillion over 10 years. The White House said it plans to cut $350 billion from the Defense
Department budget (excluding war funding) over the next decade. Retired Air Force Col. Michael Hayden, the association's deputy director
for government relations, said this means "everything is on the table," including military pay. While Congress historically has been reluctant
to freeze military pay, the 2011 Budget Control Act signed by Obama makes it clear upfront that military pay is no longer off-limits in budget discussions.
If the administration and Congress fail to make the required reductions then across-the-board cuts in discretionary funding will be triggered
through a procedure known as sequestration. The law gives the president "authority to exempt any [military] personnel account from sequestration
" but only if "savings are achieved through across-the-board reductions in the remainder of the Department of Defense budget,"
states a House Rules Committee analysis of the bill.

The budget control law lumps the discretionary budgets for the Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs departments,
along with the National Nuclear Security Administration, the intelligence community management account and portions of the State
Department budget, in a new "security" category capped at $684 billion in fiscal 2012. This marks a 6 percent, or $44 billion, cut for
those entities, according to an analysis by the Heritage Foundation. If these departments and agencies do not adhere to the budget
caps then they would lose funds through the sequestration process spread evenly across their budgets, but with no clear delineation
in how and where cuts would be made, the analysis concluded. Representatives from various veteran groups made the following
comments regarding possible fallout of the new law:

* MOAA Hayden said, "this leaves pay raises up for grabs" as Defense crafts a new budget to meet cuts planned by the White House.
He also expressed concern that cost-of-living increases for military retirees could end up sacrificed in the Pentagon budget-cutting process,
although by law they are protected from sequestration. Hayden predicted an intense round of lobbying as various groups work to protect their
piece of a smaller pie. But, he said, the stark reality is "everyone will have to suffer a little bit."

* Retired Air Force Col. Philip Odom, another deputy director for government relations at the Military Officers Association,
said troops could face a pay freeze coming on the heels of a small 1.6 percent pay raise in the 2012 budget, the "second lowest increase since 1962."

* Keith Weller, a spokesman for the Reserve Officers Association, expressed concern that the "super committee"
Congress must establish to determine the budget cuts will use the new strict budget caps to increase fees for the TRICARE health insurance
program for active-duty and retired military personnel. "We don't want them to view TRICARE as a cash cow," Weller said. In January,
then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called for a "modest" increase in TRICARE premiums, which have been frozen at $460 a year
for the past 15 years, compared to $5,000 a year other federal workers pay for health insurance. Gates said Defense heath care costs
have spiraled to $50 billion a year from $19 billion a year over the past decade, with the 10 million TRICARE beneficiaries accounting for much of that increase.

* Carl Blake, legislative director of Paralyzed Veterans of America, said he has real concerns about the effect the law will have
on veterans' health care. Veterans Affairs Department pension and disability programs are fenced off from cuts or sequestration, Blake said,
but not the massive 247,000 employee Veterans Health Administration, which is expected to care for 6.2 million patients in 2012.
Blake said VHA operates under discretionary funding, which makes it a target for cuts.

Government Executive learned that John Carson, director of the White House office of public engagement, met with veterans groups,
including the America Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Wounded Warrior Project,
to assure them that veterans compensation programs will be safe from sequestration. But Joseph Chenelly, assistant national communications
director for the Disabled American Veterans, said Carson did not address whether VHA or the Post-9/11GI Bill would be safe from cuts.
Joseph Violante, legislative director for the group, said that despite the White House statements, "nothing reassures me that veterans
programs are safe from cuts." Ed Meagher, vice president for health care strategy at Computer Sciences Corp. and a former VA deputy
chief information officer, said he doubted VA's requested $3 billion for information technology spending in 2012 will take much of a hit
as the department counts on IT to save money through automation of manual processes, including the disability claims system.
"At most, the IT budget might get nicked for $100 million," Meagher said.

He agreed that VHA funding faces cuts under the budget control act, and predicted those would come from new mental health projects,
a number of which have been adopted to care for Afghanistan and Iraq veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic
brain injury. New projects, Meagher said, are easier to cut than established ones. VA requested $6.1 billion for mental health care in its
2012 budget and $6.4 billion in its 2013 budget, both which account just under 15 percent of the overall health care budget of $46 billion
in each of those years. Nextgov reported in March that more than half the Afghanistan and Iraq veterans treated by VA last year received
care for mental health problems, roughly four times the rate of the general population. Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of the Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America, told a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that the nation faces a $1 trillion long-term
bill to care for veterans of those wars and warned against slashing program funding "in a shortsighted rush."

VA requested $11.1 billion for the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2012, up $2.1 billion from 2011, with more than 260,000 veterans enrolled in
the college year that just ended. Michael Dakduk, executive director of the Student Veterans of America, said he is worried that budget
hawks will flail the program. Dakduk, a Marine veteran who served tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq, said that Congress supports
projects like the GI Bill when the memories of war are fresh, but when those fade, attention shifts from caring for veterans to balancing
the budget.

[Source: GovExec.com Bob Brewin article 3 Aug 2011 ++]

Tricare Provider Availability Update 04: Low reimbursements are the number one reason physicians say they turn away patients of Tricare Standard, the military's fee-for-service insurance option, or Tricare Extra, the preferred provider option. Access to health care for these two groups could become an even bigger challenge thanks to the convoluted deficit-reduction deal hammered out last weekend between the Obama administration and leaders i n Congress. The Budget Control Act of 2011, which President Barack Obama signed into law 2 AUG, establishes a two-step process toward reducing deficit spending by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. Step one directs Congress to cut discretionary spending by $917 billion to include $350 billion from defense budgets based on priorities set by a roles and missions study. Step two has Capitol Hill leaders establishing a 12-member committee of lawmakers, to be divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans, an arrangement that appears designed to produce gridlock. They are to identify an additional $1.5 trillion in reductions from entitlements and tax reforms. This bipartisan committee is to report out legislation agreed to by at least seven of its members by Nov. 23 to produce the required cuts. The full Congress then must vote on the recommendations by 23 DEC.

With Republican leaders already vowing to assign to the committee only lawmakers rigidly opposed to revenue increases of any sort, including any tax bump for the wealthy or loophole closures for corporations, and Democrats vowing to protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, the likelihood of stalemate appears quite high. That's where the risk surfaces for Tricare clients. If the committee of 12 can't agree or the full Congress votes down their plan, the Budget Control Act inflicts its own formula: automatic cuts of $1.2 billion, half to come out of future defense budgets and the other half from entitlement programs. "The deal includes an automatic sequester on certain spending programs to ensure that...between the committee and the trigger...we at least put in place an additional $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by 2013," a White House fact sheet on the arrangement explains. The arbitrary cut "would be divided equally between defense and non-defense programs, and it would exempt Social Security, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families, and civilian and military retirement. Likewise, any cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side." This last sentence, underlined and made bold in the White House fact sheet, ignores the likelihood beneficiaries still would be hurt as more doctors, feeling underpaid, turn away Medicare and Tricare patients.

Any cut in Medicare provider fees would tighten access to care for Tricare beneficiaries because -- for the past 20 years -- Tricare physician fees, by law, have been linked to fees allowed under Medicare. If Medicare reimbursements are slashed, doctors who accept Tricare Standard and Extra patients feel the same financial pain. Retired Air Force Col. Mike Hayden, deputy director of government relations for Military Officers Association of American, said Tricare users clearly have reason worry if the 12-member committee fails to reach a deal. "Anything that lowers payments to providers will negatively impact beneficiary access to both Tricare and Medicare," Hayden said. Spending-cut mandates in the new budget control law also could thwart efforts to correct a long-standing flaw in the Medicare fee formula, which has threatened access to care for Tricare patients for many years. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 attempted to get Medicare costs under control by adopting a mechanism called Sustainable Growth Rate for setting spending targets for physician services. When annual targets are met, doctor rates are to be adjusted by medical inflation. When growth targets are exceeded, doctor reimbursements are to be lowered. [Source: The daily Herald Tom Philpott article 6 Aug 2011 ++]

JSCDR: The new super committee tasked with finding $1.2 trillion in additional deficit reduction was officially named the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JCSDR). As structured, the committee must find $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years by 23 NOV and approve it with a majority vote in order to fast track it through Congress by Christmas. If the panel deadlocks along partisan lines, it would instead trigger across-the-board spending cuts in the orbit of $1.2 trillion with half of those cuts coming from defense, and the rest from discretionary spending. Entitlements would remain largely untouched if the cuts are triggered by inaction. Another possibility is that the panel could agree to spending cuts below their $1.5 trillion target, which if approved, would lower the trigger amount for spending cuts. For instance, if they approve $800 billion in spending cuts, it would still trigger sequestration, but lower the total from $1.2 trillion to $400 billion. However, lawmakers on the committee insisted on 10 AUG that their goal was to fulfill their obligation. Sen. Toomey told reporters that a comprehensive plan was "much, much preferred over the default settings."

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made it clear from the beginning that no Republican on the panel would vote in favor of tax increases of any kind, and their nominees reinforce that:

* Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) who walked out of the debt ceiling talks with Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) a former president of the anti-tax Club for Growth , and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)
* Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) and Rep. Jon Hensarling (R-TX) who both served on the special White House deficit-reduction Simpson-Bowles commission and voted against its recommendations for deficit reduction through spending cuts and revenue increases, and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's and House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) selections similarly underscores that Democrats are not going to sign off on any drastic entitlement changes ahead of an election cycle where Democratic control of the Senate is in question. Their nominees were:

* Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) who also served on the Simpson-Bowles commission and voted against its recommendations, and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) selected for his stature and Senate tenure.
* Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC)the highest ranking African-American member of the House and the assistant Democratic leader, and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) the highest ranking Latino lawmaker in the House who served on the served on the Simpson-Bowles commission and voted against its recommendations

None of the six senators tapped for the deficit reduction panel were part of the "Gang of Six" that has already done a lot of the leg work toward achieving the committee's goals. Sen. Murray will serve as co-chairwoman of the super committee while simultaneously running the Senate Democrats' campaign operation for 2012. She is also a member of leadership, a senior member of the Budget Committee, and a woman on a male-dominated committee. Sen. Baucus is chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee with jurisdiction over many areas, including entitlement programs, that the committee is expected to examine.

The panel will need at least seven of the 12 lawmakers to vote on a final proposal by Thanksgiving in order to fast-track it through both chambers and send it to President Obama by 23 DEC. If the panel deadlocks along partisan lines, it would trigger across-the-board cuts for both defense and non-defense spending. The chances of deadlock are rooted in the intractable partisan divide over taxes. Democrats want to raise them; in particular they want to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and use the revenue toward deficit reduction. Republicans are united against any tinkering with the tax code that is not revenue neutral and oppose any effort to raise revenues to pay down the debt. Republicans also want to target entitlement spending on programs including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, but Democrats have ruled out any changes to entitlements unless taxes are on the table.

     When precisely the committee will begin its work is unclear. Lawmakers return in September with just 77 days until the Nov. 23 deadline.
[Source: National Journal Susan Davis articles 9 & 10 Aug 2011 ++]

Medical & Dental Costs Estimates: In 2009, the New York State Attorney General's Healthcare Industry Task Force reported serious problems with the system that major health insurers used to calculate reimbursements for out-of-network services to patients. Following action by the Attorney General, FAIR Health, an independent nonprofit organization, was created to develop a database that would (a) help insurers determine their reimbursement rates for out-of-network charges and (b) provide patients with fee information and a clear, unbiased explanation of the reimbursement process. The FAIRHealth Educational Site enables consumers to estimate the cost of common medical and dental procedures. That database, which is continuously updated, is now freely available at http://www.fairhealthconsumer.org . All that is required is for you to enter your Zip code and select the Medical or Dental procedure you anticipate you will be needing.

As you use this site to estimate the cost of medical services, keep in mind that visits with your provider for consultation, evaluation, and management are typically billed separately from the other services you receive. For example, if you visit your provider for certain blood tests, your provider will likely charge you for an office visit as well as the actual tests performed. Also, any treatment scenarios involve more than one procedure. A knee replacement, for example, is likely to involve some form of anesthesia, a diagnostic scan of the knee prior to surgery and physical therapy after surgery. Currently, the FH Medical Cost Lookup includes information for provider services related to medical and surgical procedures only. It does not include information about procedures related to hospital facilities, anesthesia, or durable medical equipment. Over time, it will be expanding the FH Medical Cost Lookup to include such data.
[Source: Consumer Health Digest #11-25, 11 Aug 2011 ++]

Patton Cologne: The U.S. Army has released a cologne named for the World War II hero Gen. George S. Patton. The scent, dubbed simply "Patton," is the Army's licensed, official fragrance. The cologne was not initiated by anyone in the Patton family, but they took the news with good humor. Daughter-in-law Joanne Patton said, "It was a surprise to me. We'll wait to see how and why," she said, chuckling. "... I was surprised that a perfume for General Patton wouldn't be smelling like diesel fuel." Gen. Patton, who died in 1945, owned what is now Green Meadows Farm in Hamilton. His son, also a general named George, lived there until his death in 2004, and his widow, Joanne, still lives on the Asbury Street property. Patton cologne is made by California-based Parfumologie. A portion of proceeds from sales of Patton, and the scents Parfumologie has created for each branch of the armed forces (Riptide for the Coast Guard, Devil Dogs for the Marines and Stealth for the Air Force), are donated to the Veterans Administration. The line of colognes was first released in 2009, but made news in AUG after the Patton cologne was mentioned on the Military Times news website. Patton is advertised as a woodsy blend of lavender, citrus, coconut, cedar, sage, tonka bean, bergamot and lime.
[Source: The Salem News Bethany Bray article 10 Aug 2011 ++]

VA Fraud Waste & Abuse Update 38: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reinstated Joel Klobnak's disability benefits after a two-year fight and a burst of publicity, but the former Marine knows that hundreds of thousands of veterans are still stuck in disability-claims purgatory. Klobnak, 24, lost his left leg in Iraq in 2006. He spent six months in an Army hospital, then returned to Iowa with full disability pay. In APR 09, the VA notified him that because he had missed a doctor's appointment, the department was cutting his pay in half, to $1,557 per month. His appeal was snarled in a national paperwork backlog that has forced many disabled veterans to wait years for their benefits. While he waited, he struggled to support a family of four on half pay. The Greenfield veteran's plight captured attention in June, when The Des Moines Register explained it in a front-page story. He believes the media spotlight, plus pressure from the staff of his congressman, Steve King, helped persuade VA officials to retrieve his case from the pile and to decide late last month to reverse their earlier decision. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful," Klobnak said this week. "But I didn't want them to fix just mine. I want the system fixed."

VA leaders nationally have said their solutions include a new computer system and better cooperation with the active-duty military. They've told Congress that they're making progress, but that it will take time to dig out of the paperwork quagmire. Klobnak expressed thanks to Iowans who came to his aid after the Register story ran in June. At least 20 families offered help, including household items and cash. A lady in her 90s sent a check for about $250. Someone else sent $20 with a note that said "wish I could do more." Others donated basic supplies for Klobnak's young family. Klobnak said he has no intent to live off disability payments forever. He will continue taking online college courses, he said, and he plans to have a follow-up operation to remove bone growth that causes pain in the stump of his leg. He hopes to work full time eventually. In fact, he's looking into the possibility of becoming a police officer. One obstacle would be the required 1.5-mile run, which prospective cops must finish in a set time. Klobnak probably couldn't finish the run in the 15 minutes and 26 seconds allotted for men his age, but he noted that women and older men are given extra time to finish. He wonders why a disabled veteran couldn't also get dispensation.

[Source: DesMoines Register article 9 Aug 2011 ++]

VA Appeals Update 10: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reinstated Joel Klobnak's disability benefits after a two-year fight and a burst of publicity, but the former Marine knows that hundreds of thousands of veterans are still stuck in disability-claims purgatory. Klobnak, 24, lost his left leg in Iraq in 2006. He spent six months in an Army hospital, then returned to Iowa with full disability pay. In APR 09, the VA notified him that because he had missed a doctor's appointment, the department was cutting his pay in half, to $1,557 per month. His appeal was snarled in a national paperwork backlog that has forced many disabled veterans to wait years for their benefits. While he waited, he struggled to support a family of four on half pay. The Greenfield veteran's plight captured attention in June, when The Des Moines Register explained it in a front-page story. He believes the media spotlight, plus pressure from the staff of his congressman, Steve King, helped persuade VA officials to retrieve his case from the pile and to decide late last month to reverse their earlier decision. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful," Klobnak said this week. "But I didn't want them to fix just mine. I want the system fixed."

VA leaders nationally have said their solutions include a new computer system and better cooperation with the active-duty military. They've told Congress that they're making progress, but that it will take time to dig out of the paperwork quagmire. Klobnak expressed thanks to Iowans who came to his aid after the Register story ran in June. At least 20 families offered help, including household items and cash. A lady in her 90s sent a check for about $250. Someone else sent $20 with a note that said "wish I could do more." Others donated basic supplies for Klobnak's young family. Klobnak said he has no intent to live off disability payments forever. He will continue taking online college courses, he said, and he plans to have a follow-up operation to remove bone growth that causes pain in the stump of his leg. He hopes to work full time eventually. In fact, he's looking into the possibility of becoming a police officer. One obstacle would be the required 1.5-mile run, which prospective cops must finish in a set time. Klobnak probably couldn't finish the run in the 15 minutes and 26 seconds allotted for men his age, but he noted that women and older men are given extra time to finish. He wonders why a disabled veteran couldn't also get dispensation.

[Source: DesMoines Register article 9 Aug 2011 ++]

VAMC St. Louis MO Update 02: Before arriving at the Millenium Hotel 10 AUG for a speech to veterans attending the annual AMVETS National convention, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki met with the director of the VA's John Cochran Medical Center in St. Louis. The hospital was the subject of Congressional and VA investigations in 2010 after contaminated dental equipment was uncovered. In early 2011 the operating suite was shut down when spots of corrosion were found on surgical tools. Shinseki had praise for the hospital director Rima Nelson, RN. "I'm satisfied we are turning the corner and many of the things that were in place when we were watching what was happening here, much of that has begun to be healed thanks to her leadership and also the leadership of the people who are now in place with her." Nelson told reporters no one has been dismissed in response to the sterilization issues. "We need to avoid the blame game if we want employees to report problems," she said. "Our focus is really on a culture of safety and making sure the quality that we deliver and the care that we provide is of the best quality and of the safest environment."

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and state Congressman Lacy Clay (D-St. Louis) joined the Secretary for the news conference. Both lawmakers had issued strong criticism of conditions at Cochran in 2010. Now they say the service is better. "I'm satisfied they have improved," said Rep. Clay. He described success stories his staff hears from veterans who rely on the Cochran Hospital. Senator McCaskill has organized an independent customer survey process with help from veteran organizations like AMVETS. The results of the first ninety days of surveys have been given to the hospital and McCaskill said she was impressed with the staff's willingness to work on problem areas. "I think the culture at Cochran is changed," she said noting evidence of more respect for veterans and a commitment to excellence.

The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department is scrambling to keep up with a growing number of new military veterans, many with serious medical difficulties. But Shinseki is reassuring veterans the department is up to the challenge. In his speech Shinseki said, "As troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan an additional one million service members are expected to leave the military service between 2011 and 2016. We need to get out ahead of this," he told the crowd. Shinseki described efforts to computerize much of the paperwork the VA does to link veterans to their benefits. He outlined new efforts to prevent homelessness among veterans and to help them return to school. "Our goal is to end veterans' homelessness by 2015," he said. One million veterans were unemployed as of June. Shinseki wants to see a "reverse bootcamp" to help military train to transition back to a civilian workforce or to college. The VA's budget has increased more than 15 billion dollars since 2009. Both Clay and McCaskill promised to fight to keep funding to meet the needs of the growing veteran population even in the wake of the nation's budget troubles.

[Source: St. Louis, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com) Betsey Bruce article 10 Aug 2011 ++]

Mobilized Reserve 9 AUG 2011: The Department of Defense announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 26 JUL 2011. The net collective result is 974fewer reservists mobilized than last reported in the 1 AUG 2011 RAO Bulletin. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 70,725; Navy Reserve 4,423; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 9,721; Marine Corps Reserve, 6,021; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 738. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 91,628 including both units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defense.gov/news/d20110809ngr.pdf  
[Source: DoD News Release No. 657-11 dtd 28 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Rural Access Update 10: At the Department of Veterans Affairs, Secretary Shinseki often talks about the tyranny of distance – the distance that often separates Veterans from care at their nearest VA medical facilities. For about 3.3 million Vets, or 41 percent of the total enrolled in VA’s health care system, distance is more than a challenge. Distance can mean rural Veterans don’t have access to the care and services they’ve earned. Secretary Shinseki made it clear – this summer, he wanted to hear from Veterans in the hardest to reach places. “I know from previous experience that sitting in Washington with a 2,000-mile screwdriver trying to fine tune things at the local level never works,” he said. So, we hit the road to learn firsthand. From the plains of North Dakota and Montana to the isolated island of Guam, Veterans from rural areas talked with Secretary Shinseki about what’s working and what the department can do better. To many Veterans, it was clear VA has shifted its approach to be more accessible. But it also was quickly learned that standard definitions like “urban, rural, and highly rural” may not be exact enough. Often, “remote, extreme rural, and inaccessible” is more accurate.

The “inaccessible” category would definitely include Kwigillingok, Alaska, or Kwig, located in the far reaches of Central Yup’ik near the Bering Sea. On Memorial Day, Secretary Shinseki visited Kwig to meet and honor living members of the Alaska Territorial Guard, who served bravely during World War II. No roads lead to Kwig, so the trip wasn’t easy.
    They hopped on a flight in Anchorage, and connected in the small town of Bethel...about 1,000 miles roundtrip. When they finally landed on the dirt landing strip in Kwig, villagers on all-terrain vehicles appeared from all over to give them rides to the village center. You hear about long trips beforehand, but the actual flights tell the simple story...Veterans in Kwig, and in rural areas all across the country, do not live near a VA facility. People in rural areas, both in the VA system and outside of it, face major challenges, including the shortage of health care resources and specialty care providers. During these trips, VA experienced the distanced that, in recent years, spurred them to make a dramatic shift for Veterans in rural areas. VA currently has 400 health clinics in rural areas, and is expanding outreach clinics, Vet Centers, even mobile Vet Centers to enroll Veterans and provide readjustment counseling.

Simply put, with these changes, many Veterans may not need to drive as far for a check-up. To coordinate the efforts, VA established the Office of Rural Health, which has already funded over $500 million for more than 500 projects, including home based primary care and intensive case management. In other places, VA is partnering with private health care providers and connecting facilities through new means like telehealth technologies to keep patients closer to home. Over the next several years, VA will continue to invest in solutions that bridge the gap between VA Medical Centers and rural Veterans. Access requires creativity. The trips taken by Secretary Shinseki have reinforced that the department is dedicated to improving health care for Veterans who live in rural, remote, even inaccessible areas. While VA has made considerable progress, there is still much work to do. Whether in Montana or Alaska, North Dakota or Guam, Secretary Shinseki is unequivocal when it comes to rural access: Veterans have earned and deserve VA care and services wherever they live. He is committed to making that happen...even in the most remote parts of the country.

[Source: White House rural Council Drew Brookie article 3 Aug 2011 ++]

Vet Cremains Update 07: The MISSING IN AMERICA PROJECT will conduct its first mission in the State of Utah by honoring fifteen veterans whose remains have been in the care of Deseret Mortuary in Salt Lake City, UT, yet remained unclaimed. Services will be conducted with full military honors for the following fifteen veterans at 10 a.m., Monday, August 15, at Utah Veterans Memorial Park, 17111 S. Camp Williams Road in Riverton.
* John Arthur Foreman, PFC (1935-2009) served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1957.
* Marita Anne Haberland, AB (1951-2010) served in the U.S. Air Force in 1969.
* Ronald Harold Hester, SA (1952-2009) served in the U.S. Navy from 1970-1974.
* Horace Raymond Hunt, Jr., PFC (1938-2008) served in the U.S. Army from 1958-1960.
* Charles Michael Karlsson, PVT (1940-2010) served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam from 1962–1965.
* John Robert Mooney, PVT (1941-2009) served in the U.S. Army from 1959-1962.
* Robert Lee Orchard, CPL (1930-2009) served time in the U.S. Army from 1950-1953.
* Earl Day Owen, SC2c (1925-2009) served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1943-1946.
* Stanley Benson Philoon, SP4 (1949-2010) served in the U.S. Army from 1971-1974.
* Albert Franklin Pilon, (unk.) (1936-2010) served in the U.S. Air Force in 1954.
* Harlon James Plamp, PFC (1931-2010) served in the U.S. Army from 1950-1953.
* Billie Joe Porter, PVT E-2 (1947-2009) served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam from 1964-1965.
* Robert Moulton Southwick, Jr., SSGT (1948-2010) served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1966-1969 and the U.S.Air Force from 1972-1979.
* Timothy Nolan Theriot aka Anthony N. Theriot, PVT (1945-2009) served in the Army during Vietnam, 1965.
* Ronald Lee Young, PVT (1957-2010) served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1976-1980.

A Deseret Mortuary hearse carrying the Cremains will be escorted by members of the MISSING IN AMERICA PROJECT, a Veteran’s Recovery Program, with large American flags flying on motorcycles. The hearse will be followed by Patriot Guard Riders, POW/MIA Riders, The Green Knights M/C and other participating veterans focused motorcycle organizations, cars and other vehicles. Roger Graves, MIAP Utah State Coordinator, says “it has been a privilege to work with the dedicated and professional staff at Deseret Mortuary, a Memorial Mortuaries and Cemeteries company, to ensure all unclaimed veterans in the State of Utah are laid to rest with the honors they deserve for their service to our country.”

Service Details:
* Date: August 15, 2011, Deseret Mortuary 36 East 700 South, Salt Lake City, 84111; Line Up Time: 8:30 am Departure Time: 9:00 am
* Place of Interment: Utah Veterans Memorial Park (UVMP) 17111 So. Camp Williams Road, Riverton, 84065; Time: 10:00 am
* Government officials, the public and media are invited to attend.

Attendance confirmations have been received from the following:
(1)  U.S. Senate – Larry Shepard, Constituent Liaison, Office of Senator Mike Lee.
(2)  Utah Department of Veterans Affairs - Col. Craig Morgan, (retired).
(3)  Utah National Guard - will be represented by a high ranking official.

     The purpose of the MISSING IN AMERICA PROJECT is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations; to provide honor and respect to those who have served this country, by securing a final resting place for these forgotten heroes.

For more information, visit http://www.miap.us

Source: MIAP Press Release 8 Aug 2011 ++]

Mosquitoes: The first buzz of a mosquito is an unpleasant reminder that summer fun comes with a pesky price. Examining the science behind common mosquito myths reveals that while some have a basis in reality, many are plain bunk. Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance -- they carry harmful diseases such as encephalitis and malaria. Here's what you need to know about this most unwanted guest:

1. Lemon dish soap and Listerine repel mosquitoes.
Fiction: This myth has been widely circulated around the Internet. According to the Florida Medical Entomology Lab at the University of Florida, these household products do not work to thwart mosquitoes. One of the most effective repellents is DEET. The Centers for Disease Control also recommends repellents with Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. If you use a product containing DEET, read the label and do not over-apply. DEET is a powerful chemical that can be harmful if used incorrectly. Make sure the repellent has an EPA-approved label and registration number. Use caution with small children and stick with a formulation that is made for kids.

2. Ultrasonic devices repel mosquitoes.
Fiction: Save your money. According to the Department of Entomology at Purdue, these gadgets don't work. Bug zappers do kill mosquitoes, but they also electrocute many beneficial insects including those that eat mosquitoes, so the scientists at Purdue recommend against using them.

3. Taking B vitamins repels mosquitoes.
Maybe: According to the Mayo Clinic, B vitamins change a person's odor, which may indeed make them less attractive to mosquitoes.

4. Eating garlic repels mosquitoes.
Fiction: According to current research, consuming large amounts of garlic only works against vampires and bad dates.

5. Skin-So-Soft products repel mosquitoes.
Fact: BUT, buyer beware: According to a study by the University of Florida, Skin-So-Soft and other products containing Citronella oil are only effective for between 3 and 10 minutes after application.

6. Creating a bat or insect-eating bird habitat will rid your yard of mosquitoes.
Fiction: While these species do eat mosquitoes, they probably won't eat enough to make a noticeable difference at your next garden party.

7. Meat tenderizer calms an itchy bite.
Fact: The Mayo Clinic recommends mixing a tablespoon of water with a tablespoon of meat tenderizer and forming a paste to apply to a bite. Using an ice pack can ease discomfort as well. OTC remedies to try: hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion.

8. Mosquitoes die after feeding.
Fiction: Unfortunately, the female mosquito (males don't eat blood, they feed on nectar) can live to bite again. Females will die if they don't get their first blood meal, which they require in order to lay eggs.

9. Mosquitoes transmit the HIV virus.
Fiction: According to scientists at the Centers for Disease Control, Rutgers University, and others, mosquitoes cannot transmit the HIV virus from human to human. They do carry the West Nile virus and other serious diseases.
Nearly one million people die each year from malaria, mainly children under the age of 5.

[Source: Yahoo!Green Sarah B. Weir article 18Jul 2011++]

SSA Death Reporting Update 01: Thousands of Americans are mistakenly reported dead every year by the Social Security Administration or other federal agencies. And Illinois has one of the highest rates of making such grave mistakes, according to a recent report by Scripps Howard News Service. Names of the alleged dead are listed in a massive “Death Master File” database maintained by the SSA. Research of the database by Scripps Howard’s Thomas Hargrove found the deaths of 31,931 Americans were listed in error. The government makes about 14,000 such errors every year...or about one for every 200 death reports...because of “inadvertent keying errors” by federal workers, according to SSA spokesman Mark Hinkle. That would mean about 400,000 people have been falsely declared dead since 1980, when the Death Master File was created at the request of U.S. business interests who wanted the records to reduce consumer fraud. While the SSA authorizes the use of the database as a death verification tool, it is noted on a U.S. Department of Commerce website that contains the official file that the SSA cannot guarantee its accuracy.

SSA doesn’t always know why mistakes are made. “It’s a larger issue than just our agency,” said Doug Nguyen, SSA’s deputy regional communications director in Chicago. Several agencies other than the SSA submit death reports that might make it to the Death Master File. “It’s usually human typing errors entered into our system from another system,” Nguyen said. “We do not verify the accuracy of every death record. “The Social Security number was never meant to be the identifying piece of information it has evolved into,” he said. “Unfortunately,” he said, errors also can occur in recording the date of birth, date of death or the deceased’s name or address. Death reports also are provided by individuals, funeral parlors, nursing homes, state and federal agencies such as Medicare, the VA, railroad retirement plans, the Department of Defense and Department of Commerce, and other agencies that pay federal benefits, Nguyen said. All go into the Death Master File, which records 90 million deceased Americans.

The information is used not only by agencies that pay federal benefits but to determine eligibility and prevent fraud for bank loans, credit cards and insurance coverage.“We make it clear that our death records are not perfect and may be incomplete, or rarely, include information about individuals who are alive,” he said. Out of 2 million deaths reported every year, the error rate is about 0.5 percent, he said. “But if you are in that half of 1 percent, it feels like 100 percent,” Nguyen said. When his agency discovers incorrect information, it moves “as quickly as possible” to correct it, he said. The agency requires current identification and signed statements from the person — not birth certificates. “This all helps, but it’s one piece of the puzzle,” he said. SSA also has to track the mistake down to the source that reported the death and follow the chain of records in reverse.“It takes time to untangle,” he said. Mistakes usually are discovered when someone calls about a late check. But many of the “walking dead” in the Scripps Howard report said their “deaths” were discovered while shopping for a cell phone, applying for a student loan, mortgage or bank account, or renting an apartment.

[Source: Southtown Star Susan Demar Lafferty article 5 Aug 2011 ++]

VAMC Fort Harrison MT: At least 300 Montana veterans who need orthopedic surgery are on a waiting list while the Department of Veterans Affairs Montana Health Care System works to recruit a full-time surgeon to help ease the growing backlog of disabled — and often disgruntled — veterans. To receive surgery, Montana veterans without private insurance must travel out of state for care or pay for it out of their pockets. To compound this problem, Montana veterans are being told that the VA facilities in Denver and Salt Lake City are too busy to accept Montana patients. Subsequently, they are being placed on a waiting list that is approaching two years.

Robert Wombolt, a 77-year-old U.S. Air Force Korean War veteran, is on the growing waiting list. The Billings resident had three knee surgeries beginning in NOV 09 and was told that he would also need his left hip replaced. With that, his wait began. At one point, Wombolt said, he was No. 20 on the waiting list. On 1 MAR his wait became indefinite after receiving a letter from Dr. Philip P. Alford, chief of surgical service at the VA Hospital in Fort Harrison, which is about 250 miles from Billings.“We regret to inform you that your upcoming orthopedic surgery will need to be postponed,” Alford’s letter said. “Someone will be contacting you in the near future with further information to insure you receive the orthopedic care you need.” Wombolt still waits. He’s heard nothing.
     On a pain-intensity scale from zero to 10, Wombolt said his pain averages from seven to nine. His walk is more of a shuffle and he can’t navigate long distances. Wombolt has no idea where he is on the waiting list and fears talking about it publicly will shove him further toward the bottom. Tired of the wait, Wombolt has contacted U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Tester has assured Wombolt that he will look into his concerns.

The waiting list of veterans is due primarily to a shortage of staff at the VA Hospital in Fort Harrison, according to Tester’s office. The hospital has been searching for an orthopedic surgeon to replace Dr. Peter Wendt, who retired and hasn’t operated since 18 MAR. There were two orthopedic surgeons on staff, but Wendt was the only one who performed hip and knee replacement surgery. Veterans were already waiting their turn on the operating table while Wendt was on staff. His absence has only exacerbated the problem. VA Montana has received several applications for the position, which pays between $97,988 and $375,000 and includes a generous benefits package. But no one has yet been hired, according to Tester’s office. The burgeoning backlog has caught the attention of both Tester and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. The topic dominated much of an hourl ong session Tester and Shinseki held with more than 100 veterans in July. Since then, the drumbeat of discontent has grown louder.

In a tersely worded letter to Shinseki, Tester said, “This situation is completely unacceptable and it’s getting worse.” Tester implored Shinseki to provide as much assistance and guidance as necessary and urged the VA to more aggressively pursue fee-basis care that would allow the needs of veterans to be addressed locally and in a more timely manner. “Further delaying or denying care for veterans whose conditions worsen each day is an outcome I cannot accept,” Tester said. “With more and more troops returning home and in need of care, the inability of the VA to recruit and retain quality doctors and surgeons has to become a higher priority.” Shinseki has received the letter and in July promised veterans that getting them access to quality health care is a priority. While VA Montana continues its search for a surgeon, it is taking other steps to address veterans’ needs. At the end of August, VA Montana will begin a three-year pilot program called Project ARCH, Access Received Closer to Home. Billings has been chosen as one of five sites nationwide for the pilot project. ARCH will contract with Billings medical providers to deliver care not available at VA Montana. Veterans in the Billings area awaiting orthopedic surgery will be contacted by a VA representative to discuss their eligibility for the pilot and other care options through VA. If veterans agree to participate in Project ARCH, and they are eligible, they will be referred to the program. The contracted provider has 14 days to schedule an appointment with their network providers, and subsequently schedule the surgery in the community.

[Source: Billings Gazette Cindy Uken article 6 Aug 2011 ++]

Stolen Valor Update 43:  A former state Military and Veterans Affairs official violated the terms of his probation to charges he falsified records to gain a tax exemption afforded those who served in the armed forces by continuing to work with veterans after being ordered to cease such activities, a Superior Court judge here ruled 5 AUG. Judge Irvin Snyder continued probation for William Devereaux, but warned Deveraux he would be incarcerated if another such violation occurred. Deveraux pleaded guilty in 2010 to falsifying his veteran and government records in order to receive tax exemption and benefits. Devereaux was sentenced by Snyder in April 2010 to theft by failure to make the required disposition. The terms of his sentence required Devereaux to forfeit his position with the state’s Division of Veterans’ Services and prohibited him from holding any job with the State of New Jersey. He also agreed to reimburse Laurel Springs $54,142.25 in unpaid taxes. He is serving five years of probation, during which he is banned from working with veterans in any capacity.

Snyder determined Friday that Devereaux had worked with veterans in Willingboro on a volunteer basis from May to October 2010. He assisted them with claims related to requests for records, including records associated with health care and military benefits. “Bill Devereaux is Bill Devereaux’s own worst enemy,” Camden County Assistant Prosecutor Mark Chase said at the hearing. Devereaux, appointed director of Veterans Programs for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs by former Gov. James McGreevey, admitted to using falsified veterans’ records and other falsified state documents to wrongly claim exemption from property taxes in Laurel Springs from April 2002 to his arrest in November 2008. He falsely stated he was 100 percent permanently and totally disabled due to military service, qualifying him for property tax exemption. In fact, Veterans Affairs had stated Devereaux was only temporarily disabled and was eligible to pay property taxes.

The U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigation Division is continuing an investigation into other records Devereaux is accused of falsifying — specifically military benefits forms for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in which Devereaux claimed he was a paratrooper and artilleryman, exchanged fire with enemy combatants and was involved in an incident of friendly fire. He also claimed to have been injured multiple times in Vietnam and asserted he received medals such as the Purple Heart, the Soldiers Medal and the Bronze Star with “V” device. Devereaux was never a paratrooper or artilleryman, according to court records. He served as a finance clerk in Vietnam for 4 months, 11 days in 1968. There is no record of his being injured in combat or his receiving the medals he has boasted of receiving.

[Source: Gloucester County Times John Barna article 5 Aug 2011++]

GI Bill Update 102:  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to inform Veterans of recent changes made by Congress to the Post 9/11 GI Bill that take effect in 2011. General Allison Hickey, Under Secretary for Benefits, said “The Post 9/11 GI Bill is incredibly important because it reduces the financial burdens of higher education so that Veterans have an opportunity to achieve their education goals. VA believes it is important for Veterans to be aware of changes to the GI Bill this year and learn more about how these changes may affect them.” “It’s hard to believe how far we have all come with the Post-9/11 GI Bill the past two years,” stated General Hickey. “Today, more than 537,000 students have received over $11.5 billion in GI Bill benefits to help them take charge of their future.”

Upcoming changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill effective August 1, 2011 include paying the actual net cost of all public in-state tuition and fees, rather than basing payments upon the highest in-state tuition and fee rates for every state; capping private and foreign tuition at $17,500 per academic year; and ending payments during certain school breaks, to preserve Veterans’ entitlement for future academic semesters. Also, certain students attending private schools in select states can now continue to receive benefits at the same rate payable during the previous academic year. Beginning October 1, 2011, eligible individuals will be able to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill for programs such as non-college degrees, on-the-job training, and correspondence courses, and they will be eligible to receive a portion of the national monthly housing allowance rate when enrolled only in distance learning courses.

VA is implementing the latest round of changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and has already begun processing fall 2011 enrollment certifications. Outreach by VA has helped to increase participation by colleges and universities in the Yellow Ribbon program, which helps students avoid out-of-pocket costs that may exceed the benefit. Today, more than 2,600 schools are participating in the Yellow Ribbon program. “VA is committed to ensuring Veterans have the information and tools they need to succeed,” General Hickey concluded.

Complete information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill is available at: http://www.gibill.va.gov
VA’s education information phone number is: 1-888-GIBILL-1.
For ongoing benefit information, Veterans and Servicemembers can log into the VA eBenefits website: http://www.eBenefits.va.gov

To ask a question in a secure e-mail, use the “Ask a Question” tab at: https://www.gibill2.va.gov/cgi-bin/vba.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

[Source: TREA Washington Update 5 Aug 2011 ++]

Vet Jobs Update 33:  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held a Veterans Summit on 26 JUL to emphasize the strides that they’ve been making on veteran employment issues. The DHS veteran coordination strategy is intended to increase veteran hiring in the constituent agencies, increasing NOV 09, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced a goal of having 50,000 veterans employed at DHS by the end of 2012; as of the third quarter of 2011 there were 48,572 veterans currently working at DHS. DHS has also established a Veteran Employment Program Office, which has a “one stop” website for veterans seeking employment at DHS (http://www.dhs.gov/xcitizens/veterans.shtm). The website explains veterans’ preference, has a contact email address to answer any questions, and has a converter tool that helps transitioning service members find appropriate jobs to apply for within DHS and the federal government. Any veterans interested in employment at DHS should send their inquiries to VETS@DHS.GOV [Source: TREA Washington Update 5 Aug 2011 ++]

Vet Jobs Update 34:  On 5 AUG, President Obama made a speech at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., about several major initiatives to combat the persistently high rate of veteran unemployment. The plan includes proposed tax credits for companies that hire unemployed veterans (several initiatives are currently working their way through Congress) and the creation of an inter-governmental agency task force to explore the idea of “reverse boot camps.” Hopefully, these reverse boot camps will prepare veterans for reintegration with the civilian workforce. More than 25% of veterans under the age of 25 are unemployed, according to Labor Department figures. The tax incentive program would be set up on a scale providing companies a $2,400 credit for hiring an unemployed veteran, $4,800 for hiring a veteran who has been unemployed six months or longer, and $9,600 for hiring a veteran with a service-connected disability who has been unemployed for six months or longer. The White House is hoping the program will lead to jobs for 100,000 veterans by the end of 2013. The task force will be led by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs and include representatives from other agencies such as the Department of Labor, Office of Personnel Management and Department of Education. Their recommendations are to be presented to the President by year’s end. The task force will attempt to remake the training service members receive for the civilian job market. [Source: TREA Washington update 5 Aug 2011 ++]

Gulf War Medical Records:  Numerous veterans who served in Operation Desert Storm have had difficulty validating their current medical conditions as service connected. Gerry Propst, an 82nd Airborne veteran, attempting to obtain records to substantiate his VA claim was told the only thing that they had was his physical before going in, and an ear exam going out. Well, how did they lose everything in between. It appears that many of the records were intentionally destroyed by the Army. Propst alleges among the missing records is the documented proof he suffered a major back injury during a parachute assault. "Amazingly enough, when I broke my back, I was flown off the drop zone to an emergency hospital in the area, in the country of Jordan. [Then I was] flown to Germany - all of this by military aircraft - flown to Malcrom Grow hospital in Washington DC, then to Norfolk Hospital in Virginia, and then back to a hospital in Fort Bragg. All [the trips] on Air Force aircraft, and nobody has anything with my name on it that I was ever there," said Propst. Propst recovered from that injury, but says he was soon back on desert duty, which aggravated it.

Propst was able to finish his tour of duty, but he recalls what he says he was ordered to do before he could come home. "We were told [to] mail everything home. Everything that's not mailed by the end of this week, you either carry on your back or we're gonna burn it," Propst said. "They were throwing our medical records and every non-essential piece of equipment into the burn pits because there was no room to fly it home. You're worried about getting shot the next day. You're not worried about what they're doing with that box and what's in it," he explained. And Propst didn’t worry too much about his back pain back then either. He was young and strong. He did his final year of duty at Fort Bragg and then joined a police force. But years later, Propst says it became just too much to bear. When he started applying for VA disability benefits about three years ago, he immediately hit a brick wall. The Veterans Administration had no record of Propst’s back, knee, or ankle injuries while in the military.

     "I've been dealing with denials, I know I'm not alone," he said. And he is not, veteran Chris Layton says he feels Propst's pain. I don't have any medical records or records to show anything," Layton said. Layton, a former Fort Bragg paratrooper who also served in Desert Storm, says he hurt his back on a jump and there is no record of it. "You're expected to do a job in the military and then you expect if something happens that you'll be looked after," he said.

But earlier this year, there was a glimmer of hope. Propst saw a story similar to his done by a Florida TV station featuring what appears to be a letter from the Department of the Army with an admission. “Units were told to destroy their records since there was no space to ship the paper back to the states,” reads the letter, which it says was in “direct contradiction to the existing army regulations.” A copy of the 1 May 2007 letter can be seen in this Bulletin's attachment titled, "Gulf War Medical Records Destruction". Through a public record request, the Army sent ABC11 a copy of the original letter which they in turn provided to Senator Kay Hagan to get her reaction "My first reaction was certainly the military didn't destroy any records and so getting to the bottom of that has been interesting," she said. "I wanted to be sure what the protocol was to do such a thing and why." In turn, Hagan wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta asking what the protocol is if records are lost or missing. "I just want to be sure we get to the bottom of this so those veterans that have served our country and military, that we are certain that they not only can get the VA services, but the benefits they deserve," Hagan said. "I mean these people have fought for our country." She is currently awaiting a response.

Probst and Layton continued to appeal VA denials. Probst even got the medic who treated him then - now a doctor - to confirm he was treated during the war for chronic pain due to parachute injury. He did eventually get a percentage of his service disability benefits approved, but was being denied compensation for back, leg, and other injuries. In the interim VA is providing medical treatment for both veterans injuries. Probst and Layton both say that since ABC11's story first aired, they heard from the Veterans' Administration and had examinations to determine if their injuries are service related. The examination was good news for Propst, who says the VA doctor gave his medical opinion that all his medical issues are service related. He is now just waiting for the official VA decision in writing and what that will mean in terms of compensation for those injuries. Layton has not heard his results yet.

This comes down to his and other Gulf War veterans disability benefits for service-connected injuries. ABC11 has heard from other veterans who say they’re dealing with roadblocks when it comes to getting treatment or services.

[Source: ABC11 Diane Wilson article 9 May & Veteran Issues by Colonel Dan 4 Aug 2011 ++]

Panic Attacks:  A study funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Beth and Russell Siegelman Foundation suggests that Panic attacks do not come "out of the blue". They are preceded by physiological changes similar to those that precede seizures, stroke, and even manic episodes. "There is reason to believe that waves of physiological instability occur for a substantial period of time before the attack is reported by patients," Alicia E. Meuret, PhD, an assistant professor from the Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas, who led the study. The finding may have relevance for other medical disorders where symptoms seemingly happen "out of the blue," such as seizures, strokes, and even manic episodes, the researchers note. There is speculation that panic attacks are triggered by marked changes in physiology, in particular breathing, Dr. Meuret explained. However, until now, very little is known on the physiological functioning of those with panic attacks outside the laboratory.

In the current study, 43 patients with panic disorder underwent repeated 24-hour ambulatory monitoring of various physiological indices, including respiration, heart rate, and skin conductance level. During 1960 hours of monitoring, 13 natural panic attacks were recorded. "We managed to capture spontaneously occurring attacks in these recordings, which we were able to examine closer. The study marks the first to gain an in-depth look into what occurs in early stages before a panic attack occurs," Dr. Meuret said. The investigators specifically analyzed the 60 minutes before panic onset and during the panic attack. The researchers say they detected significant patterns of instability across a number of autonomic and respiratory variables as early as 47 minutes before panic onset. The final minutes preceding the attack were dominated by respiratory changes, with significant decreases in tidal volume followed by abrupt carbon dioxide partial pressure increases, they report. With the onset of a panic attack, heart rate and tidal volume increased and carbon dioxide partial pressure decreased. Skin conductance levels were generally elevated in the hour preceding an attack and during an attack. "These changes were largely absent in the control periods," the investigators write.

Because most patients report panic attacks as being unexpected, "it appears that they do not 'feel' these instabilities," Dr. Meuret noted. "From a patient's point of view, our study may be upsetting news, since it is hard to control something that one does not sense. "However, it would be fascinating to explore whether it is possible to monitor such changes and train the patient to become aware of them, similar to patients who have auras before a migraine or an epileptic attack strikes," Dr. Meuret said. "Likewise, the extent to which therapies that alter physiological responding (such as pharmacotherapy or respiratory therapy) can help to combat such instabilities remains to be tested," she noted. Reached for comment, Alexander Bystritsky, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences and director of the Anxiety Disorder Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, said this study provides "new evidence that [unexpected] panic attacks are not so unexpected. "The dynamic changes in some physiological parameters may be detected by the brain and trigger the response. This is important for behavioral treatments of panic," Dr. Bystritsky added.

[Source: Medscape Today News Megan Brooks article 2 Aug 2011 ++]

VAMC Beckley WV: The family of a deceased West Virginia veteran is suing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for wrongful death and medical negligence. Robert L. Bailey Jr., on behalf of the estate of his father Robert L. Bailey, filed a federal tort claim complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on 29 JUL. Robert L. Bailey, a veteran and West Virginia resident, was a patient at the Beckley Veterans Hospital. He had complained of symptoms of chest congestion, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and weakness. According to his son's lawsuit, "radiological studies properly reviewed and interpreted placed lung cancer squarely within the differential diagnosis." However, diagnostic testing was delayed and follow-up care and investigation into the proper differential diagnosis was not performed, the suit alleges.
He died from cancer on 07.

"The United States of America, through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Beckley Veterans Hospital, undertook to be the deceased Robert Bailey's medical professional care provider and failed to exercise that degree of care, skill and learning required or expected of a reasonable prudent health care provider in the profession or class to which the health care providers at the Beckley Veterans Hospital belong acting in the same or similar circumstances," the lawsuit said. "Such failure proximately caused deceased, Robert L. Bailey, to suffer a delay in treatment of cancer, pain and suffering, loss of opportunities, loss of enjoyment of life, and eventually his death." The delay in treatment also resulted in a loss of opportunity for a cure, his son's suit alleges. The man's estate, represented by Timothy P. Lupardus of Pineville, is seeking damages.

[Source: The Record | News - Federal Court Jessica M. Karmasek article 3 Aug 2011 ++]

Texas Veteran Homes Update 01: A one-of-a-kind long-term care facility being built in Tyler got its name 3 AUG, the Watkins-Logan-Garrison Texas State Veterans Home. The Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) voted unanimously to honor three local heroes — two Medal of Honor recipients and a Tuskegee airman...in naming the home after Travis Earl Watkins, James Marion Logan and Samuel M. Garrison. “When it came down to it, we just couldn’t pick any one of these heroes over the other, so we picked all three,” Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said. “We were all just humbled by their sacrifice.” Local veterans groups were asked to nominate who should be honored. The three men selected by the VLB 3 AUG were chosen from the list of names submitted.

Unlike previous Texas State Veterans Homes, the Smith County home will consist of 10 cottages and one common building. The design approach for each cottage focuses on drawing residents into social connection by mixing the best communal aspects of a home while still maintaining privacy and independence for residents. An open kitchen, dining room and large table are at the heart of each of the 10 cottages. Family-style meals will be served at the table and residents can enjoy each other’s company afterward in a large living room with a fireplace. This hearth, or communal heart of the home, is what sets this Texas State Veterans Home apart from any other long-term care facility in Texas. “The kitchen is the heart of any home, and the new Texas State Veterans Home we’re going to build in Smith County takes that into account,” Patterson said. “Instead of one large, hospital-like facility, this home will consist of a cluster of small cottages built to draw residents into family-like social connections around the dinner table.” A total of 10 private rooms, each with its own bathroom, will flank the hearth. Each cottage will be set up as a “non-lift” facility, where overhead tracks with slings in each resident’s room will provide safe transport of non-ambulatory residents from bed to bath.

The newest Texas State Veterans Home is being built on 20 acres donated by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. The donated land is just north of the Health Science Center, along the west side of Highway 155, just south of County Road 334. The home is being built with a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, with the remaining 35 percent paid for by the Texas Veterans Land Board. The new Texas State Veterans Home will join seven others across the state in Amarillo, Big Spring, Bonham, El Paso, Floresville, McAllen and Temple. Texas State Veterans Homes offer a broad spectrum of health care services, comprehensive rehabilitation programs, special diets, recreational activities, social services, libraries, and certified, secured Alzheimer’s units, each with its own secured outdoor courtyard. For additional information on Texas State Veterans Homes, call 1-800-252-VETS (8387), visit the Texas Land Board website at http://www.texasveterans.com or find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TXVLB

[Source: Cherokeean Herald article 3 AUG 2011 ++]

Cars Most Stolen: “Nationally...and for the first time since 2002...thieves preferred domestic makes over foreign brands,” the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported on 2 AUG. “Ford took three spots, Dodge two, and Chevrolet held one.” Here’s the NICB’s top 10 list, which uses 2010 data that it took till now to crunch.

(Use https://www.nicb.org/newsroom/nicb_campaigns/hot–wheels to search the most-stolen cars in your state).
You’ll notice that while American carmakers have a presence on the national list, it’s still top-heavy with foreign makes…

* Honda Accord (1994)
* Honda Civic (1995)
* Toyota Camry (1991)
* Chevrolet Pickup Full Size (1999)
* Ford F150 Series/Pickup (1997)
* Dodge Ram (2004)
* Dodge Caravan (2000)
* Acura Integra (1994)
* Ford Explorer (2002)
* Ford Taurus (1999)

Why are older-model Hondas and Toyotas in such demand? Two reasons…
1.  “Certain models of older cars and trucks are popular with thieves because of the value of their parts,” the NICB says. Makes sense: Hondas and Toyotas were top-selling vehicles in the ’90s, and their owners tend to drive them into the ground. Hence, a big market for replacement parts.
2.  “Improved technology is one of the keys to lower theft rates,” the NICB says. “Of the nearly 52,000 Honda Accords stolen in 2010, over 44,000 were models made in the 1990s, compared with fewer than 5,700 that were produced since the year 2000.”

The NICB has four suggestions for how to prevent your car from being stolen, and only one of those doesn’t involve technology…
?  Common sense: ”Lock your car and take your keys” sounds blindingly obvious, but as the NICB notes, “Many thefts occur because owners make it easy for thieves to steal their cars.”
?  Warning devices: ”Having and using a visible or audible warning device can ensure that your car remains where you left it,” the NICB advises. Although who among us hasn’t been annoyed by those blaring car alarms – and ignored them?
?  Immobilizing devices: This is the fancy term for a “kill switch,” and it’s one of the two best options if you’re buying a new car. These devices will range from fuel cut-offs to smart keys, and the NICB says they’re “extremely effective.”
?  Tracking devices: Also proven “very effective,” tracking devices now go far beyond the LoJack commercial of a few years ago. “Some systems employ telematics, which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle,” the NICB says. “If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner, and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.”

[Source: Money Talks Michael Koretzky article 4 Aug 2011 ++]

Tricare Prime Update 08: Split enrollment allows eligible family members who do not live with their sponsor to enroll in TRICARE Prime as long as they reside in an area where TRICARE Prime is available. Split enrollment is especially helpful for families with college students, children living with former spouses or families that are otherwise separated. Children who are TRICARE-eligible based on their sponsor’s status remain eligible until reaching age 21 (or age 23 if enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved institution of higher learning, and if the sponsor provides at least 50 percent of the financial support). Your college student’s TRICARE Prime coverage ends if his or her Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) record is not updated before reaching age 21.

For information on extending benefits for your college student, refer to http://www.tricare.mil/deers

To use split enrollment, complete and sign a TRICARE Prime Enrollment Application and PCM Change Form (DD Form 2876). Send the form to the family member’s new regional contractor at:
* North Region: Health Net Federal Services, LLC, P.O. Box 870143, Surfside Beach, SC 29587-9743
* South Region: Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc.,Attn: PNC Bank, P.O. Box 105838, Atlanta, GA 30348-5838
* West Region: TriWest Healthcare Alliance, P.O. Box 43590, Phoenix, AZ 85080-3590

     The form should be sent within 30 days of the move. You must notify each family member’s regional contractor of the split enrollment status and establish one family enrollment fee, if applicable. TRICARE Prime enrollments follow the “20th of the month rule.” Applications received by your regional contractor by the 20th of the month will become effective at the beginning of the following month (e.g., an enrollment received by Dec. 20 would become effective Jan. 1). If the application is received after the 20th of the month, coverage will become effective on the first day of the month following the next month (e.g., an enrollment received on 27 DEC would become effective on 1 FEB).

To use the split enrollment option, you must notify the regional contractor in each region to establish a primary payer, usually the sponsor, if you pay enrollment fees. If your child enrolls separately in TRICARE Prime after arriving at college, and no other family members are enrolled in TRICARE Prime, it is considered a single enrollment. If the child enrolls and there are other family members enrolled elsewhere, your TRICARE Prime family enrollment fee remains the same. Your regional contractors will coordinate enrollment fees and billing statements. Student enrollment in TRICARE Prime is automatically renewed after one year, unless the renewal offer is declined. An unpaid enrollment fee will cause the entire family to be disenrolled. A 12-month lockout will result if you have been disenrolled for non-payment.

Except for emergencies, your family member must receive care from his or her assigned primary care manager (PCM). A uniformed services identification card helps provide proof of coverage, and the TRICARE Prime enrollment card should be shown at the time of care. PCMs must provide specialty care referrals to avoid using the TRICARE Prime point-of service (POS)* option, which results in higher costs. If your child does not continue enrollment in TRICARE Prime, he or she will be automatically covered by TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra as long as his or her DEERS information is current. Visit www.tricare.mil if you have questions about using TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra. After “aging out” of TRICARE coverage under the sponsor, adult children, until reaching age 26, may be eligible to extend TRICARE coverage by purchasing TRICARE Young Adult, a premium-based health care plan. Visit http://www.tricare.mil/tya for more information.

[Source: TRICARE Health Matters Fall 2011 ++]

IDES: The Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), formally called the Disability Evaluation System Pilot, was developed in 2007 to shorten the 540 days it took a Solider from processing through the Army's PDES system and then processing through the VA system. IDES is a seamless, transparent disability evaluation system administered jointly by the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to make disability evaluations for wounded, ill or injured servicemembers and veterans, simple, seamless, fast and fair. The IDES integrates evaluation processes DoD and VA each performed separately, to help DoD determine whether a wounded, ill or injured servicemember is able to continue to serve and quickly returns those to duty status who are. For servicemembers unable to continue service, the IDES determines the disability rating the member will receive through the VA.
    The transformation from two separate evaluation and disability systems to the streamlined IDES, will help all current and future Soldiers and servicemembers by delivering...
(1) Enhanced Case Management
(2) A Single Comprehensive Disability Examination
(3) A Single-Sourced Disability Rating
(4) Increased Transparency
(5) Faster Disability Processing.

Although the new streamlined IDES system is intended to improve the delivery of disability services and benefits for all U.S. Soldiers, servicemembers, veterans and their families, Congress is being told this is not the case. This supposedly new and improved system cannot speedily handle the most obvious of cases, as Crystal Nicely, whose Marine husband Todd lost both arms and legs in Afghanistan in 2010 told a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee 27 JUL. Nicely said that while IDES "is supposed to be a faster, more efficient way to complete the evaluations and transition service members, that has not been our experience." For example, Nicely said, "a very simple narrative summary of how my husband was injured sat on someone's desk for almost 70 days waiting for a very simple approval." She said the system started to work only after the intervention of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Since 43,000 troops have been wounded over the past decade in Afghanistan and Iraq, Murray will be mighty busy if she has to intervene in the thousands of cases still stuck in IDES.

For a more detailed report on IDES refer to http://dtf.defense.gov/rwtf/m02/m02pa06.pdf

[Source: GovExec.com Bob Brewin article 7/29/11 ++]

GI Bill Update 75: Despite its widespread use in veterans’ facilities, risperidone (Risperdal) appears to be ineffective in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans, according to a new study. Risperdal has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat PTSD, but doctors often prescribe medications for ailments that have not undergone government approval. John Krystal, M.D., of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and colleagues conducted the six-month, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study at 23 different Veterans Administration outpatient medical centers. Of the 367 patients screened, 296 were diagnosed with military-related PTSD and had ongoing symptoms despite at least two adequate antidepressant treatments with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and 247 contributed to analysis of the primary outcome measure. Patients in the study received risperidone (up to 4 mg, once daily) or placebo combined with other therapy. Symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety and other health outcomes were gauged via various scales and surveys. After analysis of the data, the researchers found no statistically significant difference between risperidone and placebo in reducing measures of PTSD symptoms after six months of treatment.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is among the most common and disabling psychiatric disorders among military personnel serving in combat. No psychiatric medication is approved by the FDA to treat it. However, antidepressants are commonly prescribed for some symptoms of PTSD. Within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 89 percent of veterans diagnosed with PTSD and treated with pharmacotherapy are prescribed SSRIs, the most common type of antidepressant. “However, [S]SRIs appear to be less effective in men than in women and less effective in chronic PTSD than in acute PTSD. Thus, it may not be surprising that an SRI study in veterans produced negative results. Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are commonly used medications for SRI-resistant PTSD symptoms, despite limited evidence supporting this practice,” the authors write. Researchers wondered whether risperidone (Risperdal) added to an ongoing pharmacotherapy regimen would be more effective than placebo for reducing chronic military-related PTSD symptoms among veterans whose symptoms did not respond to at least two adequate SSRI treatments. The researchers also discovered that risperidone was not statistically superior to placebo on any of the other outcomes, including improvement on measures of quality of life, depression, anxiety, or paranoia/psychosis. Overall, the rate of adverse events during treatment was low but appeared related to dosing of risperidone.

“In summary, risperidone, the second most widely prescribed second-generation antipsychotic within VA for PTSD and the best data-supported adjunctive pharmacotherapy for PTSD, did not reduce overall PTSD severity, produce global improvement, or increase quality of life in patients with chronic SRI-resistant military-related PTSD symptoms. “Overall, the data do not provide strong support for the current widespread prescription of risperidone to patients with chronic [S]SRI-resistant military-related PTSD symptoms, and these findings should stimulate careful review of the benefits of these medications in patients with chronic PTSD,” the authors conclude. In treating military-related PTSD, Charles W. Hoge, M.D., of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, writes that “significant improvements in population care for war veterans will require innovative approaches to increase treatment reach.” “Research is required to better understand the perceptions war veterans have concerning mental health care, acceptability of care, willingness to continue with treatment, and ways to communicate with veterans that validate their experiences as warriors.”
The study appears in the August 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

[Source: Psych Central News Editor article 2 Aug 2011 ++]

POW/MIA Update 02: A U.S. Army private from New York who died in a Korean War POW camp 60 years ago has finally returned home. The remains of Pvt. John Lavelle, of Brooklyn, New York, reached Kennedy Airport 30 JUL. "It was unbelievable," said Lavelle's niece, Mary O'Brien. "There wasn't a dry eye." Lavelle was 24 when he was captured in December 1950 by enemy forces near Kuni-ri, a town in what is now in North Korea. He died of what is believed to be malnutrition in a Chinese POW camp in 1951. His remains were turned over to U.S. officials in 1954, but the Army couldn't positively identify them. They were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii as unknown. The remains were exhumed a year ago when Army researchers found evidence suggesting the remains were Lavelle's. The identification was made possible by dental records. The remains arrived in New York in a wooden casket draped by an American flag. A Port Authority fire truck sprayed water over the plane as it taxied down the runway before members of an Army honor guard removed the casket to a waiting hearse. Gloria Webber, Lavelle's sister, said the return of her brother's remains have finally brought her family "closure." "We're so happy to see that he's back [home]," said Webber, 81. "We're nice and relaxed. There's no more worrying." Lavelle was scheduled for burial 1 AUG in Calverton National Cemetery in Long Island. [Source: New York Daily News article 31 Jul 2011 ++]

Medicad Eligible Vets Update 01: Maine state officials are exploring ways to encourage veterans on Medicaid to shift some or all of their health care to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, saving the state money and potentially improving benefits for veterans. “Clearly we should have been exploring this before, but we are looking at it now,“ said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew. “People who are on Medicaid who have military service are eligible for Medicaid, but clearly there are opportunities for individuals to move into the veterans health benefits programs and there are clearly savings for the Medicaid program.” Maine has approximately 150,000 veterans, one of the highest per capita in the nation. Peter Ogden, director of the state Bureau of Veterans Services, said only about 40,000 of them are taking advantage of the various Veterans Affairs health programs. “We have some data-sharing problems under federal law,“ he said. “But I think there are ways that we can make this work.“

Several states are using the federal database of the Public Assistance Reporting Information System set up to help stop fraud in Medicaid. The database has information identifying recipients who are also veterans and that has been used to provide information to those veterans about VA programs. “In Washington state, where it has been used the longest, it has been successful because they have someone on the DHS staff that works with veterans to provide them the information about VA benefits,” Ogden said. “We have been trying to figure out how we could fund a position to do that here.” It does cost to set up such a system, but other states have already realized significant savings. For example, Montana had $900,000 savings in its first year of use, 2008. Washington state estimates that since it first implemented the program in 2003, the state has saved $27 million and 9,500 veterans have been moved from Medicaid to VA programs. “There is no doubt the savings here can be significant," Mayhew said. "We hope to at least start with some of the changes we can do in the next six to nine months.”

What is frustrating to some lawmakers is that the idea was first discussed two years ago by lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Services Committee and members of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, has served on the panel several terms and is now the Democrat lead on the budget panel. “We tried but couldn’t seem to get much traction with the department two years ago after members of the veterans committee came to us with this suggestion,“ she said. “I am very pleased Commissioner Mayhew is looking at this in a serious way.” Mayhew said she had objected to moving forward and projecting savings in the current budget because she was not confident of the numbers. She said her agency is working with Ogden and his staff to develop a plan and a budget estimate. “I am concerned that we do this right,” Ogden said. “We don’t want to do anything that would hurt a veteran or in any way affect other benefits they are already receiving.” For example, he said, some veterans would be concerned that some other income-determined benefit they are receiving would be affected if they were getting additional VA benefits. He said it may be that a veteran may only want to get some of the VA benefits they are due because they like the care they are getting where they live. “A lot of veterans are on some sort of maintenance medications like for blood pressure or diabetes,“ he said. “We could have those prescriptions provided through the VA.”

In other states, veterans have found they can get more generous benefits through the VA than through Medicaid. Most benefits in Maine are through the Togus VA center in Augusta, but a growing number of regional clinics also are being established. Ogden expects the new clinic in the Lewiston area will draw veterans from throughout that region of the state. “This will be up to the veterans,“ Mayhew said. “We are not going to force anyone to move to VA health benefits unless they want to.” In general, anyone who has served in a branch of the military for 24 continuous months of the full period for which they were called to active duty is eligible for VA benefits. Ogden said he believes the state could double the 40,000 who now receive some VA health benefits and still not reach all who are eligible.

[Source: Capitol News Service Mal Leary article 31 Jul 2011 ++]

Your Doctor Update 02: Staying with a doctor you're not happy with is as harmful as staying in a relationship you know is bad because it's easier than making a change. But parting ways may be the healthiest move. Here are nine signs that it's time to fire your doctor.
(For simplicity, the references below are to male doctors, but men don't have a monopoly on unacceptable behavior.)

1. You don't mesh. You and your doctor don't need to see eye to eye on everything, but it's helpful if you work well together. If you want a partnership, for example, a doctor who spouts commands is not the best fit. If you value warmth, you may not be able to build an effective relationship with a physician who seems formal or distant. "Some patients like doctors who are very direct and blunt," says Washington, D.C. based family physician Kenny Lin, who blogs for U.S. News. "And some patients can't stand that type of doctor because they think he or she isn't empathetic enough or doesn't provide enough options." When there's a mismatch, neither person is at fault...but it could be grounds for termination.

2. He doesn't respect your time. Do you routinely wait an hour to see your physician only to feel like he's speed-doctoring through the visit? You should never feel like you're being rushed. If your doctor doesn't take the time to answer your questions or address your concerns, there's a problem. The medical community is becoming increasingly sensitive to patients' precious time. When they're late for an appointment, some habitually tardy doctors have even begun compensating patients with money or gifts. If your doctor's chronic lateness makes you grind your teeth, why stay with him? Hint: If you're evaluating a prospective physician, investigate his timeliness beforehand.

3. He keeps you in the dark. A doctor should be open and thorough about why he recommends a certain treatment or orders a specific test, and he should share all results with you. "If a doctor doesn't explain himself, or at least not to your satisfaction, at that point a doctor is bad," Lin says. "I know doctors who have drawn blood or run a bunch of tests without telling patients why they're doing them and what they mean." It's also important that a doctor uses terms you understand, rather than complicated medical jargon; otherwise, explanations are meaningless. Your health is too important to feel confused or uninformed.

4. He doesn't listen. Does your doctor hear you out without interrupting? "It all comes down to communication and whether you feel like you're asking questions and they're not being answered," says Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She recalls visiting a doctor for a second opinion on whether she should go through with a procedure recommended by her dentist. "He made a big leap—that I didn't want to have it done because I was afraid of the pain...and kept reassuring me that it was virtually pain-free. That's not what I was asking. After three rounds, I concluded that we weren't going to get to a productive place, and I didn't go back."

5. The office staff is unprofessional. The receptionists are the link between you and the doctor. If they blow you off—or neglect to give your message to the physician, say about side effects of a new medication...your health could be at risk. Even if you like your doctor, a bad office staff could signal it's time to look elsewhere.

6. You don't feel comfortable with him, or wonder about his competence. Doctors need to know intimate details you may not even share with friends or family members. If you're unable to disclose such facts, you and your doctor may not be the right match. A sense of unease about his decisions and recommendations, even if you can't say exactly why, is also a perfectly legitimate reason for cutting the cord, says Don Powell, president of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, a nonprofit that promotes healthy behavior through wellness programs and publications. Beware of sloppy medical mistakes, too: If your doctor prescribes a medication to which you're allergic, and you know that information is in your history, a separation may be in order.

7. He doesn't coordinate with other doctors. Your primary care physician should be the quarterback of your healthcare team, managing each step of the medical process. That means keeping track of specialists' reports and instructions and talking with you about their recommendations. If he's slacking, an important piece of your care could slip through the cracks.

8. He's unreachable. A good doctor is available for follow-up questions and concerns. Patient advocate Trisha Torrey, author of You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes, recalls the time her husband developed severe tooth pain on a weekend. His dentist's voicemail included a cell phone number and a promise of a quick response, but he never heard back. An emergency clinic visit and root canal later, he told his dentist she was fired. A growing number of doctors are making themselves available to patients via E-mail, text message, and Skype, and at the very least, you need to know that in an emergency, you won't be left hanging.

9. He's rude or condescending. Time to part ways. Same goes if he trivializes your concerns as though they're not valid. One of the clearest signs you should move on is if he walks out of the room while you're still talking, says Clancy. That's what happened when her sister met with a surgeon to determine if her daughter should go through with a procedure. "When my sister finished asking her question, the doctor was gone," Clancy recalls. "She called me afterward and I told her, 'You have to find someone else. You'll regret it if you don't.'"

[Source: U.S. News & Report Angela Haupt article 26 Jul 2011 ++]

TSP Update 22: Federal employees and members of the uniformed services (active duty or Ready Reserve) are eligible to participate in the Thrift Saving Plan TSP). As of 20 DEC 2010, spouses who are beneficiaries of deceased civilian and uniformed services TSP participants may inherit those assets. These spouses have the same benefits and privileges as separated TSP participants. In JUL all but two of the investment options in the federal employee retirement savings plan posted losses after two months of similar declines. Details of the Plan's performance for JUL are:
* The F Fund, which invests in fixed-income bonds, saw a small gain for the month, up 1.59 percent. The F Fund has increased 4.39 percent so far this year.
* The stable government securities in the G Fund also posted small monthly growth of 0.22 percent. The G Fund rose 1.66 percent this year.
* The S Fund, which invests in small and midsize companies and tracks the Dow Jones Wilshire 4500 Index, saw the largest drop for the month, decreasing 3.14 percent. The S Fund has gained 3.81 percent this year to date.
* The C Fund...invested in common stocks of large companies on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index...declined 2.04 percent. The C Fund is up 3.85 percent for the year.
* The international stocks in the I Fund went down 1.60 percent. The I Fund is up 3.59 percent so far this year.

     All the life-cycle funds, designed to move investors to less risky portfolios as they get closer to retirement, saw losses for the third month in a row. The L 2040 dropped 1.49 percent in June; L 2030 declined 1.25 percent; L 2020 lost 0.94 percent; and L Income, for federal employees who have reached their target retirement date and have started withdrawing money, dropped 0.14 percent. The new L 2050 Fund, which opened on Jan. 31, declined 1.75 percent. L 2040 is up 3.81 percent so far this year, with L 2030 close behind at 3.60 percent and L 2020 up 3.31 percent. L Income grew 2.36 percent in that time.

[Source: GovExec.com Emily Long article 1 Aug 2011 ++]


U.S. Navy Seabee Museum: The U.S. Navy Seabee Museum recently opened its new 38,000 square foot, state-of-the art facility at Naval Base, Ventura County, Building 100, Port Hueneme, CA 93043 Tel: 805-982-5165. Among the many featured exhibits at the new museum is the he Naval Experimental Manned Observatory (NEMO), a deep submergence vehicle created in the 1970s by the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory and the Southwest Research Institute. Also, a Humvee on a Bailey bridge, a two-hole "burnout," and a piece of the geodesic dome that Seabees constructed in Antarctica are among the brand-new exhibits. The new facility features modern exhibits spaces, memorial garden, theater, education room, and gift shop. Museum hours are Monday - Saturday: 9-4 and Sunday: 12-4. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit the United States Navy Seabee Museum webpage http://www.history.navy.mil/museums/seabee_museum.htm

Other U.S. Navy Museums Include:
* National Museum of the U.S. Navy Washington, D.C.
* Great Lakes Naval Museum Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
* Hampton Roads Naval Museum Norfolk, Virginia
* National Naval Aviation Museum Pensacola, Florida
* Naval Heritage Center of Armament & Technology
* Naval War College Museum Newport, Rhode Island
* Navy Art Collection Washington, D.C.
* Puget Sound Navy Museum Bremerton, Washington
* Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Patuxent River, Maryland
* Naval Undersea Museum Keyport, Washington
* Submarine Force Museum & Historic Ship Nautilus Groton, Connecticut
* U.S. Naval Academy Museum Annapolis, Maryland
* USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" Boston, Massachusetts

[Source: Military.com | Benefits article 1 Aug 2011 ++]

Tricare Nursing Home Coverage Update 03: At some point in your life, you or a family member may need skilled nursing care, long-term care or both. You should understand what each term means and how they affect you. Under TRICARE, a skilled nursing facility is a facility with the staff and equipment to provide skilled nursing, skilled rehabilitation or other medically necessary healthcare services, including prescription medications. Skilled nursing care isn’t typically provided in a nursing home or a patient's home. For TRICARE to cover your skilled nursing facility admission you must meet the following criteria:
* You must be treated in a hospital for at least three consecutive days, not including the day of discharge;
* You must be admitted within 30 days of your hospital discharge (with some exceptions) to a skilled nursing facility;
* Your doctor’s treatment plan must demonstrate your need for medically-necessary rehabilitation and skilled services; and
* The facility must be Medicare-certified and a participating provider.

Under skilled nursing care, TRICARE typically covers Medically-necessary skilled nursing care; Rehabilitative (physical, occupational, and speech) therapies; Room and board; Prescribed drugs and laboratory work; Supplies; Appliances; and Medical-equipment. The amount you pay varies, depending on your eligibility status and TRICARE option. Your costs are different depending on who you are and which health plan option you are using. To determine your cost refer to the chart at http://www.tricare.mil/costs. Medicare and TRICARE have the same benefits, skilled nursing facility decision process and payment calculation method, except TRICARE doesn’t limit the benefit to 100 days (after obtaining a Medicare claim denial). If you are Medicare and TRICARE eligible:
* For days 1 to 20, Medicare pays 100 percent;
* For days 21 to 100, Medicare covers all costs, except for the required Medicare copayment. TRICARE covers the copayment; and
* After day 100, TRICARE is the primary payer and you pay TRICARE beneficiary cost shares.

TRICARE covers medically necessary equipment costing more than $100, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, and respirators. You may buy or rent the equipment (whichever costs less). Send your doctor's prescription with your claim, specifying the type of equipment, why you need it and for how long. TRICARE won’t cover general use equipment, such as air cleaners or whirlpool baths. Before getting durable medical equipment, check with your region’s toll-free call center about rules and coverage limitations. TRICARE and Medicare will not pay for Long-term care. This includes support services for patients with a degenerative condition (Parkinson’s, stroke, etc.), a prolonged illness (cancer) or cognitive disorder (Alzheimer’s). A trained professional doesn’t have to provide long term care and it may be given in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day care centers or in your home. Long-term care services include help with the following: Walking; Personal hygiene; Sleeping; Using the bathroom; Dressing; Cooking/feeding; Medication; and Moving from a bed to a chair. All such care is your financial responsibility. So ask the facility whether you are getting skilled nursing care or long-term care. Ask your regional contractor or case manager about exceptions or partial exceptions to the "no coverage" guidance. For skilled nursing care and long-term care issues contact your TRICARE Service Center or your regional contractor.

Hospice care is available for terminally ill patients expected to live six months or less if the illness run sits normal course. A Medicare-approved program must provide the hospice care, which may include: Physician services; Nursing care; Counseling; Inpatient respite care; Medical supplies; Medications; Home health aide services; and Short-term acute patient care. TRICARE Standard pays the full cost of covered hospice care services, except for small cost-share amounts the hospice may collect for drugs and inpatient respite care. Check with your regional contractor for details. For more information, visit the TRICARE website http://www.tricare.mil/Factsheets/viewfactsheet.cfm?id=258

[Source: Military.com | Benefits article 1 Aug 2011 ++]

VA Fraud Waste & Abuse Update 38:

VAMC Aurora CO - A federal grand jury in Denver indicted year old 35 Sharon Jones19 JUL on charges of attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud. Federal prosecutors say she stole pain killers from patients at the Denver Veterans Affairs hospital where she worked as a nurse. According to the indictment, Jones stole Oxycodone tablets from Aug. 16, 2010, to Sept. 14, 2010. “Taking pain medicine from those in need is not only criminal, it is unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. If convicted, Jones faces up to four years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine for each of the 35 counts against her. [Source: Aurora Sentinel Brandon Johansson article 28 Jul 2011 ++]

DOL VETS - Raymond Jefferson, who headed the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) since 2009, resigned 2 AUG. According to a 21 JUL report by the agency's acting inspector general, Jefferson used his position to coerce or intimidate other employees to make the awards without open competition. A former Army officer who lost all five fingers on his left hand when a hand grenade detonated prematurely during Special Forces training, Jefferson was tapped by President Barack Obama to head the office that helps veterans find jobs and employment training programs. The report said that Jefferson and other lower ranking officials engaged in conduct "which reflects a consistent disregard of federal procurement rules and regulations, federal ethics principles and the proper stewardship of appropriated dollars." The investigation was prompted after a whistleblower reported irregularities last year to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO). McCaskill, who heads a Senate subcommittee that oversees government contracting, said she doesn't fault the Obama administration for appointing Jefferson, given his impressive resume. But she plans to take a hard look at what she sees as wasteful management consultant contracts that appear to offer little benefit to government agencies. [Source: Associated Press| Sam Hananel article 1 Aug 2011 ++]

Mobile AL - A federal judge sentenced a contract postal worker from Conecuh County to 5 years’ probation 4 AUG for stealing prescription drugs that had been mailed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade also ordered substance abuse treatment for Derek Wayne Reed, who pleaded guilty in May to theft or receipt of stolen mail. The plea came the same month the Reed was to stand trial in U.S. District Court. The previous month, a jury had deadlocked on the charges. Reed, who worked as a driver for a contractor hired to move mail among postal facilities, admitted that he stole 90 hydrocodone pills from the mail stream at the Monroeville post office in July. Authorities have said they began investigating after veterans complained they did not receive prescription medication from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The indictment accused Reed of taking prescription drugs 3 other times from the Evergreen post office in 2010 — May 21, June 10 and June 16. At the previous trial, prosecutors showed a surveillance video they contended showed Reed moving packages of Lortab from a bin to his truck in May 2010 at the Evergreen post office. Defense attorney Bill Scully argued that it is impossible to tell from the video what the package contained. After Reed decided to plead guilty, Scully cited new evidence presented by prosecutors after a grand jury issued a new indictment.

[Source: Press-Register Brendan Kirby article 4 Aug 2011 ++]

SBA Vet Issues Update 14: After an investigation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found major problems with small businesses claiming to be owned by veterans, according to the Navy Times. The news source said VA officials found 76 percent of businesses did not meet eligibility requirements for funding, meaning a minimum of 1,400 small businesses are falsely receiving money. VA values this funding at more than $500 million. To be eligible to receive funding, the Navy Times said that businesses must be owned and operated by a veteran, but some companies are run day-to-day by non veterans. This leaves the owner as a figurehead, according to investigators, and therefore not eligible to receive benefits. The Times report said one company, which received $340,000 in contracts, was run by a "disabled veteran" who was in the Marine Corps for five weeks before being discharged because of an injury in an off-duty football game. He would not have qualified for the money. Actual veterans who run small businesses will be able to network in August at the first National Veterans Small Business Conference and Expo in New Orleans hosted by VA. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said the goal is to help veterans grow and start their own businesses. He said he hopes this offers veteran-owned businesses tools and access needed to thrive in the market. [Source: Small Business News DEREK MCALLISTER article 29 Jul 2011 ++]

Prescription Drug Epidemic: Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy for the Obama administration, met 28 JUL with federal, state and local law enforcement officials and pharmacy industry representatives to discuss ways to curb what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling a prescription drug epidemic.

Gil Kerlikowske

The problem is prevalent among both active-duty service members and veterans, Kerlikowske says. In February, the New York Times reported the military's medical system is "awash in prescription drugs" after 10 years of treating troops injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. What may prove indicative of the problem locally was a recent warrant issued to search the Carlsbad apartment of a Camp Pendleton Marine suspected of illegally obtaining and selling prescription drugs. One way the administration aims to curb prescription drug use among veterans is to include the Department of Veterans Affairs in a national system that monitors the flow of prescription pills in this country. Kerlikowske also reaffirmed the administration's plan to reduce prescription drug abuse by 15 percent over the next five years. He responded to several related questions put to him by Camp Pendleton Patch:

Camp Pendleton Patch: What can you say about prescription drug use among active-duty service members and veterans as a result of what they’ve been exposed to while at war?

Gil Kerlikowske: We can tell you without fear of being incorrect that the survey instruments on active-duty military show that they have been abusing or self-medicating with prescription drugs. That issue is also quite true with our veterans. … Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense both have published, through their survey work and information, quite a bit. Admiral Michael Mullins [chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] has spoken about the prescription drug issue a year ago when he testified on the DOD budget. … So there is a lot of information coming from this. Also, if you go back a few months ago, USA Today did a piece with a lieutenant general [David Fridovich] … who was on the front page of USA Today talking about his own battle with prescription drugs, and I was really moved by that piece.

Camp Pendleton Patch: What is the Obama administration doing to try and curb this epidemic?

Kerlikowske: Well, first of all, there is a program...a piece of technology called prescription drug monitoring programs...these are electronic databases. Forty-eight of the 50 states have passed laws that...probably about 35 now have active technology programs, which are these monitoring programs. What they do is allow a doctor to search a database and they can detect if a patient is doctor shopping. The doctors call it a real patient safety tool. The other thing that it does is it helps medical boards detect whether or not a doctor may be over just prescribing. So if you had a VA hospital in a state with one of these programs, they were not allowed to participate because of a decision that had come from the VA General Counsel. So it wasn't a question that they didn't want to participate. But you don't want to see a veteran go into a VA hospital and get a prescription drug filled for painkillers and then go down the street to a private doctor or private pharmacy and get another prescription pill when there's a database that could actually help prevent that. So Sen. [Richard] Blumenthal from Connecticut, who is very active in the issue involving veterans, has moved forward with legislation to allow the VA hospitals to participate in these technology programs that would actually help to improve the safety of our veterans.

Camp Pendleton Patch: (Regarding doctor shopping and pharmacy robberies) Is this something new that’s being targeted by the Obama administration?

Kerlikowske: No one has really captured, until within the last couple years, the extent of this prescription drug epidemic, as the CDC has called it. Part of that epidemic...and within the last year in particular...we have seen this increase in robberies and burglaries of pharmacies. Now it’s hard to figure out what the data, what the information shows, but if you listen to police departments and pharmacists and the groups that represent the drug stores, they’ve been very concerned.

Camp Pendleton Patch: Are service members' criminal cases...as they pertain to prescription pills...handled differently than civilians'?

Kerlikowske: What I've seen and what I've visited...I went to the veterans court...there are now about 72 veterans courts in the country; they’re very new.

     Robert Russell in Buffalo, NY, started the first veterans court a few years ago when he was coming across cases in which veterans were coming forward with charges maybe involving drugs, could involve domestic violence, that involved domestic dispute issues. So he started a special court for veterans involving the VA, the criminal justice system and also those veterans service organizations. Gen. [Eric] Shinseki visited that court to take a look at how it's working, and we've seen that expand from one in Buffalo to now I believe over 70. You really see how everyone is concerned and kind of wraps their arm around that veteran to get him or her back on the right track.

Camp Pendleton Patch: Which pills are most sought after?

Kerlikowske: In the past, you would often read, and quite often talk about, OxyContin but the opioids, painkillers, generally are the most abused. Hydrocodone, oxycodone, on and on. So it can be a variety of these very powerful, very addictive and...unfortunately, at times...very deadly painkillers. We’re seeing more people die as a result of drug overdoses than are dying of gunshot wounds in this country today. And in 17 states we're seeing more people die from drug overdoses than from car crashes. This is driven mostly, by the way, by prescription drugs. Prescription drug overdoses are taking more lives than heroin and cocaine overdoses combined.

[Source: Camp Pendleton Press Jared Morgan article30 Jul 2011 ++]

Prescription Drug Epidemic Update 01: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, prescription drugs are the second-most commonly abused category of drugs, behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other substances. In 2009, nearly 7 million people in the United States were nonmedical psychotherapeutic drug users. And opiate overdoses, once almost exclusive to heroin use, are now increasingly caused by misuse of prescription painkillers. While prescription drug abuse is not a new problem, it deserves renewed attention because of its prevalence and how often it affects children. After tobacco and alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter medications are the most frequently abused substances by high-school seniors. Nearly one in 12 high-school seniors reported nonmedical use of Vicodin and one in 20 reported abuse of OxyContin. Fifty-nine percent of 12th graders said the drugs were given to them by a friend or relative. Prescription drug abuse is correlated with other risky behaviors including abuse of other drugs and alcohol.

There are many health concerns associated with prescription drug abuse. These risks include overdose, drug interactions and the possibility of the drugs falling into the hands of children with allergies, to name just a few. While opioids, such as codeine, oxycodone and morphine, have improved pain management, they have also become popular drugs for misuse. Central-nervous system depressants, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines, can lead to overdose and dangerous withdrawal, including seizures. Abuse of stimulants like dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate (commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy) can cause psychosis, seizures and cardiovascular complications. Because prescription drugs are legal when properly used, they can often be found in our own medicine cabinets. If you have leftover medications that are not needed, do not flush them down the toilet or drain unless the label or patient information instructs you to do so. For information on drugs that can be flushed, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/default.htm and click on “Resources for You.”

To dispose of non-flushable prescription drugs, you may be able to participate in community drug take-back programs or household hazardous waste-collection events, which collect drugs at central locations for proper disposal. Contact your city or county household trash and recycling service and ask if a drug take-back program is available in your community. If a take-back program is not available, the Office of National Drug Control Policy recommends these simple steps to ensure your no-longer-needed prescription drugs are not improperly used:
* Take the medication out of its original container.
* Mix the drug with an undesirable substance such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.
* Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid such as an empty margarine tub or sealable bag.
* Conceal or remove all personal information, including the Rx number, with permanent marker, duct tape or by scratching it off.
* Place the sealed container with the mixture and the empty drug container in the trash.

     Advances in medicine allow for management of acute and chronic pain and have improved the lives of many. But some of these medications are potentially addicting. If someone you know is struggling with prescription drug use, discuss it with your health care provider or use one of the many resources the Department of Defense makes available to service members, retirees and their families. Today, more than ever, health care providers are sensitive to the needs of those struggling with substance use and dependence. TRICARE is there to help! For information about TRICARE’s substance use treatment coverage, refer to http://www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth

[Source: TRICARE Health Matters Fall 2011 ++]

Food Expiration: Every house has food in the pantry that has been there for weeks if not months, but according to food experts, you may want to think twice before throwing those items out. Many common food products last far longer than you might think. "We throw out tons of food each year in this country because people don't understand how long they can keep things," said Jo-Ann Heslin, a certified nutritionist and author of The Complete Food Counter. As Heslin and other nutritionists explain, consumers generally assume that foods should not be eaten after the use-by date on the package, but in reality, this date simply indicates the period of time when the food tastes best, not the date when it will suddenly make you sick. It's true that fresh foods like fruits and vegetables should not be consumed much after the use-by date has passed, as these products generally spoil quickly (unless frozen), but for countless packaged products, the consumption window can last for years. "For connoisseurs who have a real taste for a certain food, it's probably a good idea to use it by the best by date, but nothing bad will happen to you if you don't," said Keri Gans, a registered dietician and author of The Small Change Diet. The general recipe for longevity, according to these experts, is for the food to be low in liquids, sugar and oil, all of which have the potential to mold and spoil the food, or to have "lots and lots" of preservatives, which keep the food fresh longer. So if you're looking for groceries to buy in bulk and store in your pantry, these products are your best bet:

?  Canned Beans and Vegetables. Canned food, by definition, lasts longer than most products in the grocery store because it has been specially processed in air-tight cans. In general, canned items can stay good for 12-18 months, according to Gans, but some last even longer. Canned products like beans and vegetables, which are low in acid, can actually last for as long as two to five years. The only exception is if the can is dented or rusty, as that indicates the can has been punctured at some point, which speeds up the spoilage process.

?  Spices. You may want to think twice before replacing the containers in your spice rack. In general, most common spices like salt, pepper and oregano don't actually expire in the traditional sense, they just become less and less flavorful. "Salt occurs naturally in nature, it has no expiration date," Heslin said. "There is no difference in 10-year-old salt at all, as long as it hasn't been exposed to moisture." But over time, the potency and taste of the spice begins to decline, which is why Gans recommends using these spices within two to four years to be safe. Keep in mind too by that point, you'll probably have to use more of each spice in order to compensate for the loss in flavor.

?  Cereal and Crackers. You might as well start stocking up on crackers and cereal for the winter. According to Heslin, these products are essentially just "edible cardboard" that don't have enough moisture to grow bacteria or mold, so they can last for a very long time. Cereals like Cheerios and Puff Wheat, which have little to no sugar, can last for 18-24 months if unopened, while crackers like saltines can generally last for about two years. "The safety and nutrient quality of these products doesn't change, but the taste and texture might deteriorate somewhat," Heslin said. In other words, your body will be fine eating these things after more than a year, but you may find them a bit too stale to make it worthwhile.

?  Dried Pasta and White Rice. as with cereal and crackers, dried pasta and white rice do not contain enough moisture to spoil, and can therefore last for at least two years unopened. Consumers should be mindful though of what kind of pasta and rice they intend to store, though. Brown rice and whole wheat pasta may seem the same, but in reality each of these products contains more oil than their traditional counterparts, and can therefore go rancid much quicker.

?  Popcorn. Unmade popcorn kernels can last for up to two years, according to Gans, once again because they lack the oils and moisture that would lead to spoilage.

?  Condiments. All those condiments you have left over from July Fourth festivities may just barely survive until Independence Day weekend next year. Ketchup, mustard, horseradish and salad dressings generally contain no ingredients that can go bad, and according to Gans, they will last for a solid 12 months unopened before they completely lose their taste.

?  Coca Cola. Old fashioned Coca-Cola is the ultimate bomb shelter beverage. If left unopened, Heslin says a can of coke will take "an extraordinarily long time" to expire. Diet sodas, on the other hand, expire much more quickly because they contain artificial sweeteners that degrade with heat and time.

?  Honey. Honey can take years to expire, but according to Gans, one can conservatively hold onto it for about a year before its consistency begins to change, hardening and losing its sweet taste. Interestingly, Gans says that honey stays good for 12 months whether it's opened or unopened, making it one of the only foods where that is the case.

?  Twinkies. Despite all the claims in pop culture to the contrary, Twinkies don't actually last forever. In fact, you'd be lucky to have a Twinkie that is still edible after a few months.

[Source: http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/index Seth Fiegerman article27 Jul 2011 ++]

Veteran Hearing/Mark-up Schedule: Following is the current schedule of Congressional hearings and markups pertaining to the veteran community. Congressional hearings are the principal formal method by which committees collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Hearings usually include oral testimony from witnesses, and questioning of the witnesses by members of Congress. When a U.S. congressional committee meets to put a legislative bill into final form it is referred to as a mark-up. Veterans are encouraged to contact members of these committees prior to the event listed and provide input on what they want their legislator to do at the event.

Membership of each committee and their contact info can be found at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/committees.tt?commid=svete

* August 30, 2011. SAC-MILCON/VA will hold a field hearing on VA's collaboration with Indian Health Service (IHS) titled: Improving Access to Care for Native American Veterans by Maximizing the Use of Federal Funds and Services. (10:00 A.M.; Rapid City, South Dakota)
* September 8, 2011. HVAC will hold a full Committee mark-up on pending legislation. (10:00 A.M; 334 Cannon).
* September 21, 2011. SVAC and HVAC will hold a full committee joint hearing on the legislative agenda of the American Legion. (8:00 A.M.; G-50 Dirksen)
* September (Date TBD). The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will conduct a hearing on "Is This Any Way to Treat Our Troops? Part IV: Lack of Progress and Accountability."

Vet Toxic Exposure ~TCE: As early as WWII, United States Air Force and other Military bases used and disposed of chemical degreasers and other toxic substances that were later determined to contaminate drinking water and pose multiple health risks including: Cancers, Reproductive disorders, Birth defects, and Multiple other serious difficulties. Countless military personnel, their families, and private individuals living and working in the near vicinity of the bases may have been affected by these contaminates, through drinking water, general water usage and exposure through vapor seepage. The four most alarming contaminants are: Trichloroethylene (TCE), Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), Vinyl Chloride, and Benzene. Scientific studies show that some or all of these chemical compounds have breached the ground water supply on several of our US Military Bases and in some instances, have affected civilian properties adjacent to the bases including churches, schools and private wells. Currently, on-going research is being conducted on military bases around the country and on properties directly adjacent to these bases to identify just how wide spread this contamination may be.

Marines take great pride "in taking care of their own." Marine and Navy veterans who were stationed at the former (decommissioned) MCAS El Toro in Irvine CA are at risk for exposure to toxic chemicals as a result of the contamination of the soil and groundwater. Very few know of their exposure. Marines have been exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), suffered serious health consequences, and have no idea of what hit them. A number of Marines report serious illnesses linked to toxic exposure.

     Some of the emails are posted at http://www.mwsg37.com Others have asked to withhold their names. Neither the Navy nor the Marine Corps made any attempts to notify El Toro veterans.

MCAS El Toro was commissioned in 1943 and for many years the base obtained drinking water from fresh water wells on station. EPA in 1997 confirmed that the aquifers are "not currently a source of municipal water." After 56 years, El Toro was officially closed in July 1999, the 3rd MAW transferred to Miramar, and thousands of acres sold at a public auction to Lennar Corp. for $650 million. A TCE plume was discovered off base in 1985. MWSG-37 was ground zero for the TCE plume, spreading miles into Orange County. In 1997 EPA reported that the MWSG-37 area was the source of the toxic plume. EPA found that: "approximately 1,500 pounds of TCE are estimated to be present in soil gas; an additional 4,000 pounds of TCE would be present in the soil moisture. The mass of TCE in groundwater beneath Site 24 is estimated to be approximately 8,000 pounds."

EPA traced the "hot spot" to MWSG-37's maintenance hangars: "the primary VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) source is present beneath Buildings 296 and 297, extending to the south with decreasing concentrations to the southern Station boundary. Several smaller source areas exist in the soil beneath Site 24, including a PCE soil gas plume located west of Building 297. The VOC concentrations in soil gas generally increase with depth, and the highest concentrations occur near the water table. VOCs in the area of Buildings 296 and 297 extend to groundwater directly beneath those buildings." How much TCE/PCE was used at El Toro? It's anybody's guess. El Toro kept no TCE usage records. Six of the base wells were in the path of the TCE plume. With the possible exception of one well (#4, 1947), the actual dates the wells were abandoned are unknown. Well water may have been used for years after the purchase of municipal water for swimming pools, irrigation, fire service, and washing of aircraft and vehicles. Contaminated well water would have exposed Marines, dependents, and civilian workers to these carcinogens.

The Navy purchased municipal water for El Toro and the Santa Ana Air Facility as early as 1951. There’s no explanation for the reasons for the purchase, but the high salt content (total dissolved solids) in the groundwater may have corroded the wells. The base wells were constructed in 1942 so something had to be seriously wrong with the wells for the Navy to purchase municipal water. The early purchase was not enough to replace the maximum daily output from the base wells. In late 1969, the Navy entered into another contract which exceeded the maximum output from the base wells. The 1969 contract required the contractor to supply water to El Toro from the Santa Ana Air Facility’s wells in the event of disruption in municipal water services. El Toro’s wells were obviously off-limits.

The Navy contends that corrosion was not a factor in the decision to purchase municipal water for El Toro despite the high levels of TDS ("salts") in the shallow aquifer (> 1,000 mg/ug). The only thing that is certain is that the Navy did not purchase municipal water without cause, especially when there was good quality water in the principal aquifer under the base.

All of El Toro’s wells are now destroyed. The consulting engineers’ well destruction reports show extensive well casing corrosion, at least one well screen in the contaminated shallow aquifer, broken discharge pipes, and one well failure (#4). The risk of serious illness for those who worked in MWSG-37 in or near the maintenance hangars was high because of exposure to toxic vapors from open containers and from vapor intrusion. Others on the base were at some risk for exposure from vapor intrusion from the contaminated soil and groundwater. If contaminated well water was used in swimming pools and for irrigation, the risk for exposure to these carcinogens through dermal contact is evident. In the words of one toxicologist El Toro “was a toxic waste dump.” At least one national law firm has taken an interest in injuries from toxic exposure at El Toro.

[Source: http://www.militarycontamination.com Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Toxic Exposure~TCE: El Toro MCAS  As early as WWII, United States Air Force and other Military bases used and disposed of chemical degreasers and other toxic substances that were later determined to contaminate drinking water and pose multiple health risks including: Cancers, Reproductive disorders, Birth defects, and Multiple other serious difficulties. Countless military personnel, their families, and private individuals living and working in the near vicinity of the bases may have been affected by these contaminates, through drinking water, general water usage and exposure through vapor seepage. The four most alarming contaminants are: Trichloroethylene (TCE), Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), Vinyl Chloride, and Benzene. Scientific studies show that some or all of these chemical compounds have breached the ground water supply on several of our US Military Bases and in some instances, have affected civilian properties adjacent to the bases including churches, schools and private wells. Currently, on-going research is being conducted on military bases around the country and on properties directly adjacent to these bases to identify just how wide spread this contamination may be.

Marines take great pride "in taking care of their own." Marine and Navy veterans who were stationed at the former (decommissioned) MCAS El Toro in Irvine CA are at risk for exposure to toxic chemicals as a result of the contamination of the soil and groundwater. Very few know of their exposure. Marines have been exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), suffered serious health consequences, and have no idea of what hit them. A number of Marines report serious illnesses linked to toxic exposure.
Some of the emails are posted at http://www.mwsg37.com Others have asked to withhold their names.
Neither the Navy nor the Marine Corps made any attempts to notify El Toro veterans.

MCAS El Toro was commissioned in 1943 and for many years the base obtained drinking water from fresh water wells on station. EPA in 1997 confirmed that the aquifers are "not currently a source of municipal water." After 56 years, El Toro was officially closed in July 1999, the 3rd MAW transferred to Miramar, and thousands of acres sold at a public auction to Lennar Corp. for $650 million. A TCE plume was discovered off base in 1985. MWSG-37 was ground zero for the TCE plume, spreading miles into Orange County. In 1997 EPA reported that the MWSG-37 area was the source of the toxic plume. EPA found that: "approximately 1,500 pounds of TCE are estimated to be present in soil gas; an additional 4,000 pounds of TCE would be present in the soil moisture. The mass of TCE in groundwater beneath Site 24 is estimated to be approximately 8,000 pounds."

EPA traced the "hot spot" to MWSG-37's maintenance hangars: "the primary VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) source is present beneath Buildings 296 and 297, extending to the south with decreasing concentrations to the southern Station boundary. Several smaller source areas exist in the soil beneath Site 24, including a PCE soil gas plume located west of Building 297. The VOC concentrations in soil gas generally increase with depth, and the highest concentrations occur near the water table. VOCs in the area of Buildings 296 and 297 extend to groundwater directly beneath those buildings." How much TCE/PCE was used at El Toro? It's anybody's guess. El Toro kept no TCE usage records. Six of the base wells were in the path of the TCE plume. With the possible exception of one well (#4, 1947), the actual dates the wells were abandoned are unknown. Well water may have been used for years after the purchase of municipal water for swimming pools, irrigation, fire service, and washing of aircraft and vehicles. Contaminated well water would have exposed Marines, dependents, and civilian workers to these carcinogens.

The Navy purchased municipal water for El Toro and the Santa Ana Air Facility as early as 1951. There’s no explanation for the reasons for the purchase, but the high salt content (total dissolved solids) in the groundwater may have corroded the wells. The base wells were constructed in 1942 so something had to be seriously wrong with the wells for the Navy to purchase municipal water. The early purchase was not enough to replace the maximum daily output from the base wells. In late 1969, the Navy entered into another contract which exceeded the maximum output from the base wells. The 1969 contract required the contractor to supply water to El Toro from the Santa Ana Air Facility’s wells in the event of disruption in municipal water services. El Toro’s wells were obviously off-limits.

The Navy contends that corrosion was not a factor in the decision to purchase municipal water for El Toro despite the high levels of TDS ("salts") in the shallow aquifer (> 1,000 mg/ug). The only thing that is certain is that the Navy did not purchase municipal water without cause, especially when there was good quality water in the principal aquifer under the base.

All of El Toro’s wells are now destroyed. The consulting engineers’ well destruction reports show extensive well casing corrosion, at least one well screen in the contaminated shallow aquifer, broken discharge pipes, and one well failure (#4). The risk of serious illness for those who worked in MWSG-37 in or near the maintenance hangars was high because of exposure to toxic vapors from open containers and from vapor intrusion. Others on the base were at some risk for exposure from vapor intrusion from the contaminated soil and groundwater. If contaminated well water was used in swimming pools and for irrigation, the risk for exposure to these carcinogens through dermal contact is evident. In the words of one toxicologist El Toro “was a toxic waste dump.” At least one national law firm has taken an interest in injuries from toxic exposure at El Toro.

[Source: http://www.militarycontamination.com Jul 2011 ++]

Saving Money: We all know 15 percent is the standard tip for restaurant servers, but what if the service was way above standard? Or way below? Tipping is such a mystery because there aren’t any ironclad rules. And tipping can be stressful because we’ve all heard how servers depend on their tips for their livelihood. Here are some facts: Waiters and waitresses can be paid as low as $2.13 an hour, but if their tips don’t bring them up to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and hour, the government requires employers to make up the difference. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average restaurant server earns about $8 an hour, with the top 10 percent getting around $14.25 an hour. But that’s just waiters and waitresses. Who else should you tip? Because there’s no law or rule or even agreement on a guideline, opinions vary. For example, CNN Money’s guidelines for tipping suggests a minimum of $2 per night for a hotel housekeeper while The Consumerist suggests only $1. But mostly, those two respected media sources agree. By studying those and other sources, Money Talks News has devised an abbreviated list for the more common encounters. While opinions may vary slightly, you won’t go wrong following this advice:

Tip a percentage.
* Take-out preparer (the restaurant person who packs up your to-go order): 10 percent
* Taxi driver: 10-15 percent
* Tattoo artists: 10-20 percent
* Barber/stylist: 15-20 percent
* Bartender: 15-20 percent

Tip a flat figure.
* Pizza delivery guy: $2-5 based on distance
* Coffee at mom-and-pop shop: $1 per drink (chain coffee shops? CNN says “completely optional,”
* Consumerist says, “25 cents tossed in the tip jar,” others say little to nothing.
* Valet parking: $1 or $2
* Furniture delivery: $5
* Housekeeping: $1-5

More advice on tipping.
* On average, you can see it’s typical to leave 10-20 percent for just about anybody worth tipping. But adjust that based on circumstances: If your delivery guy rushed over in a thunderstorm and is dripping on your doormat, toss him a little extra. Reward people who go out of their way to help. But if your server provides poor service, give a poor tip – but leave something so it’s obvious you didn’t just forget.
* Pay attention to what’s included in a bill and who it’s going to. At restaurants, a table of six or more is often charged an extra “gratuity” or “service fee” that may (or may not) go directly to the server. A delivery bill may likewise have a service charge for gas that doesn’t go to the driver, and a tip may already be built into the bill.
* If you have a regular barber or bartender you’re buddies with, don’t let that relationship sour over tipping. Treat well those people you’re likely to deal with often.
* Try to avoid leaving cash lying around. Hand the tip to your server, leave it in the holder the check comes in, or put it on your card. For housekeeping, leave the money in a marked envelope so they know it’s for them.
* Always calculate tips based on the original bill, not based on any discounts or coupons you used.
* Some people can’t (or won’t) accept tips. You can still give them a card, a warm handshake, or a genuine, “Thank you.”

[Source: Money Talks Brandon Ballenger 7 Jul 2011 ++]

Notes of Interest:
?  ND Driver Licenses. North Dakota veterans will “soon be able to get new licenses–which will give them recognition for their service. Starting 1 AUG, veterans will be able add the letter ‘V’ on their licenses.” Besides offering recognition for their service having the symbol of their driver’s license may make it easier for veterans to prove their eligibility for veteran’s discounts.
?  Annapolis Class of 2016. The Navy has announced that the U.S. Naval Academy's admissions cycle for the class of 2016, entering in July 2012, is open to enlisted Sailors. The deadline for initial application to the class is 31 JAN 2012.
?  Secret Service. Army veteran Charles L. Gittens, the first African American agent in the Secret Service and the former head of the agency’s Washington field office, died 27 JUL at an assisted living center in Mitchellville Maryland after a heart attack. He was 82.
?  Immunizations. August is National Immunization Awareness Month. If you are planning a trip make sure you have your required vaccinations and get them documented .
?  Delaware Vet ID Cards. DMV recently announced it would begin providing free replacement veteran identification cards to those servicemembers who have lost, damaged or misplaced them. These cards will be available to any veteran. Call 302-744-2515 (Dover) or 302-434-3203 (Wilmington) for appointments.
?  Tanning bed use. Results of a small clinical study showed frequent users of tanning beds exhibited brain activity similar to that observed in people addicted to drugs or alcohol. Interest in tanning as an addictive behavior has evolved from evidence that use of indoor tanning equipment has continued to increase despite well-known associations with skin cancer and premature skin aging.

[Source: Various 1-15 Aug 2011 ++]

Medicare Fraud Update 73:

?  San Antonio TX - Dr. Herbert Joel Robinson, 78, has been indicted on charges that he committed more than $100,000 in Medicaid and Medicare fraud by billing for patients he did not provide medical service to — or for people who were dead. Robinson ran a general practice and weight-loss clinic and was charged earlier this year. He was re-indicted last week as prosecutors added counts alleging that he billed the medical-assistance programs for people who were dead. He now faces 27 counts of health care fraud, punishable by up to 10 years in prison; three counts of mail fraud, punishable by a maximum of 20 years; and one count of aggravated identity theft, punishable by a mandatory two years on top of what he could get from any of the other charges. He intends to plead not guilty to all charges. From January 2006 through November 2009, Robinson billed the government for “office visits during times when patients were not present, out of town and hospitalized, and times when defendant Robinson was outside of the United States, and at times when his office was closed,” the indictment states. Court records allege that more than $100,000 was fraudulently billed, though agents with the U.S. Health and Human Services Department's Office of Inspector General were still calculating the purported loss.

?  Brunswick GA - Arthiu Manasarian, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to aggravated identity theft in the scheme he operated out of Brunswick Medical Supply Inc in 2007 and 2008. Although he admitted his guilt, Manasarian offered no explanation to Chief U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood about his submission of $7.5 million to $20 million in phony claims to Medicare through Brunswick Medical and his eight other businesses in Savannah, New Mexico and California. Manasarian took a government plea bargain just 10 days before going on trial with two co-defendants in the Brunswick-based scheme. The government will dismiss eight other charges against Manasarian in exchange for his two guilty pleas and continuing cooperation including testimony if necessary against others, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Rafferty told the court. Manasarian's co-defendants, Sahak Tumanyan, 44, and his wife, Hasmik Tumanyan, 39, will stand trial on money laundering conspiracy charges beginning Aug. 15 in U.S. District Court in Brunswick. The Tumanyans operated and controlled at least four fictitious companies in the Los Angeles area as part of the money laundering conspiracy, according to the indictment. Armenian natives living in Los Angeles, Manasarian and the Tumanyans were among 73 defendants in a nationwide organized crime ring that submitted more than $163 million in phony Medicare claims.

?  Miami FL - A Miami nurse was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on 8 AUG for his role in what prosecutors say is a $11 million Medicare fraud ring. In May, a federal jury had convicted Armando Santos, 46, of multiple counts of health care fraud for his actions between 2007 and 2009. At trial, prosecutors said Santos billed the government for services that did not take place or were not medically necessary while one of ten Miami employees of the Ideal Home Health company charged with defrauding Medicare. The owners of Ideal Home Health, Elizabeth Acosta Sanz and Luis Alejandro Sanz, stand accused of masterminding the scheme in which the home nursing company sought $11 million in bogus reimbursements – of which they received more than $7 million. Although their employee Armando Santos claimed in Medicare filings to make regular rounds injecting patients with insulin, prosecutors said that at least two of his patients did not need insulin and were not housebound. In total, prosecutors said, Santos submitted $230,315 in false claims. The ten year sentence imposed on Santos by U.S. district Judge Federico Moreno was the maximum advised under sentencing guidelines.

?  Detroit MI - A Florida woman who committed multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud in the Detroit area has been given a generous reduction in her prison sentence. Federal Judge Gerald Rosen last week shaved 2 ½ years off the eight-year sentence ordered for Daisy Martinez in 2010. Prosecutors say she deserved a break after her testimony and cooperation helped convict others who committed health care fraud. Martinez arrived from Miami to set up three Detroit-area clinics that were a sham. The clinics billed Medicare for treatments that weren't performed or weren't necessary in 2006 and 2007. Her daughter and son-in-law also pleaded guilty in the scheme.

?  Detroit MI - Friends of a Detroit-area pharmacy owner are willing to put up their houses as collateral if it would ensure his release from jail on fraud charges. Babubhai (BOB'-ooh-by) Patel has been locked up for a week. He's charged with about $60 million in health care fraud at his pharmacies. Patel was back in court 9 AUG, but a federal judge didn't make a decision. The hearing resumes 12 AUG. Prosecutors want the Canton Township man to stay in jail until trial. He's accused of giving kickbacks to doctors to write prescriptions and send people to Patel's pharmacies. The government says the painkillers were unnecessary or not provided. Prosecutors call it a brazen scheme to cheat Medicare and Medicaid. Patel is the vice chairman of the Canton Hindu temple. He's pleaded not guilty.

?  Los Angeles CA - Two pastors of a defunct Los Angeles church have been found guilty of preying on their trusting parishioners to run a $14.2 million Medicare fraud scheme. Christopher Iruke, 60, and his wife Connie Ikpoh, 49, persuaded churchgoers at the now-defunct Arms of Grace Christian Center to provide personal information that they used to open fraudulent medical equipment supply operations. The two abused their positions of trust and persuaded those who blindly trusted in them to steal millions of dollars from taxpayers and Medicare. The conviction 9 AUG came at the end of a two-week federal trial. The couple was accused of using information from parishioners to set up several fraudulent medical supply businesses...one even shared the address of the church...that billed Medicare for power wheelchairs and other pricey equipment that was never provided or was unnecessary. Iruke was found guilty of one count of conspiracy and 17 counts of health care fraud. Ikpoh and employee Aura Marroquin, 30, were each found guilty of one count of conspiracy and four counts of health care fraud. According to evidence presented at trial, the three and co-conspirators used fraudulent prescriptions and documents that were illegally purchased to bill Medicare for high-end power wheelchairs. Though the wholesale price of each wheelchair was less than $1000, they were billed to Medicare at a rate of approximately $6,000, according to federal prosecutors. The ill-gotten proceeds were spent on luxury vehicles and home remodeling expenses.

?  Miami FL - Federal investigators have arrested a 10th person in a South Florida scheme to defraud Medicare out of more than $27 million. Prosecutors in Miami said 39-year-old Elizabet Lombera is facing multiple counts of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. She faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. Prosecutors say Lombera used some of the illegal profits to take a trip to Japan. Nine other people have already been arrested in the scam. Prosecutors say it involved fraudulent invoices to Medicare for durable medical equipment devices submitted by five different companies. Six of those involved are already serving time in prison. One is a fugitive.

?  Louisville KY - Federal officials say the owner or operator of six Kentucky hospitals has agreed to pay $8.9 million for claims improperly billed to Medicare. The U.S. attorneys' offices in Louisville and Lexington announced the settlement 11 AUG with Baptist Healthcare Systems Inc. and Hardin Memorial Hospital, under management of Baptist Healthcare. Hospitals involved besides Hardin Memorial are five facilities owned by Baptist Healthcare -- Baptist East in Louisville, Western Baptist in Paducah, Baptist Northeast in La Grange, Central Baptist in Lexington and Baptist Regional in Corbin. The U.S. attorneys' offices statements said Baptist Healthcare and Hardin Memorial made no admission of liability in agreeing to the settlement and that no issues of quality of patient care were involved.

[Source: Fraud News Daily 1-15 Aug 2011 ++]

Medicad Fraud Update 45:

?  Rayville LA - Three former employees of a Rayville personal care services agency are accused of billing the state's Medicaid program for more than $575,000 in services supposedly done while they were really at other jobs. The state Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit arrested 50-year-old Georgia Lee Coleman on 35 counts of Medicaid fraud; 45-year-old Lisa Thomas on 10 counts and 37-year-old Yaschica Pleasant Jackson on four counts, Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said Monday. The company's owner Patricia A. Bell, 51, was arrested earlier on 60 counts of filing or maintaining false public records and seven counts of Medicaid fraud. Investigators found that Louisiana Medicaid paid more than $575,000 for services supposedly provided by people who weren't working for bell any longer. Bell also allegedly billed for services reportedly given while patients were hospitalized.

?  Brownsville TX - Felicitas Velez Alanis, 50, and her daughter-in-law Erika Ortega Alanis, 26, both of Brownsville, Texas, have been arrested on charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. A grand jury returned a six-count sealed indictment on 26 JUL, charging Felicitas Alanis and Erika Alanis with one count of conspiracy to defraud the Texas Medicaid program and five counts of submitting false and fraudulent claims to the Texas Medicaid program. Felicitas Alanis allegedly owns and operates Vel-Ala Inc. - a Texas corporation which does business as Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply in and around Brownsville and Harlingen, Texas, and elsewhere in South Texas. Her daughter-in-law, Erika Alanis, allegedly assisted in the day to day operation of the company. Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply is enrolled with the Texas Medicaid program to provide durable medical equipment (DME) to Texas Medicaid beneficiaries. The six-count indictment alleges Felicitas Alanis and Ericka Alanis conspired to send false and fraudulent bills to the Texas Medicaid program in the name of Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply. Between JAN 2005 and Oct 2006, the women submitted more than $646,000 in false and fraudulent bills to the Texas Medicaid program for diabetic supplies which Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply never purchased or supplied to Medicaid beneficiaries. The delivery records and billing records of Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply show that the Texas Medicaid program was routinely billed for more items than were actually delivered and the purchase records allegedly reveal that the Texas Medicaid program was billed for medical supplies and items that Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply had never purchased. Medicaid paid more than $554,000 on the allegedly false and fraudulent claims submitted to it.

?  Mt. Vernon MO - Attorney General Chris Koster has filed a civil lawsuit against a Mt. Vernon dentist Thomas Alms Jr., DDS, and his wife Laura Alms alleging they made false and fraudulent claims to Missouri's Medicaid program. For nearly five years they filed claims and billed Missouri Medicaid for dental procedures that Dr. Alms was not authorized by the Missouri Dental Board to perform. They also billed Medicaid for services that were not provided. Medicaid has reimbursed Dr. Alms for services totaling more than $600,000. The lawsuit, filed 2 AUG in Cole County Circuit Court, asks the court to order Dr. Alms and his wife to pay restitution, as well as civil penalties and punitive damages.

?  Indianapolis IN - William Maultsby, 52, was charged 5 AUG with health care fraud, following an investigation by the U.S. Health and Human Services Inspector General and Indiana Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The information alleges that William Maultsby owned Ace Transportation Service, a business providing transportation services in and around the Indianapolis, Indiana area. Between JAN 08 and DEC 2010, Maultsby submitted claims for services to Indiana Medicaid for services purportedly provided by Ace for Medicaid recipients. The scheme to defraud was that Maultsby submitted claims to Medicaid for transportation of Medicaid patients: (A) as if the patients were non-ambulatory when he knew that the patients were ambulatory, and (B) for transportation of patients when that transportation did not occur, for a total loss to the Medicaid program of approximately $63,612.68. An initial hearing will be scheduled in Indianapolis before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

[Source: Fraud News Daily 1-15 Aug 2011 ++]

State Veteran's Benefits: The state of New Hampshire provides several benefits to veterans as indicated below. To obtain information on these refer to the “Veteran State Benefits NH” attachment to this Bulletin for an overview of those benefits listed below. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each click on “Learn more about …” wording highlighted in blue on the attachment.
* Housing Benefits
* Financial Assistance Benefits
* Employment Benefits
* Education Benefits
* Other State Veteran Benefits
[Source: http://www.military.com/benefits Aug 2011 ++]

Military History: The sinking of the TITANIC in 1912 and the LUSITANIA three years later are commonly thought of as two of the greatest maritime disasters of all time. Yet, the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff carrying mostly civilian refugees and sunk in the Baltic Sea in the closing months of World War II claimed more than twice as many lives as both ships combined. It was the greatest marine disaster in history and most Americans probably never heard of it. With all cabins occupied and passengers jammed into passageways, the GUSTLOFF got underway at 1230 on 30 January 1945 for Kiel and Flensburg in western Germany. There were over 6,000 passengers--more than three times above capacity. Most were women and children, elderly men and about 1,200 wounded soldiers. To read more about the Gustloff’s sinking and the events that led to it refer to this Bulletin’s attachment titled, “Greatest Marine Disaster in History”.

[Source: Military History Online Irwin J. Kappes JUL 03 article http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/wilhelmgustloff.aspx Aug 2011]

Military History Anniversaries: Significant August events in U.S. Military History are:
* Aug 16 1780 - Revolutionary War: American troops are badly defeated by the British at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina.
* Aug 16 1945 - WWII: Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright, who was taken prisoner by the Japanese on Corregidor on 6 MAY 42 is released from a POW camp in Manchuria by U.S. troops.
* Aug 17 1943 - WWII: Allied forces complete the conquest of Sicily.
* Aug 18 1914 - WWI: Germany declares war on Russia while President Woodrow Wilson issues his Proclamation of Neutrality
* Aug 18 1951 - Korea: Battle of Bloody Ridge began which continued until 5 SEP
* Aug 19 1812 - War of 1812: The USS Constitution earns the nickname "Old Ironsides" during the battle off Nova Scotia that saw her defeat the HMS Guerriere.
* Aug 21 1942 - WWII: U.S. Marines turn back the first major Japanese ground attack on Guadalcanal in the Battle of Tenaru.
* Aug 22 1945 - Vietnam: Conflict in Vietnam begins when a group of Free French parachute into southern Indochina, in response to a successful coup by communist guerilla Ho Chi Minh.
* Aug 23 1950 - Korea: Up to 77,000 members of the U.S. Army Organized Reserve Corps are called involuntarily to active duty to fight the Korean War.
* Aug 25 1921 - WWI: The U.S., which never ratified the Versailles Treaty ending World War I, finally signs a peace treaty with Germany.
* Aug 25 1944 - WWII: Paris is liberated by the Allies.
* Aug 26 1942 - WWII: First black Marine (Howard Perry) entered first recruit training camp (Montford Point, NC) for black Marines
* Aug 27 1776 - Revolutionary War: British defeat Americans in Battle of Long Island
* Aug 27 1945 WWII: B-29 Superfortress bombers begin to drop supplies into Allied POW camps in China.
* Aug 27 1945 - WWII: US troops land in Japan after Japanese surrender
* Aug 29 1862 - Civil War: Battle of Bull Run, VA (Manassas, Gainesville, Bristoe Station)
* Aug 29 1916 - Congress creates US Naval Reserve
* Aug 29 1942- WWII: The American Red Cross announces that Japan has refused to allow safe conduct for the passage of ships with supplies for American POWs.
* Aug 29 1944 - WWII: 15,000 American troops liberating Paris march down Champs Elysees
* Aug 29 1990 - Iraq: Saddam Hussein declares America can't beat Iraq
* Aug 30 1813 - Creek Indians massacre over 500 whites at Fort Mims Alabama.
* Aug 30 1963 - Cold War: The Hotline between the leaders of the U.S.A. and the Soviet Union goes into operation.
* Aug 31 1941 - WWII: 23 U-boats sunk (80,000 ton) this month
* Aug 31 1942 - WWII: U boats sunk 108 ships (544,000 ton) this month
* Aug 31 1951 - Korea: The1st Marine Division begins its attack on Bloody Ridge. The 4 day battle results in 2,700 Marine casualties.

[Source: Various Aug 2011 ++]

Military Trivia Update 33: 1. What was the Allied operation to invade North Africa in 1942 called?
ANS: Operation Shoestring -- Operation Scorch -- Operation Torch -- Operation Husky .

2. What did the British High Command insist that the untested US soldiers were?
ANS: Seasoned and ready -- Untested but will prevail -- Green and cocky -- Well equipped.

3. The US 1st Armored Division was well trained by pre-war standards. What major problem did they face at Kasserine Pass?
ANS: German armor was better with experienced crews. They had to rely on the French -- The terrain was not suited for armored warfare -- The weather and the terrain.

4. The US did have Sherman tanks at Kasserine Pass. How did the US tank crews fail to take advantage of this tank?
ANS: Speed and stealth -- Cover and alignment -- Cover and concealment -- Fire and maneuver.

5. General Fredendall was the US commander at Kasserine Pass. What major mistakes did he make that day during the German attack?
ANS: He failed to ascertain enemy intentions and lost his nerve. He made no major mistakes -- Poor deployment and piecemeal support -- Poor reconnaissance and misdirection.

6. What did the US 2nd Armored Division see as it attempted to restore order at Sidi bou Zid?
ANS: US troops in full retreat -- Sidi bou Zidi in ruins and looted -- German armor quickly advancing -- US and German armored formations fighting

7. Who replaced General Fredendall after Kasserine Pass?
ANS: Bradley -- Harmon -- Smith -- Patton

8. What vital lesson was learned from Kasserine Pass?
ANS: America should have listened to its ally -- Panic spreads easily -- American armored doctrine was flawed -- Terrain is important.

9. The inexperience of the US infantry was obvious. What did the British notice about the GIs that stood out?
ANS: They lacked knowledge of infantry tactics -- They were not familiar with their weapons -- They would not dig foxholes -- They would not camouflage their equipment .

10. What did Rommel think of the US Army after Kasserine Pass?
ANS: He thought the US soldier and the British soldier were about the same -- He had a low opinion of the US soldier -- He thought US equipment was good but their tanks inferior -- He was impressed but thought they were poorly led.

Answers

1.  The operation to invade North Africa in November of 1942 was called, Operation Torch. It was the first major land offensive by combined US and British troops in WWII against Germany and Italy.
2.  The British (veterans of El Alamein) were not impressed by the material might of the US Army. They immediately saw green and untested troops who were a bit too cocky for their liking because they had yet to face a real nemesis in the German Africa Corps.
3.  The major problem the US 1st Armored Division faced at Kasserine Pass was not only a superior tank in the Panzer MK IV but also veteran crews from the Africa Corps.
4.  If the US tank crews had used the armored doctrine of fire and maneuver, they would have fully utilized the Sherman's 75mm gun against the German armor. Instead, they were picked off on at a time by concentrated fire.
5.  General Fredendall made two glaring errors that day: he deployed his troops on two isolated hills so neither could support the other and he attempted to support them with armor piecemeal. The Germans surrounded both positions and decimated the armored columns that attempted to come to their support.
6.  General Harmon (CO of the 2nd Armored) was astounded to see, 'a US Army in rout'. Anything that had four wheels was moving away from the front at full speed. His command vehicle was almost run off the road twice!
7.  General George Patton replaced Fredendall after Kasserine Pass and assumed command of the II Corps. This was the beginning of a legend.
8.  Kasserine Pass saw the defeat of US forces against a veteran Africa Corps. The one vital lesson learned from that engagement was our armored doctrine was flawed. Armor cannot be committed piecemeal and you need infantry to support it.
9.  The British were astounded that the US infantryman would not dig himself a foxhole. For whatever reasons, a shallow slit trench was preferred. This position offered no protection against air or armored attacks. No one took this advice serious until after Kasserine Pass.
10. Rommel was unimpressed by the poor performance of the US soldier and thought their equipment was equally inferior. This opinion remained unchanged until the Normandy Campaign.

[Source: http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/history/war_history.html Aug 2011 ++]

Tax Burden for DC Retirees: Many people planning to retire use the presence or absence of a state income tax as a litmus test for a retirement destination. This is a serious miscalculation since higher sales and property taxes can more than offset the lack of a state income tax. The lack of a state income tax doesn’t necessarily ensure a low total tax burden. Following are the taxes you can expect to pay if you retire in the District of Colombia:

Sales Taxes
State Sales Tax: 6.00% (temporary increase from 5.75% for the period from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2012) (food, prescription and non-prescription drugs, residential utility services exempt)
Gasoline Tax: 23.5 cents/gallon
Diesel Fuel Tax: 23.5 cents/gallon
Cigarette Tax: $2.50/pack of 20

Personal Income Taxes
Tax Rate Range: Low - 4.0%; High - 8.5%
Income Brackets: Three. Lowest - $10,000; Highest - $40,000 Note: Excludes Social Security income and maximum $3,000 exclusion on military retired pay, pension income, or annuity income from DC or federal government.
Personal Exemption: Single - $1,675; Married - $1,675; Dependents - $1,675
Standard Deduction: Single - $2,000; Married filing joint return - $4,000
Medical/Dental Deduction: Same as Federal taxes
Federal Income Tax Deduction: None

Retirement Income Taxes: Social Security is exempt. Taxpayers 62 and older can exclude $3,000 of military, federal, and state/local pensions. All state government pensions are fully taxed.
Retired Military Pay: Up to $3,000 of military retirement pay excluded for individuals 62 or older, Survivor benefits are taxable.
Military Disability Retired Pay: Retirees who entered the military before Sept. 24, 1975, and members receiving disability retirements based on combat injuries or who could receive disability payments from the VA are covered by laws giving disability broad exemption from federal income tax. Most military retired pay based on service-related disabilities also is free from federal income tax, but there is no guarantee of total protection.
VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: VA benefits are not taxable because they generally are for disabilities and are not subject to federal or state taxes.
Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue office.

Property Taxes
Property is assessed at 100% of market value. Taxes on owner-occupied real estate are $0.85 per $100 of assessed value. The first $67,500 of assessed value (homestead deduction) is exempt from taxes. Several property tax relief programs are available to assist property owners and first time home buyers. These include a homestead deduction, tax credits for historic properties, senior citizen tax relief and property tax exemptions and deferrals. Homeowners 65 and older with household adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 receive an additional exemption equal to 50 percent of their homestead deduction. For details refer to http://otr.cfo.dc.gov/otr/cwp/view,a,1330,q,594366,otrNav_gid,1679,otrNav,%7C33280%7C.asp
The real property tax deduction has increased. As a result of changes made to Federal year law, non-itemizers (those who take the standard deduction) may now increase the standard deduction by up to $500 (if single, head of household, married filing separately) and up to $1,000 (if filing jointly) if they took the real property tax deduction on their Federal tax return as an increase to the standard deduction. Tangible personal property is taxed at the rate of $4.30 per $100 of assessed value. The first $225,000 of taxable value is excluded from tax.
Call 202-727-1000 for more information.

Inheritance and Estate Taxes
There is no inheritance tax and only a limited estate tax.

For further information, visit the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer site http://cfo.washingtondc.gov/cfo/site/default.asp or call 202-727-2476.

[Source: http://www.retirementliving.com Aug 2011 ++]

Have You Heard?: Harry and Sam, two friends, met in the park every day to feed the pigeons, watch the squirrels and discuss world problems.

One day Harry didn't show up. Sam didn't think much about it and figured maybe he had a cold or something.. But after Harry hadn't shown up for a week or so, Sam really got worried. However, since the only time they ever got together was at the park, Sam didn't know where Harry lived, so he was unable to find out what had happened to him.

A month had passed, and Sam figured he had seen the last of Harry, but one day, Sam approached the park and-- lo and behold!--there sat Harry! Sam was very excited and happy to see him and told him so. Then he said, 'For crying out loud Harry, what in the world happened to you?'

Harry replied, 'I have been in jail.'

'Jail!' cried Sam. What in the world for?'

'Well,' Harry said, 'you know Sue, that cute little blonde waitress at the coffee shop where I sometimes go?'

'Yeah,' said Sam, 'I remember her. What about her?

'Well, one day she filed rape charges against me; and, at 89 years old, I was so proud that when I got into court, I pled 'guilty'.

'The damn judge gave me 30 days for perjury.'

=============================
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." - Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States | 1809 –1865)
=============================

Veteran Legislation Status 12 AUG 2011: The August recess has begun now that the debt limit debate is over. The Senate is scheduled to return on 6 SEP. The House is scheduled to return on 7 SEP. For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community introduced in the 112th Congress refer to the Bulletin’s “House & Senate Veteran Legislation” attachment. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s content, 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/d111/sponlst.html

Grassroots lobbying is perhaps the most effective way to let your Representative and Senators know your opinion. Whether you are calling into a local or Washington, D.C. office; sending a letter or e-mail; signing a petition; or making a personal visit, Members of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing cosponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of veteran’s feelings on issues.

    You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views.

     Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov your legislator’s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making. Refer to http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf.


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PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517
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Vet Benefits Funding Update 02: Military pay raises, funding for veterans health care and the Post-9/11 GI Bill could be sacrificed
to new fiscal realities as the result of the
deal signed by President Obama on 2 AUG to raise the federal debt ceiling, according to the Military Officers Association and veterans groups.
The law requires the federal budget be cut $2.1 trillion over 10 years. The White House said it plans to cut $350 billion from the Defense
Department budget (excluding war funding) over the next decade. Retired Air Force Col. Michael Hayden, the association's deputy director
for government relations, said this means "everything is on the table," including military pay. While Congress historically has been reluctant
to freeze military pay, the 2011 Budget Control Act signed by Obama makes it clear upfront that military pay is no longer off-limits in budget discussions.
If the administration and Congress fail to make the required reductions then across-the-board cuts in discretionary funding will be triggered
through a procedure known as sequestration. The law gives the president "authority to exempt any [military] personnel account from sequestration
" but only if "savings are achieved through across-the-board reductions in the remainder of the Department of Defense budget,"
states a House Rules Committee analysis of the bill.

The budget control law lumps the discretionary budgets for the Defense, Homeland Security and Veterans Affairs departments,
along with the National Nuclear Security Administration, the intelligence community management account and portions of the State
Department budget, in a new "security" category capped at $684 billion in fiscal 2012. This marks a 6 percent, or $44 billion, cut for
those entities, according to an analysis by the Heritage Foundation. If these departments and agencies do not adhere to the budget
caps then they would lose funds through the sequestration process spread evenly across their budgets, but with no clear delineation
in how and where cuts would be made, the analysis concluded. Representatives from various veteran groups made the following
comments regarding possible fallout of the new law:

* MOAA Hayden said, "this leaves pay raises up for grabs" as Defense crafts a new budget to meet cuts planned by the White House.
He also expressed concern that cost-of-living increases for military retirees could end up sacrificed in the Pentagon budget-cutting process,
although by law they are protected from sequestration. Hayden predicted an intense round of lobbying as various groups work to protect their
piece of a smaller pie. But, he said, the stark reality is "everyone will have to suffer a little bit."

* Retired Air Force Col. Philip Odom, another deputy director for government relations at the Military Officers Association,
said troops could face a pay freeze coming on the heels of a small 1.6 percent pay raise in the 2012 budget, the "second lowest increase since 1962."

* Keith Weller, a spokesman for the Reserve Officers Association, expressed concern that the "super committee"
Congress must establish to determine the budget cuts will use the new strict budget caps to increase fees for the TRICARE health insurance
program for active-duty and retired military personnel. "We don't want them to view TRICARE as a cash cow," Weller said. In January,
then-Secretary of Defense Robert Gates called for a "modest" increase in TRICARE premiums, which have been frozen at $460 a year
for the past 15 years, compared to $5,000 a year other federal workers pay for health insurance. Gates said Defense heath care costs
have spiraled to $50 billion a year from $19 billion a year over the past decade, with the 10 million TRICARE beneficiaries accounting for much of that increase.

* Carl Blake, legislative director of Paralyzed Veterans of America, said he has real concerns about the effect the law will have
on veterans' health care. Veterans Affairs Department pension and disability programs are fenced off from cuts or sequestration, Blake said,
but not the massive 247,000 employee Veterans Health Administration, which is expected to care for 6.2 million patients in 2012.
Blake said VHA operates under discretionary funding, which makes it a target for cuts.

Government Executive learned that John Carson, director of the White House office of public engagement, met with veterans groups,
including the America Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Wounded Warrior Project,
to assure them that veterans compensation programs will be safe from sequestration. But Joseph Chenelly, assistant national communications
director for the Disabled American Veterans, said Carson did not address whether VHA or the Post-9/11GI Bill would be safe from cuts.
Joseph Violante, legislative director for the group, said that despite the White House statements, "nothing reassures me that veterans
programs are safe from cuts." Ed Meagher, vice president for health care strategy at Computer Sciences Corp. and a former VA deputy
chief information officer, said he doubted VA's requested $3 billion for information technology spending in 2012 will take much of a hit
as the department counts on IT to save money through automation of manual processes, including the disability claims system.
"At most, the IT budget might get nicked for $100 million," Meagher said.

He agreed that VHA funding faces cuts under the budget control act, and predicted those would come from new mental health projects,
a number of which have been adopted to care for Afghanistan and Iraq veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic
brain injury. New projects, Meagher said, are easier to cut than established ones. VA requested $6.1 billion for mental health care in its
2012 budget and $6.4 billion in its 2013 budget, both which account just under 15 percent of the overall health care budget of $46 billion
in each of those years. Nextgov reported in March that more than half the Afghanistan and Iraq veterans treated by VA last year received
care for mental health problems, roughly four times the rate of the general population. Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of the Iraq and
Afghanistan Veterans of America, told a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that the nation faces a $1 trillion long-term
bill to care for veterans of those wars and warned against slashing program funding "in a shortsighted rush."

VA requested $11.1 billion for the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2012, up $2.1 billion from 2011, with more than 260,000 veterans enrolled in
the college year that just ended. Michael Dakduk, executive director of the Student Veterans of America, said he is worried that budget
hawks will flail the program. Dakduk, a Marine veteran who served tours in both Afghanistan and Iraq, said that Congress supports
projects like the GI Bill when the memories of war are fresh, but when those fade, attention shifts from caring for veterans to balancing
the budget.

[Source: GovExec.com Bob Brewin article 3 Aug 2011 ++]

Tricare Provider Availability Update 04: Low reimbursements are the number one reason physicians say they turn away patients of Tricare Standard, the military's fee-for-service insurance option, or Tricare Extra, the preferred provider option. Access to health care for these two groups could become an even bigger challenge thanks to the convoluted deficit-reduction deal hammered out last weekend between the Obama administration and leaders i n Congress. The Budget Control Act of 2011, which President Barack Obama signed into law 2 AUG, establishes a two-step process toward reducing deficit spending by $2.4 trillion over the next decade. Step one directs Congress to cut discretionary spending by $917 billion to include $350 billion from defense budgets based on priorities set by a roles and missions study. Step two has Capitol Hill leaders establishing a 12-member committee of lawmakers, to be divided evenly between Democrats and Republicans, an arrangement that appears designed to produce gridlock. They are to identify an additional $1.5 trillion in reductions from entitlements and tax reforms. This bipartisan committee is to report out legislation agreed to by at least seven of its members by Nov. 23 to produce the required cuts. The full Congress then must vote on the recommendations by 23 DEC.

With Republican leaders already vowing to assign to the committee only lawmakers rigidly opposed to revenue increases of any sort, including any tax bump for the wealthy or loophole closures for corporations, and Democrats vowing to protect Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, the likelihood of stalemate appears quite high. That's where the risk surfaces for Tricare clients. If the committee of 12 can't agree or the full Congress votes down their plan, the Budget Control Act inflicts its own formula: automatic cuts of $1.2 billion, half to come out of future defense budgets and the other half from entitlement programs. "The deal includes an automatic sequester on certain spending programs to ensure that...between the committee and the trigger...we at least put in place an additional $1.2 trillion in deficit reduction by 2013," a White House fact sheet on the arrangement explains. The arbitrary cut "would be divided equally between defense and non-defense programs, and it would exempt Social Security, Medicaid, unemployment insurance, programs for low-income families, and civilian and military retirement. Likewise, any cuts to Medicare would be capped and limited to the provider side." This last sentence, underlined and made bold in the White House fact sheet, ignores the likelihood beneficiaries still would be hurt as more doctors, feeling underpaid, turn away Medicare and Tricare patients.

Any cut in Medicare provider fees would tighten access to care for Tricare beneficiaries because -- for the past 20 years -- Tricare physician fees, by law, have been linked to fees allowed under Medicare. If Medicare reimbursements are slashed, doctors who accept Tricare Standard and Extra patients feel the same financial pain. Retired Air Force Col. Mike Hayden, deputy director of government relations for Military Officers Association of American, said Tricare users clearly have reason worry if the 12-member committee fails to reach a deal. "Anything that lowers payments to providers will negatively impact beneficiary access to both Tricare and Medicare," Hayden said. Spending-cut mandates in the new budget control law also could thwart efforts to correct a long-standing flaw in the Medicare fee formula, which has threatened access to care for Tricare patients for many years. The Balanced Budget Act of 1997 attempted to get Medicare costs under control by adopting a mechanism called Sustainable Growth Rate for setting spending targets for physician services. When annual targets are met, doctor rates are to be adjusted by medical inflation. When growth targets are exceeded, doctor reimbursements are to be lowered. [Source: The daily Herald Tom Philpott article 6 Aug 2011 ++]

JSCDR: The new super committee tasked with finding $1.2 trillion in additional deficit reduction was officially named the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (JCSDR). As structured, the committee must find $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years by 23 NOV and approve it with a majority vote in order to fast track it through Congress by Christmas. If the panel deadlocks along partisan lines, it would instead trigger across-the-board spending cuts in the orbit of $1.2 trillion with half of those cuts coming from defense, and the rest from discretionary spending. Entitlements would remain largely untouched if the cuts are triggered by inaction. Another possibility is that the panel could agree to spending cuts below their $1.5 trillion target, which if approved, would lower the trigger amount for spending cuts. For instance, if they approve $800 billion in spending cuts, it would still trigger sequestration, but lower the total from $1.2 trillion to $400 billion. However, lawmakers on the committee insisted on 10 AUG that their goal was to fulfill their obligation. Sen. Toomey told reporters that a comprehensive plan was "much, much preferred over the default settings."

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made it clear from the beginning that no Republican on the panel would vote in favor of tax increases of any kind, and their nominees reinforce that:

* Sen. John Kyl (R-AZ) who walked out of the debt ceiling talks with Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA) a former president of the anti-tax Club for Growth , and Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH)
* Rep. Dave Camp (R-MI) and Rep. Jon Hensarling (R-TX) who both served on the special White House deficit-reduction Simpson-Bowles commission and voted against its recommendations for deficit reduction through spending cuts and revenue increases, and Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI).

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's and House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) selections similarly underscores that Democrats are not going to sign off on any drastic entitlement changes ahead of an election cycle where Democratic control of the Senate is in question. Their nominees were:

* Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) who also served on the Simpson-Bowles commission and voted against its recommendations, and Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) selected for his stature and Senate tenure.
* Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) the ranking Democrat on the House Budget Committee, Rep. Jim Clyburn (D-SC)the highest ranking African-American member of the House and the assistant Democratic leader, and Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA) the highest ranking Latino lawmaker in the House who served on the served on the Simpson-Bowles commission and voted against its recommendations

None of the six senators tapped for the deficit reduction panel were part of the "Gang of Six" that has already done a lot of the leg work toward achieving the committee's goals. Sen. Murray will serve as co-chairwoman of the super committee while simultaneously running the Senate Democrats' campaign operation for 2012. She is also a member of leadership, a senior member of the Budget Committee, and a woman on a male-dominated committee. Sen. Baucus is chairman of the powerful Senate Finance Committee with jurisdiction over many areas, including entitlement programs, that the committee is expected to examine.

The panel will need at least seven of the 12 lawmakers to vote on a final proposal by Thanksgiving in order to fast-track it through both chambers and send it to President Obama by 23 DEC. If the panel deadlocks along partisan lines, it would trigger across-the-board cuts for both defense and non-defense spending. The chances of deadlock are rooted in the intractable partisan divide over taxes. Democrats want to raise them; in particular they want to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans and use the revenue toward deficit reduction. Republicans are united against any tinkering with the tax code that is not revenue neutral and oppose any effort to raise revenues to pay down the debt. Republicans also want to target entitlement spending on programs including Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid, but Democrats have ruled out any changes to entitlements unless taxes are on the table.

     When precisely the committee will begin its work is unclear. Lawmakers return in September with just 77 days until the Nov. 23 deadline.
[Source: National Journal Susan Davis articles 9 & 10 Aug 2011 ++]

Medical & Dental Costs Estimates: In 2009, the New York State Attorney General's Healthcare Industry Task Force reported serious problems with the system that major health insurers used to calculate reimbursements for out-of-network services to patients. Following action by the Attorney General, FAIR Health, an independent nonprofit organization, was created to develop a database that would (a) help insurers determine their reimbursement rates for out-of-network charges and (b) provide patients with fee information and a clear, unbiased explanation of the reimbursement process. The FAIRHealth Educational Site enables consumers to estimate the cost of common medical and dental procedures. That database, which is continuously updated, is now freely available at http://www.fairhealthconsumer.org . All that is required is for you to enter your Zip code and select the Medical or Dental procedure you anticipate you will be needing.

As you use this site to estimate the cost of medical services, keep in mind that visits with your provider for consultation, evaluation, and management are typically billed separately from the other services you receive. For example, if you visit your provider for certain blood tests, your provider will likely charge you for an office visit as well as the actual tests performed. Also, any treatment scenarios involve more than one procedure. A knee replacement, for example, is likely to involve some form of anesthesia, a diagnostic scan of the knee prior to surgery and physical therapy after surgery. Currently, the FH Medical Cost Lookup includes information for provider services related to medical and surgical procedures only. It does not include information about procedures related to hospital facilities, anesthesia, or durable medical equipment. Over time, it will be expanding the FH Medical Cost Lookup to include such data.
[Source: Consumer Health Digest #11-25, 11 Aug 2011 ++]

Patton Cologne: The U.S. Army has released a cologne named for the World War II hero Gen. George S. Patton. The scent, dubbed simply "Patton," is the Army's licensed, official fragrance. The cologne was not initiated by anyone in the Patton family, but they took the news with good humor. Daughter-in-law Joanne Patton said, "It was a surprise to me. We'll wait to see how and why," she said, chuckling. "... I was surprised that a perfume for General Patton wouldn't be smelling like diesel fuel." Gen. Patton, who died in 1945, owned what is now Green Meadows Farm in Hamilton. His son, also a general named George, lived there until his death in 2004, and his widow, Joanne, still lives on the Asbury Street property. Patton cologne is made by California-based Parfumologie. A portion of proceeds from sales of Patton, and the scents Parfumologie has created for each branch of the armed forces (Riptide for the Coast Guard, Devil Dogs for the Marines and Stealth for the Air Force), are donated to the Veterans Administration. The line of colognes was first released in 2009, but made news in AUG after the Patton cologne was mentioned on the Military Times news website. Patton is advertised as a woodsy blend of lavender, citrus, coconut, cedar, sage, tonka bean, bergamot and lime.
[Source: The Salem News Bethany Bray article 10 Aug 2011 ++]

VA Fraud Waste & Abuse Update 38: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reinstated Joel Klobnak's disability benefits after a two-year fight and a burst of publicity, but the former Marine knows that hundreds of thousands of veterans are still stuck in disability-claims purgatory. Klobnak, 24, lost his left leg in Iraq in 2006. He spent six months in an Army hospital, then returned to Iowa with full disability pay. In APR 09, the VA notified him that because he had missed a doctor's appointment, the department was cutting his pay in half, to $1,557 per month. His appeal was snarled in a national paperwork backlog that has forced many disabled veterans to wait years for their benefits. While he waited, he struggled to support a family of four on half pay. The Greenfield veteran's plight captured attention in June, when The Des Moines Register explained it in a front-page story. He believes the media spotlight, plus pressure from the staff of his congressman, Steve King, helped persuade VA officials to retrieve his case from the pile and to decide late last month to reverse their earlier decision. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful," Klobnak said this week. "But I didn't want them to fix just mine. I want the system fixed."

VA leaders nationally have said their solutions include a new computer system and better cooperation with the active-duty military. They've told Congress that they're making progress, but that it will take time to dig out of the paperwork quagmire. Klobnak expressed thanks to Iowans who came to his aid after the Register story ran in June. At least 20 families offered help, including household items and cash. A lady in her 90s sent a check for about $250. Someone else sent $20 with a note that said "wish I could do more." Others donated basic supplies for Klobnak's young family. Klobnak said he has no intent to live off disability payments forever. He will continue taking online college courses, he said, and he plans to have a follow-up operation to remove bone growth that causes pain in the stump of his leg. He hopes to work full time eventually. In fact, he's looking into the possibility of becoming a police officer. One obstacle would be the required 1.5-mile run, which prospective cops must finish in a set time. Klobnak probably couldn't finish the run in the 15 minutes and 26 seconds allotted for men his age, but he noted that women and older men are given extra time to finish. He wonders why a disabled veteran couldn't also get dispensation.

[Source: DesMoines Register article 9 Aug 2011 ++]

VA Appeals Update 10: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has reinstated Joel Klobnak's disability benefits after a two-year fight and a burst of publicity, but the former Marine knows that hundreds of thousands of veterans are still stuck in disability-claims purgatory. Klobnak, 24, lost his left leg in Iraq in 2006. He spent six months in an Army hospital, then returned to Iowa with full disability pay. In APR 09, the VA notified him that because he had missed a doctor's appointment, the department was cutting his pay in half, to $1,557 per month. His appeal was snarled in a national paperwork backlog that has forced many disabled veterans to wait years for their benefits. While he waited, he struggled to support a family of four on half pay. The Greenfield veteran's plight captured attention in June, when The Des Moines Register explained it in a front-page story. He believes the media spotlight, plus pressure from the staff of his congressman, Steve King, helped persuade VA officials to retrieve his case from the pile and to decide late last month to reverse their earlier decision. "Don't get me wrong, I'm grateful," Klobnak said this week. "But I didn't want them to fix just mine. I want the system fixed."

VA leaders nationally have said their solutions include a new computer system and better cooperation with the active-duty military. They've told Congress that they're making progress, but that it will take time to dig out of the paperwork quagmire. Klobnak expressed thanks to Iowans who came to his aid after the Register story ran in June. At least 20 families offered help, including household items and cash. A lady in her 90s sent a check for about $250. Someone else sent $20 with a note that said "wish I could do more." Others donated basic supplies for Klobnak's young family. Klobnak said he has no intent to live off disability payments forever. He will continue taking online college courses, he said, and he plans to have a follow-up operation to remove bone growth that causes pain in the stump of his leg. He hopes to work full time eventually. In fact, he's looking into the possibility of becoming a police officer. One obstacle would be the required 1.5-mile run, which prospective cops must finish in a set time. Klobnak probably couldn't finish the run in the 15 minutes and 26 seconds allotted for men his age, but he noted that women and older men are given extra time to finish. He wonders why a disabled veteran couldn't also get dispensation.

[Source: DesMoines Register article 9 Aug 2011 ++]

VAMC St. Louis MO Update 02: Before arriving at the Millenium Hotel 10 AUG for a speech to veterans attending the annual AMVETS National convention, VA Secretary Eric Shinseki met with the director of the VA's John Cochran Medical Center in St. Louis. The hospital was the subject of Congressional and VA investigations in 2010 after contaminated dental equipment was uncovered. In early 2011 the operating suite was shut down when spots of corrosion were found on surgical tools. Shinseki had praise for the hospital director Rima Nelson, RN. "I'm satisfied we are turning the corner and many of the things that were in place when we were watching what was happening here, much of that has begun to be healed thanks to her leadership and also the leadership of the people who are now in place with her." Nelson told reporters no one has been dismissed in response to the sterilization issues. "We need to avoid the blame game if we want employees to report problems," she said. "Our focus is really on a culture of safety and making sure the quality that we deliver and the care that we provide is of the best quality and of the safest environment."

U.S. Senator Claire McCaskill (D-MO) and state Congressman Lacy Clay (D-St. Louis) joined the Secretary for the news conference. Both lawmakers had issued strong criticism of conditions at Cochran in 2010. Now they say the service is better. "I'm satisfied they have improved," said Rep. Clay. He described success stories his staff hears from veterans who rely on the Cochran Hospital. Senator McCaskill has organized an independent customer survey process with help from veteran organizations like AMVETS. The results of the first ninety days of surveys have been given to the hospital and McCaskill said she was impressed with the staff's willingness to work on problem areas. "I think the culture at Cochran is changed," she said noting evidence of more respect for veterans and a commitment to excellence.

The U.S. Veterans Affairs Department is scrambling to keep up with a growing number of new military veterans, many with serious medical difficulties. But Shinseki is reassuring veterans the department is up to the challenge. In his speech Shinseki said, "As troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan an additional one million service members are expected to leave the military service between 2011 and 2016. We need to get out ahead of this," he told the crowd. Shinseki described efforts to computerize much of the paperwork the VA does to link veterans to their benefits. He outlined new efforts to prevent homelessness among veterans and to help them return to school. "Our goal is to end veterans' homelessness by 2015," he said. One million veterans were unemployed as of June. Shinseki wants to see a "reverse bootcamp" to help military train to transition back to a civilian workforce or to college. The VA's budget has increased more than 15 billion dollars since 2009. Both Clay and McCaskill promised to fight to keep funding to meet the needs of the growing veteran population even in the wake of the nation's budget troubles.

[Source: St. Louis, MO (KTVI-FOX2Now.com) Betsey Bruce article 10 Aug 2011 ++]

Mobilized Reserve 9 AUG 2011: The Department of Defense announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 26 JUL 2011. The net collective result is 974fewer reservists mobilized than last reported in the 1 AUG 2011 RAO Bulletin. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 70,725; Navy Reserve 4,423; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 9,721; Marine Corps Reserve, 6,021; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 738. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 91,628 including both units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defense.gov/news/d20110809ngr.pdf  
[Source: DoD News Release No. 657-11 dtd 28 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Rural Access Update 10: At the Department of Veterans Affairs, Secretary Shinseki often talks about the tyranny of distance – the distance that often separates Veterans from care at their nearest VA medical facilities. For about 3.3 million Vets, or 41 percent of the total enrolled in VA’s health care system, distance is more than a challenge. Distance can mean rural Veterans don’t have access to the care and services they’ve earned. Secretary Shinseki made it clear – this summer, he wanted to hear from Veterans in the hardest to reach places. “I know from previous experience that sitting in Washington with a 2,000-mile screwdriver trying to fine tune things at the local level never works,” he said. So, we hit the road to learn firsthand. From the plains of North Dakota and Montana to the isolated island of Guam, Veterans from rural areas talked with Secretary Shinseki about what’s working and what the department can do better. To many Veterans, it was clear VA has shifted its approach to be more accessible. But it also was quickly learned that standard definitions like “urban, rural, and highly rural” may not be exact enough. Often, “remote, extreme rural, and inaccessible” is more accurate.

The “inaccessible” category would definitely include Kwigillingok, Alaska, or Kwig, located in the far reaches of Central Yup’ik near the Bering Sea. On Memorial Day, Secretary Shinseki visited Kwig to meet and honor living members of the Alaska Territorial Guard, who served bravely during World War II. No roads lead to Kwig, so the trip wasn’t easy.
    They hopped on a flight in Anchorage, and connected in the small town of Bethel...about 1,000 miles roundtrip. When they finally landed on the dirt landing strip in Kwig, villagers on all-terrain vehicles appeared from all over to give them rides to the village center. You hear about long trips beforehand, but the actual flights tell the simple story...Veterans in Kwig, and in rural areas all across the country, do not live near a VA facility. People in rural areas, both in the VA system and outside of it, face major challenges, including the shortage of health care resources and specialty care providers. During these trips, VA experienced the distanced that, in recent years, spurred them to make a dramatic shift for Veterans in rural areas. VA currently has 400 health clinics in rural areas, and is expanding outreach clinics, Vet Centers, even mobile Vet Centers to enroll Veterans and provide readjustment counseling.

Simply put, with these changes, many Veterans may not need to drive as far for a check-up. To coordinate the efforts, VA established the Office of Rural Health, which has already funded over $500 million for more than 500 projects, including home based primary care and intensive case management. In other places, VA is partnering with private health care providers and connecting facilities through new means like telehealth technologies to keep patients closer to home. Over the next several years, VA will continue to invest in solutions that bridge the gap between VA Medical Centers and rural Veterans. Access requires creativity. The trips taken by Secretary Shinseki have reinforced that the department is dedicated to improving health care for Veterans who live in rural, remote, even inaccessible areas. While VA has made considerable progress, there is still much work to do. Whether in Montana or Alaska, North Dakota or Guam, Secretary Shinseki is unequivocal when it comes to rural access: Veterans have earned and deserve VA care and services wherever they live. He is committed to making that happen...even in the most remote parts of the country.

[Source: White House rural Council Drew Brookie article 3 Aug 2011 ++]

Vet Cremains Update 07: The MISSING IN AMERICA PROJECT will conduct its first mission in the State of Utah by honoring fifteen veterans whose remains have been in the care of Deseret Mortuary in Salt Lake City, UT, yet remained unclaimed. Services will be conducted with full military honors for the following fifteen veterans at 10 a.m., Monday, August 15, at Utah Veterans Memorial Park, 17111 S. Camp Williams Road in Riverton.
* John Arthur Foreman, PFC (1935-2009) served in the U.S. Army from 1954-1957.
* Marita Anne Haberland, AB (1951-2010) served in the U.S. Air Force in 1969.
* Ronald Harold Hester, SA (1952-2009) served in the U.S. Navy from 1970-1974.
* Horace Raymond Hunt, Jr., PFC (1938-2008) served in the U.S. Army from 1958-1960.
* Charles Michael Karlsson, PVT (1940-2010) served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam from 1962–1965.
* John Robert Mooney, PVT (1941-2009) served in the U.S. Army from 1959-1962.
* Robert Lee Orchard, CPL (1930-2009) served time in the U.S. Army from 1950-1953.
* Earl Day Owen, SC2c (1925-2009) served in the U.S. Naval Reserve from 1943-1946.
* Stanley Benson Philoon, SP4 (1949-2010) served in the U.S. Army from 1971-1974.
* Albert Franklin Pilon, (unk.) (1936-2010) served in the U.S. Air Force in 1954.
* Harlon James Plamp, PFC (1931-2010) served in the U.S. Army from 1950-1953.
* Billie Joe Porter, PVT E-2 (1947-2009) served in the U.S. Army during Vietnam from 1964-1965.
* Robert Moulton Southwick, Jr., SSGT (1948-2010) served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1966-1969 and the U.S.Air Force from 1972-1979.
* Timothy Nolan Theriot aka Anthony N. Theriot, PVT (1945-2009) served in the Army during Vietnam, 1965.
* Ronald Lee Young, PVT (1957-2010) served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1976-1980.

A Deseret Mortuary hearse carrying the Cremains will be escorted by members of the MISSING IN AMERICA PROJECT, a Veteran’s Recovery Program, with large American flags flying on motorcycles. The hearse will be followed by Patriot Guard Riders, POW/MIA Riders, The Green Knights M/C and other participating veterans focused motorcycle organizations, cars and other vehicles. Roger Graves, MIAP Utah State Coordinator, says “it has been a privilege to work with the dedicated and professional staff at Deseret Mortuary, a Memorial Mortuaries and Cemeteries company, to ensure all unclaimed veterans in the State of Utah are laid to rest with the honors they deserve for their service to our country.”

Service Details:
* Date: August 15, 2011, Deseret Mortuary 36 East 700 South, Salt Lake City, 84111; Line Up Time: 8:30 am Departure Time: 9:00 am
* Place of Interment: Utah Veterans Memorial Park (UVMP) 17111 So. Camp Williams Road, Riverton, 84065; Time: 10:00 am
* Government officials, the public and media are invited to attend.

Attendance confirmations have been received from the following:
(1)  U.S. Senate – Larry Shepard, Constituent Liaison, Office of Senator Mike Lee.
(2)  Utah Department of Veterans Affairs - Col. Craig Morgan, (retired).
(3)  Utah National Guard - will be represented by a high ranking official.

     The purpose of the MISSING IN AMERICA PROJECT is to locate, identify and inter the unclaimed cremated remains of veterans through the joint efforts of private, state and federal organizations; to provide honor and respect to those who have served this country, by securing a final resting place for these forgotten heroes.

For more information, visit http://www.miap.us

Source: MIAP Press Release 8 Aug 2011 ++]

Mosquitoes: The first buzz of a mosquito is an unpleasant reminder that summer fun comes with a pesky price. Examining the science behind common mosquito myths reveals that while some have a basis in reality, many are plain bunk. Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance -- they carry harmful diseases such as encephalitis and malaria. Here's what you need to know about this most unwanted guest:

1. Lemon dish soap and Listerine repel mosquitoes.
Fiction: This myth has been widely circulated around the Internet. According to the Florida Medical Entomology Lab at the University of Florida, these household products do not work to thwart mosquitoes. One of the most effective repellents is DEET. The Centers for Disease Control also recommends repellents with Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus. If you use a product containing DEET, read the label and do not over-apply. DEET is a powerful chemical that can be harmful if used incorrectly. Make sure the repellent has an EPA-approved label and registration number. Use caution with small children and stick with a formulation that is made for kids.

2. Ultrasonic devices repel mosquitoes.
Fiction: Save your money. According to the Department of Entomology at Purdue, these gadgets don't work. Bug zappers do kill mosquitoes, but they also electrocute many beneficial insects including those that eat mosquitoes, so the scientists at Purdue recommend against using them.

3. Taking B vitamins repels mosquitoes.
Maybe: According to the Mayo Clinic, B vitamins change a person's odor, which may indeed make them less attractive to mosquitoes.

4. Eating garlic repels mosquitoes.
Fiction: According to current research, consuming large amounts of garlic only works against vampires and bad dates.

5. Skin-So-Soft products repel mosquitoes.
Fact: BUT, buyer beware: According to a study by the University of Florida, Skin-So-Soft and other products containing Citronella oil are only effective for between 3 and 10 minutes after application.

6. Creating a bat or insect-eating bird habitat will rid your yard of mosquitoes.
Fiction: While these species do eat mosquitoes, they probably won't eat enough to make a noticeable difference at your next garden party.

7. Meat tenderizer calms an itchy bite.
Fact: The Mayo Clinic recommends mixing a tablespoon of water with a tablespoon of meat tenderizer and forming a paste to apply to a bite. Using an ice pack can ease discomfort as well. OTC remedies to try: hydrocortisone cream and calamine lotion.

8. Mosquitoes die after feeding.
Fiction: Unfortunately, the female mosquito (males don't eat blood, they feed on nectar) can live to bite again. Females will die if they don't get their first blood meal, which they require in order to lay eggs.

9. Mosquitoes transmit the HIV virus.
Fiction: According to scientists at the Centers for Disease Control, Rutgers University, and others, mosquitoes cannot transmit the HIV virus from human to human. They do carry the West Nile virus and other serious diseases.
Nearly one million people die each year from malaria, mainly children under the age of 5.

[Source: Yahoo!Green Sarah B. Weir article 18Jul 2011++]

SSA Death Reporting Update 01: Thousands of Americans are mistakenly reported dead every year by the Social Security Administration or other federal agencies. And Illinois has one of the highest rates of making such grave mistakes, according to a recent report by Scripps Howard News Service. Names of the alleged dead are listed in a massive “Death Master File” database maintained by the SSA. Research of the database by Scripps Howard’s Thomas Hargrove found the deaths of 31,931 Americans were listed in error. The government makes about 14,000 such errors every year...or about one for every 200 death reports...because of “inadvertent keying errors” by federal workers, according to SSA spokesman Mark Hinkle. That would mean about 400,000 people have been falsely declared dead since 1980, when the Death Master File was created at the request of U.S. business interests who wanted the records to reduce consumer fraud. While the SSA authorizes the use of the database as a death verification tool, it is noted on a U.S. Department of Commerce website that contains the official file that the SSA cannot guarantee its accuracy.

SSA doesn’t always know why mistakes are made. “It’s a larger issue than just our agency,” said Doug Nguyen, SSA’s deputy regional communications director in Chicago. Several agencies other than the SSA submit death reports that might make it to the Death Master File. “It’s usually human typing errors entered into our system from another system,” Nguyen said. “We do not verify the accuracy of every death record. “The Social Security number was never meant to be the identifying piece of information it has evolved into,” he said. “Unfortunately,” he said, errors also can occur in recording the date of birth, date of death or the deceased’s name or address. Death reports also are provided by individuals, funeral parlors, nursing homes, state and federal agencies such as Medicare, the VA, railroad retirement plans, the Department of Defense and Department of Commerce, and other agencies that pay federal benefits, Nguyen said. All go into the Death Master File, which records 90 million deceased Americans.

The information is used not only by agencies that pay federal benefits but to determine eligibility and prevent fraud for bank loans, credit cards and insurance coverage.“We make it clear that our death records are not perfect and may be incomplete, or rarely, include information about individuals who are alive,” he said. Out of 2 million deaths reported every year, the error rate is about 0.5 percent, he said. “But if you are in that half of 1 percent, it feels like 100 percent,” Nguyen said. When his agency discovers incorrect information, it moves “as quickly as possible” to correct it, he said. The agency requires current identification and signed statements from the person — not birth certificates. “This all helps, but it’s one piece of the puzzle,” he said. SSA also has to track the mistake down to the source that reported the death and follow the chain of records in reverse.“It takes time to untangle,” he said. Mistakes usually are discovered when someone calls about a late check. But many of the “walking dead” in the Scripps Howard report said their “deaths” were discovered while shopping for a cell phone, applying for a student loan, mortgage or bank account, or renting an apartment.

[Source: Southtown Star Susan Demar Lafferty article 5 Aug 2011 ++]

VAMC Fort Harrison MT: At least 300 Montana veterans who need orthopedic surgery are on a waiting list while the Department of Veterans Affairs Montana Health Care System works to recruit a full-time surgeon to help ease the growing backlog of disabled — and often disgruntled — veterans. To receive surgery, Montana veterans without private insurance must travel out of state for care or pay for it out of their pockets. To compound this problem, Montana veterans are being told that the VA facilities in Denver and Salt Lake City are too busy to accept Montana patients. Subsequently, they are being placed on a waiting list that is approaching two years.

Robert Wombolt, a 77-year-old U.S. Air Force Korean War veteran, is on the growing waiting list. The Billings resident had three knee surgeries beginning in NOV 09 and was told that he would also need his left hip replaced. With that, his wait began. At one point, Wombolt said, he was No. 20 on the waiting list. On 1 MAR his wait became indefinite after receiving a letter from Dr. Philip P. Alford, chief of surgical service at the VA Hospital in Fort Harrison, which is about 250 miles from Billings.“We regret to inform you that your upcoming orthopedic surgery will need to be postponed,” Alford’s letter said. “Someone will be contacting you in the near future with further information to insure you receive the orthopedic care you need.” Wombolt still waits. He’s heard nothing.
     On a pain-intensity scale from zero to 10, Wombolt said his pain averages from seven to nine. His walk is more of a shuffle and he can’t navigate long distances. Wombolt has no idea where he is on the waiting list and fears talking about it publicly will shove him further toward the bottom. Tired of the wait, Wombolt has contacted U.S. Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) a member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Tester has assured Wombolt that he will look into his concerns.

The waiting list of veterans is due primarily to a shortage of staff at the VA Hospital in Fort Harrison, according to Tester’s office. The hospital has been searching for an orthopedic surgeon to replace Dr. Peter Wendt, who retired and hasn’t operated since 18 MAR. There were two orthopedic surgeons on staff, but Wendt was the only one who performed hip and knee replacement surgery. Veterans were already waiting their turn on the operating table while Wendt was on staff. His absence has only exacerbated the problem. VA Montana has received several applications for the position, which pays between $97,988 and $375,000 and includes a generous benefits package. But no one has yet been hired, according to Tester’s office. The burgeoning backlog has caught the attention of both Tester and Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. The topic dominated much of an hourl ong session Tester and Shinseki held with more than 100 veterans in July. Since then, the drumbeat of discontent has grown louder.

In a tersely worded letter to Shinseki, Tester said, “This situation is completely unacceptable and it’s getting worse.” Tester implored Shinseki to provide as much assistance and guidance as necessary and urged the VA to more aggressively pursue fee-basis care that would allow the needs of veterans to be addressed locally and in a more timely manner. “Further delaying or denying care for veterans whose conditions worsen each day is an outcome I cannot accept,” Tester said. “With more and more troops returning home and in need of care, the inability of the VA to recruit and retain quality doctors and surgeons has to become a higher priority.” Shinseki has received the letter and in July promised veterans that getting them access to quality health care is a priority. While VA Montana continues its search for a surgeon, it is taking other steps to address veterans’ needs. At the end of August, VA Montana will begin a three-year pilot program called Project ARCH, Access Received Closer to Home. Billings has been chosen as one of five sites nationwide for the pilot project. ARCH will contract with Billings medical providers to deliver care not available at VA Montana. Veterans in the Billings area awaiting orthopedic surgery will be contacted by a VA representative to discuss their eligibility for the pilot and other care options through VA. If veterans agree to participate in Project ARCH, and they are eligible, they will be referred to the program. The contracted provider has 14 days to schedule an appointment with their network providers, and subsequently schedule the surgery in the community.

[Source: Billings Gazette Cindy Uken article 6 Aug 2011 ++]

Stolen Valor Update 43:  A former state Military and Veterans Affairs official violated the terms of his probation to charges he falsified records to gain a tax exemption afforded those who served in the armed forces by continuing to work with veterans after being ordered to cease such activities, a Superior Court judge here ruled 5 AUG. Judge Irvin Snyder continued probation for William Devereaux, but warned Deveraux he would be incarcerated if another such violation occurred. Deveraux pleaded guilty in 2010 to falsifying his veteran and government records in order to receive tax exemption and benefits. Devereaux was sentenced by Snyder in April 2010 to theft by failure to make the required disposition. The terms of his sentence required Devereaux to forfeit his position with the state’s Division of Veterans’ Services and prohibited him from holding any job with the State of New Jersey. He also agreed to reimburse Laurel Springs $54,142.25 in unpaid taxes. He is serving five years of probation, during which he is banned from working with veterans in any capacity.

Snyder determined Friday that Devereaux had worked with veterans in Willingboro on a volunteer basis from May to October 2010. He assisted them with claims related to requests for records, including records associated with health care and military benefits. “Bill Devereaux is Bill Devereaux’s own worst enemy,” Camden County Assistant Prosecutor Mark Chase said at the hearing. Devereaux, appointed director of Veterans Programs for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs by former Gov. James McGreevey, admitted to using falsified veterans’ records and other falsified state documents to wrongly claim exemption from property taxes in Laurel Springs from April 2002 to his arrest in November 2008. He falsely stated he was 100 percent permanently and totally disabled due to military service, qualifying him for property tax exemption. In fact, Veterans Affairs had stated Devereaux was only temporarily disabled and was eligible to pay property taxes.

The U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigation Division is continuing an investigation into other records Devereaux is accused of falsifying — specifically military benefits forms for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs in which Devereaux claimed he was a paratrooper and artilleryman, exchanged fire with enemy combatants and was involved in an incident of friendly fire. He also claimed to have been injured multiple times in Vietnam and asserted he received medals such as the Purple Heart, the Soldiers Medal and the Bronze Star with “V” device. Devereaux was never a paratrooper or artilleryman, according to court records. He served as a finance clerk in Vietnam for 4 months, 11 days in 1968. There is no record of his being injured in combat or his receiving the medals he has boasted of receiving.

[Source: Gloucester County Times John Barna article 5 Aug 2011++]

GI Bill Update 102:  The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to inform Veterans of recent changes made by Congress to the Post 9/11 GI Bill that take effect in 2011. General Allison Hickey, Under Secretary for Benefits, said “The Post 9/11 GI Bill is incredibly important because it reduces the financial burdens of higher education so that Veterans have an opportunity to achieve their education goals. VA believes it is important for Veterans to be aware of changes to the GI Bill this year and learn more about how these changes may affect them.” “It’s hard to believe how far we have all come with the Post-9/11 GI Bill the past two years,” stated General Hickey. “Today, more than 537,000 students have received over $11.5 billion in GI Bill benefits to help them take charge of their future.”

Upcoming changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill effective August 1, 2011 include paying the actual net cost of all public in-state tuition and fees, rather than basing payments upon the highest in-state tuition and fee rates for every state; capping private and foreign tuition at $17,500 per academic year; and ending payments during certain school breaks, to preserve Veterans’ entitlement for future academic semesters. Also, certain students attending private schools in select states can now continue to receive benefits at the same rate payable during the previous academic year. Beginning October 1, 2011, eligible individuals will be able to use the Post-9/11 GI Bill for programs such as non-college degrees, on-the-job training, and correspondence courses, and they will be eligible to receive a portion of the national monthly housing allowance rate when enrolled only in distance learning courses.

VA is implementing the latest round of changes to the Post 9/11 GI Bill and has already begun processing fall 2011 enrollment certifications. Outreach by VA has helped to increase participation by colleges and universities in the Yellow Ribbon program, which helps students avoid out-of-pocket costs that may exceed the benefit. Today, more than 2,600 schools are participating in the Yellow Ribbon program. “VA is committed to ensuring Veterans have the information and tools they need to succeed,” General Hickey concluded.

Complete information on the Post-9/11 GI Bill is available at: http://www.gibill.va.gov
VA’s education information phone number is: 1-888-GIBILL-1.
For ongoing benefit information, Veterans and Servicemembers can log into the VA eBenefits website: http://www.eBenefits.va.gov

To ask a question in a secure e-mail, use the “Ask a Question” tab at: https://www.gibill2.va.gov/cgi-bin/vba.cfg/php/enduser/ask.php

[Source: TREA Washington Update 5 Aug 2011 ++]

Vet Jobs Update 33:  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) held a Veterans Summit on 26 JUL to emphasize the strides that they’ve been making on veteran employment issues. The DHS veteran coordination strategy is intended to increase veteran hiring in the constituent agencies, increasing NOV 09, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced a goal of having 50,000 veterans employed at DHS by the end of 2012; as of the third quarter of 2011 there were 48,572 veterans currently working at DHS. DHS has also established a Veteran Employment Program Office, which has a “one stop” website for veterans seeking employment at DHS (http://www.dhs.gov/xcitizens/veterans.shtm). The website explains veterans’ preference, has a contact email address to answer any questions, and has a converter tool that helps transitioning service members find appropriate jobs to apply for within DHS and the federal government. Any veterans interested in employment at DHS should send their inquiries to VETS@DHS.GOV [Source: TREA Washington Update 5 Aug 2011 ++]

Vet Jobs Update 34:  On 5 AUG, President Obama made a speech at the Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., about several major initiatives to combat the persistently high rate of veteran unemployment. The plan includes proposed tax credits for companies that hire unemployed veterans (several initiatives are currently working their way through Congress) and the creation of an inter-governmental agency task force to explore the idea of “reverse boot camps.” Hopefully, these reverse boot camps will prepare veterans for reintegration with the civilian workforce. More than 25% of veterans under the age of 25 are unemployed, according to Labor Department figures. The tax incentive program would be set up on a scale providing companies a $2,400 credit for hiring an unemployed veteran, $4,800 for hiring a veteran who has been unemployed six months or longer, and $9,600 for hiring a veteran with a service-connected disability who has been unemployed for six months or longer. The White House is hoping the program will lead to jobs for 100,000 veterans by the end of 2013. The task force will be led by the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs and include representatives from other agencies such as the Department of Labor, Office of Personnel Management and Department of Education. Their recommendations are to be presented to the President by year’s end. The task force will attempt to remake the training service members receive for the civilian job market. [Source: TREA Washington update 5 Aug 2011 ++]

Gulf War Medical Records:  Numerous veterans who served in Operation Desert Storm have had difficulty validating their current medical conditions as service connected. Gerry Propst, an 82nd Airborne veteran, attempting to obtain records to substantiate his VA claim was told the only thing that they had was his physical before going in, and an ear exam going out. Well, how did they lose everything in between. It appears that many of the records were intentionally destroyed by the Army. Propst alleges among the missing records is the documented proof he suffered a major back injury during a parachute assault. "Amazingly enough, when I broke my back, I was flown off the drop zone to an emergency hospital in the area, in the country of Jordan. [Then I was] flown to Germany - all of this by military aircraft - flown to Malcrom Grow hospital in Washington DC, then to Norfolk Hospital in Virginia, and then back to a hospital in Fort Bragg. All [the trips] on Air Force aircraft, and nobody has anything with my name on it that I was ever there," said Propst. Propst recovered from that injury, but says he was soon back on desert duty, which aggravated it.

Propst was able to finish his tour of duty, but he recalls what he says he was ordered to do before he could come home. "We were told [to] mail everything home. Everything that's not mailed by the end of this week, you either carry on your back or we're gonna burn it," Propst said. "They were throwing our medical records and every non-essential piece of equipment into the burn pits because there was no room to fly it home. You're worried about getting shot the next day. You're not worried about what they're doing with that box and what's in it," he explained. And Propst didn’t worry too much about his back pain back then either. He was young and strong. He did his final year of duty at Fort Bragg and then joined a police force. But years later, Propst says it became just too much to bear. When he started applying for VA disability benefits about three years ago, he immediately hit a brick wall. The Veterans Administration had no record of Propst’s back, knee, or ankle injuries while in the military.

     "I've been dealing with denials, I know I'm not alone," he said. And he is not, veteran Chris Layton says he feels Propst's pain. I don't have any medical records or records to show anything," Layton said. Layton, a former Fort Bragg paratrooper who also served in Desert Storm, says he hurt his back on a jump and there is no record of it. "You're expected to do a job in the military and then you expect if something happens that you'll be looked after," he said.

But earlier this year, there was a glimmer of hope. Propst saw a story similar to his done by a Florida TV station featuring what appears to be a letter from the Department of the Army with an admission. “Units were told to destroy their records since there was no space to ship the paper back to the states,” reads the letter, which it says was in “direct contradiction to the existing army regulations.” A copy of the 1 May 2007 letter can be seen in this Bulletin's attachment titled, "Gulf War Medical Records Destruction". Through a public record request, the Army sent ABC11 a copy of the original letter which they in turn provided to Senator Kay Hagan to get her reaction "My first reaction was certainly the military didn't destroy any records and so getting to the bottom of that has been interesting," she said. "I wanted to be sure what the protocol was to do such a thing and why." In turn, Hagan wrote a letter to Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta asking what the protocol is if records are lost or missing. "I just want to be sure we get to the bottom of this so those veterans that have served our country and military, that we are certain that they not only can get the VA services, but the benefits they deserve," Hagan said. "I mean these people have fought for our country." She is currently awaiting a response.

Probst and Layton continued to appeal VA denials. Probst even got the medic who treated him then - now a doctor - to confirm he was treated during the war for chronic pain due to parachute injury. He did eventually get a percentage of his service disability benefits approved, but was being denied compensation for back, leg, and other injuries. In the interim VA is providing medical treatment for both veterans injuries. Probst and Layton both say that since ABC11's story first aired, they heard from the Veterans' Administration and had examinations to determine if their injuries are service related. The examination was good news for Propst, who says the VA doctor gave his medical opinion that all his medical issues are service related. He is now just waiting for the official VA decision in writing and what that will mean in terms of compensation for those injuries. Layton has not heard his results yet.

This comes down to his and other Gulf War veterans disability benefits for service-connected injuries. ABC11 has heard from other veterans who say they’re dealing with roadblocks when it comes to getting treatment or services.

[Source: ABC11 Diane Wilson article 9 May & Veteran Issues by Colonel Dan 4 Aug 2011 ++]

Panic Attacks:  A study funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Beth and Russell Siegelman Foundation suggests that Panic attacks do not come "out of the blue". They are preceded by physiological changes similar to those that precede seizures, stroke, and even manic episodes. "There is reason to believe that waves of physiological instability occur for a substantial period of time before the attack is reported by patients," Alicia E. Meuret, PhD, an assistant professor from the Department of Psychology, Southern Methodist University, in Dallas, Texas, who led the study. The finding may have relevance for other medical disorders where symptoms seemingly happen "out of the blue," such as seizures, strokes, and even manic episodes, the researchers note. There is speculation that panic attacks are triggered by marked changes in physiology, in particular breathing, Dr. Meuret explained. However, until now, very little is known on the physiological functioning of those with panic attacks outside the laboratory.

In the current study, 43 patients with panic disorder underwent repeated 24-hour ambulatory monitoring of various physiological indices, including respiration, heart rate, and skin conductance level. During 1960 hours of monitoring, 13 natural panic attacks were recorded. "We managed to capture spontaneously occurring attacks in these recordings, which we were able to examine closer. The study marks the first to gain an in-depth look into what occurs in early stages before a panic attack occurs," Dr. Meuret said. The investigators specifically analyzed the 60 minutes before panic onset and during the panic attack. The researchers say they detected significant patterns of instability across a number of autonomic and respiratory variables as early as 47 minutes before panic onset. The final minutes preceding the attack were dominated by respiratory changes, with significant decreases in tidal volume followed by abrupt carbon dioxide partial pressure increases, they report. With the onset of a panic attack, heart rate and tidal volume increased and carbon dioxide partial pressure decreased. Skin conductance levels were generally elevated in the hour preceding an attack and during an attack. "These changes were largely absent in the control periods," the investigators write.

Because most patients report panic attacks as being unexpected, "it appears that they do not 'feel' these instabilities," Dr. Meuret noted. "From a patient's point of view, our study may be upsetting news, since it is hard to control something that one does not sense. "However, it would be fascinating to explore whether it is possible to monitor such changes and train the patient to become aware of them, similar to patients who have auras before a migraine or an epileptic attack strikes," Dr. Meuret said. "Likewise, the extent to which therapies that alter physiological responding (such as pharmacotherapy or respiratory therapy) can help to combat such instabilities remains to be tested," she noted. Reached for comment, Alexander Bystritsky, MD, PhD, professor of psychiatry and biobehavioral sciences and director of the Anxiety Disorder Program at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, said this study provides "new evidence that [unexpected] panic attacks are not so unexpected. "The dynamic changes in some physiological parameters may be detected by the brain and trigger the response. This is important for behavioral treatments of panic," Dr. Bystritsky added.

[Source: Medscape Today News Megan Brooks article 2 Aug 2011 ++]

VAMC Beckley WV: The family of a deceased West Virginia veteran is suing the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for wrongful death and medical negligence. Robert L. Bailey Jr., on behalf of the estate of his father Robert L. Bailey, filed a federal tort claim complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on 29 JUL. Robert L. Bailey, a veteran and West Virginia resident, was a patient at the Beckley Veterans Hospital. He had complained of symptoms of chest congestion, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and weakness. According to his son's lawsuit, "radiological studies properly reviewed and interpreted placed lung cancer squarely within the differential diagnosis." However, diagnostic testing was delayed and follow-up care and investigation into the proper differential diagnosis was not performed, the suit alleges.
He died from cancer on 07.

"The United States of America, through the Department of Veterans Affairs, Beckley Veterans Hospital, undertook to be the deceased Robert Bailey's medical professional care provider and failed to exercise that degree of care, skill and learning required or expected of a reasonable prudent health care provider in the profession or class to which the health care providers at the Beckley Veterans Hospital belong acting in the same or similar circumstances," the lawsuit said. "Such failure proximately caused deceased, Robert L. Bailey, to suffer a delay in treatment of cancer, pain and suffering, loss of opportunities, loss of enjoyment of life, and eventually his death." The delay in treatment also resulted in a loss of opportunity for a cure, his son's suit alleges. The man's estate, represented by Timothy P. Lupardus of Pineville, is seeking damages.

[Source: The Record | News - Federal Court Jessica M. Karmasek article 3 Aug 2011 ++]

Texas Veteran Homes Update 01: A one-of-a-kind long-term care facility being built in Tyler got its name 3 AUG, the Watkins-Logan-Garrison Texas State Veterans Home. The Texas Veterans Land Board (VLB) voted unanimously to honor three local heroes — two Medal of Honor recipients and a Tuskegee airman...in naming the home after Travis Earl Watkins, James Marion Logan and Samuel M. Garrison. “When it came down to it, we just couldn’t pick any one of these heroes over the other, so we picked all three,” Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson said. “We were all just humbled by their sacrifice.” Local veterans groups were asked to nominate who should be honored. The three men selected by the VLB 3 AUG were chosen from the list of names submitted.

Unlike previous Texas State Veterans Homes, the Smith County home will consist of 10 cottages and one common building. The design approach for each cottage focuses on drawing residents into social connection by mixing the best communal aspects of a home while still maintaining privacy and independence for residents. An open kitchen, dining room and large table are at the heart of each of the 10 cottages. Family-style meals will be served at the table and residents can enjoy each other’s company afterward in a large living room with a fireplace. This hearth, or communal heart of the home, is what sets this Texas State Veterans Home apart from any other long-term care facility in Texas. “The kitchen is the heart of any home, and the new Texas State Veterans Home we’re going to build in Smith County takes that into account,” Patterson said. “Instead of one large, hospital-like facility, this home will consist of a cluster of small cottages built to draw residents into family-like social connections around the dinner table.” A total of 10 private rooms, each with its own bathroom, will flank the hearth. Each cottage will be set up as a “non-lift” facility, where overhead tracks with slings in each resident’s room will provide safe transport of non-ambulatory residents from bed to bath.

The newest Texas State Veterans Home is being built on 20 acres donated by the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler. The donated land is just north of the Health Science Center, along the west side of Highway 155, just south of County Road 334. The home is being built with a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, with the remaining 35 percent paid for by the Texas Veterans Land Board. The new Texas State Veterans Home will join seven others across the state in Amarillo, Big Spring, Bonham, El Paso, Floresville, McAllen and Temple. Texas State Veterans Homes offer a broad spectrum of health care services, comprehensive rehabilitation programs, special diets, recreational activities, social services, libraries, and certified, secured Alzheimer’s units, each with its own secured outdoor courtyard. For additional information on Texas State Veterans Homes, call 1-800-252-VETS (8387), visit the Texas Land Board website at http://www.texasveterans.com or find them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TXVLB

[Source: Cherokeean Herald article 3 AUG 2011 ++]

Cars Most Stolen: “Nationally...and for the first time since 2002...thieves preferred domestic makes over foreign brands,” the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) reported on 2 AUG. “Ford took three spots, Dodge two, and Chevrolet held one.” Here’s the NICB’s top 10 list, which uses 2010 data that it took till now to crunch.

(Use https://www.nicb.org/newsroom/nicb_campaigns/hot–wheels to search the most-stolen cars in your state).
You’ll notice that while American carmakers have a presence on the national list, it’s still top-heavy with foreign makes…

* Honda Accord (1994)
* Honda Civic (1995)
* Toyota Camry (1991)
* Chevrolet Pickup Full Size (1999)
* Ford F150 Series/Pickup (1997)
* Dodge Ram (2004)
* Dodge Caravan (2000)
* Acura Integra (1994)
* Ford Explorer (2002)
* Ford Taurus (1999)

Why are older-model Hondas and Toyotas in such demand? Two reasons…
1.  “Certain models of older cars and trucks are popular with thieves because of the value of their parts,” the NICB says. Makes sense: Hondas and Toyotas were top-selling vehicles in the ’90s, and their owners tend to drive them into the ground. Hence, a big market for replacement parts.
2.  “Improved technology is one of the keys to lower theft rates,” the NICB says. “Of the nearly 52,000 Honda Accords stolen in 2010, over 44,000 were models made in the 1990s, compared with fewer than 5,700 that were produced since the year 2000.”

The NICB has four suggestions for how to prevent your car from being stolen, and only one of those doesn’t involve technology…
?  Common sense: ”Lock your car and take your keys” sounds blindingly obvious, but as the NICB notes, “Many thefts occur because owners make it easy for thieves to steal their cars.”
?  Warning devices: ”Having and using a visible or audible warning device can ensure that your car remains where you left it,” the NICB advises. Although who among us hasn’t been annoyed by those blaring car alarms – and ignored them?
?  Immobilizing devices: This is the fancy term for a “kill switch,” and it’s one of the two best options if you’re buying a new car. These devices will range from fuel cut-offs to smart keys, and the NICB says they’re “extremely effective.”
?  Tracking devices: Also proven “very effective,” tracking devices now go far beyond the LoJack commercial of a few years ago. “Some systems employ telematics, which combine GPS and wireless technologies to allow remote monitoring of a vehicle,” the NICB says. “If the vehicle is moved, the system will alert the owner, and the vehicle can be tracked via computer.”

[Source: Money Talks Michael Koretzky article 4 Aug 2011 ++]

Tricare Prime Update 08: Split enrollment allows eligible family members who do not live with their sponsor to enroll in TRICARE Prime as long as they reside in an area where TRICARE Prime is available. Split enrollment is especially helpful for families with college students, children living with former spouses or families that are otherwise separated. Children who are TRICARE-eligible based on their sponsor’s status remain eligible until reaching age 21 (or age 23 if enrolled in a full-time course of study at an approved institution of higher learning, and if the sponsor provides at least 50 percent of the financial support). Your college student’s TRICARE Prime coverage ends if his or her Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) record is not updated before reaching age 21.

For information on extending benefits for your college student, refer to http://www.tricare.mil/deers

To use split enrollment, complete and sign a TRICARE Prime Enrollment Application and PCM Change Form (DD Form 2876). Send the form to the family member’s new regional contractor at:
* North Region: Health Net Federal Services, LLC, P.O. Box 870143, Surfside Beach, SC 29587-9743
* South Region: Humana Military Healthcare Services, Inc.,Attn: PNC Bank, P.O. Box 105838, Atlanta, GA 30348-5838
* West Region: TriWest Healthcare Alliance, P.O. Box 43590, Phoenix, AZ 85080-3590

     The form should be sent within 30 days of the move. You must notify each family member’s regional contractor of the split enrollment status and establish one family enrollment fee, if applicable. TRICARE Prime enrollments follow the “20th of the month rule.” Applications received by your regional contractor by the 20th of the month will become effective at the beginning of the following month (e.g., an enrollment received by Dec. 20 would become effective Jan. 1). If the application is received after the 20th of the month, coverage will become effective on the first day of the month following the next month (e.g., an enrollment received on 27 DEC would become effective on 1 FEB).

To use the split enrollment option, you must notify the regional contractor in each region to establish a primary payer, usually the sponsor, if you pay enrollment fees. If your child enrolls separately in TRICARE Prime after arriving at college, and no other family members are enrolled in TRICARE Prime, it is considered a single enrollment. If the child enrolls and there are other family members enrolled elsewhere, your TRICARE Prime family enrollment fee remains the same. Your regional contractors will coordinate enrollment fees and billing statements. Student enrollment in TRICARE Prime is automatically renewed after one year, unless the renewal offer is declined. An unpaid enrollment fee will cause the entire family to be disenrolled. A 12-month lockout will result if you have been disenrolled for non-payment.

Except for emergencies, your family member must receive care from his or her assigned primary care manager (PCM). A uniformed services identification card helps provide proof of coverage, and the TRICARE Prime enrollment card should be shown at the time of care. PCMs must provide specialty care referrals to avoid using the TRICARE Prime point-of service (POS)* option, which results in higher costs. If your child does not continue enrollment in TRICARE Prime, he or she will be automatically covered by TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra as long as his or her DEERS information is current. Visit www.tricare.mil if you have questions about using TRICARE Standard and TRICARE Extra. After “aging out” of TRICARE coverage under the sponsor, adult children, until reaching age 26, may be eligible to extend TRICARE coverage by purchasing TRICARE Young Adult, a premium-based health care plan. Visit http://www.tricare.mil/tya for more information.

[Source: TRICARE Health Matters Fall 2011 ++]

IDES: The Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), formally called the Disability Evaluation System Pilot, was developed in 2007 to shorten the 540 days it took a Solider from processing through the Army's PDES system and then processing through the VA system. IDES is a seamless, transparent disability evaluation system administered jointly by the Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to make disability evaluations for wounded, ill or injured servicemembers and veterans, simple, seamless, fast and fair. The IDES integrates evaluation processes DoD and VA each performed separately, to help DoD determine whether a wounded, ill or injured servicemember is able to continue to serve and quickly returns those to duty status who are. For servicemembers unable to continue service, the IDES determines the disability rating the member will receive through the VA.
    The transformation from two separate evaluation and disability systems to the streamlined IDES, will help all current and future Soldiers and servicemembers by delivering...
(1) Enhanced Case Management
(2) A Single Comprehensive Disability Examination
(3) A Single-Sourced Disability Rating
(4) Increased Transparency
(5) Faster Disability Processing.

Although the new streamlined IDES system is intended to improve the delivery of disability services and benefits for all U.S. Soldiers, servicemembers, veterans and their families, Congress is being told this is not the case. This supposedly new and improved system cannot speedily handle the most obvious of cases, as Crystal Nicely, whose Marine husband Todd lost both arms and legs in Afghanistan in 2010 told a hearing of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee 27 JUL. Nicely said that while IDES "is supposed to be a faster, more efficient way to complete the evaluations and transition service members, that has not been our experience." For example, Nicely said, "a very simple narrative summary of how my husband was injured sat on someone's desk for almost 70 days waiting for a very simple approval." She said the system started to work only after the intervention of Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash. Since 43,000 troops have been wounded over the past decade in Afghanistan and Iraq, Murray will be mighty busy if she has to intervene in the thousands of cases still stuck in IDES.

For a more detailed report on IDES refer to http://dtf.defense.gov/rwtf/m02/m02pa06.pdf

[Source: GovExec.com Bob Brewin article 7/29/11 ++]

GI Bill Update 75: Despite its widespread use in veterans’ facilities, risperidone (Risperdal) appears to be ineffective in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans, according to a new study. Risperdal has not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat PTSD, but doctors often prescribe medications for ailments that have not undergone government approval. John Krystal, M.D., of the VA Connecticut Healthcare System, and colleagues conducted the six-month, randomized, placebo-controlled multicenter study at 23 different Veterans Administration outpatient medical centers. Of the 367 patients screened, 296 were diagnosed with military-related PTSD and had ongoing symptoms despite at least two adequate antidepressant treatments with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and 247 contributed to analysis of the primary outcome measure. Patients in the study received risperidone (up to 4 mg, once daily) or placebo combined with other therapy. Symptoms of PTSD, depression, anxiety and other health outcomes were gauged via various scales and surveys. After analysis of the data, the researchers found no statistically significant difference between risperidone and placebo in reducing measures of PTSD symptoms after six months of treatment.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is among the most common and disabling psychiatric disorders among military personnel serving in combat. No psychiatric medication is approved by the FDA to treat it. However, antidepressants are commonly prescribed for some symptoms of PTSD. Within the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), 89 percent of veterans diagnosed with PTSD and treated with pharmacotherapy are prescribed SSRIs, the most common type of antidepressant. “However, [S]SRIs appear to be less effective in men than in women and less effective in chronic PTSD than in acute PTSD. Thus, it may not be surprising that an SRI study in veterans produced negative results. Second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are commonly used medications for SRI-resistant PTSD symptoms, despite limited evidence supporting this practice,” the authors write. Researchers wondered whether risperidone (Risperdal) added to an ongoing pharmacotherapy regimen would be more effective than placebo for reducing chronic military-related PTSD symptoms among veterans whose symptoms did not respond to at least two adequate SSRI treatments. The researchers also discovered that risperidone was not statistically superior to placebo on any of the other outcomes, including improvement on measures of quality of life, depression, anxiety, or paranoia/psychosis. Overall, the rate of adverse events during treatment was low but appeared related to dosing of risperidone.

“In summary, risperidone, the second most widely prescribed second-generation antipsychotic within VA for PTSD and the best data-supported adjunctive pharmacotherapy for PTSD, did not reduce overall PTSD severity, produce global improvement, or increase quality of life in patients with chronic SRI-resistant military-related PTSD symptoms. “Overall, the data do not provide strong support for the current widespread prescription of risperidone to patients with chronic [S]SRI-resistant military-related PTSD symptoms, and these findings should stimulate careful review of the benefits of these medications in patients with chronic PTSD,” the authors conclude. In treating military-related PTSD, Charles W. Hoge, M.D., of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, writes that “significant improvements in population care for war veterans will require innovative approaches to increase treatment reach.” “Research is required to better understand the perceptions war veterans have concerning mental health care, acceptability of care, willingness to continue with treatment, and ways to communicate with veterans that validate their experiences as warriors.”
The study appears in the August 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

[Source: Psych Central News Editor article 2 Aug 2011 ++]

POW/MIA Update 02: A U.S. Army private from New York who died in a Korean War POW camp 60 years ago has finally returned home. The remains of Pvt. John Lavelle, of Brooklyn, New York, reached Kennedy Airport 30 JUL. "It was unbelievable," said Lavelle's niece, Mary O'Brien. "There wasn't a dry eye." Lavelle was 24 when he was captured in December 1950 by enemy forces near Kuni-ri, a town in what is now in North Korea. He died of what is believed to be malnutrition in a Chinese POW camp in 1951. His remains were turned over to U.S. officials in 1954, but the Army couldn't positively identify them. They were buried at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii as unknown. The remains were exhumed a year ago when Army researchers found evidence suggesting the remains were Lavelle's. The identification was made possible by dental records. The remains arrived in New York in a wooden casket draped by an American flag. A Port Authority fire truck sprayed water over the plane as it taxied down the runway before members of an Army honor guard removed the casket to a waiting hearse. Gloria Webber, Lavelle's sister, said the return of her brother's remains have finally brought her family "closure." "We're so happy to see that he's back [home]," said Webber, 81. "We're nice and relaxed. There's no more worrying." Lavelle was scheduled for burial 1 AUG in Calverton National Cemetery in Long Island. [Source: New York Daily News article 31 Jul 2011 ++]

Medicad Eligible Vets Update 01: Maine state officials are exploring ways to encourage veterans on Medicaid to shift some or all of their health care to the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, saving the state money and potentially improving benefits for veterans. “Clearly we should have been exploring this before, but we are looking at it now,“ said Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Mary Mayhew. “People who are on Medicaid who have military service are eligible for Medicaid, but clearly there are opportunities for individuals to move into the veterans health benefits programs and there are clearly savings for the Medicaid program.” Maine has approximately 150,000 veterans, one of the highest per capita in the nation. Peter Ogden, director of the state Bureau of Veterans Services, said only about 40,000 of them are taking advantage of the various Veterans Affairs health programs. “We have some data-sharing problems under federal law,“ he said. “But I think there are ways that we can make this work.“

Several states are using the federal database of the Public Assistance Reporting Information System set up to help stop fraud in Medicaid. The database has information identifying recipients who are also veterans and that has been used to provide information to those veterans about VA programs. “In Washington state, where it has been used the longest, it has been successful because they have someone on the DHS staff that works with veterans to provide them the information about VA benefits,” Ogden said. “We have been trying to figure out how we could fund a position to do that here.” It does cost to set up such a system, but other states have already realized significant savings. For example, Montana had $900,000 savings in its first year of use, 2008. Washington state estimates that since it first implemented the program in 2003, the state has saved $27 million and 9,500 veterans have been moved from Medicaid to VA programs. “There is no doubt the savings here can be significant," Mayhew said. "We hope to at least start with some of the changes we can do in the next six to nine months.”

What is frustrating to some lawmakers is that the idea was first discussed two years ago by lawmakers on the Veterans and Legal Services Committee and members of the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, has served on the panel several terms and is now the Democrat lead on the budget panel. “We tried but couldn’t seem to get much traction with the department two years ago after members of the veterans committee came to us with this suggestion,“ she said. “I am very pleased Commissioner Mayhew is looking at this in a serious way.” Mayhew said she had objected to moving forward and projecting savings in the current budget because she was not confident of the numbers. She said her agency is working with Ogden and his staff to develop a plan and a budget estimate. “I am concerned that we do this right,” Ogden said. “We don’t want to do anything that would hurt a veteran or in any way affect other benefits they are already receiving.” For example, he said, some veterans would be concerned that some other income-determined benefit they are receiving would be affected if they were getting additional VA benefits. He said it may be that a veteran may only want to get some of the VA benefits they are due because they like the care they are getting where they live. “A lot of veterans are on some sort of maintenance medications like for blood pressure or diabetes,“ he said. “We could have those prescriptions provided through the VA.”

In other states, veterans have found they can get more generous benefits through the VA than through Medicaid. Most benefits in Maine are through the Togus VA center in Augusta, but a growing number of regional clinics also are being established. Ogden expects the new clinic in the Lewiston area will draw veterans from throughout that region of the state. “This will be up to the veterans,“ Mayhew said. “We are not going to force anyone to move to VA health benefits unless they want to.” In general, anyone who has served in a branch of the military for 24 continuous months of the full period for which they were called to active duty is eligible for VA benefits. Ogden said he believes the state could double the 40,000 who now receive some VA health benefits and still not reach all who are eligible.

[Source: Capitol News Service Mal Leary article 31 Jul 2011 ++]

Your Doctor Update 02: Staying with a doctor you're not happy with is as harmful as staying in a relationship you know is bad because it's easier than making a change. But parting ways may be the healthiest move. Here are nine signs that it's time to fire your doctor.
(For simplicity, the references below are to male doctors, but men don't have a monopoly on unacceptable behavior.)

1. You don't mesh. You and your doctor don't need to see eye to eye on everything, but it's helpful if you work well together. If you want a partnership, for example, a doctor who spouts commands is not the best fit. If you value warmth, you may not be able to build an effective relationship with a physician who seems formal or distant. "Some patients like doctors who are very direct and blunt," says Washington, D.C. based family physician Kenny Lin, who blogs for U.S. News. "And some patients can't stand that type of doctor because they think he or she isn't empathetic enough or doesn't provide enough options." When there's a mismatch, neither person is at fault...but it could be grounds for termination.

2. He doesn't respect your time. Do you routinely wait an hour to see your physician only to feel like he's speed-doctoring through the visit? You should never feel like you're being rushed. If your doctor doesn't take the time to answer your questions or address your concerns, there's a problem. The medical community is becoming increasingly sensitive to patients' precious time. When they're late for an appointment, some habitually tardy doctors have even begun compensating patients with money or gifts. If your doctor's chronic lateness makes you grind your teeth, why stay with him? Hint: If you're evaluating a prospective physician, investigate his timeliness beforehand.

3. He keeps you in the dark. A doctor should be open and thorough about why he recommends a certain treatment or orders a specific test, and he should share all results with you. "If a doctor doesn't explain himself, or at least not to your satisfaction, at that point a doctor is bad," Lin says. "I know doctors who have drawn blood or run a bunch of tests without telling patients why they're doing them and what they mean." It's also important that a doctor uses terms you understand, rather than complicated medical jargon; otherwise, explanations are meaningless. Your health is too important to feel confused or uninformed.

4. He doesn't listen. Does your doctor hear you out without interrupting? "It all comes down to communication and whether you feel like you're asking questions and they're not being answered," says Carolyn Clancy, director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She recalls visiting a doctor for a second opinion on whether she should go through with a procedure recommended by her dentist. "He made a big leap—that I didn't want to have it done because I was afraid of the pain...and kept reassuring me that it was virtually pain-free. That's not what I was asking. After three rounds, I concluded that we weren't going to get to a productive place, and I didn't go back."

5. The office staff is unprofessional. The receptionists are the link between you and the doctor. If they blow you off—or neglect to give your message to the physician, say about side effects of a new medication...your health could be at risk. Even if you like your doctor, a bad office staff could signal it's time to look elsewhere.

6. You don't feel comfortable with him, or wonder about his competence. Doctors need to know intimate details you may not even share with friends or family members. If you're unable to disclose such facts, you and your doctor may not be the right match. A sense of unease about his decisions and recommendations, even if you can't say exactly why, is also a perfectly legitimate reason for cutting the cord, says Don Powell, president of the American Institute for Preventive Medicine, a nonprofit that promotes healthy behavior through wellness programs and publications. Beware of sloppy medical mistakes, too: If your doctor prescribes a medication to which you're allergic, and you know that information is in your history, a separation may be in order.

7. He doesn't coordinate with other doctors. Your primary care physician should be the quarterback of your healthcare team, managing each step of the medical process. That means keeping track of specialists' reports and instructions and talking with you about their recommendations. If he's slacking, an important piece of your care could slip through the cracks.

8. He's unreachable. A good doctor is available for follow-up questions and concerns. Patient advocate Trisha Torrey, author of You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes, recalls the time her husband developed severe tooth pain on a weekend. His dentist's voicemail included a cell phone number and a promise of a quick response, but he never heard back. An emergency clinic visit and root canal later, he told his dentist she was fired. A growing number of doctors are making themselves available to patients via E-mail, text message, and Skype, and at the very least, you need to know that in an emergency, you won't be left hanging.

9. He's rude or condescending. Time to part ways. Same goes if he trivializes your concerns as though they're not valid. One of the clearest signs you should move on is if he walks out of the room while you're still talking, says Clancy. That's what happened when her sister met with a surgeon to determine if her daughter should go through with a procedure. "When my sister finished asking her question, the doctor was gone," Clancy recalls. "She called me afterward and I told her, 'You have to find someone else. You'll regret it if you don't.'"

[Source: U.S. News & Report Angela Haupt article 26 Jul 2011 ++]

TSP Update 22: Federal employees and members of the uniformed services (active duty or Ready Reserve) are eligible to participate in the Thrift Saving Plan TSP). As of 20 DEC 2010, spouses who are beneficiaries of deceased civilian and uniformed services TSP participants may inherit those assets. These spouses have the same benefits and privileges as separated TSP participants. In JUL all but two of the investment options in the federal employee retirement savings plan posted losses after two months of similar declines. Details of the Plan's performance for JUL are:
* The F Fund, which invests in fixed-income bonds, saw a small gain for the month, up 1.59 percent. The F Fund has increased 4.39 percent so far this year.
* The stable government securities in the G Fund also posted small monthly growth of 0.22 percent. The G Fund rose 1.66 percent this year.
* The S Fund, which invests in small and midsize companies and tracks the Dow Jones Wilshire 4500 Index, saw the largest drop for the month, decreasing 3.14 percent. The S Fund has gained 3.81 percent this year to date.
* The C Fund...invested in common stocks of large companies on the Standard & Poor's 500 Index...declined 2.04 percent. The C Fund is up 3.85 percent for the year.
* The international stocks in the I Fund went down 1.60 percent. The I Fund is up 3.59 percent so far this year.

     All the life-cycle funds, designed to move investors to less risky portfolios as they get closer to retirement, saw losses for the third month in a row. The L 2040 dropped 1.49 percent in June; L 2030 declined 1.25 percent; L 2020 lost 0.94 percent; and L Income, for federal employees who have reached their target retirement date and have started withdrawing money, dropped 0.14 percent. The new L 2050 Fund, which opened on Jan. 31, declined 1.75 percent. L 2040 is up 3.81 percent so far this year, with L 2030 close behind at 3.60 percent and L 2020 up 3.31 percent. L Income grew 2.36 percent in that time.

[Source: GovExec.com Emily Long article 1 Aug 2011 ++]


U.S. Navy Seabee Museum: The U.S. Navy Seabee Museum recently opened its new 38,000 square foot, state-of-the art facility at Naval Base, Ventura County, Building 100, Port Hueneme, CA 93043 Tel: 805-982-5165. Among the many featured exhibits at the new museum is the he Naval Experimental Manned Observatory (NEMO), a deep submergence vehicle created in the 1970s by the Naval Civil Engineering Laboratory and the Southwest Research Institute. Also, a Humvee on a Bailey bridge, a two-hole "burnout," and a piece of the geodesic dome that Seabees constructed in Antarctica are among the brand-new exhibits. The new facility features modern exhibits spaces, memorial garden, theater, education room, and gift shop. Museum hours are Monday - Saturday: 9-4 and Sunday: 12-4. Admission and parking are free.

For more information, visit the United States Navy Seabee Museum webpage http://www.history.navy.mil/museums/seabee_museum.htm

Other U.S. Navy Museums Include:
* National Museum of the U.S. Navy Washington, D.C.
* Great Lakes Naval Museum Naval Station Great Lakes, Illinois
* Hampton Roads Naval Museum Norfolk, Virginia
* National Naval Aviation Museum Pensacola, Florida
* Naval Heritage Center of Armament & Technology
* Naval War College Museum Newport, Rhode Island
* Navy Art Collection Washington, D.C.
* Puget Sound Navy Museum Bremerton, Washington
* Patuxent River Naval Air Museum Patuxent River, Maryland
* Naval Undersea Museum Keyport, Washington
* Submarine Force Museum & Historic Ship Nautilus Groton, Connecticut
* U.S. Naval Academy Museum Annapolis, Maryland
* USS Constitution "Old Ironsides" Boston, Massachusetts

[Source: Military.com | Benefits article 1 Aug 2011 ++]

Tricare Nursing Home Coverage Update 03: At some point in your life, you or a family member may need skilled nursing care, long-term care or both. You should understand what each term means and how they affect you. Under TRICARE, a skilled nursing facility is a facility with the staff and equipment to provide skilled nursing, skilled rehabilitation or other medically necessary healthcare services, including prescription medications. Skilled nursing care isn’t typically provided in a nursing home or a patient's home. For TRICARE to cover your skilled nursing facility admission you must meet the following criteria:
* You must be treated in a hospital for at least three consecutive days, not including the day of discharge;
* You must be admitted within 30 days of your hospital discharge (with some exceptions) to a skilled nursing facility;
* Your doctor’s treatment plan must demonstrate your need for medically-necessary rehabilitation and skilled services; and
* The facility must be Medicare-certified and a participating provider.

Under skilled nursing care, TRICARE typically covers Medically-necessary skilled nursing care; Rehabilitative (physical, occupational, and speech) therapies; Room and board; Prescribed drugs and laboratory work; Supplies; Appliances; and Medical-equipment. The amount you pay varies, depending on your eligibility status and TRICARE option. Your costs are different depending on who you are and which health plan option you are using. To determine your cost refer to the chart at http://www.tricare.mil/costs. Medicare and TRICARE have the same benefits, skilled nursing facility decision process and payment calculation method, except TRICARE doesn’t limit the benefit to 100 days (after obtaining a Medicare claim denial). If you are Medicare and TRICARE eligible:
* For days 1 to 20, Medicare pays 100 percent;
* For days 21 to 100, Medicare covers all costs, except for the required Medicare copayment. TRICARE covers the copayment; and
* After day 100, TRICARE is the primary payer and you pay TRICARE beneficiary cost shares.

TRICARE covers medically necessary equipment costing more than $100, such as wheelchairs, hospital beds, and respirators. You may buy or rent the equipment (whichever costs less). Send your doctor's prescription with your claim, specifying the type of equipment, why you need it and for how long. TRICARE won’t cover general use equipment, such as air cleaners or whirlpool baths. Before getting durable medical equipment, check with your region’s toll-free call center about rules and coverage limitations. TRICARE and Medicare will not pay for Long-term care. This includes support services for patients with a degenerative condition (Parkinson’s, stroke, etc.), a prolonged illness (cancer) or cognitive disorder (Alzheimer’s). A trained professional doesn’t have to provide long term care and it may be given in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult day care centers or in your home. Long-term care services include help with the following: Walking; Personal hygiene; Sleeping; Using the bathroom; Dressing; Cooking/feeding; Medication; and Moving from a bed to a chair. All such care is your financial responsibility. So ask the facility whether you are getting skilled nursing care or long-term care. Ask your regional contractor or case manager about exceptions or partial exceptions to the "no coverage" guidance. For skilled nursing care and long-term care issues contact your TRICARE Service Center or your regional contractor.

Hospice care is available for terminally ill patients expected to live six months or less if the illness run sits normal course. A Medicare-approved program must provide the hospice care, which may include: Physician services; Nursing care; Counseling; Inpatient respite care; Medical supplies; Medications; Home health aide services; and Short-term acute patient care. TRICARE Standard pays the full cost of covered hospice care services, except for small cost-share amounts the hospice may collect for drugs and inpatient respite care. Check with your regional contractor for details. For more information, visit the TRICARE website http://www.tricare.mil/Factsheets/viewfactsheet.cfm?id=258

[Source: Military.com | Benefits article 1 Aug 2011 ++]

VA Fraud Waste & Abuse Update 38:

VAMC Aurora CO - A federal grand jury in Denver indicted year old 35 Sharon Jones19 JUL on charges of attempting to obtain a controlled substance by fraud. Federal prosecutors say she stole pain killers from patients at the Denver Veterans Affairs hospital where she worked as a nurse. According to the indictment, Jones stole Oxycodone tablets from Aug. 16, 2010, to Sept. 14, 2010. “Taking pain medicine from those in need is not only criminal, it is unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney John Walsh. If convicted, Jones faces up to four years in federal prison and up to a $250,000 fine for each of the 35 counts against her. [Source: Aurora Sentinel Brandon Johansson article 28 Jul 2011 ++]

DOL VETS - Raymond Jefferson, who headed the Department of Labor's Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS) since 2009, resigned 2 AUG. According to a 21 JUL report by the agency's acting inspector general, Jefferson used his position to coerce or intimidate other employees to make the awards without open competition. A former Army officer who lost all five fingers on his left hand when a hand grenade detonated prematurely during Special Forces training, Jefferson was tapped by President Barack Obama to head the office that helps veterans find jobs and employment training programs. The report said that Jefferson and other lower ranking officials engaged in conduct "which reflects a consistent disregard of federal procurement rules and regulations, federal ethics principles and the proper stewardship of appropriated dollars." The investigation was prompted after a whistleblower reported irregularities last year to Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO). McCaskill, who heads a Senate subcommittee that oversees government contracting, said she doesn't fault the Obama administration for appointing Jefferson, given his impressive resume. But she plans to take a hard look at what she sees as wasteful management consultant contracts that appear to offer little benefit to government agencies. [Source: Associated Press| Sam Hananel article 1 Aug 2011 ++]

Mobile AL - A federal judge sentenced a contract postal worker from Conecuh County to 5 years’ probation 4 AUG for stealing prescription drugs that had been mailed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade also ordered substance abuse treatment for Derek Wayne Reed, who pleaded guilty in May to theft or receipt of stolen mail. The plea came the same month the Reed was to stand trial in U.S. District Court. The previous month, a jury had deadlocked on the charges. Reed, who worked as a driver for a contractor hired to move mail among postal facilities, admitted that he stole 90 hydrocodone pills from the mail stream at the Monroeville post office in July. Authorities have said they began investigating after veterans complained they did not receive prescription medication from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The indictment accused Reed of taking prescription drugs 3 other times from the Evergreen post office in 2010 — May 21, June 10 and June 16. At the previous trial, prosecutors showed a surveillance video they contended showed Reed moving packages of Lortab from a bin to his truck in May 2010 at the Evergreen post office. Defense attorney Bill Scully argued that it is impossible to tell from the video what the package contained. After Reed decided to plead guilty, Scully cited new evidence presented by prosecutors after a grand jury issued a new indictment.

[Source: Press-Register Brendan Kirby article 4 Aug 2011 ++]

SBA Vet Issues Update 14: After an investigation, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs found major problems with small businesses claiming to be owned by veterans, according to the Navy Times. The news source said VA officials found 76 percent of businesses did not meet eligibility requirements for funding, meaning a minimum of 1,400 small businesses are falsely receiving money. VA values this funding at more than $500 million. To be eligible to receive funding, the Navy Times said that businesses must be owned and operated by a veteran, but some companies are run day-to-day by non veterans. This leaves the owner as a figurehead, according to investigators, and therefore not eligible to receive benefits. The Times report said one company, which received $340,000 in contracts, was run by a "disabled veteran" who was in the Marine Corps for five weeks before being discharged because of an injury in an off-duty football game. He would not have qualified for the money. Actual veterans who run small businesses will be able to network in August at the first National Veterans Small Business Conference and Expo in New Orleans hosted by VA. VA Secretary Eric Shinseki said the goal is to help veterans grow and start their own businesses. He said he hopes this offers veteran-owned businesses tools and access needed to thrive in the market. [Source: Small Business News DEREK MCALLISTER article 29 Jul 2011 ++]

Prescription Drug Epidemic: Gil Kerlikowske, director of National Drug Control Policy for the Obama administration, met 28 JUL with federal, state and local law enforcement officials and pharmacy industry representatives to discuss ways to curb what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling a prescription drug epidemic.

Gil Kerlikowske

The problem is prevalent among both active-duty service members and veterans, Kerlikowske says. In February, the New York Times reported the military's medical system is "awash in prescription drugs" after 10 years of treating troops injured in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. What may prove indicative of the problem locally was a recent warrant issued to search the Carlsbad apartment of a Camp Pendleton Marine suspected of illegally obtaining and selling prescription drugs. One way the administration aims to curb prescription drug use among veterans is to include the Department of Veterans Affairs in a national system that monitors the flow of prescription pills in this country. Kerlikowske also reaffirmed the administration's plan to reduce prescription drug abuse by 15 percent over the next five years. He responded to several related questions put to him by Camp Pendleton Patch:

Camp Pendleton Patch: What can you say about prescription drug use among active-duty service members and veterans as a result of what they’ve been exposed to while at war?

Gil Kerlikowske: We can tell you without fear of being incorrect that the survey instruments on active-duty military show that they have been abusing or self-medicating with prescription drugs. That issue is also quite true with our veterans. … Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense both have published, through their survey work and information, quite a bit. Admiral Michael Mullins [chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff] has spoken about the prescription drug issue a year ago when he testified on the DOD budget. … So there is a lot of information coming from this. Also, if you go back a few months ago, USA Today did a piece with a lieutenant general [David Fridovich] … who was on the front page of USA Today talking about his own battle with prescription drugs, and I was really moved by that piece.

Camp Pendleton Patch: What is the Obama administration doing to try and curb this epidemic?

Kerlikowske: Well, first of all, there is a program...a piece of technology called prescription drug monitoring programs...these are electronic databases. Forty-eight of the 50 states have passed laws that...probably about 35 now have active technology programs, which are these monitoring programs. What they do is allow a doctor to search a database and they can detect if a patient is doctor shopping. The doctors call it a real patient safety tool. The other thing that it does is it helps medical boards detect whether or not a doctor may be over just prescribing. So if you had a VA hospital in a state with one of these programs, they were not allowed to participate because of a decision that had come from the VA General Counsel. So it wasn't a question that they didn't want to participate. But you don't want to see a veteran go into a VA hospital and get a prescription drug filled for painkillers and then go down the street to a private doctor or private pharmacy and get another prescription pill when there's a database that could actually help prevent that. So Sen. [Richard] Blumenthal from Connecticut, who is very active in the issue involving veterans, has moved forward with legislation to allow the VA hospitals to participate in these technology programs that would actually help to improve the safety of our veterans.

Camp Pendleton Patch: (Regarding doctor shopping and pharmacy robberies) Is this something new that’s being targeted by the Obama administration?

Kerlikowske: No one has really captured, until within the last couple years, the extent of this prescription drug epidemic, as the CDC has called it. Part of that epidemic...and within the last year in particular...we have seen this increase in robberies and burglaries of pharmacies. Now it’s hard to figure out what the data, what the information shows, but if you listen to police departments and pharmacists and the groups that represent the drug stores, they’ve been very concerned.

Camp Pendleton Patch: Are service members' criminal cases...as they pertain to prescription pills...handled differently than civilians'?

Kerlikowske: What I've seen and what I've visited...I went to the veterans court...there are now about 72 veterans courts in the country; they’re very new.

     Robert Russell in Buffalo, NY, started the first veterans court a few years ago when he was coming across cases in which veterans were coming forward with charges maybe involving drugs, could involve domestic violence, that involved domestic dispute issues. So he started a special court for veterans involving the VA, the criminal justice system and also those veterans service organizations. Gen. [Eric] Shinseki visited that court to take a look at how it's working, and we've seen that expand from one in Buffalo to now I believe over 70. You really see how everyone is concerned and kind of wraps their arm around that veteran to get him or her back on the right track.

Camp Pendleton Patch: Which pills are most sought after?

Kerlikowske: In the past, you would often read, and quite often talk about, OxyContin but the opioids, painkillers, generally are the most abused. Hydrocodone, oxycodone, on and on. So it can be a variety of these very powerful, very addictive and...unfortunately, at times...very deadly painkillers. We’re seeing more people die as a result of drug overdoses than are dying of gunshot wounds in this country today. And in 17 states we're seeing more people die from drug overdoses than from car crashes. This is driven mostly, by the way, by prescription drugs. Prescription drug overdoses are taking more lives than heroin and cocaine overdoses combined.

[Source: Camp Pendleton Press Jared Morgan article30 Jul 2011 ++]

Prescription Drug Epidemic Update 01: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, prescription drugs are the second-most commonly abused category of drugs, behind marijuana and ahead of cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and other substances. In 2009, nearly 7 million people in the United States were nonmedical psychotherapeutic drug users. And opiate overdoses, once almost exclusive to heroin use, are now increasingly caused by misuse of prescription painkillers. While prescription drug abuse is not a new problem, it deserves renewed attention because of its prevalence and how often it affects children. After tobacco and alcohol, prescription and over-the-counter medications are the most frequently abused substances by high-school seniors. Nearly one in 12 high-school seniors reported nonmedical use of Vicodin and one in 20 reported abuse of OxyContin. Fifty-nine percent of 12th graders said the drugs were given to them by a friend or relative. Prescription drug abuse is correlated with other risky behaviors including abuse of other drugs and alcohol.

There are many health concerns associated with prescription drug abuse. These risks include overdose, drug interactions and the possibility of the drugs falling into the hands of children with allergies, to name just a few. While opioids, such as codeine, oxycodone and morphine, have improved pain management, they have also become popular drugs for misuse. Central-nervous system depressants, such as barbiturates and benzodiazepines, can lead to overdose and dangerous withdrawal, including seizures. Abuse of stimulants like dextroamphetamine and methylphenidate (commonly used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy) can cause psychosis, seizures and cardiovascular complications. Because prescription drugs are legal when properly used, they can often be found in our own medicine cabinets. If you have leftover medications that are not needed, do not flush them down the toilet or drain unless the label or patient information instructs you to do so. For information on drugs that can be flushed, visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website at http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/default.htm and click on “Resources for You.”

To dispose of non-flushable prescription drugs, you may be able to participate in community drug take-back programs or household hazardous waste-collection events, which collect drugs at central locations for proper disposal. Contact your city or county household trash and recycling service and ask if a drug take-back program is available in your community. If a take-back program is not available, the Office of National Drug Control Policy recommends these simple steps to ensure your no-longer-needed prescription drugs are not improperly used:
* Take the medication out of its original container.
* Mix the drug with an undesirable substance such as cat litter or used coffee grounds.
* Put the mixture into a disposable container with a lid such as an empty margarine tub or sealable bag.
* Conceal or remove all personal information, including the Rx number, with permanent marker, duct tape or by scratching it off.
* Place the sealed container with the mixture and the empty drug container in the trash.

     Advances in medicine allow for management of acute and chronic pain and have improved the lives of many. But some of these medications are potentially addicting. If someone you know is struggling with prescription drug use, discuss it with your health care provider or use one of the many resources the Department of Defense makes available to service members, retirees and their families. Today, more than ever, health care providers are sensitive to the needs of those struggling with substance use and dependence. TRICARE is there to help! For information about TRICARE’s substance use treatment coverage, refer to http://www.tricare.mil/mentalhealth

[Source: TRICARE Health Matters Fall 2011 ++]

Food Expiration: Every house has food in the pantry that has been there for weeks if not months, but according to food experts, you may want to think twice before throwing those items out. Many common food products last far longer than you might think. "We throw out tons of food each year in this country because people don't understand how long they can keep things," said Jo-Ann Heslin, a certified nutritionist and author of The Complete Food Counter. As Heslin and other nutritionists explain, consumers generally assume that foods should not be eaten after the use-by date on the package, but in reality, this date simply indicates the period of time when the food tastes best, not the date when it will suddenly make you sick. It's true that fresh foods like fruits and vegetables should not be consumed much after the use-by date has passed, as these products generally spoil quickly (unless frozen), but for countless packaged products, the consumption window can last for years. "For connoisseurs who have a real taste for a certain food, it's probably a good idea to use it by the best by date, but nothing bad will happen to you if you don't," said Keri Gans, a registered dietician and author of The Small Change Diet. The general recipe for longevity, according to these experts, is for the food to be low in liquids, sugar and oil, all of which have the potential to mold and spoil the food, or to have "lots and lots" of preservatives, which keep the food fresh longer. So if you're looking for groceries to buy in bulk and store in your pantry, these products are your best bet:

?  Canned Beans and Vegetables. Canned food, by definition, lasts longer than most products in the grocery store because it has been specially processed in air-tight cans. In general, canned items can stay good for 12-18 months, according to Gans, but some last even longer. Canned products like beans and vegetables, which are low in acid, can actually last for as long as two to five years. The only exception is if the can is dented or rusty, as that indicates the can has been punctured at some point, which speeds up the spoilage process.

?  Spices. You may want to think twice before replacing the containers in your spice rack. In general, most common spices like salt, pepper and oregano don't actually expire in the traditional sense, they just become less and less flavorful. "Salt occurs naturally in nature, it has no expiration date," Heslin said. "There is no difference in 10-year-old salt at all, as long as it hasn't been exposed to moisture." But over time, the potency and taste of the spice begins to decline, which is why Gans recommends using these spices within two to four years to be safe. Keep in mind too by that point, you'll probably have to use more of each spice in order to compensate for the loss in flavor.

?  Cereal and Crackers. You might as well start stocking up on crackers and cereal for the winter. According to Heslin, these products are essentially just "edible cardboard" that don't have enough moisture to grow bacteria or mold, so they can last for a very long time. Cereals like Cheerios and Puff Wheat, which have little to no sugar, can last for 18-24 months if unopened, while crackers like saltines can generally last for about two years. "The safety and nutrient quality of these products doesn't change, but the taste and texture might deteriorate somewhat," Heslin said. In other words, your body will be fine eating these things after more than a year, but you may find them a bit too stale to make it worthwhile.

?  Dried Pasta and White Rice. as with cereal and crackers, dried pasta and white rice do not contain enough moisture to spoil, and can therefore last for at least two years unopened. Consumers should be mindful though of what kind of pasta and rice they intend to store, though. Brown rice and whole wheat pasta may seem the same, but in reality each of these products contains more oil than their traditional counterparts, and can therefore go rancid much quicker.

?  Popcorn. Unmade popcorn kernels can last for up to two years, according to Gans, once again because they lack the oils and moisture that would lead to spoilage.

?  Condiments. All those condiments you have left over from July Fourth festivities may just barely survive until Independence Day weekend next year. Ketchup, mustard, horseradish and salad dressings generally contain no ingredients that can go bad, and according to Gans, they will last for a solid 12 months unopened before they completely lose their taste.

?  Coca Cola. Old fashioned Coca-Cola is the ultimate bomb shelter beverage. If left unopened, Heslin says a can of coke will take "an extraordinarily long time" to expire. Diet sodas, on the other hand, expire much more quickly because they contain artificial sweeteners that degrade with heat and time.

?  Honey. Honey can take years to expire, but according to Gans, one can conservatively hold onto it for about a year before its consistency begins to change, hardening and losing its sweet taste. Interestingly, Gans says that honey stays good for 12 months whether it's opened or unopened, making it one of the only foods where that is the case.

?  Twinkies. Despite all the claims in pop culture to the contrary, Twinkies don't actually last forever. In fact, you'd be lucky to have a Twinkie that is still edible after a few months.

[Source: http://financiallyfit.yahoo.com/finance/index Seth Fiegerman article27 Jul 2011 ++]

Veteran Hearing/Mark-up Schedule: Following is the current schedule of Congressional hearings and markups pertaining to the veteran community. Congressional hearings are the principal formal method by which committees collect and analyze information in the early stages of legislative policymaking. Hearings usually include oral testimony from witnesses, and questioning of the witnesses by members of Congress. When a U.S. congressional committee meets to put a legislative bill into final form it is referred to as a mark-up. Veterans are encouraged to contact members of these committees prior to the event listed and provide input on what they want their legislator to do at the event.

Membership of each committee and their contact info can be found at http://www.congress.org/congressorg/directory/committees.tt?commid=svete

* August 30, 2011. SAC-MILCON/VA will hold a field hearing on VA's collaboration with Indian Health Service (IHS) titled: Improving Access to Care for Native American Veterans by Maximizing the Use of Federal Funds and Services. (10:00 A.M.; Rapid City, South Dakota)
* September 8, 2011. HVAC will hold a full Committee mark-up on pending legislation. (10:00 A.M; 334 Cannon).
* September 21, 2011. SVAC and HVAC will hold a full committee joint hearing on the legislative agenda of the American Legion. (8:00 A.M.; G-50 Dirksen)
* September (Date TBD). The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will conduct a hearing on "Is This Any Way to Treat Our Troops? Part IV: Lack of Progress and Accountability."

Vet Toxic Exposure ~TCE: As early as WWII, United States Air Force and other Military bases used and disposed of chemical degreasers and other toxic substances that were later determined to contaminate drinking water and pose multiple health risks including: Cancers, Reproductive disorders, Birth defects, and Multiple other serious difficulties. Countless military personnel, their families, and private individuals living and working in the near vicinity of the bases may have been affected by these contaminates, through drinking water, general water usage and exposure through vapor seepage. The four most alarming contaminants are: Trichloroethylene (TCE), Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), Vinyl Chloride, and Benzene. Scientific studies show that some or all of these chemical compounds have breached the ground water supply on several of our US Military Bases and in some instances, have affected civilian properties adjacent to the bases including churches, schools and private wells. Currently, on-going research is being conducted on military bases around the country and on properties directly adjacent to these bases to identify just how wide spread this contamination may be.

Marines take great pride "in taking care of their own." Marine and Navy veterans who were stationed at the former (decommissioned) MCAS El Toro in Irvine CA are at risk for exposure to toxic chemicals as a result of the contamination of the soil and groundwater. Very few know of their exposure. Marines have been exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), suffered serious health consequences, and have no idea of what hit them. A number of Marines report serious illnesses linked to toxic exposure.

     Some of the emails are posted at http://www.mwsg37.com Others have asked to withhold their names. Neither the Navy nor the Marine Corps made any attempts to notify El Toro veterans.

MCAS El Toro was commissioned in 1943 and for many years the base obtained drinking water from fresh water wells on station. EPA in 1997 confirmed that the aquifers are "not currently a source of municipal water." After 56 years, El Toro was officially closed in July 1999, the 3rd MAW transferred to Miramar, and thousands of acres sold at a public auction to Lennar Corp. for $650 million. A TCE plume was discovered off base in 1985. MWSG-37 was ground zero for the TCE plume, spreading miles into Orange County. In 1997 EPA reported that the MWSG-37 area was the source of the toxic plume. EPA found that: "approximately 1,500 pounds of TCE are estimated to be present in soil gas; an additional 4,000 pounds of TCE would be present in the soil moisture. The mass of TCE in groundwater beneath Site 24 is estimated to be approximately 8,000 pounds."

EPA traced the "hot spot" to MWSG-37's maintenance hangars: "the primary VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) source is present beneath Buildings 296 and 297, extending to the south with decreasing concentrations to the southern Station boundary. Several smaller source areas exist in the soil beneath Site 24, including a PCE soil gas plume located west of Building 297. The VOC concentrations in soil gas generally increase with depth, and the highest concentrations occur near the water table. VOCs in the area of Buildings 296 and 297 extend to groundwater directly beneath those buildings." How much TCE/PCE was used at El Toro? It's anybody's guess. El Toro kept no TCE usage records. Six of the base wells were in the path of the TCE plume. With the possible exception of one well (#4, 1947), the actual dates the wells were abandoned are unknown. Well water may have been used for years after the purchase of municipal water for swimming pools, irrigation, fire service, and washing of aircraft and vehicles. Contaminated well water would have exposed Marines, dependents, and civilian workers to these carcinogens.

The Navy purchased municipal water for El Toro and the Santa Ana Air Facility as early as 1951. There’s no explanation for the reasons for the purchase, but the high salt content (total dissolved solids) in the groundwater may have corroded the wells. The base wells were constructed in 1942 so something had to be seriously wrong with the wells for the Navy to purchase municipal water. The early purchase was not enough to replace the maximum daily output from the base wells. In late 1969, the Navy entered into another contract which exceeded the maximum output from the base wells. The 1969 contract required the contractor to supply water to El Toro from the Santa Ana Air Facility’s wells in the event of disruption in municipal water services. El Toro’s wells were obviously off-limits.

The Navy contends that corrosion was not a factor in the decision to purchase municipal water for El Toro despite the high levels of TDS ("salts") in the shallow aquifer (> 1,000 mg/ug). The only thing that is certain is that the Navy did not purchase municipal water without cause, especially when there was good quality water in the principal aquifer under the base.

All of El Toro’s wells are now destroyed. The consulting engineers’ well destruction reports show extensive well casing corrosion, at least one well screen in the contaminated shallow aquifer, broken discharge pipes, and one well failure (#4). The risk of serious illness for those who worked in MWSG-37 in or near the maintenance hangars was high because of exposure to toxic vapors from open containers and from vapor intrusion. Others on the base were at some risk for exposure from vapor intrusion from the contaminated soil and groundwater. If contaminated well water was used in swimming pools and for irrigation, the risk for exposure to these carcinogens through dermal contact is evident. In the words of one toxicologist El Toro “was a toxic waste dump.” At least one national law firm has taken an interest in injuries from toxic exposure at El Toro.

[Source: http://www.militarycontamination.com Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Toxic Exposure~TCE: El Toro MCAS  As early as WWII, United States Air Force and other Military bases used and disposed of chemical degreasers and other toxic substances that were later determined to contaminate drinking water and pose multiple health risks including: Cancers, Reproductive disorders, Birth defects, and Multiple other serious difficulties. Countless military personnel, their families, and private individuals living and working in the near vicinity of the bases may have been affected by these contaminates, through drinking water, general water usage and exposure through vapor seepage. The four most alarming contaminants are: Trichloroethylene (TCE), Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), Vinyl Chloride, and Benzene. Scientific studies show that some or all of these chemical compounds have breached the ground water supply on several of our US Military Bases and in some instances, have affected civilian properties adjacent to the bases including churches, schools and private wells. Currently, on-going research is being conducted on military bases around the country and on properties directly adjacent to these bases to identify just how wide spread this contamination may be.

Marines take great pride "in taking care of their own." Marine and Navy veterans who were stationed at the former (decommissioned) MCAS El Toro in Irvine CA are at risk for exposure to toxic chemicals as a result of the contamination of the soil and groundwater. Very few know of their exposure. Marines have been exposed to trichloroethylene (TCE) and tetrachloroethylene (PCE), suffered serious health consequences, and have no idea of what hit them. A number of Marines report serious illnesses linked to toxic exposure.
Some of the emails are posted at http://www.mwsg37.com Others have asked to withhold their names.
Neither the Navy nor the Marine Corps made any attempts to notify El Toro veterans.

MCAS El Toro was commissioned in 1943 and for many years the base obtained drinking water from fresh water wells on station. EPA in 1997 confirmed that the aquifers are "not currently a source of municipal water." After 56 years, El Toro was officially closed in July 1999, the 3rd MAW transferred to Miramar, and thousands of acres sold at a public auction to Lennar Corp. for $650 million. A TCE plume was discovered off base in 1985. MWSG-37 was ground zero for the TCE plume, spreading miles into Orange County. In 1997 EPA reported that the MWSG-37 area was the source of the toxic plume. EPA found that: "approximately 1,500 pounds of TCE are estimated to be present in soil gas; an additional 4,000 pounds of TCE would be present in the soil moisture. The mass of TCE in groundwater beneath Site 24 is estimated to be approximately 8,000 pounds."

EPA traced the "hot spot" to MWSG-37's maintenance hangars: "the primary VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) source is present beneath Buildings 296 and 297, extending to the south with decreasing concentrations to the southern Station boundary. Several smaller source areas exist in the soil beneath Site 24, including a PCE soil gas plume located west of Building 297. The VOC concentrations in soil gas generally increase with depth, and the highest concentrations occur near the water table. VOCs in the area of Buildings 296 and 297 extend to groundwater directly beneath those buildings." How much TCE/PCE was used at El Toro? It's anybody's guess. El Toro kept no TCE usage records. Six of the base wells were in the path of the TCE plume. With the possible exception of one well (#4, 1947), the actual dates the wells were abandoned are unknown. Well water may have been used for years after the purchase of municipal water for swimming pools, irrigation, fire service, and washing of aircraft and vehicles. Contaminated well water would have exposed Marines, dependents, and civilian workers to these carcinogens.

The Navy purchased municipal water for El Toro and the Santa Ana Air Facility as early as 1951. There’s no explanation for the reasons for the purchase, but the high salt content (total dissolved solids) in the groundwater may have corroded the wells. The base wells were constructed in 1942 so something had to be seriously wrong with the wells for the Navy to purchase municipal water. The early purchase was not enough to replace the maximum daily output from the base wells. In late 1969, the Navy entered into another contract which exceeded the maximum output from the base wells. The 1969 contract required the contractor to supply water to El Toro from the Santa Ana Air Facility’s wells in the event of disruption in municipal water services. El Toro’s wells were obviously off-limits.

The Navy contends that corrosion was not a factor in the decision to purchase municipal water for El Toro despite the high levels of TDS ("salts") in the shallow aquifer (> 1,000 mg/ug). The only thing that is certain is that the Navy did not purchase municipal water without cause, especially when there was good quality water in the principal aquifer under the base.

All of El Toro’s wells are now destroyed. The consulting engineers’ well destruction reports show extensive well casing corrosion, at least one well screen in the contaminated shallow aquifer, broken discharge pipes, and one well failure (#4). The risk of serious illness for those who worked in MWSG-37 in or near the maintenance hangars was high because of exposure to toxic vapors from open containers and from vapor intrusion. Others on the base were at some risk for exposure from vapor intrusion from the contaminated soil and groundwater. If contaminated well water was used in swimming pools and for irrigation, the risk for exposure to these carcinogens through dermal contact is evident. In the words of one toxicologist El Toro “was a toxic waste dump.” At least one national law firm has taken an interest in injuries from toxic exposure at El Toro.

[Source: http://www.militarycontamination.com Jul 2011 ++]

Saving Money: We all know 15 percent is the standard tip for restaurant servers, but what if the service was way above standard? Or way below? Tipping is such a mystery because there aren’t any ironclad rules. And tipping can be stressful because we’ve all heard how servers depend on their tips for their livelihood. Here are some facts: Waiters and waitresses can be paid as low as $2.13 an hour, but if their tips don’t bring them up to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 and hour, the government requires employers to make up the difference. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average restaurant server earns about $8 an hour, with the top 10 percent getting around $14.25 an hour. But that’s just waiters and waitresses. Who else should you tip? Because there’s no law or rule or even agreement on a guideline, opinions vary. For example, CNN Money’s guidelines for tipping suggests a minimum of $2 per night for a hotel housekeeper while The Consumerist suggests only $1. But mostly, those two respected media sources agree. By studying those and other sources, Money Talks News has devised an abbreviated list for the more common encounters. While opinions may vary slightly, you won’t go wrong following this advice:

Tip a percentage.
* Take-out preparer (the restaurant person who packs up your to-go order): 10 percent
* Taxi driver: 10-15 percent
* Tattoo artists: 10-20 percent
* Barber/stylist: 15-20 percent
* Bartender: 15-20 percent

Tip a flat figure.
* Pizza delivery guy: $2-5 based on distance
* Coffee at mom-and-pop shop: $1 per drink (chain coffee shops? CNN says “completely optional,”
* Consumerist says, “25 cents tossed in the tip jar,” others say little to nothing.
* Valet parking: $1 or $2
* Furniture delivery: $5
* Housekeeping: $1-5

More advice on tipping.
* On average, you can see it’s typical to leave 10-20 percent for just about anybody worth tipping. But adjust that based on circumstances: If your delivery guy rushed over in a thunderstorm and is dripping on your doormat, toss him a little extra. Reward people who go out of their way to help. But if your server provides poor service, give a poor tip – but leave something so it’s obvious you didn’t just forget.
* Pay attention to what’s included in a bill and who it’s going to. At restaurants, a table of six or more is often charged an extra “gratuity” or “service fee” that may (or may not) go directly to the server. A delivery bill may likewise have a service charge for gas that doesn’t go to the driver, and a tip may already be built into the bill.
* If you have a regular barber or bartender you’re buddies with, don’t let that relationship sour over tipping. Treat well those people you’re likely to deal with often.
* Try to avoid leaving cash lying around. Hand the tip to your server, leave it in the holder the check comes in, or put it on your card. For housekeeping, leave the money in a marked envelope so they know it’s for them.
* Always calculate tips based on the original bill, not based on any discounts or coupons you used.
* Some people can’t (or won’t) accept tips. You can still give them a card, a warm handshake, or a genuine, “Thank you.”

[Source: Money Talks Brandon Ballenger 7 Jul 2011 ++]

Notes of Interest:
?  ND Driver Licenses. North Dakota veterans will “soon be able to get new licenses–which will give them recognition for their service. Starting 1 AUG, veterans will be able add the letter ‘V’ on their licenses.” Besides offering recognition for their service having the symbol of their driver’s license may make it easier for veterans to prove their eligibility for veteran’s discounts.
?  Annapolis Class of 2016. The Navy has announced that the U.S. Naval Academy's admissions cycle for the class of 2016, entering in July 2012, is open to enlisted Sailors. The deadline for initial application to the class is 31 JAN 2012.
?  Secret Service. Army veteran Charles L. Gittens, the first African American agent in the Secret Service and the former head of the agency’s Washington field office, died 27 JUL at an assisted living center in Mitchellville Maryland after a heart attack. He was 82.
?  Immunizations. August is National Immunization Awareness Month. If you are planning a trip make sure you have your required vaccinations and get them documented .
?  Delaware Vet ID Cards. DMV recently announced it would begin providing free replacement veteran identification cards to those servicemembers who have lost, damaged or misplaced them. These cards will be available to any veteran. Call 302-744-2515 (Dover) or 302-434-3203 (Wilmington) for appointments.
?  Tanning bed use. Results of a small clinical study showed frequent users of tanning beds exhibited brain activity similar to that observed in people addicted to drugs or alcohol. Interest in tanning as an addictive behavior has evolved from evidence that use of indoor tanning equipment has continued to increase despite well-known associations with skin cancer and premature skin aging.

[Source: Various 1-15 Aug 2011 ++]

Medicare Fraud Update 73:

?  San Antonio TX - Dr. Herbert Joel Robinson, 78, has been indicted on charges that he committed more than $100,000 in Medicaid and Medicare fraud by billing for patients he did not provide medical service to — or for people who were dead. Robinson ran a general practice and weight-loss clinic and was charged earlier this year. He was re-indicted last week as prosecutors added counts alleging that he billed the medical-assistance programs for people who were dead. He now faces 27 counts of health care fraud, punishable by up to 10 years in prison; three counts of mail fraud, punishable by a maximum of 20 years; and one count of aggravated identity theft, punishable by a mandatory two years on top of what he could get from any of the other charges. He intends to plead not guilty to all charges. From January 2006 through November 2009, Robinson billed the government for “office visits during times when patients were not present, out of town and hospitalized, and times when defendant Robinson was outside of the United States, and at times when his office was closed,” the indictment states. Court records allege that more than $100,000 was fraudulently billed, though agents with the U.S. Health and Human Services Department's Office of Inspector General were still calculating the purported loss.

?  Brunswick GA - Arthiu Manasarian, 49, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to aggravated identity theft in the scheme he operated out of Brunswick Medical Supply Inc in 2007 and 2008. Although he admitted his guilt, Manasarian offered no explanation to Chief U.S. District Judge Lisa Godbey Wood about his submission of $7.5 million to $20 million in phony claims to Medicare through Brunswick Medical and his eight other businesses in Savannah, New Mexico and California. Manasarian took a government plea bargain just 10 days before going on trial with two co-defendants in the Brunswick-based scheme. The government will dismiss eight other charges against Manasarian in exchange for his two guilty pleas and continuing cooperation including testimony if necessary against others, Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Rafferty told the court. Manasarian's co-defendants, Sahak Tumanyan, 44, and his wife, Hasmik Tumanyan, 39, will stand trial on money laundering conspiracy charges beginning Aug. 15 in U.S. District Court in Brunswick. The Tumanyans operated and controlled at least four fictitious companies in the Los Angeles area as part of the money laundering conspiracy, according to the indictment. Armenian natives living in Los Angeles, Manasarian and the Tumanyans were among 73 defendants in a nationwide organized crime ring that submitted more than $163 million in phony Medicare claims.

?  Miami FL - A Miami nurse was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment on 8 AUG for his role in what prosecutors say is a $11 million Medicare fraud ring. In May, a federal jury had convicted Armando Santos, 46, of multiple counts of health care fraud for his actions between 2007 and 2009. At trial, prosecutors said Santos billed the government for services that did not take place or were not medically necessary while one of ten Miami employees of the Ideal Home Health company charged with defrauding Medicare. The owners of Ideal Home Health, Elizabeth Acosta Sanz and Luis Alejandro Sanz, stand accused of masterminding the scheme in which the home nursing company sought $11 million in bogus reimbursements – of which they received more than $7 million. Although their employee Armando Santos claimed in Medicare filings to make regular rounds injecting patients with insulin, prosecutors said that at least two of his patients did not need insulin and were not housebound. In total, prosecutors said, Santos submitted $230,315 in false claims. The ten year sentence imposed on Santos by U.S. district Judge Federico Moreno was the maximum advised under sentencing guidelines.

?  Detroit MI - A Florida woman who committed multimillion-dollar Medicare fraud in the Detroit area has been given a generous reduction in her prison sentence. Federal Judge Gerald Rosen last week shaved 2 ½ years off the eight-year sentence ordered for Daisy Martinez in 2010. Prosecutors say she deserved a break after her testimony and cooperation helped convict others who committed health care fraud. Martinez arrived from Miami to set up three Detroit-area clinics that were a sham. The clinics billed Medicare for treatments that weren't performed or weren't necessary in 2006 and 2007. Her daughter and son-in-law also pleaded guilty in the scheme.

?  Detroit MI - Friends of a Detroit-area pharmacy owner are willing to put up their houses as collateral if it would ensure his release from jail on fraud charges. Babubhai (BOB'-ooh-by) Patel has been locked up for a week. He's charged with about $60 million in health care fraud at his pharmacies. Patel was back in court 9 AUG, but a federal judge didn't make a decision. The hearing resumes 12 AUG. Prosecutors want the Canton Township man to stay in jail until trial. He's accused of giving kickbacks to doctors to write prescriptions and send people to Patel's pharmacies. The government says the painkillers were unnecessary or not provided. Prosecutors call it a brazen scheme to cheat Medicare and Medicaid. Patel is the vice chairman of the Canton Hindu temple. He's pleaded not guilty.

?  Los Angeles CA - Two pastors of a defunct Los Angeles church have been found guilty of preying on their trusting parishioners to run a $14.2 million Medicare fraud scheme. Christopher Iruke, 60, and his wife Connie Ikpoh, 49, persuaded churchgoers at the now-defunct Arms of Grace Christian Center to provide personal information that they used to open fraudulent medical equipment supply operations. The two abused their positions of trust and persuaded those who blindly trusted in them to steal millions of dollars from taxpayers and Medicare. The conviction 9 AUG came at the end of a two-week federal trial. The couple was accused of using information from parishioners to set up several fraudulent medical supply businesses...one even shared the address of the church...that billed Medicare for power wheelchairs and other pricey equipment that was never provided or was unnecessary. Iruke was found guilty of one count of conspiracy and 17 counts of health care fraud. Ikpoh and employee Aura Marroquin, 30, were each found guilty of one count of conspiracy and four counts of health care fraud. According to evidence presented at trial, the three and co-conspirators used fraudulent prescriptions and documents that were illegally purchased to bill Medicare for high-end power wheelchairs. Though the wholesale price of each wheelchair was less than $1000, they were billed to Medicare at a rate of approximately $6,000, according to federal prosecutors. The ill-gotten proceeds were spent on luxury vehicles and home remodeling expenses.

?  Miami FL - Federal investigators have arrested a 10th person in a South Florida scheme to defraud Medicare out of more than $27 million. Prosecutors in Miami said 39-year-old Elizabet Lombera is facing multiple counts of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft. She faces a lengthy prison sentence if convicted. Prosecutors say Lombera used some of the illegal profits to take a trip to Japan. Nine other people have already been arrested in the scam. Prosecutors say it involved fraudulent invoices to Medicare for durable medical equipment devices submitted by five different companies. Six of those involved are already serving time in prison. One is a fugitive.

?  Louisville KY - Federal officials say the owner or operator of six Kentucky hospitals has agreed to pay $8.9 million for claims improperly billed to Medicare. The U.S. attorneys' offices in Louisville and Lexington announced the settlement 11 AUG with Baptist Healthcare Systems Inc. and Hardin Memorial Hospital, under management of Baptist Healthcare. Hospitals involved besides Hardin Memorial are five facilities owned by Baptist Healthcare -- Baptist East in Louisville, Western Baptist in Paducah, Baptist Northeast in La Grange, Central Baptist in Lexington and Baptist Regional in Corbin. The U.S. attorneys' offices statements said Baptist Healthcare and Hardin Memorial made no admission of liability in agreeing to the settlement and that no issues of quality of patient care were involved.

[Source: Fraud News Daily 1-15 Aug 2011 ++]

Medicad Fraud Update 45:

?  Rayville LA - Three former employees of a Rayville personal care services agency are accused of billing the state's Medicaid program for more than $575,000 in services supposedly done while they were really at other jobs. The state Attorney General's Medicaid Fraud Control Unit arrested 50-year-old Georgia Lee Coleman on 35 counts of Medicaid fraud; 45-year-old Lisa Thomas on 10 counts and 37-year-old Yaschica Pleasant Jackson on four counts, Attorney General Buddy Caldwell said Monday. The company's owner Patricia A. Bell, 51, was arrested earlier on 60 counts of filing or maintaining false public records and seven counts of Medicaid fraud. Investigators found that Louisiana Medicaid paid more than $575,000 for services supposedly provided by people who weren't working for bell any longer. Bell also allegedly billed for services reportedly given while patients were hospitalized.

?  Brownsville TX - Felicitas Velez Alanis, 50, and her daughter-in-law Erika Ortega Alanis, 26, both of Brownsville, Texas, have been arrested on charges of health care fraud and conspiracy to commit health care fraud. A grand jury returned a six-count sealed indictment on 26 JUL, charging Felicitas Alanis and Erika Alanis with one count of conspiracy to defraud the Texas Medicaid program and five counts of submitting false and fraudulent claims to the Texas Medicaid program. Felicitas Alanis allegedly owns and operates Vel-Ala Inc. - a Texas corporation which does business as Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply in and around Brownsville and Harlingen, Texas, and elsewhere in South Texas. Her daughter-in-law, Erika Alanis, allegedly assisted in the day to day operation of the company. Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply is enrolled with the Texas Medicaid program to provide durable medical equipment (DME) to Texas Medicaid beneficiaries. The six-count indictment alleges Felicitas Alanis and Ericka Alanis conspired to send false and fraudulent bills to the Texas Medicaid program in the name of Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply. Between JAN 2005 and Oct 2006, the women submitted more than $646,000 in false and fraudulent bills to the Texas Medicaid program for diabetic supplies which Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply never purchased or supplied to Medicaid beneficiaries. The delivery records and billing records of Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply show that the Texas Medicaid program was routinely billed for more items than were actually delivered and the purchase records allegedly reveal that the Texas Medicaid program was billed for medical supplies and items that Nisi Medical Equipment and Supply had never purchased. Medicaid paid more than $554,000 on the allegedly false and fraudulent claims submitted to it.

?  Mt. Vernon MO - Attorney General Chris Koster has filed a civil lawsuit against a Mt. Vernon dentist Thomas Alms Jr., DDS, and his wife Laura Alms alleging they made false and fraudulent claims to Missouri's Medicaid program. For nearly five years they filed claims and billed Missouri Medicaid for dental procedures that Dr. Alms was not authorized by the Missouri Dental Board to perform. They also billed Medicaid for services that were not provided. Medicaid has reimbursed Dr. Alms for services totaling more than $600,000. The lawsuit, filed 2 AUG in Cole County Circuit Court, asks the court to order Dr. Alms and his wife to pay restitution, as well as civil penalties and punitive damages.

?  Indianapolis IN - William Maultsby, 52, was charged 5 AUG with health care fraud, following an investigation by the U.S. Health and Human Services Inspector General and Indiana Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. The information alleges that William Maultsby owned Ace Transportation Service, a business providing transportation services in and around the Indianapolis, Indiana area. Between JAN 08 and DEC 2010, Maultsby submitted claims for services to Indiana Medicaid for services purportedly provided by Ace for Medicaid recipients. The scheme to defraud was that Maultsby submitted claims to Medicaid for transportation of Medicaid patients: (A) as if the patients were non-ambulatory when he knew that the patients were ambulatory, and (B) for transportation of patients when that transportation did not occur, for a total loss to the Medicaid program of approximately $63,612.68. An initial hearing will be scheduled in Indianapolis before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.

[Source: Fraud News Daily 1-15 Aug 2011 ++]

State Veteran's Benefits: The state of New Hampshire provides several benefits to veterans as indicated below. To obtain information on these refer to the “Veteran State Benefits NH” attachment to this Bulletin for an overview of those benefits listed below. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each click on “Learn more about …” wording highlighted in blue on the attachment.
* Housing Benefits
* Financial Assistance Benefits
* Employment Benefits
* Education Benefits
* Other State Veteran Benefits
[Source: http://www.military.com/benefits Aug 2011 ++]

Military History: The sinking of the TITANIC in 1912 and the LUSITANIA three years later are commonly thought of as two of the greatest maritime disasters of all time. Yet, the German ship Wilhelm Gustloff carrying mostly civilian refugees and sunk in the Baltic Sea in the closing months of World War II claimed more than twice as many lives as both ships combined. It was the greatest marine disaster in history and most Americans probably never heard of it. With all cabins occupied and passengers jammed into passageways, the GUSTLOFF got underway at 1230 on 30 January 1945 for Kiel and Flensburg in western Germany. There were over 6,000 passengers--more than three times above capacity. Most were women and children, elderly men and about 1,200 wounded soldiers. To read more about the Gustloff’s sinking and the events that led to it refer to this Bulletin’s attachment titled, “Greatest Marine Disaster in History”.

[Source: Military History Online Irwin J. Kappes JUL 03 article http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/wilhelmgustloff.aspx Aug 2011]

Military History Anniversaries: Significant August events in U.S. Military History are:
* Aug 16 1780 - Revolutionary War: American troops are badly defeated by the British at the Battle of Camden, South Carolina.
* Aug 16 1945 - WWII: Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright, who was taken prisoner by the Japanese on Corregidor on 6 MAY 42 is released from a POW camp in Manchuria by U.S. troops.
* Aug 17 1943 - WWII: Allied forces complete the conquest of Sicily.
* Aug 18 1914 - WWI: Germany declares war on Russia while President Woodrow Wilson issues his Proclamation of Neutrality
* Aug 18 1951 - Korea: Battle of Bloody Ridge began which continued until 5 SEP
* Aug 19 1812 - War of 1812: The USS Constitution earns the nickname "Old Ironsides" during the battle off Nova Scotia that saw her defeat the HMS Guerriere.
* Aug 21 1942 - WWII: U.S. Marines turn back the first major Japanese ground attack on Guadalcanal in the Battle of Tenaru.
* Aug 22 1945 - Vietnam: Conflict in Vietnam begins when a group of Free French parachute into southern Indochina, in response to a successful coup by communist guerilla Ho Chi Minh.
* Aug 23 1950 - Korea: Up to 77,000 members of the U.S. Army Organized Reserve Corps are called involuntarily to active duty to fight the Korean War.
* Aug 25 1921 - WWI: The U.S., which never ratified the Versailles Treaty ending World War I, finally signs a peace treaty with Germany.
* Aug 25 1944 - WWII: Paris is liberated by the Allies.
* Aug 26 1942 - WWII: First black Marine (Howard Perry) entered first recruit training camp (Montford Point, NC) for black Marines
* Aug 27 1776 - Revolutionary War: British defeat Americans in Battle of Long Island
* Aug 27 1945 WWII: B-29 Superfortress bombers begin to drop supplies into Allied POW camps in China.
* Aug 27 1945 - WWII: US troops land in Japan after Japanese surrender
* Aug 29 1862 - Civil War: Battle of Bull Run, VA (Manassas, Gainesville, Bristoe Station)
* Aug 29 1916 - Congress creates US Naval Reserve
* Aug 29 1942- WWII: The American Red Cross announces that Japan has refused to allow safe conduct for the passage of ships with supplies for American POWs.
* Aug 29 1944 - WWII: 15,000 American troops liberating Paris march down Champs Elysees
* Aug 29 1990 - Iraq: Saddam Hussein declares America can't beat Iraq
* Aug 30 1813 - Creek Indians massacre over 500 whites at Fort Mims Alabama.
* Aug 30 1963 - Cold War: The Hotline between the leaders of the U.S.A. and the Soviet Union goes into operation.
* Aug 31 1941 - WWII: 23 U-boats sunk (80,000 ton) this month
* Aug 31 1942 - WWII: U boats sunk 108 ships (544,000 ton) this month
* Aug 31 1951 - Korea: The1st Marine Division begins its attack on Bloody Ridge. The 4 day battle results in 2,700 Marine casualties.

[Source: Various Aug 2011 ++]

Military Trivia Update 33: 1. What was the Allied operation to invade North Africa in 1942 called?
ANS: Operation Shoestring -- Operation Scorch -- Operation Torch -- Operation Husky .

2. What did the British High Command insist that the untested US soldiers were?
ANS: Seasoned and ready -- Untested but will prevail -- Green and cocky -- Well equipped.

3. The US 1st Armored Division was well trained by pre-war standards. What major problem did they face at Kasserine Pass?
ANS: German armor was better with experienced crews. They had to rely on the French -- The terrain was not suited for armored warfare -- The weather and the terrain.

4. The US did have Sherman tanks at Kasserine Pass. How did the US tank crews fail to take advantage of this tank?
ANS: Speed and stealth -- Cover and alignment -- Cover and concealment -- Fire and maneuver.

5. General Fredendall was the US commander at Kasserine Pass. What major mistakes did he make that day during the German attack?
ANS: He failed to ascertain enemy intentions and lost his nerve. He made no major mistakes -- Poor deployment and piecemeal support -- Poor reconnaissance and misdirection.

6. What did the US 2nd Armored Division see as it attempted to restore order at Sidi bou Zid?
ANS: US troops in full retreat -- Sidi bou Zidi in ruins and looted -- German armor quickly advancing -- US and German armored formations fighting

7. Who replaced General Fredendall after Kasserine Pass?
ANS: Bradley -- Harmon -- Smith -- Patton

8. What vital lesson was learned from Kasserine Pass?
ANS: America should have listened to its ally -- Panic spreads easily -- American armored doctrine was flawed -- Terrain is important.

9. The inexperience of the US infantry was obvious. What did the British notice about the GIs that stood out?
ANS: They lacked knowledge of infantry tactics -- They were not familiar with their weapons -- They would not dig foxholes -- They would not camouflage their equipment .

10. What did Rommel think of the US Army after Kasserine Pass?
ANS: He thought the US soldier and the British soldier were about the same -- He had a low opinion of the US soldier -- He thought US equipment was good but their tanks inferior -- He was impressed but thought they were poorly led.

Answers

1.  The operation to invade North Africa in November of 1942 was called, Operation Torch. It was the first major land offensive by combined US and British troops in WWII against Germany and Italy.
2.  The British (veterans of El Alamein) were not impressed by the material might of the US Army. They immediately saw green and untested troops who were a bit too cocky for their liking because they had yet to face a real nemesis in the German Africa Corps.
3.  The major problem the US 1st Armored Division faced at Kasserine Pass was not only a superior tank in the Panzer MK IV but also veteran crews from the Africa Corps.
4.  If the US tank crews had used the armored doctrine of fire and maneuver, they would have fully utilized the Sherman's 75mm gun against the German armor. Instead, they were picked off on at a time by concentrated fire.
5.  General Fredendall made two glaring errors that day: he deployed his troops on two isolated hills so neither could support the other and he attempted to support them with armor piecemeal. The Germans surrounded both positions and decimated the armored columns that attempted to come to their support.
6.  General Harmon (CO of the 2nd Armored) was astounded to see, 'a US Army in rout'. Anything that had four wheels was moving away from the front at full speed. His command vehicle was almost run off the road twice!
7.  General George Patton replaced Fredendall after Kasserine Pass and assumed command of the II Corps. This was the beginning of a legend.
8.  Kasserine Pass saw the defeat of US forces against a veteran Africa Corps. The one vital lesson learned from that engagement was our armored doctrine was flawed. Armor cannot be committed piecemeal and you need infantry to support it.
9.  The British were astounded that the US infantryman would not dig himself a foxhole. For whatever reasons, a shallow slit trench was preferred. This position offered no protection against air or armored attacks. No one took this advice serious until after Kasserine Pass.
10. Rommel was unimpressed by the poor performance of the US soldier and thought their equipment was equally inferior. This opinion remained unchanged until the Normandy Campaign.

[Source: http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/history/war_history.html Aug 2011 ++]

Tax Burden for DC Retirees: Many people planning to retire use the presence or absence of a state income tax as a litmus test for a retirement destination. This is a serious miscalculation since higher sales and property taxes can more than offset the lack of a state income tax. The lack of a state income tax doesn’t necessarily ensure a low total tax burden. Following are the taxes you can expect to pay if you retire in the District of Colombia:

Sales Taxes
State Sales Tax: 6.00% (temporary increase from 5.75% for the period from October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2012) (food, prescription and non-prescription drugs, residential utility services exempt)
Gasoline Tax: 23.5 cents/gallon
Diesel Fuel Tax: 23.5 cents/gallon
Cigarette Tax: $2.50/pack of 20

Personal Income Taxes
Tax Rate Range: Low - 4.0%; High - 8.5%
Income Brackets: Three. Lowest - $10,000; Highest - $40,000 Note: Excludes Social Security income and maximum $3,000 exclusion on military retired pay, pension income, or annuity income from DC or federal government.
Personal Exemption: Single - $1,675; Married - $1,675; Dependents - $1,675
Standard Deduction: Single - $2,000; Married filing joint return - $4,000
Medical/Dental Deduction: Same as Federal taxes
Federal Income Tax Deduction: None

Retirement Income Taxes: Social Security is exempt. Taxpayers 62 and older can exclude $3,000 of military, federal, and state/local pensions. All state government pensions are fully taxed.
Retired Military Pay: Up to $3,000 of military retirement pay excluded for individuals 62 or older, Survivor benefits are taxable.
Military Disability Retired Pay: Retirees who entered the military before Sept. 24, 1975, and members receiving disability retirements based on combat injuries or who could receive disability payments from the VA are covered by laws giving disability broad exemption from federal income tax. Most military retired pay based on service-related disabilities also is free from federal income tax, but there is no guarantee of total protection.
VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: VA benefits are not taxable because they generally are for disabilities and are not subject to federal or state taxes.
Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue office.

Property Taxes
Property is assessed at 100% of market value. Taxes on owner-occupied real estate are $0.85 per $100 of assessed value. The first $67,500 of assessed value (homestead deduction) is exempt from taxes. Several property tax relief programs are available to assist property owners and first time home buyers. These include a homestead deduction, tax credits for historic properties, senior citizen tax relief and property tax exemptions and deferrals. Homeowners 65 and older with household adjusted gross income of less than $100,000 receive an additional exemption equal to 50 percent of their homestead deduction. For details refer to http://otr.cfo.dc.gov/otr/cwp/view,a,1330,q,594366,otrNav_gid,1679,otrNav,%7C33280%7C.asp
The real property tax deduction has increased. As a result of changes made to Federal year law, non-itemizers (those who take the standard deduction) may now increase the standard deduction by up to $500 (if single, head of household, married filing separately) and up to $1,000 (if filing jointly) if they took the real property tax deduction on their Federal tax return as an increase to the standard deduction. Tangible personal property is taxed at the rate of $4.30 per $100 of assessed value. The first $225,000 of taxable value is excluded from tax.
Call 202-727-1000 for more information.

Inheritance and Estate Taxes
There is no inheritance tax and only a limited estate tax.

For further information, visit the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer site http://cfo.washingtondc.gov/cfo/site/default.asp or call 202-727-2476.

[Source: http://www.retirementliving.com Aug 2011 ++]

Have You Heard?: Harry and Sam, two friends, met in the park every day to feed the pigeons, watch the squirrels and discuss world problems.

One day Harry didn't show up. Sam didn't think much about it and figured maybe he had a cold or something.. But after Harry hadn't shown up for a week or so, Sam really got worried. However, since the only time they ever got together was at the park, Sam didn't know where Harry lived, so he was unable to find out what had happened to him.

A month had passed, and Sam figured he had seen the last of Harry, but one day, Sam approached the park and-- lo and behold!--there sat Harry! Sam was very excited and happy to see him and told him so. Then he said, 'For crying out loud Harry, what in the world happened to you?'

Harry replied, 'I have been in jail.'

'Jail!' cried Sam. What in the world for?'

'Well,' Harry said, 'you know Sue, that cute little blonde waitress at the coffee shop where I sometimes go?'

'Yeah,' said Sam, 'I remember her. What about her?

'Well, one day she filed rape charges against me; and, at 89 years old, I was so proud that when I got into court, I pled 'guilty'.

'The damn judge gave me 30 days for perjury.'

=============================
"A house divided against itself cannot stand." - Abraham Lincoln (16th President of the United States | 1809 –1865)
=============================

Veteran Legislation Status 12 AUG 2011: The August recess has begun now that the debt limit debate is over. The Senate is scheduled to return on 6 SEP. The House is scheduled to return on 7 SEP. For a listing of Congressional bills of interest to the veteran community introduced in the 112th Congress refer to the Bulletin’s “House & Senate Veteran Legislation” attachment. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the legislative process for a floor vote to become law. A good indication on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. Any number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill’s content, 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/d111/sponlst.html

Grassroots lobbying is perhaps the most effective way to let your Representative and Senators know your opinion. Whether you are calling into a local or Washington, D.C. office; sending a letter or e-mail; signing a petition; or making a personal visit, Members of Congress are the most receptive and open to suggestions from their constituents. The key to increasing cosponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is letting legislators know of veteran’s feelings on issues.

    You can reach their Washington office via the Capital Operator direct at (866) 272-6622, (800) 828-0498, or (866) 340-9281 to express your views.

     Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov your legislator’s phone number, mailing address, or email/website to communicate with a message or letter of your own making. Refer to http://www.thecapitol.net/FAQ/cong_schedule.html for dates that you can access your legislators on their home turf.


FAIR USE NOTICE: This newsletter contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of veterans' issues. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material
in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for educating themselves on veteran issues so they can better communicate with their legislators on issues affecting them.
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If you wish to use copyrighted material from this newsletter for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.
Lt. James .EMO. Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Associate Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA Baguio City RP
PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517
Tel: (951) 238-1246 in U.S. or Cell: 0915-361-3503 in the Philippines.
Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net Web: http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html
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RAO Bulletin Non-Receipt Update 02: Since MAY 2011 a number of YAHOO users have indicated they did not get their Bulletin.
However, I have received nothing back indicating the Bulletin message was not delivered to any of those who reported non-receipt. I suspect that either my Mailing List Provider (YMLP) or YAHOO has done something to modify how some of Yahoo's customer's operating programs respond to incoming email. The problem could be those affected do not have our email addee listed in their address book. Normally, if you’re not receiving email you are expecting via Yahoo, there are two things you can do. Use the "Not Spam" button and “Create a filter” to automatically send email from our domain to your Inbox. Doing this has apparently resolved many of the Yahoo users non-receipt problems who have contacted us. It is the only way to really ensure delivery. To verify if you have us in your address book:

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For example: Inbox. Since we are not receiving any returned messages from Yahoo we cannot verify what domain number (i.e. number which appear on a rejected message that identifies the sender) is being blocked by Yahoo. Yahoo requires that a domain number be provided to them before they will follow up on any report from us regarding blocked messages to your email addee. Thus, if you start not receiving the Bulletin you will have to work it out with them on your end. If they ask for a domain number you can try 74.143.236.40. This may or not be valid.

You should also go to http://s11.zetaboards.com/CFLNewsChat/forum/27519/ and verify that you can access the Bulletin in PDF format there. At that point send us an email stating the result of that test and that you are not receiving your Bulletin so we can send some Test Bulletins to you using different signal paths and formats to further troubleshoot the problem.

Bulletins are sent on the 1st and 15th of each month and we have not missed publishing on those dates in 12 years. Thus, if you do not receive one there is most likely some type of problem on your end. In the future you can always tell if you missed a Bulletin by going to either http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html or http://s11.zetaboards.com/CFLNewsChat/forum/27519/ on the 2nd & 16th of every month.

a) The site http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html contains a Website Edition which is an abbreviated version of the Bulletin in text format without pictures/graphs/color coding/attachments other than the Legislative Updates/and headers for Military Times copyrighted material. However, it does contain all of the Bulletins sent this calendar year and an alphabetical listing by title of all articles published in the last 5 years which are available for recall upon request.

b) Under Pined topics at http://s11.zetaboards.com/CFLNewsChat/forum/27519/ you can open a PDF attachment that contains everything you would normally receive in the PDF email edition of the Bulletin.

[Source: Lt. James "EMO" Tichacek, USN (Ret), Associate Director RAO Baguio Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Benefit Funding Update 01: If you're following the ongoing debt ceiling/budget negotiations you know multiple plans have been offered by various individuals or groups to cap federal spending or require a balanced budget. Those sound reasonable in concept, but then how can a balanced budget not be a good thing? Well the devil is in the details of how they will impact on you. In many cases, the specifics are vague...either because they have yet to be worked out, or because it's inconvenient to have constituents understand exactly what kind of pain would be involved before there's a vote. In some cases, proposals have been pretty specific. In others, impacts have to be inferred by doing some math.

Consider the proposals submitted to date:

* The "Cut, Cap and Balance" legislation (H.R.2560) plan was passed by the House of Representatives by a vote of 234 to 190 – and then blocked in the Senate this morning by a 51 to 46 vote. Among other things, that legislation envisioned capping federal outlays below 20 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by FY2017. For comparison, federal spending currently represents about 24% of GDP. For FY2014 and subsequent years, H.R.2560 would explicitly exempt military personnel accounts, military (but not federal civilian) retired pay, TRICARE For Life, Medicare, Social Security and veterans' benefits from cuts. But a separate section citing exemptions for FY2012 lists only Social Security, Medicare, veterans' benefits, and net interest. Spending on non-exempt "mandatory spending" programs for FY12 would be capped at $680.7 billion – an apparent 21.7% cut below the $828.6 billion requested in the Administration's FY2012 budget for those programs. While the Senate's blocking vote rendered the issue moot, the potential for large one-time program cuts in FY2012 is still disturbing.

* The Corker-McCaskill budget cap bill (S.245) plan would phase in reductions at a more moderate pace, limiting FY2013 spending to 25% of the FY09-11 average GDP, with further reduction in later years. It would allow no exemptions. That would require a 5% cut in FY 2013 outlays for retired pay, TRICARE For Life, and SBP, for example, with cuts escalating each year – to 19% by FY2021. Giving up COLAs for five years would be a head start to meet those goals, but more would be needed – perhaps rolling back some concurrent receipt payments. A 5% cut in TFL would require something on the order of a $350 per person annual TFL deductible. For SBP, it would require several years of COLA forfeitures, plus maybe rolling back recent payments to SBP-DIC widows or reinstituting some level of benefit reduction upon receipt of Social Security.

* The balanced budget amendment (H.J. Res 1) plan introduced in the House would cap federal outlays at 20% of GDP. The Judiciary Committee subsequently amended it to reduce that to 18%. Neither version would exempt any spending category, allowing the ceilings to be waived only in years when war is formally declared, or Congress passes a joint resolution if the country is engaged in armed conflict that causes "an imminent and serious military threat to national security."

* A plan endorsed by a group of senators calling themselves the "Gang of 6" includes initiatives similar to those proposed by last year's deficit commission. They would dramatically reduce military retirement value for new entrants, require holders of Medicare supplement policies (including TFL) to absorb an extra $3,000 per year ($6,000 per couple), and raise TRICARE fees for retired military families under 65 by up to $2,000 a year or more, and freeze military pay raises, among other things.

* House Speaker Rep. John Boehner’s (R-OH) plan would offer an immediate $1 trillion raise in the debt ceiling tied to legislation that includes still-undefined discretionary spending caps aimed at reducing spending by $1.2 trillion over 10 years. The $1 trillion stopgap increase would carry the U.S. until early 2012 - forcing another vote in an election year. The House bill would then create a bipartisan, bicameral joint committee made up of 12 lawmakers who would be charged with finding $1.6-$1.8 trillion in savings through whatever means they determine by November 23. It also requires the House and Senate to vote on a Balanced Budget Amendment by the measure after October 11, but before the end of the year. It does not require that the measure be passed by the two-thirds majority required for a constitutional amendment.

* Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-NV) plan proposes raising the debt ceiling past the 2012 elections and include a plan for $2.7 trillion in spending cuts.

[Source: MOAA Legislative Update 22 Jul 2011 ++]

Editors Note: As we approach the 11th hour without any long term agreement all the veteran community can be sure of is that whatever happens each of us will be impacted in some way. Whether now or later the budget will have to be balanced and the policy of deficit spending reversed. There is no short term fix and political procrastination is only making the eventual outcome worse. Sen. Tom Coburn's comment on the debt reducing proposals of President Obama's fiscal commission as he laid out his own $9 trillion dollar debt reduction plan was, "Four trillion dollars doesn't solve our problem. Four trillion dollars buys us five years to solve the next five trillion dollars that we're going to have to solve." This only speaks to future cuts. Veterans must face the reality that some of their benefits will eventually be trimmed and that future benefit gains will be extremely difficult to obtain. The only recourse we have is to monitor how our legislators deal with the crisis and note our satisfaction with their response in the next election.

Web Domain Names: In JUN 2011, the organization responsible for the .com, .org, .edu, and other extensions of Web domain names approved a plan to introduce what could amount to hundreds or even thousands of other extensions over the next two years. The plan by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) was prompted primarily by the requests of governments around the world that wanted top-level domains to reflect their language and the particular alphabet it uses, including Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, Arabic, and Cyrillic. The changes, however, will affect everyone who visits Web sites. Along with responding to the wishes of governments, the ending of limitations in domain name extensions provides new options for companies, other organizations, and even well-heeled individuals. Pepsi, as one example, would be able to register the .pepsi extension. New York City would be able to register .nyc. Others would be able to register .music, .sports, or whatever else they think they can monetize or otherwise want. The entry barrier will be high. The initial cost includes the ICANN application fee of $185,000, and there are subsequent annual charges of $25,000. Among the thorny issues being worked on by ICANN is dealing with new domain name extensions that individual governments find objectionable, including pornographic terms and hate speech in other languages that might not be apparent by the party registering it.

    Currently, .coms rule the roost, and this isn't likely to change any time soon. Of the 210 million domain names that had been registered by May 2011, .com names accounted for more than 90 million, according to Verisign, an Internet infrastructure company. In distant second place was .net, at 13 million. In all, 22 generic top-level domain extensions are now in existence. Unrestricted extensions, available to anyone, include .com, .net, .org, and .info. Other top-level domains, with specific requirements, include .edu, .gov, .int, .mil, .biz, .name, and .pro. There are many more country extensions, such as .ca for Canada and .de for Germany. Many companies are expected to register their company's name as an extension for defensive purposes, even without having a clear plan yet about what to do with it. On the other hand, trademark owners will receive the same kind of protection from ICANN that they have now, which prevents others from using their trade name in a website address. Still, the new system is controversial says Janet Satterthwaite, a trademark and domain name attorney at the law firm Venable in Washington, D.C. "The system is certain to create major headaches for companies because of the need for increased monitoring of all the new domains and the real potential for cybersquatting and creation of bogus addresses." Cyber squatters register domain names in hope of forcing a company or individual to buy it from them (at a huge profit), to gain online advertising revenue resulting from Web surfers mistakenly going to a fake site instead of a genuine one, and even as a "phishing" tool to trick surfers into revealing credit card and other personal financial information in order to steal from them. The new system also is controversial for Web users. Because the new domain extensions likely will result in many new website addresses, it likely will be more difficult to remember specific ones. The situation is analogous to having to remember and punch in area codes with local phone numbers, though Web users will be aided by their browser's favorites or bookmark feature as well as by being able to find a Web address fairly easily through a Web search.

[Source MOAA News Exchange Reid Goldsborough article 27 Jul 2011 ++]

POW/MIA Update 01: A coalition of groups representing veterans and the families of missing U.S. service members has accused the Defense Department of undercutting a joint U.S.-Russian program that seeks answers to the fate of Americans who disappeared behind the Iron Curtain. The U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs, established in 1992, has given investigators from the United States access to Russia’s central military archives and opportunities to interview potential eyewitnesses about U.S. service members who may have perished in the former Soviet Union or the territory of its allies during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War. “After nine months of broken promises, we cannot sit quietly and allow senior officials in the Department of Defense to redirect funding, transfer researchers and linguists and jeopardize any possibility of mission success for the U.S.-Russia Joint Commission on POW/MIAs,” the coalition stated in an editorial released this month. The issue was addressed 22 JUL at the National League of POW/MIA Families national meeting in Crystal City, but Defense Department officials attending the conference did not satisfy concerns raised by the veterans groups, according to Ann Mills-Griffiths, executive director of the league. “Other than to say the overall accounting mission will continue to do the most with what it has, their responses did not answer our questions or shed any new light into the direction [the Defense Department] may be taking,” said Joe Davis, spokesman for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, one of the groups that signed the editorial. In a 29 JUN memo shortly before leaving office, Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates directed “a reassessment of what is minimally required” to increase the capacity of the POW/MIA accounting community. “Our concern is very much about the undercutting of the Joint Commission,” Mills-Griffiths said. Air Force Maj. Carie Parker, a spokeswoman for the Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office, said Friday that the Pentagon is working with the National Security Council “to ensure that the department provides the appropriate support to the commission.” No funding to support the commission has been cut “to date,” said Parker, adding that she was unaware of plans to do so. “The mission continues,” she said. Parker noted that funding for the division that supports the commission has increased 14 percent over the last six years. She said that while two research analysts in the division have been transferred to a new World War II section, they are “doing the same exact job.” The veterans’ coalition editorial said that a failure to fully support the commission “will make it nearly impossible for our government to locate information and/or remains to help determine the fates of hundreds, if not thousands, of Americans who may have perished in the former Soviet Union or in the lands of their allies during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and the Cold War.” Other groups signing the editorial include the American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America, Marine Corps League, American Veterans and Jewish War Veterans of the U.S.A. The number of service members or civilians missing and unaccounted for include 78,000 from World War II, 8,000 from Korea, 1,680 from Vietnam, 120 from the Cold War, and one each from Iraq and Afghanistan. [Source: Washington Post Steve Vogel article 24 Jul 2011 ++]

WRAMC Update 15: On the occasion of the closing of Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the Military Order of the Purple Heart saluted the magnificent Doctors, Nurses, Corpsmen, Medics, and professional staff who have selflessly devoted their lives to treating our nation’s wounded servicemen and women, Presidents and privates alike, and active duty and retired military personnel and their families. Opened in 1909, hundreds of thousands of the nation's war wounded from World War I to today, including 18,000 troops who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, have been treated at the hospital. The hospital was named for Major Walter Reed, a U.S. Army surgeon who confirmed the theory that yellow fever was transmitted by a particular species of mosquitoes. Reed's success with stopping the spread of yellow fever made it possible for the building of the Panama Canal where previously the mosquitoes had caused so much death due to the disease. The official ‘casing of the colors’ ceremony for Walter Reed Army Medical Center took place on 27 JUL and movement of the patients will begin in August. According to VADM John M. Mateczun, Commander of D.C. area medical facilities, “This is the largest medical restructuring ever undertaken in the military health care system.” Patients will be moved to either the Bethesda National Naval Medical Center or to Ft. Belvoir into what will become the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and the Fort Belvoir Community Hospital. When the consolidations are over, the new Walter Reed will have 345 beds in all, including 50 intensive care beds and 20 operating rooms. The community hospital at Belvoir will have 120 beds, including 10 each for ICU and surgery. Mateczun noted, “At this time of year we’re generally receiving back about 20 inpatients evacuating from Iraq and Afghanistan a week.” The organization now known as the "Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A. Inc.," (MOPH) was formed in 1932 for the protection and mutual interest of all who have received the decoration. [Source: MOPH News Release 26 Jul 2011 ++]

Jane Fonda: A new controversy over Oscar winner Jane Fonda's Vietnam War activism caused the actress to come out swinging against home shopping TV network QVC on 23 JUL, over what she described as its caving in to "extremist" pressure to cancel her appearance. In a blog posting on Showbusiness website TheWrap.com, Fonda wrote that she was scheduled to appear on QVC to introduce her book "Prime Time" about aging and life cycles.But the network, Fonda wrote, reported receiving a flood of angry calls regarding her anti-war activism of the 1960s and 1970s, and it decided to cancel Fonda's appearance. Four decades ago, the American actress angered Vietnam War supporters who gave her the nickname "Hanoi Jane" for her 1972 visit to the capital of North Vietnam at the height of the conflict. At the time, she posed for photos showing her sitting atop a Viet Cong anti-aircraft gun, and she remains an object of derision by some U.S. veterans and others. Fonda, 73, has in the past expressed regret about those images, and in her post at The Wrap she took aim at QVC and her critics. "I am, to say the least, deeply disappointed that QVC caved to this kind of insane pressure by some well funded and organized political extremist groups," Fonda wrote. QVC acknowledged Fonda's appearance was canceled, but said it was because of a programming change. "It's not unusual to have a schedule change with our shows and guests with little or no notice," QVC spokesman Paul Capelli said in a statement. "I can't speak to Ms. Fonda's comments, other than to confirm that a change in scheduling resulted in her not appearing on 23 JUL" In 2005, Fonda was spat upon at a book signing in Kansas City, Missouri, by a man who said he was angered by her Vietnam War-era actions. "Bottom line, this has gone on far too long, this spreading of lies about me!" Fonda wrote at TheWrap.com. "... I love my country. I have never done anything to hurt my country or the men and women who have fought and continue to fight for us." The daughter of late screen legend Henry Fonda, the actress most recently starred in 2007 film "Georgia Rule."
     She won Oscars for roles in the films "Coming Home" (1978) and "Klute" (1971). QVC is a unit of Liberty Media Corp.
[Source: Reuters article 16 Jul 2011 ++]

Veteran Charities Update 19: Veterans call it disgraceful. Former state Sen. Dan Gelber wants to make it a felony. The problem, men dressed in military fatigues at intersections and grocery stores, soliciting donations for veterans. Real military vets say non-veterans dressed in fatigues are fooling the public into donating money. Senate Bill 1824 - which earned a 10-0 vote in the committee - would make it a felony to misrepresent oneself as a veteran or member of the U.S. Armed forces in order to collect donations from the public. In many of Florida's major cities, paid solicitors asking motorists and shoppers for contributions, are dressed in military combat uniforms and stationed on street corners and at retail stores. "This is a critical first step toward passage, and I thank my colleagues for joining me in standing up for our veterans all across Florida," Gelber said. "The unanimous vote just goes to show that impersonating our veterans for personal enrichment won't be tolerated." The bill next heads to the senate criminal justice committee for a hearing. "Why do they need to wear the uniform? We are furious," Don Rickard, Treasurer of the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 133, told Miami TV Channel 10's reporter Jeff Weinsier. "It galls me. Words can't describe it," said Harry Ahrens with The Veterans of Foreign Wars. "Do you get any money? How much money do you get?" Weinsier asked "Brian," a non-veteran who was wearing fatigues and soliciting on Hillsboro Boulevard and Federal Highway for an organization called Veterans in Need Foundation. "Sir, I have no comment," the man replied.Weinsier asked Josh Riley, the Chief Operating Officer for the foundation, how much money collected actually goes to veterans. "We don't have a figure to give to the public at this time," Riley said. An internet check revealed Veterans In Need Foundation located at 2303 W Mcnab Rd, Pompano Beach, FL 33069 Tel: (954) 941-1919 is a private company categorized under Veterans' and Military Organizations. Current estimates show this company has an annual revenue of $81,000 and employs a staff of approximately 3.
[Source: http://www.local10.com/news/22813479/detail.html article 15 Mar 2010 & VFW Post 2391 Incident report 25 Jul 2011 ++]

WWII Vets Update 04: Navajo code talker Joe Morris, one of more than 400 American Indians who used the language of their ancestors to relay secret battlefield orders during World War II, has died. He was 85. He was one of more than 400 American Indians who used the language of their ancestors to relay secret battlefield orders during World War II, has died 24 JUL after a stroke at the Veterans Administration Loma Linda Healthcare System. Navajo code talkers were young Navajo men who used their language to successfully transmit secret communications in every major engagement in the Pacific theater, including Guadalcanal and Iwo Jima. Morris kept secret what he did during his Marine Corps service until President Ronald Reagan declassified the role of the code talkers in 1982. Morris then began giving presentations to schools and colleges. The Navajo dialect never left the Southwest United States and the language was never written down. The Japanese had no way of learning it, and the complicated nature of the language made it difficult for others to learn. Twenty-nine original code talkers were recruited to train another 400 Navajo to work as communicators. Morris was 17 when he joined the Marines. According to his his daughter Colleen Anderson he was quite modest about his role in the war and didn't consider himself a hero, she said. "He just wasn't that kind of person. He would say that he didn't do it alone. He would always include (the other code talkers) in presentations," Anderson said. He was buried in Riverside National Cemetery.
[Source: Associated Press article 21 Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Toxic Exposure~Mosul: Researchers in Tennessee say they've discovered scarring inside small airways in the lungs of U.S. troops returning from Afghanistan and Iraq, causing a rare condition called constrictive bronchiolitis. The cause of the scarring -- and the number of troops that may have it -- isn't yet clear. But the findings, published 21 JUL in the New England Journal of Medicine, could help veterans prove disabilities stemming from their war service. "These guys had very believable stories," said Dr. Robert Miller of Vanderbilt University Medical Center. "They were elite athletes. ... Now, they can't run 2 miles." Although many were exposed to a 2003 sulfur-mine fire near Mosul, Iraq, not all were, so the cause remains a mystery. In the 2004-09 study, 49 soldiers underwent open-lung biopsies. Of those, 38 were diagnosed with constrictive bronchiolitis. Twenty-eight of those soldiers had been exposed to the sulfur-mine fire. Vanderbilt is shipping slides to National Jewish Hospital in Denver for further study. Meanwhile, Miller urged the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize the disorder in making disability rulings. In May 2008 ScienceDaily reported a large group of soldiers returning from Iraq had been diagnosed with bronchiolitis. In that article Miller said the U.S. Department of Defense believes that the Mosul sulfur fire in 2003 which burned for almost a month was deliberately set and considers it a combat-related event. It was the largest ever man-made release of sulfur dioxide and was 100 times greater than the release from the Mount Saint Helen's volcanic eruption. "Air samples collected by the U.S. Army confirmed that sulfur dioxide levels in the area were at toxic levels." A total of 56 soldiers from Fort Campbell, Kentucky were evaluated for unexplained shortness of breath on exertion. Surgical lung biopsies were performed on 31 of the soldiers referred, with 29 having bronchiolitis. Most of those diagnosed with bronchiolitis had a prolonged exposure to sulfur dioxide from the Mosul sulfur mine fire, however, several had no known specific exposures. All of the soldiers evaluated were physically fit at the time of deployment. On return, none of those diagnosed with bronchiolitis met physical training standards. In almost every case they were declared unfit for duty and were medically boarded with a service connected disability. [Source: Detroit Free Press article 25 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Budget 2012 Update 04: The Senate was able to clear some controversial amendments in mid- JUL and pass the FY 2012 Military Construction/VA Funding bill. The Senate bill is virtually identical to what was passed on 14 JUN by the House. Both provide $69.5 billion for veterans benefit programs and $52.5 billion in advanced appropriations for FY 2013. The two bills have a few differences which will be ironed out by a conference committee before the end of the current fiscal year (30 SEP).

More information is available on the Senate Appropriations Committee website at http://appropriations.senate.gov/news.cfm?method=news.view&id=952f6b79-1409-45a6-9923-7c5bc0ba88d3

To see how your senators voted, go to http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=112&session=1&vote=00115

[Source: VFW Washington Weekly 22 Jul 2011 ++]

Reserve/Guard Tricare Update 01: TRICARE’s commitment to providing quality medical care to beneficiaries affiliated with the uniformed services includes National Guard and Reserve members and retirees. Several health care options are available to reservists and their families. But their eligibility for certain plans is determined by the sponsor’s status.
* Activated. While activated under federal orders for more than 30 consecutive days, National Guard and Reserve members are eligible for the same health care benefits as other active duty service members. These benefits include TRICARE Prime, Prime Remote, TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) Prime and TOP Prime Remote. Enrollment is required for TRICARE Prime options. The families of activated National Guard and Reserve members are covered under the same health plans as other active duty family members. Families can learn more about the available plans by clicking the “Quick Links” tab located on the home page at www.tricare.mil.
* Deactivated or less than 30 days. National Guard and Reserve members who are deactivated or serving on active duty for 30 days or less are covered for any injury, illness or disease sustained in the line of duty, including conditions incurred or aggravated while traveling directly to and from their place of duty. In order to receive coverage for such injuries, guard and reserve members must obtain a Line of Duty Determination/Notice of Eligibility (LOD/NOE) from their respective service component. Line of duty coverage is separate from customary TRICARE health plans and does not apply to family members.
* TAMP. The duty status of reservists can change quite often. The Transitional Assistance Management Program (TAMP) provides temporary health care coverage to National Guard and Reserve members and their families. TAMP covers uniformed service members and their eligible family members for 180 days beginning the day after the sponsor separates from active duty, giving beneficiaries some time to make arrangements regarding their ongoing health insurance. To become eligible, National Guard and Reserve members must have separated from an active duty stint that was more than 30 consecutive days and conducted in support of a named contingency operation. While sponsors and family members covered by TAMP are assigned TRICARE Standard and Extra or TOP Standard options, they may enroll in TRICARE Prime or TOP Prime where available.
* CHCBP. Reservists who are deactivated under other than adverse conditions and do not qualify for TAMP or TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) may be able to purchase premium-based health coverage under the Continued Health Care Benefit Program (CHCBP), which provides temporary coverage starting the day after TAMP and other military health care benefits expire. If eligible, Reserve component (RC) members can purchase CHCBP within 60 days of losing their regular TRICARE or TAMP benefits. Coverage is limited to 18 months for former active duty service members who are deactivated under other than adverse conditions and their eligible family members. CHCBP coverage is limited to 36 months for eligible unremarried former spouses, children who no longer qualify for TRICARE benefits as an eligible family member and certain unmarried children by adoption or legal custody. RC members must verify their eligibility for transitional health care benefits by contacting their nearest military personnel office or Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) identification (ID) card-issuing facility.
To find the nearest ID card office, visit the Rapids Site Locator website at http://www.dmdc.mil/rsl/owa
* TRS. Inactive Selected Reserve members of the Ready Reserve who are not eligible for the Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) program may qualify to purchase the TRS health plan for themselves and their families. Retired reserve members who are under the age of 60 and not eligible for the FEHB program may be eligible to purchase the TRICARE Retired Reserve (TRR) plan. As always, beneficiaries must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) in order to remain eligible for TRICARE programs.
Visit http://www.tricare.mil/deers for more information about updating your DEERS records.
Additional information about TRICARE eligibility can be found at http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/home

[Source: Tricare News Release 21 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Presumptive VN Vet Diseases Update 18: Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) submitted Amendment #564 to MilCon/VA Spending Bill (H.R.2055) to change the manner in which presumptive disabilities related to exposure to Agent Orange would be determined. If approved it would have significantly restrict benefits to Vietnam veterans. Currently Vietnam veterans are presumed to be exposed to Agent Orange if they have certain conditions or diseases after the VA determines that a positive association exists between the exposure and the occurrence of the disease. Congress chose this mechanism because it is nearly impossible for Vietnam veterans to prove that exposure to Agent Orange caused their disease. The senator wanted to require veterans to prove a positive connection between Agent Orange exposure and one or more of the 15 presumptive illnesses that the VA now recognizes. Requiring a "causal relationship" would essentially have meant that VA benefits for Agent Orange exposure would have been out of reach for many Vietnam veterans that were exposed to the Agent Orange herbicide. Now that the VA Secretary has determined he had the scientific evidence required to recognize the disabilities, Coburn wanted a change in presumptive rules presumable as a cost saving measure to balance the budget. Fortunately, On 20 JUL the Senate voted on Coburn’s amendment and defeated it by a vote of 69-30. The 30 Senators who voted for the amendment were: Alexander (R-TN) | Barrasso (R-WY) | Blunt (R-MO) | Chambliss (R-GA) | Coats (R-IN) | Coburn (R-OK) | Cochran (R-MS) | Corker (R-TN) | Cornyn (R-TX) | Crapo (R-ID) | DeMint (R-SC) | Enzi (R-WY) | Graham (R-SC) | Hatch (R-UT) | Hutchison (R-TX) | Johnson (R-WI) | Kirk (R-IL) | Kyl (R-AZ) | Lee (R-UT) | Lugar (R-IN) | McCain (R-AZ) | McConnell (R-KY) | Paul (R-KY) | Portman (R-OH) | Risch (R-ID) | Sessions (R-AL) | Shelby (R-AL) | Toomey (R-PA) | Vitter (R-LA) | Wicker (R-MS). Veterans who would have been impacted by this amendment are encouraged to take time to thank those Senators who voted in favor of veterans, as well as to let those who voted for the amendment know their disappointment that they would try to balance the budget on the backs of disabled veterans.

[Source: VFW & FRA Action Alerts 20 Jul 2011 ++]

Mobilized Reserve 26 JUL 2011: The Department of Defense announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 26 JUL 2011. The net collective result is 1,831 fewer reservists mobilized than last reported in the 15 JUL 2011 RAO Bulletin. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 71,378; Navy Reserve 4,618; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 9.808; Marine Corps Reserve, 6,052; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 746. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 92,602 including both units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defense.gov/news/d20110726ngr.pdf [Source: DoD News Release No. 657-11 dtd 28 Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Cemetery Alabama Update 03: The last of the more than 60,000 Confederate veterans who came home to Alabama after the Civil War died generations ago, yet residents are still paying a tax that supported the neediest among them. Despite fire-and-brimstone opposition to taxes among many in a state that still has "Heart of Dixie" on its license plates, officials never stopped collecting a property tax that once funded the Alabama Confederate Soldiers' Home, which closed 72 years ago. The tax now pays for Confederate Memorial Park, which sits on the same 102-acre tract where elderly veterans used to stroll. The tax once brought in millions for Confederate pensions, but lawmakers sliced up the levy and sent money elsewhere as the men and their wives died. No one has seriously challenged the continued use of the money for a memorial to the "Lost Cause," in part because few realize it exists; one long-serving black legislator who thought the tax had been done away with said he wants to eliminate state funding for the park. These days, 150 years after the Civil War started, officials say the old tax typically brings in more than $400,000 annually for the park, where Confederate flags flapped on a recent steamy afternoon. That's not much compared to Alabama's total operating budget of $1.8 billion, but it's sufficient to give the park plenty of money to operate and even enough for investments, all at a time when other historic sites are struggling just to keep the grass cut for lack of state funding. "It's a beautifully maintained park. It's one of the best because of the funding source," said Clara Nobles of the Alabama Historical Commission, which oversees Confederate Memorial Park. Longtime park director Bill Rambo is more succinct. "Everyone is jealous of us," he said. Tax experts say they know of no other state that still collects a tax so directly connected to the Civil War, although some federal excise taxes on tobacco and alcohol first were enacted during the war to help fund the Union. "Broadly speaking, almost all taxes have their start in a war of some sort," said Joseph J. Thorndike, director of a tax history project at Tax Analysts, a nonprofit organization that studies taxation. Alabama's tax structure was enshrined in its 1901 Constitution, passed after Reconstruction at a time when historians say state legislators' main goal was to keep power in the hands of wealthy white landowners by disenfranchising blacks and poor whites. The Constitution allowed a state property tax of up to 6.5 mills, which now amounts to $39 annually on a home worth $100,000. Of that tax, 3 mills went to schools; 2.5 mills went to the operating budget; and 1 mill went to pensions for Confederate veterans and widows. The state used the pension tax to fund the veterans home once it assumed control of the operation in 1903. The last Confederate veteran living at the home died in 1934, and its hospital was converted into apartments for widows. It closed in 1939, and the five women who lived there were moved to Montgomery. Legislators whittled away at the Confederate tax through the decades, and millions of dollars that once went to the home and pensions now go to fund veteran services, the state welfare agency and other needs. But the park still gets 1 percent of one mill, and its budget for this year came to $542,469, which includes money carried over from previous years plus certificates of deposit. All that money has created a manicured, modern park that's the envy of other Alabama historic sites, which are funded primarily by grants, donations and friends groups. Legislators created the park in 1964 during a period that marked both the 100th anniversary of the Civil War and the height of the civil rights movement in the Deep South.Nothing is left of the veterans home but a few foundations and two cemeteries with 313 graves, but a museum with Civil War artifacts and modern displays opened at the park in 2007. Rebel flags fly all around the historic site, which Rambo said draws more than 10,000 visitors annually despite being hidden in the country nine miles and three turns off Interstate 65 in the central part of the state. While the park flourishes quietly, other historic attractions around the state are fighting for survival. The old Confederate pension tax that funds the park has never been seriously threatened, Rambo said. Backers were upset this year when Gov. Robert Bentley's budget plan eliminated state funding for historic sites because of tight revenues, he said, but the park's earmarked funding survived. "Once I informed the public what was going on the support just rose up," said Rambo, the director since 1989. Two heritage groups, the Sons of Confederate Veterans and United Daughters of the Confederacy, led the charge, but ordinary citizens complained too, he said."Some were people who don't belong to those organizations who really like the park and come out here for picnics and all and were really upset," he said. State Rep. Alvin Holmes, a black Democrat who's been in the Legislature since 1974, said he thought funding for the park had been slashed. "We should not be spending one nickel for that," said Holmes, of Montgomery. "I'm going to try to get rid of it." Holmes may have a hard time gaining support with Republicans in control of Legislature and the governor's office. In the meantime, a contractor recently measured the museum for a new paint job, and plans calls for using invested money to construct replicas of some of the 22 buildings that stood on the site when it was home to hundreds of Confederate veterans and their wives. Confederate Memorial Park is located in Chilton County east of Interstate-65 off Highway 31, 11 miles below Clanton. It is 9 miles south of Exit 205 and 13 miles north of Exit 186. The site is open daily from 6 a.m. until dark. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $5 per adult, $4 for college students, seniors, and military veterans, $3 per child (6-18), and $12 per family of 4 or more.

For additional info refer to http://www.preserveala.org/confederatepark.aspx

[Source: Associated Press Jay Reeves article 20 Jul 2011 ++] A Confederate flag graces a soldiers grave stone in Cemetery.

Veterans' Court Update 10: Actor Martin Sheen, who portrayed a president on television and is the father of admitted drug user Charlie Sheen, testified before a Senate subcommittee on 19 JUL to ask Congress for continued support of drug courts, an alternative criminal justice program. A drug court is a special docket that addresses the cases of nonviolent drug offenders. Members participate in substance abuse treatment programs – usually for at least one year – and are subject to random drug testing. There are currently more than 2,500 drug courts across the country, treating more than 120,000 Americans. Drug court advocates contend that the courts help reduce recidivism (i.e. the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been treated or trained to extinguish that behavior), reducing the number of people in prison ,and returning law-abiding, tax-paying citizens to society. Drug court participants reported 25% less criminal activity and had 16% fewer arrests than comparable offenders not enrolled in drug courts, according to a Justice Department study. "It's a deeply personal [issue],” Sheen told reporters after the congressional hearing, adding that "it's no secret I've been through a 12-step program.” Sheen quickly reminded lawmakers that he's no expert on the subject. "Celebrity, to a greater or lesser degree, is often confused for credibility. For instance, I am not a former president of the United States,” Sheen said in his opening remarks, a reference to his role as President Jed Bartlet on the Emmy award-winning television show "The West Wing." Sheen is also well-known for his critically acclaimed role in "Apocalypse Now," a 1979 film about the war in Vietnam. Despite his amateur political status, Sheen noted that he helped create a drug court in Berkeley in 1996. Graduates from that drug court helped establish sober-living houses in the area. Since then, he's been an advocate for drug courts because "it is an extension of my work with the peace and social justice community,” he said. Earlier, Sheen joined fellow actor Matthew Perry and more than a dozen members of Congress to address hundreds of people in a rally in support of drug courts. The advocates, holding up signs that said "Drug Courts $ave Lives,” pressed lawmakers to commit a minimum of $88.7 million in the 2012 budget toward drug courts, noting that the courts offer a significant return on investment. Every dollar spent on drug courts yields an average of $2 in savings for the criminal justice system. Beyond the dollars and cents, drug courts have helped reclaim the lives of many who had succumbed to drug addiction. "You have no idea how … far that money really does go,” one drug court graduate said at the rally. Others charge that with a soaring national debt, drug courts should be funded by states. "With out-of-control spending and surging public debt threatening our nation's stability, increased federal funding of state and local courts should not be a priority,” David Muhlhausen, research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said before the subcommittee. The hearing was called by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI who chairs the Judiciary Committee's crime and terrorism subcommittee.

[Source: Los Angeles Times Andrew Seidman article 19 Jul 201 ++]
Martin Sheen testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee during a July 19 hearing on Capitol Hill.

PTSD Update 73: For years now, some veterans groups and marijuana advocates have argued that the therapeutic benefits of the drug can help soothe the psychological wounds of battle. But with only anecdotal evidence as support, their claims have yet to gain widespread acceptance in medical circles. “There is a widely accepted need for a new treatment of PTSD,” said Rick Doblin, who wants to do research on marijuana. Now, however, researchers are seeking federal approval for what is believed to be the first study to examine the effects of marijuana on veterans with chronic post-traumatic stress disorder. The proposal, from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies in Santa Cruz, Calif., and a researcher at the University of Arizona College of Medicine, would look at the potential benefits of cannabis by examining 50 combat veterans who suffer from the condition and have not responded to other treatment. “With so many veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, there is a widely accepted need for a new treatment of PTSD,” said Rick Doblin, founder and executive director of the psychedelic studies group. “These are people whom we put in harm’s way, and we have a moral obligation to help them.” In April, the Food and Drug Administration said it was satisfied that safety concerns over the study had been addressed by Mr. Doblin and Dr. Sue Sisley, an assistant professor of psychiatry and internal medicine at Arizona, according to a letter from the drug administration provided by Mr. Doblin. But the letter also noted that the project could not go forward until the researchers identified where they would get their marijuana. And that cannot happen, Mr. Doblin said, until the project is approved by a scientific review panel from the Department of Health and Human Services, which includes representatives from an assortment of federal health agencies. If the proposal is approved, Mr. Doblin said, the researchers will use marijuana grown by the University of Mississippi under a contract with the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is the only marijuana permitted to be used in federally approved studies. A Health and Human Services spokeswoman said the proposal was still under review. “The production and distribution of marijuana for clinical research is carefully restricted under a number of federal laws and international commitments,” the spokeswoman, Tara Broido, said in an e-mail. “Study proposals are reviewed for scientific quality and the likelihood that they will yield data on meaningful benefits.” An institutional review board must also approve the study, as well as the Drug Enforcement Administration, Mr. Doblin said. Getting final approval from the federal government could prove difficult, Mr. Doblin and Dr. Sisley conceded. They said it was far more challenging to get authorization for a study that examines the benefits of an illegal drug than its risks. “We really believe science should supersede politics,” Dr. Sisley said. “This illness needs to be treated in a multidisciplinary way. Drugs like Zoloft and Paxil have proven entirely inadequate. And there’s anecdotal evidence from vets that cannabis can provide systematic relief.” Medical marijuana is legal in 16 states and the District of Columbia. But only New Mexico and Delaware specifically list post-traumatic stress disorder as a qualifying condition for treatment, according to the Marijuana Policy Project, a Washington-based group that supports legal regulation of the drug. Currently, nearly a third of the 4,982 patients approved for medical marijuana in New Mexico suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder, more than any other condition, according to the state’s health department. It is unclear how many are veterans. One recent Army veteran from Texas who fought in Iraq for 18 months beginning in 2006, said he used marijuana three times a day in lieu of the painkillers and antidepressants he was prescribed after returning home. He asked that his name not be used because Texas does not allow medical marijuana. The veteran, who said he had been shot in the leg and suffered numerous head injuries from explosions while deployed as a Humvee gunner, said marijuana helped quiet his physical and psychological pain, while not causing the weight loss and sleep deprivation brought on by his prescription medications. “I have seen it with my own eyes,” he said. “It works for a lot of the guys coming home.” If the study is approved, veterans who participate would be observed on an outpatient basis over three months, Mr. Doblin said. During two four-week increments, they would be given up to 1.8 grams of marijuana a day to treat anxiety, depression, nightmares and other symptoms brought on by PTSD. Researchers would also observe the veterans for periods when they are not permitted to use marijuana. In addition to a placebo, researchers plan to use four marijuana strains in the study, each containing different levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a primary component of the drug. One of the strains will also contain cannabidiol (CBD), another ingredient thought to have an anti-anxiety effect. Mr. Doblin said the veterans would be allowed to use the marijuana at their own discretion. Half will be instructed to smoke the drug, while the other half will inhale it through a vaporizer. [Source: New York Times Dan Frosch article 18 Jul 2011 ++]

PTSD Update 74 **: More than a thousand Iraq and Afghanistan veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder would be given lifetime disability retirement benefits such as military health insurance under the terms of a settlement reached between the government and the veterans... Military times copyrighted material. Refer to http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/07/ap-ptsd-vets-government-settle-lawsuit-072911/ to read entire article. If unable to access request copy from raoemo@sbcglobal.net [Source: NavyTimes Kimberly Hefling article 29 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Service Dogs Update 04 **: Proposed legislation requiring the Veterans Affairs Department to train and provide service dogs for former troops is drawing mixed reviews from influential veterans’ groups. A bill introduced by Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) calls for VA to launch a five-year pilot program to study the value of having former service members diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues train service dogs as part of their therapy. The dogs could then stay with their handlers or be provided to other veterans who need them. Grimm said he drafted the legislation, H.R.198, to help veterans and study the effectiveness of such animals in a “controlled environment with proper oversight.” But VA and several veterans groups oppose Grimm’s bill... Military times copyrighted material.
Refer to http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/07/military-vets-groups-split-on-therapy-dogs-bill-72611w/ to read entire article.
If unable to access request copy from raoemo@sbcglobal.net [Source: ArmyTimes Patricia N. Kime article 26 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Claim Filing **: A seemingly simple idea...to have the Veterans Affairs Department send out emails to speed up notifications to veterans that their disability claims have been received...has drawn complaints from major veterans groups that say the idea would be more expedient but not necessarily fair... Military times copyrighted material.
Refer to http://www.navytimes.com/news/2011/07/military-email-veterans-claims-072011w/ to read entire article.
If unable to access request copy from raoemo@sbcglobal.net [Source: ArmyTimes Rick Maze article 18 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Claim Shredding Update 05 **: The VA has ended special handling rules for claims related to a 2008 disclosure that supporting information filed by some veterans may have been shredded ... Military times copyrighted material.
Refer to http://www.armytimes.com/news/2011/07/military-va-claims-shredded-rules-071811w/ to read entire article.
If unable to access request copy from raoemo@sbcglobal.net [Source: ArmyTimes Rick Maze article 18 Jul 2011 ++]

Military Retirement System Update 05 **: A sweeping new plan to overhaul the Pentagon’s retirement system would give some benefits to all troops and phase out the 20-year cliff vesting system that has defined military careers for generations. In a massive change that could affect today’s troops, the plan calls for a corporate-style benefits program that would contribute money to troops’ retirement savings account rather than the promise of a future monthly pension, according to a new proposal from an influential Pentagon advisory board... Military times copyrighted material. Refer to http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/2011/07/military-dod-panel-calls-for-radical-retirement-overhaul-072511/ to read entire article.
If unable to access request copy from raoemo@sbcglobal.net [Source: AirForceTimes Andrew Tilghman article 25 Jul 2011 ++]

Military Retirement System Update 05 **: (Note: Military Times Copyrighted material - Not authorized for reproduction on any public domain website or website accessed newsletter. Forwarding via email in personal communications is authorized.) -- A sweeping new plan to overhaul the Pentagon’s retirement system would give some benefits to all troops and phase out the 20-year cliff vesting system that has defined military careers for generations. In a massive change that could affect today’s troops, the plan calls for a corporate-style benefits program that would contribute money to troops’ retirement savings account rather than the promise of a future monthly pension, according to a new proposal from an influential Pentagon advisory board. All troops would receive the yearly retirement contributions, regardless of whether they stay for 20 years. Those contributions might amount to about 16.5 percent of a member’s annual pay and would be deposited into a mandatory version of the Thrift Savings Plan, the military’s existing 401(k)-style account that now does not include government matching contributions. A critical new feature would adjust those contributions to give more money to troops who deploy frequently, accept hardship assignments or serve in high-demand jobs. It would also give the services a new lever to incentivize some troops to leave or stay on active duty longer. The new proposal was unveiled 21 JUL by the Defense Business Board, the wellspring for many cost-saving initiatives adopted by the Defense Department in recent years. The new retirement plan would mark the biggest change in military retirement in more than 60 years and require approval from Congress. “The current system is unfair, unaffordable and inflexible,” said Richard Spencer, a former finance executive and Marine Corps pilot who led the board’s eight-month retirement study. This alternative plan would “enhance the ability of the service member to build a meaningful retirement asset [with] complete flexibility for their lifestyle or desires,” Spencer said. It’s unclear whether troops would have immediate access to all the retirement money or whether it would be partially or completely withheld until a traditional retirement age, such as 65. Under the current TSP, troops cannot withdraw money until age 59½ without incurring a significant penalty, except in certain specified circumstances. Fairness is a key factor, Spencer said. Along with saving the Pentagon money, the new plan offer significant retirement benefits to the roughly 83 percent of troops who leave service before reaching 20 years.

     Unlike other proposals to overhaul military retirement that would grandfather current troops, the board suggests that DoD could make an “immediate” transition to the new system, which would affect current troops quite differently depending on their years of service:

* Recruits. The newest troops out of boot camp after the proposed change would have no direct incentive to stay for 20 years and would not get a fixed-benefit pension. Instead, they would receive annual contributions to a Thrift Savings Plan account and could leave service with that money at any time — although under current rules, they can’t withdraw the money until age 59½ without paying a penalty, except in certain specified circumstances.

* Five years of service. Troops would immediately begin accruing new benefits in a TSP account. If they remained in service until the “old vesting date” — the 20-year mark — they also would get one-fourth of the “old plan benefit,” or about 12 percent of their pay at retirement, as an annuity. If they separated, for example, after 10 years, they would walk away with no fixed-pension benefit but would have a TSP account with five years of contributions.

* 10 years of service. Troops would immediately begin accruing new benefits in a TSP account. If they remained in service for 10 more years, they would receive half of the “old plan benefit,” about 25 percent of their pay at retirement, as an annuity. If they separated after 15 years, they would walk away with no fixed-pension benefit but would have a TSP account with five years of contributions.

* 15 years of service. Troops would immediately begin accruing new benefits in a TSP account. If they remained in service for five more years, they would receive three-fourths of the “old plan benefit,” about 37.5 percent of their pay at retirement, as an annuity.

* 20 years and beyond. Troops who stayed in past 20 years would continue to receive annual TSP contributions. The far-reaching proposal comes at a time of immense pressure on the military to cut spending and help reduce the national debt.

     President Obama has talked about cutting $400 billion over the next 12 years, while some proposals gaining support on Capitol Hill would call for cutting more than $800 billion over the same period. Military retirement costs have soared in recent years because of rising life expectancy. If not contained, they will eventually “undermine future war-fighting capabilities,” Spencer said. A new system may allow the military to make rapid changes in the size and structure of the force. For example, troops with 15 years of experience are likely targets for downsizing, and this plan would provide them with a significant retirement benefit, Spencer said. The proposed change would have no affect on current retirees or disabled veterans. Most private-sector companies contribute 4 percent to 12 percent of base pay into an employee’s retirement savings account. By comparison, the current military retirement benefit, for those who ultimately get it, amounts to a 75 percent contribution each year, the board said. The board considered keeping the current system with some major changes, but concluded that those changes would not save enough money or fix the fairness and flexibility issues. Those changes included withholding pension payments until a traditional retirement age; reducing pensions to 40 percent of regular pay rather than the current 50 percent; or calculating retirement pay based on the average pay over a member’s last five years in uniform, rather than the three years under the current system. Those changes would save about $254 billion over 20 years, the board said.

[Source: AirForceTimes Andrew Tilghman article 25 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Wrong Surgery Study: Procedures and surgeries on the wrong patient and wrong body part have declined substantially at Veterans Affairs hospitals nationwide, while reports of close calls have increased, according to a study that credits ongoing quality improvement efforts. These efforts include a VA requirement for doctors, nurses and other hospital workers to report medical errors and near-misses to their bosses. The study is based on reports from mid-2006 to 2009; they were compared with data from the previous five years. The per-month rate of reported errors declined to about two from about three at the VA's 153 centers that do surgery or other major medical procedures. Reported monthly close calls increased to about three from almost two. Skeptics might wonder if a decline in reported errors means hospital workers are clamming up, but co-author Julia Neily, a nurse and associate director with the VA's National Center for Patient Safety, said, "Care is becoming safer." She said the increase in close-call reports suggests doctors, nurses and their co-workers are becoming more willing to speak up when something goes wrong or looks like it's about to. The VA's quality improvement efforts encourage that kind of openness. Veterans facilities also are among hospitals that have adopted pilot-style checklists, where a member of the operating team reads off things like the patient's name, the type of procedure, anesthesia and tools needed. Body parts to be operated on are marked, and team members are supposed to speak up if something doesn't sound right. Patients, too, are sometimes involved before being wheeled into the operating room. The study was published online 18 JUL in the Archives of Surgery. During the 42 months studied, there were 101 medical errors and 136 close calls, out of more than half a million procedures. The researchers and patient safety experts not involved in the study said the results show a promising trend, including a decline in the severity of medical errors at VA hospitals. Still, there were troubling signs -- 30 procedures or surgeries on the wrong patient and 48 on the wrong body part or wrong side of the body. Most "wrong patient" events involved CT scans, MRIs and other radiology procedures. "Wrong" surgeries included implanting the wrong size eye lens and the wrong type of knee joint. Why these major errors continued to happen despite a big focus on improving safety "is THE question," Neily acknowledged. Sometimes patients have the same or similar names, she said. Sometimes patients speak different languages or otherwise have difficulty communicating with their doctors, said Dr. Allan Frankel of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, who stressed that non-VA hospitals are also struggling to get those numbers down to zero after adopting similar systems. Dr. David Mayer, co-director of the Institute for Patient Safety Excellence at the University of Illinois at Chicago, said sometimes surgeons and other OR team members are distracted during "time-outs" and checklist-reading before surgeries, thinking ahead to the operation. At UIC's medical center, surgeons are encouraged to have these sessions outside the operating room, in a quiet setting around patients' beds, to make it easier to focus, Mayer said. Some VA hospitals also use that approach, Neily said. The study lacked data on deaths related to surgery mistakes during the study, although the authors said there were no deaths in 2009, the most recent year examined. A 2006-08 study published last year reported an 18 percent decline in deaths at 74 Veterans hospitals that had adopted the surgery checklist approach. [Source: AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner article 18 Jul 2011 +]

Traumatic Brain Injury Update 18: Patients diagnosed with traumatic brain injury (TBI) had over twice the risk of developing dementia within seven years after diagnosis compared to those without TBI, in a study of more than 280,000 older veterans conducted by researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). “This finding is important because TBI is so common,” said senior investigator Kristine Yaffe, MD, chief of geriatric psychiatry at SFVAMC and professor of psychiatry, neurology and epidemiology at UCSF. She noted that about 1.7 million Americans are diagnosed with TBI each year. In addition, she said, TBI is often referred to as the “signature wound” of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it accounts for 22 percent of casualties overall and affects up to 59 percent of troops exposed to blasts. The study authors analyzed the medical records of 281,540 veterans age 55 or older who received care through the VA from 1997 to 2000 and did not have a prior history of dementia. They found that 15 percent of veterans who received a diagnosis of TBI developed dementia by 2007, compared with 7 percent of those not diagnosed with TBI. Even after controlling for factors such as age, medical history and cardiovascular health, the authors found that a TBI diagnosis still doubled the risk of dementia.The findings were presented at the 2011 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease in Paris, France. Lead author Deborah Barnes, PhD, a mental health researcher at SFVAMC, said that the study is one of the first to examine the association between dementia and different types of TBI diagnosis, including intra-cranial injuries, concussion, post-concussion syndrome and skull fracture. “It didn’t matter what type of diagnosis it was – they were all associated with an elevated risk of dementia,” said Barnes, also an associate professor of psychiatry at UCSF. The authors speculated that among potential causes for the increased risk, the most plausible is that TBI is associated with diffuse axonal injury, or swelling of the axons that form connections between neurons in the brain. This swelling, explained Yaffe, is accompanied by the accumulation of proteins, including beta-amyloid, which is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. “The loss of axons and neurons could result in earlier manifestation of Alzheimer’s symptoms,” said Yaffe. Barnes said that for veterans, the findings have different implications depending on the age of the veteran. “Older veterans who have had some kind of head injury should be monitored over time, so that if signs of dementia develop, treatment can begin as soon as possible,” she said. “For younger veterans, early treatment and rehabilitation following TBI may help prevent the development of dementia over the long term.” The research was supported by funds from the Department of Defense that were administered by the Northern California Institute for Research and Education.

[Source: UCSF News Center Steve Tokar article 19 Jul 2011 ++]

Traumatic Brain Injury Update 19: Dr Bruce Capehart, medical director of the OEF/OIF program at the Veterans Affairs hospital in Durham, North Carolina, and Dr. Dale Bass, associate research professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering, addressed the "epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of mild TBI among combat veterans, with a particular focus on blast injury and the presence of comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)." The authors conclude, "Making an accurate TBI diagnosis in a combat veteran includes obtaining a history of past head injuries, including those injuries not considered significant by the veteran; performing a careful clinical assessment of psychiatric symptoms; possibly referring for neuropsychological testing; and providing symptom-focused treatment. Appropriate treatment can result in significant clinical benefit for the veteran. A recent Army program will assist providing info on exposure to blasts resulting in TBI. The Army will outfit a brigade of soldiers in Afghanistan in the next few weeks with gauges worn on their bodies that can alert medics to an explosion's severity -- proof of possible brain injury. It is the beginning of an effort over the next several months to wire up soldiers and vehicles with sensors, black boxes and digital cameras. The data may shed light on how blast exposures damage the brain, even when a soldier appears only dazed, researchers say. An estimated 300,000 troops have suffered mild brain injuries, mostly from explosions, in Iraq and Afghanistan. "(This) is the beginning of a process…that's going to lead us to collecting the data researchers need to untie this Gordian knot," says Gen. Peter Chiarelli, the Army vice chief of staff. Sensors will measure blast effects from buried bombs known as improvised explosive devices that have killed nearly 3,000 troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and wounded about 30,000. The newest sensor, developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for nearly $1 million, is the size of the timepiece on a wristwatch and weighs less than an ounce. Soldiers will wear three -- on the breast and shoulder of their body armor, and on a helmet strap against the back of their necks. "It's an environmental sensor … like a dive watch," says Col. Geoffrey Ling, a DARPA scientist. In addition to recording blast force and over-pressure, data that can be downloaded via a USB port, the device gives an immediate read of bomb severity, says Jeffrey Rogers, a DARPA physicist and one of the inventors. After an explosion goes off near a soldier, a medic inserts a stylus or pen tip into a recessed hole on the device. A light flashes green, yellow or red, indicating whether the blast was strong enough to warrant further medical attention. "We're really worried about the guy who's not complaining," Ling says. A second blast sensor developed by the Army -- worn inside the crown of the helmet and measuring how the head is whipped about in a blast -- will be used by six brigades by December. That device cost more than $50 million to develop and produce, says Lt. Col. Jon Rickey, program manager. By early next year, the Army also hopes to have 50 to 100 bomb-resistant vehicles in Afghanistan outfitted with sensors in the hull and seats connected to a "black box," says Gary Frost, of the Army's Rapid Equipping Force.

[Source: Psychiatric Times &USA Today articles 13 & 18 Jul 2011 ]

Medicad Eligible Vets: A growing number of states are shifting health care costs to the federal government by finding military veterans who receive Medicaid and signing them up for medical benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Arizona, California and Texas are among the states that are working to replicate a program first launched in Washington State. That program, begun in 2003, has moved some 9,500 veterans from the state’s Medicaid rolls to the VA’s. Washington State has avoided paying $27 million in health care bills this way — enough to make a small dent in a strained state budget. And veterans generally find that the benefits offered through the VA are more generous that what they were getting through the state. “The fact that it saves Medicaid dollars is an added benefit,” says Bill Allman, who created the Washington State program and is its biggest advocate nationally. “That would appear to make it a no-brainer for each and every state.” Of course, Allman’s program doesn’t result in less spending on health care — what saves money for the state costs money for the feds. But at a time when federal stimulus dollars have dried up, it represents a clever way to get the federal government to pick up one of the states’ bills. Allman came up with the idea for the program while working with a database intended to catch welfare fraud. Allman works in the Washington State Health Care Authority. He also served in Vietnam. He discovered that the federal database known as the “Public Assistance Reporting Information System,” or PARIS, could also tell him which Medicaid clients were veterans. With that information, Allman’s office could work with the state VA to determine which benefits those veterans were eligible for but not receiving and encourage them to sign up. Generally, anyone who has served in the military for 24 continuous months or the full period for which they were called to active duty, and meets other criteria set by Congress, is eligible for VA health benefits. Of the 22.6 million veterans nationwide, only 8.3 million received health care in VA facilities in 2010, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Many do not know they are eligible. Some 40 percent of current veterans are over the age of 65. Under Allman’s program, the state spends less money and the veteran gets equal or more generous coverage. That’s particularly true when it comes to long-term care. If a veteran dies while receiving long-term care services from Medicaid, the state can claim assets such as a family home to repay taxpayers for the cost of their care. Veterans’ benefits don’t have that string attached because the veterans earned the benefits through their military service. “Medicaid is a payer of last resort,” Allman says. “Speaking as a Vietnam veteran, I would much rather collect benefits that I earned than to request state aid.” It costs states money to set up and manage a program like Washington’s. But Allman figures that for every $1 spent on the program, the state gets back $8 in health bills paid by the federal government. The experience was much the same in Montana, which copied the program in 2008 and shifted $900,000 in costs off its books in the first year. Maryland expects to save $750,000 in the first year of its program. And in California, which will go statewide with a pilot program it had initiated in several counties, the Legislative Analyst’s Office ran its own numbers and estimated that the state could save $250 million by shifting 144,000 veterans from Medicaid to VA health care. The federal government doesn’t track how many states have implemented the veterans program or estimate how much extra it costs the VA as a result. For the states, says Tom Miller, a PARIS Project Officer with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “The benefits outweigh the cost of administering a program like the state of Washington’s.” Not all states have come around to using PARIS this way. For example, New York has been aggressive about using the database to crack down on benefits fraud; it saved $62 million in 2009 after PARIS showed that more than 10,000 Medicaid, welfare and food stamp recipients had moved out of state. New York, however, currently does not use PARIS to link veterans with federal government benefits. “All we can say at this point is that New York is looking into this program,” says Peter Constantakes, a spokesman for the New York State Department of Health. Allman says that as more troops return from Iraq and Afghanistan and retire from the military, the Washington program is just one way to help ensure veterans get the benefits they are owed for their service. “It is the most rewarding program that I’ve ever been involved with in my 27-year state government career,” he says.

[Source: Stateline | State Policy and Politics Pamela M. Prah article 18 Jul 2011 ++]

CA Vet Driver Licenses: A new program initiated by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) will help connect veterans in California with the services and benefits they have earned through their prior or current service in the U.S. Military. When a Californian applies for a new driver’s license or renewal, or if they apply for an identification card, they will notice on the new application forms a checkoff box that will permit the DMV to share the applicants contact information with CalVet. The veterans will then be sent information that gives a brief outline of services and benefits and includes a postage-paid reply card that the veteran fills out and returns to CalVet. Once the card is received the veteran will automatically begin receiving information about services like education benefits, employment assistance, disability and compensation payments, health care benefits and much more. “The most challenging thing we have to do in this department is to ensure that veterans in California are educated about the benefits and services that they have earned through their honorable service in the military,” said CalVet Secretary Peter J. Gravett. “This partnership has the potential to help our department connect with nearly every one of the nearly 2 million veterans living in this state.” CalVet Services, through its “CalVet Connect” initiative has as its guiding philosophy that programs of benefits to veterans fulfill necessary, proper, and valid public purposes by promoting patriotism, by recognizing and rewarding sacrifice and service to country and by providing needed readjustment assistance to returning veterans and their families, whose lives were interrupted when they responded to their country’s call to military service. The CalVet Services initiative has as its goal to help returning service members and their families with the sometimes difficult task of reentering civilian life. By utilizing online tools like its Reintegration form, the Department links returning veterans with service providers and resources. This program offers CalVet the opportunity to inform veterans and their dependents about veterans benefits and how to obtain these benefits through the process of application and representations of claims. CalVet’s partnership with DMV augments this program by allowing many military and service members who may not have been reached before, with the opportunity to share their contact information with CalVet so that appropriate benefits information can be provided to them. Veterans wishing to contact CalVet’s reintegration program directly can do so by visiting https://my.calvet.ca.gov/Pages/Intake/ReintegrationForm.aspx.
[Source: Lake County News Editor article 19 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Fraud Waste & Abuse Update 37:

? Saginaw MI - Financial desperation is no excuse for defrauding disabled veterans and the U.S. government, a federal judge said prior to sentencing Michael Andrews, 50, for misdemeanor embezzlement. U.S. Magistrate Judge Charles E. Binder on 18 JUL ordered him to serve three years or probation and pay more than $19,105 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. He pleaded guilty in March to one count of embezzling funds belonging to the United State and the Veterans Administration. Andrews, owner of Access Michigan Vans, Inc., admitted under oath that the veterans' agency paid him to install handicap ramps at the homes of three veterans. The contracts were handled through the veterans' office in Saginaw. Andrews admitted that he did not install the three handicap ramps and instead kept the money paid on the contracts for his own use.
[Source: The Bay City Times LaNia Coleman article 19 Jul 2011 ++]

? Peoria IL - A former parcel delivery service worker in central Illinois has pleaded guilty to stealing drugs headed to military veterans. Sean Locke of Mackinaw admitted that he stole drugs including methadone, oxycodone and fentanyl patches while working as a United Parcel Service clerk in East Peoria. The medications were being mailed to Department of Veterans Affairs patients. UPS and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency launched the investigation that led to Locke's arrest after several VA patients reported that their medication wasn't arriving. U.S. attorney's office spokeswoman Sharon Paul says most of the stolen drugs have been recovered. Locke was charged with one count of felony drug possession with intent to deliver. He faces between three and 20 years in federal prison when he's sentenced 27 OCT.

[Source: Associated Press article 24 Jul 2011 ++]?

VAMC Eire PA - Pamela Sue Hartleb faces one felony count of possession of a controlled substance by fraud, forgery, deception or subterfuge. According to the indictment, the offense took place four years ago between AUG and OCT of 2007 while Hartleb was working as a registered nurse at the Erie Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Hartleb obtained multiple doses of hydrocodone and oxycodone by removing pills from an automated pill-dispensing machine, according to the indictment. Instead of administering the pills to patients, Hartleb pocketed the pills to "consume them either immediately or at a later time." She did not obtain or present a prescription for the drugs, the government says. The charge carries a maximum possible penalty of up to four years in prison and a $250,000 fine. She is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.

[Source: Erie Times-News Lisa Thompson article 16 Jul 2011 ++]

VAMC West Los Angeles Update 04: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs announced 20 JUL that it’s providing more than 400 housing vouchers for homeless veterans in the Los Angeles area – far too few, critics countered, to cover the need. “This initiative will strengthen our ongoing efforts to eliminate Veteran homelessness by 2015,” Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki said. However, advocates for homeless veterans in Los Angeles were disappointed by the number of vouchers. "This is basically a drop in the bucket," U.C.L.A. Law Professor Gary Blasi said. By the V.A.'s own count, more than 8,000 veterans live on the streets of Southern California. Blasi is co-counsel on a lawsuit that seeks to force the federal government to provide permanent housing and support services to homeless veterans at the sprawling West L.A. Veterans Administration campus - especially to those suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Blasi acknowledged the pledge from Secretary Shinseki to end veteran homelessness by 2015. “It was very good to hear that pledge when it was made," he said. "Unfortunately, we haven’t seen a lot of action that would indicate we have a path forward to actually achieving that result.” Shinseki – a retired U.S. Army general - said his agency continues to “make good progress to reduce veteran homelessness, though much work remains.” The V.A. said its providing more than $5 million in funding for housing vouchers. It comes from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing program (HUD-VASH). Under the program, homeless veterans are referred to local public housing agencies for “Housing Choice” Section 8 vouchers to assist with rent payment. Blasi said veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan need more support than just rent subsidies because many suffer from post traumatic stress disorder. "So it doesn’t really reach the people that are most disabled," Blasi said. The V.A. said in its statement that it provides a variety of programs to eligible homeless veterans, including case management and services to support recovery from physical and mental health problems, and substance use. "The V.A. is committed to providing Veterans and their families with access to affordable housing and medical services that will help them get back on their feet," Secretary Shinseki said.

[Source: 89.3 KPCC Southern California Public Radio Frank Stoltze article 19 Jul 2011 ++]

Virginia Vet Tax Exemption Update 02: Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli decided that a new constitutional amendment passed by voters in NOV 2010 applies to more veterans than originally interpreted. Cuccinelli decided that the law, which exempts veterans with a 100-percent service-connected, permanent and total disability from paying property tax on their primary residence, includes veterans with a “total disability rating” from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The decision was made after several General Assembly members asked for clarification on the new amendment. Originally, many localities interpreted it as veterans who are rated as 100-percent disabled. However, many veterans are considered only partially disabled, but the VA rates them as totally disabled because they are unable to engage in “substantially gainful employment.” The law also applies to surviving spouses of such veterans if the veteran died on or after Jan. 1, 2011. Also in response to the request by the General Assembly members, Cuccinelli determined that real estate that has been put into a trust by a veteran is not eligible for the exemption.
[Source: Suffolk News-Herald article 19 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Cemetery Texas Update 06: The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has denied allegations of religious censorship at Houston National Cemetery...accusations that have sparked calls for investigations from members of Congress...according to a new document filed in federal court. The document is the government's first detailed response to a lawsuit that accuses VA officials and cemetery director Arleen Ocasio of closing the cemetery chapel, banning volunteer groups from saying the words "God" or "Jesus" at burial services, and forbidding the groups from religious recitations or prayers during the services unless families submitted the texts to her for approval. The lawsuit's claims are factually inaccurate, argued assistant U.S. attorney Fred Hinrichs in the 21-page document filed 15 JUL in Houston's federal courthouse. The document asserts:
• Ocasio and other cemetery employees never banned religious words such as God and Jesus, do not censor the content of prayer or religious speech from burial services, do not require written approval for religious rituals, and are not engaged in unlawful religious discrimination, according to the document.
* In every instance, defendants have sought to honor and respect the religious preferences, if any, of the families of deceased veterans during private committal services.
* Houston National Cemetery employees give families the option of reciting any religious or non-religious text they choose at burial services, the document explains, and do not provide any religious or non-religious text when it is not desired by the families.
* Registered VA volunteers who attend burial services at the cemetery have agreed to abide by VA policies, and do not have "a right to interject their own religious beliefs into the private committal services of others," the document argues. The document also contests the lawsuit's description of the cemetery chapel's closure.

The document maintains:
* The chapel was temporarily closed because of "construction fumes and noise" in 2010, but reopened July 5 and the chapel bells have continued to toll each day except for one week this spring.
* A Bible, cross and Star of David that had been displayed inside the chapel were removed in 2009, before Ocasio's tenure as director and the items are now stored within the chapel and available for use during a burial service if requested by a family.
[Mourners who attended a service in the chapel had complained the symbols gave the appearance of government religious bias.]

     One of the most striking allegations contained in the lawsuit was that cemetery officials had ordered National Memorial Ladies to stop telling families "God bless you," and to remove "God bless" from condolence cards. The VA responded in the document that the cemetery had received a complaint about a year ago from a family member who was upset that military uneral honors had included references to Christianity although the family had specifically requested no religious symbol on the deceased veteran's grave marker. Subsequently, defendant Ocasio asked the Memorial Ladies to endeavor to respect particular family members religious preferences, and to provide only general condolences without religious reference unless the Memorial Ladies were aware of a family's religious preference and expressions of a specific religious nature would be appropriate. The nonprofit Liberty Institute, which filed the lawsuit on behalf of the volunteer groups Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4, American Legion Post 586, and National Memorial Ladies, stands by all the allegations against the VA and Ocasio. "Everything we said is true," said Hiram Sasser, Liberty Institute's director of litigation. "My response is that we represent World War II and Vietnam veterans and veterans of the Persian Gulf and veterans of other wars, including the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and their integrity and honesty is above reproach," Sasser said. "They have sacrificed and served this country well, and they expect to be treated with dignity and respect by the VA."

[Source: Houston Chronicle Lindsay Wise article 18 Jul 2011 ++]

Cellphone Voicemail Hacking: With the same method used by hackers at News Corp’s British tabloid News of the World, anyone can hack into your cellphone’s voicemail. All they need to know is your phone number. It works like this… If you want to access your own voicemail, you can simply dial your own number from your phone, press star or pound, and your voicemails will start playing. So if someone else wants to access your voicemail, all they have to do is make the phone company think they are calling from your number, and your messages will start playing for them. Services like SpoofCard make it all too easy to do just that. About $5 buys 25 minutes of talk time, with a twist. Customers can set the number that shows up on caller ID to whatever they want. To hack your voicemail, they would simply tell SpoofCard to fake your phone number for them. Then, when they call your number with the service, your phone company assumes it’s you and starts playing your messages. Fortunately, preventing this kind of hack on your voicemail is as simple as changing your voicemail preferences to always require a PIN. Simply follow the not-as-complex-as-they-look instructions for your cell provider: AT&T - To enable a password for all voicemail calls:
* Press and hold 1 to call into the voicemail system from your wireless device.
* Press * to skip to the main menu.
* Press 4 for personal options.
* Press 2 for administrative options.
* Press 1 for password options.
* Press 1 to turn password on or off.
* Press 2 to turn password on.
* When prompted, enter your 4- to 15-digit password, then press the # key.

Sprint
* Access your voicemail account from your Sprint phone.
* Once in the main menu, choose change personal options.
* Next, choose administrative options.
* You will hear skip passcode is currently turned on. To turn it off, follow the prompts.
* The passcode you originally created will be played to you. Be sure to remember it, as you will need to enter it to gain access to your voicemail in the future.

T-Mobile - To turn off / on your voice mail password security, follow these steps:
* Call your voice mailbox from your mobile phone by pressing and holding the 1 key or by dialing 123.
* Once you arrive at your voice mailbox, press the Star (*) key to ensure you are in the main menu area.
* To access the password security menu, press the 5 key.
* To toggle your password on or off, press the 2 key.

Verizon - Verizon is the one major cell carrier in the U.S. that requires you enter your PIN every time you access your voicemail. In fact, you have to jump through a little hoop if you want things set differently. So odds are, if you’re a Verizon customer, you’re already safe from this kind of an attack on your voicemail. You’re only as safe as your PIN. If you’ve never set up a PIN for your voicemail account, you might have a default one; anyone could dial in from any number, use the default PIN, and listen to your messages. To keep your voicemail private, you should set up a PIN or change your default PIN as soon as you can. If you set your PIN to something simple, like your address or birthday, you’re not completely at risk, but you are close. Try to use something unique that has no connection to your personal life. It doesn’t have to be hard to remember – something like 7676 works well – only unrelated to you. Taking this simple step can help ensure your private messages stay that way.

[Source: MoneyTalksNews Dan Schointuch article 19 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Blue Button Prize Competition: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced on 19 JUL it is offering a $50,000 prize to the first team that builds a personal health record (PHR) using the Blue Button download format, and arranges to install the PHR on the websites of 25,000 physicians across America. Sponsored by the VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2), the Blue Button Prize Competition is open to all U.S. organizations and individuals. The contest started on July 18.“Over six million Veterans who receive health care from VA can already download their personal health data using the Blue Button,” said VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki. “We want to be sure the 17 million Veterans who receive care from non-VA doctors and hospitals can do the same.” VA first offered Blue Button downloads through its My HealtheVet website in August, 2010; since then nearly 300,000 Veterans have downloaded their PHR data, including upcoming appointments at a VA Medical Center, medications, allergies, health reminders and, in a recent upgrade, their laboratory results. The Department of Defense also provides Blue Button download capabilities to its TRICARE beneficiaries, and Medicare beneficiaries can download their claims histories using the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Blue Button functions. “Veterans can now expect that downloading their data will be a routine part of the care they receive from VA,” said White House Chief Technology Officer Aneesh Chopra. “We want Veterans across America – and the general public – to think of Blue Button downloads as something they receive from their family doctors as a routine matter.” Getting a low-cost user-friendly application into hands of physicians is a key part of the competition, according to VA Chief Technology Officer Peter L. Levin. “Moving health data can and should be safe, simple and inexpensive,” Levin said. “Blue Button technology is all of those things. Doctors who use PHRs developed as part of this competition can give their patients the ability to keep and control their own health data. Blue Button’s simple format can even support patient-authorized health data transfers to other doctors or hospitals.” The Blue Button Prize Competition is sponsored by the VA Innovation Initiative (VAi2). VAi2 is a department-wide program that solicits the most promising innovations from VA employees, the private sector, non-profits, and academia to increase Veterans’ access to VA services, improve the quality of services delivered, enhance the performance of VA operations, and delivering of those services more efficient. Through prize contests, private sector innovators help improve federal government operations and technology developed using tax dollars is made readily available to the public. Qualifying PHRs must be easily installed by physicians and other clinical professionals, must be readily available to all of the physicians’ patients, and must allow patients to download their data using VA’s Blue Button’s simple text-based format – which can be read and printed on any computer without using special software. Contemporary PHRs are designed to address consumer health information needs by enabling individuals to access, manage, and share their personal health information in a private and secure environment. The meaningful use of technologies such as PHRs has the potential to improve health care processes and outcomes. The PHRs must also meet data-security requirements. The contest will run through 18 OCT 2011, unless a winner is declared sooner. Contest rules are available at http://challenge.gov/VAi2/198-blue-button-for-all-americans. [Source: VA News Release 19 Jul 2011 ++]

National Guard Challenge Program: Young people accepted in to the National Guard ChalleNGe Program are more likely to earn a GED certificate, have at least one college credit and be making more money three years after they begin the program than those who applied for the program, but were not accepted. The survey by the nonprofit research group, MDRC, of 1,200 young people was released in early JUL on Capitol Hill. Gen. Craig R. McKinley, the National Guard Bureau chief, said, “It’s gratifying to us to see these kinds of results.” For example, 71.8 percent of those who entered the program received a high school diploma or GED certificate, compared with 55.5 percent of the other group. ChalleNGe participants also earned more than $2,200 more than the others. Also, nearly 35 percent had earned at least one college credit, compared to less than 19 percent of the other group. More were working and more were involved in a productive activity. “Overall, we see these results as quite promising,” said Dan Bloom of MDRC. The program was created in 1993 by Congress and now has a presence in 27 states. It is funded 75 percent by federal money and 25 percent by state funds. Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), a co-chair of the honorary board of the National Guard Youth Foundation that oversees the program, said that as Congress looks for programs that are not working in its attempt to cut the budget, “This would not be a place to trim.” One part of the survey was less positive, however. In each group, about half reported at least one arrest. Also, ChalleNGe participants three years removed from the program were more likely to report using illegal drugs other than marijuana. McKinley said, “These are things we in the National Guard can take as a challenge to us.” [Source: NGAUS Washington Report 19 Jul 2011 ++]

GI Bill Update 99: Rep. Dan Boren (D-OK) has introduced Legislation that would allow the surviving spouse of a deceased service member to use that member’s Post 9/11 GI Bill benefit. Current law allows the spouse of a deceased military member to receive education benefits through the Survivors and Dependents Education Assistance program. But the benefit is less than under the Post 9/11 GI Bill. “The Spouses of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act is an important step for meeting the needs of military families,” Boren said in a statement. “We must do everything within our means to care for our nation’s surviving spouses.” [Source: NGAUS Washington Report 19 Jul 2011 ++]

GI Bill Update 100: Changes are coming for Post-9/11 GI Bill users this summer/fall when the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 - S.3447 goes into effect. Many veterans, servicemembers, and their eligible family members will see some significant changes in the benefits. Keep in mind that Congress is working on additional changes to the changes that will be implemented as those in the Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011 - HR 1383. Unfortunately, it is still unknown if the changes to the legislation will be passed before the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act goes into effect. The intent of the Post-9/11 Veterans Education Assistance Improvements Act is to expand eligibility, simplify tuition rates, and ensure that the Post-9/11 G Bill offers the same types of benefits as older versions of the GI Bill. To do so, congress was forced to reduce the cost by trimming certain aspects of the original program. In the end, some veterans will have their benefits reduced so that others may have a share of the benefits. The following summary explains how these changes will affect the education benefits of specific groups of Post-9/11 GI Bill eligible students. National Guard Members: Eligibility Expanded - Certain National Guard members mobilized on Title 32 orders on-or-after September 11, 2001 are now eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill and any qualifying Title 32 mobilization may be used to increase your percentage of eligibility. Effective August 1, 2009, but not payable until October 1, 2011. Online Students: New Housing Allowance - The housing allowance which will become effective 1 OCT 2011 be payable to students enrolled solely in distance learning inclusive of online education. The housing allowance is half the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents. For 2011 the rate will be $673.50. This amount is subject to prorating based on the number of credits being taken.

Note: This does not include active duty or their GI Bill eligible spouses. Active Duty Post-9/11 GI Bill Users

* Tiered Benefits - Active duty members will see their tuition and fees prorated based on the eligibility tiers (40%-100%). This previously applied to veterans only. These same limitations apply to transferee spouses of active duty servicemembers. - Went into effect on March 5, 2011.

* Tuition Rate Limits - Active Duty Members and their transferees will be subject to the same national rate as veterans ($17,500 a year) for enrolled in a private or foreign school pursuing a degree. In addition, they will have their tuition and fees at public schools limited to the in-state tuition and fees rate. - Effective August 1, 2011.

* Transferability Expanded - NOAA and PHS personnel are now eligible to transfer their entitlement to eligible dependents - Effective August 1, 2011.

* New Book Stipend - Allows students on active duty (and their eligible spouses) to receive the books and supplies stipend. - Effective October 1, 2011. Veterans Using Post-9/11 GI Bill• Tuition and Fees Changes - Tuition and fee rates for those attending a public school will have all public school tuition and fees covered at the in-state (or resident) rate. Tuition and fee rates for those attending private and foreign school will have the tuition and fee payments capped at $17,500 annually. Note: The Yellow Ribbon Program still exists for out-of-state fees and costs (non-resident) above the cap.

* Monthly Kicker Payments - The VA will pay MGIB (chapter 30) and MGIB-SR (chapter 1606) ‘kickers’ or Army/Navy College Fund payments, on a monthly basis instead of a lump sum at the beginning of the term. - Effective August 1, 2011.

* Prorated Housing Stipend - Students enrolled at more than half-time but less than full-time will begin having their housing allowance prorated based on the number of classes they are taking (also called rate of pursuit). This amount will be rounded to the nearest tenth. For example a student enrolled with a rate of pursuit 75% would receive 80% of the BAH rate. - Effective August 1, 2011.

* End of Payments During School Breaks – The VA will no longer pay benefits during breaks – like spring or winter break. The end to “interval pay” applies to all VA education benefit programs unless under an Executive Order of the President or due to an emergency, such as a natural disaster or strike.

1. This means that when your semester ends (e.g. December 15th), your housing allowance is paid for the first 15 days of December only and begins again when your next semester begins (e.g. January 10th) and is paid for the remaining days of January.
2. Students using other VA education programs are included in this change. Monthly benefits will be pro-rated in the same manner.
3. Entitlement that previously would have been used for break pay will be available for use during a future enrollment.

* Multiple Licensing, Certification and National Placement Exams – Reimbursement for more than one “license or certification” test will be possible. In addition to reimbursement of fees paid to take national exams used for admission to an institution of higher learning (e.g., SAT, ACT, GMAT, LSAT). - Effective August 1, 2011.

* Expanded Vocation Training Opportunities – Veterans will be eligible to Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to cover the following:

1. Non-college degree (NCD) programs: Pays actual net cost for in-state tuition and fees at public NCD institutions. At private and foreign institutions, pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees or $17,500, whichever is less. Also pays up to $83 per month for books and supplies.

2. On-the-job and apprenticeship training: Pays a monthly benefit amount prorated based on time in program and up to $83 per month for books and supplies. Learn more about OJT and Apprenticeship.

3. Flight programs: Per academic year, pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the school or $10,000, whichever is less.

4. Correspondence training: Pays the actual net costs for in-state tuition and fees assessed by the school or $8,500, whichever is less. - Effective October 1, 2011.

* New Voc-Rehab Stipend Options - Vocational Rehabilitation participants may now elect the higher housing allowance offered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill if otherwise eligible for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. - Effective August 1, 2011

[Source: Military.com | Benefits Week of July 18, 2011 ++]

GI Bill Update 101: On 21 JUL the Restoring G.I. Bill Fairness Act (H.R.1383) sailed through the Senate with unanimous support. Following a 424-0 vote in the House the bill heads to the President’s office later this week. "Today, we kept our promise to America's student veterans. Together with our colleagues in the Senate, Congress is sending a bill to the President that keeps the original intent of the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill intact,” said Rep. Jeff Miller [R-FL] who sponsored the House version of the bill. “Our veterans who have returned home and are in the process of getting an education at the school of their choice should not have been penalized for choosing one school over another, only to then find out Congress changed the rules on them midstream.” Miller’s legislation in the House mirrored a nearly identical version in the Senate, which was sponsored by Sen. Charles E. Schumer [D-NY]. Schumer said in a statement that he was “confident the president will quickly sign this bipartisan bill.” Since going into effect nearly two years ago, the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill has provided educational assistance to veterans returning home from war. It entitled a veteran who served for a minimum of three years after 9/11 to a full tuition subsidy at a public college. An additional provision called the Yellow Ribbon Program enabled thousands more veterans at private schools to attend college free of cost. But at the end of last year, Congress voted to change those rules by capping tuition assistance at in-state public rates for out-of-state veterans attending public colleges and, beginning in AUG , limiting tuition assistance to $17,500 per year for veterans in private schools. H.R.1383 will temporarily preserve higher rates for tuition and fees for programs of education at non-public institutions of higher learning pursued by individuals enrolled in the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs before the enactment of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010.

[Source: Huff Post college Amanda M. Fairbanks article 26 Jul 2011 ++]

National Park Passports Update 04: Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) would give free, lifetime passes to national parks and other national historic sites to honorably discharged military veterans. He has introduced legislation that would create the Freedom Pass available to qualified veterans for a one-time $10 processing fee. The National Parks Freedom Pass Act would also allow active-duty and reserve-component military members to purchase an annual pass for national parks and federal recreation areas at half price. They would pay half of the normal $80 fee. “National parks are America’s treasures, and the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect them deserve a lifetime of access to them,” said Tester, who sits on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. [Source: NGAUS Washington Report 19 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Homeless Vets Update 22: The number of homeless veterans on any given night has dropped by over 55,000, the Department of Veterans Affairs said on 15 JUL, due in part to programs like the $46.2 million announced 14 JUL to provide permanent housing for 6,790 homeless veterans. Despite a still-stagnant economy and increased troop drawdowns leading to potentially higher numbers of homeless veterans, VA Deputy Press Secretary Drew Brookie said the number of veterans that are homeless each night has dropped from an estimated 131,000 in 2009 to 75,700 as of June this year. But continued pressure on this targeted group makes funding fundamental to the Obama Administration's goal of ending veteran homelessness by 2015, according to Anne Oliva, director of the Department of Housing and Urban Development's homeless office. "It's a critical time," Oliva told Reuters. "We have veterans that are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan that are potentially becoming homeless in higher numbers than they have in the past. This new influx of people ... we want to try and get in front of it." The $46.2 million will go to public housing agencies in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. "We're reducing the time it takes to get veterans into homes," Brookie told Reuters. The funding is part of the Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing Program. HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki announced the grants Thursday morning. They are the first of two rounds of funding that will allocate the $50 million appropriated to fight veteran homelessness in Fiscal Year 2011. Participating veterans in the HUD-VASH program generally contribute no more than 30 percent of their income toward rental of privately owned housing, according to the HUD. The program is coordinated by HUD, the VA and local housing authorities. "Now we know what works," Oliva said. "This is the time; we have the resources ... having one veteran homeless is too many."
[Source: Reuters Molly O'Toole article 15 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Appeals Update 09: The United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims is a national court of record, established under Article I of the Constitution of the United States. The Court has exclusive jurisdiction to provide judicial review of final decisions by the Board of Veterans' Appeals, an entity within the Department of Veterans Affairs. The Court provides veterans an impartial judicial forum for review of administrative decisions by the Board of Veterans' Appeals that are adverse to the veteran-appellant's claim of entitlement to benefits for service-connected disabilities, survivor benefits and other benefits such as education payments and waiver of indebtedness. In furtherance of its mission, the Court also seeks to help ensure that all veterans have equal access to the Court and to promote public trust and confidence in the Court. Whether or not you have someone to represent you, if you disagree with the final decision of the Board of Veterans' Appeals (BVA) and want to appeal to the Court, you must file a notice of appeal with the Court within 120 days after the date the Board mailed a copy of its final decision. The starting day is the date which is stamped on the front of the Board's decision. If you do not appeal to the Court or file a motion for reconsideration with the Chairman of the Board within 120 calendar days from the date that the Board's decision was mailed to you, the Board's decision becomes final and the Court may not have jurisdiction to hear your appeal. A Notice of Appeal is considered received by the Court on the date of a legible postmark if it is properly addressed and sent by the U.S. Postal Service or the date it is actually received by the Court if it is sent by means other than the U.S. Postal Service or faxed. Filing a motion for reconsideration with the Board within 120 days of its original decision stops the clock on your time to file an appeal with the Court. If you do file a motion for reconsideration with the Chairman and the Chairman denies your motion, the time to file an appeal with the Court begins again, and you must file a written Notice of Appeal with the Court within 120 days from the date of the Chairman's letter denying the motion for reconsideration (set out in a letter). You do not need a lawyer to file the appeal. Steps to file

* Go to the Court’s website and review the procedures and requirements for filing an appeal. The site is http://www.uscourts.cavc.gov/about/how_to_appeal/HowtoAppealWithoutHowtoFile.cfm.

* Complete the Court’s Form 1”Notice of Appeal” and send it to the Court. See additional information below regarding mailing of Notice of Appeal. The form can be completed on online and downloaded at http://www.uscourts.cavc.gov/documents/NOA_Consent_Combined-Form.pdf• Submit the one-time $50 fee to file, OR ask the Court to waive the fee by filing the Court’s Form 4 “Declaration of Financial Hardship” The form can be completed on online and downloaded at http://www.uscourts.cavc.gov/documents/Form-04_DofFH_-_FORM-RE1.pdf.• If you do not have computer access both forms can be requested from the court at the address below; or the Pro Bono Program can send them to you.

* If time is running out and you cannot get these forms, you may simply print your name, current address, and telephone number on a piece of paper and write: “I want to appeal my BVA decision dated ___________.” Then sign your name. Don’t forget the 120-day deadline for filing. Mail, hand deliver, or fax the completed form(s) or your letter to: Clerk of Court, US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, 625 Indiana Avenue, N.W., Suite 900, Washington, DC 20004 Tel: (202) 501-5970 FAX (202) 501-5848.

* If you fax your Notice of Appeal, you must mail the filing fee or Declaration of Financial Hardship so that the Court receives it not later than 14 days after the fax was sent. You should also contact the Court to confirm receipt of the Notice of Appeal as the Court is not responsible for faxes that are not received.

* Self-represented appellants may file a Declaration of Financial Hardship with a Notice of Appeal by submitting those forms to esubmission@uscourts.cavc.gov. You should keep evidence of the date on which you sent the Notice of Appeal. SEND YOUR NOTICE OF APPEAL FORM DIRECTLY TO THE COURT. DO NOT SEND IT TO THE VA OR THE PRO BONO PROGRAM!

* NOTE: It is very important to use the Court’s complete address, including “Suite 900.” VA also has an office at 625 Indiana Avenue, and if the Postal Service delivers your appeal to VA instead of to the Court, you can lose your case before you even get a chance to tell the Court your side of the matter.
* NOTE: A notice of appeal will still be considered to be on time even if the Court does not receive it within the 120-day deadline IF you mailed it to the Court’s correct address AND it contains a legible U.S. Postal Service postmark dated within the 120-day time limit. Regular, first class mail is fine. You do not need to send it express mail, priority mail, or certified mail. (Note that a Federal Express, UPS or other delivery service date stamp, or foreign postal service postmark, does not count, and if you send your Notice of Appeal in any of these ways, the date the Court actually receives your Notice of Appeal will be your filing date.)
* NOTE: There are two parties to every appeal to the Court. You will always be the “appellant” in the case, while the opponent in every appeal is the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. The Secretary will always be referred to as the “appellee.”
* NOTE: You can only appeal a final BVA decision that denied some or all of your requests for benefits. Steps to file.

[Source: http://www.uscourts.cavc.gov Jun 2011 ++

Chronic Itching: Anyone who has had a mosquito bite knows how maddening the relentless itching can be, even if it only lasts a few days. But for people who suffer from itching that lasts weeks, months or even years, the discomfort can be debilitating. According to a new study, in fact, it can be just as debilitating as chronic pain. "Itching isn't much different than pain. Both impact quality of life," said Dr. Suephy Chen, associate professor of dermatology at the Emory University School of Medicine and a physician at the Atlanta VA Medical Center. Chen is also a co-author of the study published in the current issue of the journal Archives of Dermatology. Chen and her fellow researchers wanted to find out how much chronic itching impacts people's lives. They compared subjects with chronic itch to subjects with chronic pain and discovered that both conditions are equally as debilitating. They defined chronic itching as anything lasting longer than six weeks. Certain medical conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis, can cause itching. Chronic itching can also be idiopathic, meaning there's no known cause of it. Regardless of the reason behind it, people with the condition often experience depression, anxiety and difficult sleeping. Study participants found their itching such a detriment to their quality of life that they indicated they were willing to give up 13 percent of their life span -- about 10 years, based on how long the average American lives -- to live itch-free. The study also found that being married helped people deal with their situation better. "Being married helped because they have a support system at home," said Chen. For people who aren't married, "having some other support system can be helpful." Support is vital because coping with chronic itching can be very difficult. Chen said she has several patients who have gotten divorced because their partners couldn't understand why the scratching wouldn't stop. "The impact of itching is underappreciated," said Dr. Robert Kirsner, professor and vice president of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Miami's Miller School of Medicine. "It can have severe effects on quality of life and this work serves to highlight its importance." "If you think about medical conditions that people pay attention to, like cancer, people can relate to that," Kirsner added. "It's hard to relate to someone itching." Chronic itching is also difficult to treat, unlike itching that lasts only a short time as well as chronic pain. "There are a lot of options for pain control," said Dr. Jennifer Stein, assistant professor of dermatology at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York. "But for people who have chronic itching, there are fewer options. "It's especially bad at night," Stein added. "Sometimes, during the day you can preoccupy yourself with daily activities, but at night, there's not much to distract you from the itching." Constant scratching can cause rashes, redness or cuts, and infection can set in. It can also be stigmatizing. "It's fairly socially unacceptable to sit there scratching," said Chen. Chen and other experts hope this study can lead to the development of more effective treatments for chronic itching.

[Source: ABC News | Health Kim Carollo article 20 Jun 2011 ++]

Tricare Overseas Program Update 12: Fraud is intentional deception or misrepresentation resulting in some unauthorized benefit or financial gain. In order to prove that fraud has been committed against the government, it is necessary to prove that fraudulent acts were performed knowingly, willfully and intentionally. Abuse involves actions that are inconsistent with accepted, sound medical, business or fiscal practices. Abuse directly or indirectly results in unnecessary costs to the TRICARE program through improper payments. Abuse does not necessarily involve fraud, violation of laws, regulations or provisions of a contract or grant agreement. Each year, health care fraud and abuse adversely impact TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) beneficiaries. Fraud and abuse compromise the quality of patient care and cost TRICARE valuable benefit dollars. The TRICARE Management Activity Program Integrity (TMA PI) office and International SOS Assistance, Inc. (International SOS) are committed to the prevention, detection and prosecution of health care fraud and abuse for the TOP. Ongoing efforts to prevent fraud and abuse are making an impact and include both TMA PI administrative processes and notifications from TRICARE beneficiaries. Together, they can help put a stop to fraud and abuse and save TRICARE millions of dollars. TMA PI and International SOS use many administrative controls and processes to help prevent fraud and abuse overseas. The following methods help TRICARE prevent fraud and abuse and control costs:

* Prepayment review: Prepayment review is a highly effective antifraud control. If unusual practices are detected by TRICARE, suspected providers may be required to submit additional information with their claims and have their billings subjected to closer examination.

* National drug coding requirements: National Drug Code (NDC) numbers are three-segment numbers that identify drug products in the United States. Overseas providers are usually not required to submit NDCs for TRICARE pharmacy claims. However, overseas providers in the Philippines, Panama and Costa Rica who submit over $3,000 in claims are required to submit NDCs with pharmacy claims. Providers exceeding the $3,000 cap are notified that they will be required to submit NDCs with pharmacy claims and will be subject to cost-control measures outlined in the TRICARE Reimbursement Manual.

* Exclusions: TRICARE does not make payments for any items or services furnished, ordered or prescribed by an excluded individual or entity. • Fee schedules: Fee schedules help control costs and curb fraud and abuse that occur by the overbilling of services. For the Philippines and Panama, TRICARE has implemented country-specific maximum allowable charge (MAC) fee schedules by locality. Fee schedules can be viewed at http://www.tricare.mil/CMAC/default.aspx.

* Education letters: Education letters are sent to beneficiaries and providers for inappropriate behavior. When possible, TRICARE initiates this action before the behavior warrants a referral to an investigative agency. If you receive an education letter, take immediate action to correct the behavior.

     As a TRICARE beneficiary, you are often the first line of defense against health care fraud and abuse. The following are some actions you can take:

* Review explanations of benefits (EOBs): Many fraud or abuse notifications come from beneficiaries reviewing their EOBs and reporting discrepancies. You should review your EOB and report any discrepancy you notice with your claim. Note: if you are a TOP Standard beneficiary and your provider offers to waive your copayment or deductible, it may be an indication of fraud.

* Avoid recoupment actions: On occasion, erroneous payments are issued and result in overpayment. In general, beneficiaries are responsible for refunding erroneous payments. If you suspect an overpayment for a claim, notify TRICARE immediately.

* Protect your military identification (ID) card: Identity theft is a serious problem. If your military ID card is lost or stolen, it could be used to commit health care fraud. Please guard your ID card to help prevent fraud. You can report, anonymously or by name, any suspected fraudulent or abusive behavior by beneficiaries or providers using one of the following options. Provide as much information as possible when reporting suspected fraud or abuse.

Any information you provide will remain strictly confidential.

* By Phone: Fraud Tip Hotline: Toll-free: +1-877-342-2503Direct: +1-215-354-5020• By Fax: +1-215-354-2395

* By E-mail: TOPProgramIntegrity@internationalsos.com

* Online: Visit http://www.tricare-overseas.com/pdf/fraudabuse.pdf to download and complete a fraud and abuse report form.

* By Mail: ATTN: TRICARE Program Integrity, 1717 W. Broadway, P.O. Box 7635, Madison, WI 53707

[Source: The 2011 Publication for Tricare Standard Overseas Beneficiaries May 2011 ++]

Army BCT Museum: The Fort Jackson Post Museum closed its doors about two years ago for remodeling and redesignation as the U.S. Army Basic Combat Training Museum. Since then, the building has been totally renovated, including the installation of new bathrooms and a new roof. In addition, a new collections facility was built adjacent to the main building. Bessie Williams, the museum's director, said she had hoped that the facility would be open in 2010, but that construction delays changed the project timeline. "There were certain issues that came up that weren't expected, so that pushed things back," she said. With its redesignation, the museum has a different focus. In the past, the exhibits highlighted the history of Fort Jackson, beginning with the post's opening as Camp Jackson in 1917. Now the museum concentrates strictly on basic training throughout the years. Fifteen topics, such as land navigation, physical training and weapons training are highlighted in each of the museum's four galleries. The museum chronicles the history of the post and BCT from June 1917 to present day. The galleries focus on different time periods - World War I, World War II, the Cold War era and the present. More emphasis is placed on explaining artifacts by using text panels, graphics and information kiosks. The museum is located on Fort Jackson SC, the largest US Army training facility in the country, at Building 4442 Jackson BLVD. The fort is named in honor of President Andrew Jackson, a native of SC. Tours are self-guided. Admissions is free. Days and Hours of Operation are M-F 098-1600 with extended hours on Family Day. The museum is closed Sa-Su, and all federal holidays.

For additional info call or Fax 803-751-7419/4434F.

[Source: http://www.jackson.army.mil/sites/bct/pages/673 Jul 2011 ++]

Arlington National Cemetery Update 27: On 24 OCT, thanks to several years of persistent inter-faith advocacy and recent action in Congress, a conspicuously empty space on a knoll in Arlington National Cemetery will be filled with a long-overdue monument to Jewish chaplains. In a sense, the story of the soon-to-be erected Jewish Chaplains Monument at Arlington began in the North Atlantic near Greenland on the frigid night of Feb. 3, 1943. It was then that a German U-boat torpedoed the U.S. Army troop transport ship Dorchester. The troopship carried 902 service men, merchant seamen and civilian war workers. Among those aboard were four Army chaplains, Lt. George L. Fox, a Methodist; Lt. John P. Washington, Roman Catholic; Lt. Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed; and Lt. Alexander D. Goode, who was Jewish. All but 230 on the Dorchester perished in the sinking, but of those who survived, some owed their lives to the four chaplains. These men of God stayed aboard the stricken ship, offering the terrified, fleeing crew and passengers comfort with encouragement and prayers. They also handed out life jackets including, in the end, their own. Almost 70 years later, Sons of The American Legion member Ken Kraetzer of New York, during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery, climbed Chaplains Hill where three monuments stand to honor military clergymen who have died in service. Each of the monuments there were established by their respective religious communities. Besides wishing to see the inscribed names of honored chaplains who had been alumni of his alma mater, Providence College, Kraetzer wanted to view a remembrance of World War II's fabled four chaplains. As Kraetzer tells it, "I was familiar with their story because of the Four Chaplains Mass held each year by the Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., post. Legion posts around the country deserve credit for keeping the four chaplains' story alive for now six decades." In 2006, The American Legion passed a national resolution calling for Medals of Honor for each of the four chaplains. Kraetzer found three names, but not a fourth. Father Washington was remembered on the Catholic chaplains stone. Rev. Fox and Rev. Poling were celebrated on a monument dedicated to Protestant chaplains. But there was no mention of Rabbi Alexander Goode. In fact, as Kraetzer discovered, there was no monument to Jewish chaplains at all. "When I realized that Jewish chaplains were not honored at Arlington," says Kraetzer, "I called the Jewish War Veterans. They were not aware of this. They, in turn, suggested I call Adm. Harold Robinson, and Director of the Jewish Welfare Board's Jewish Chaplains Council. We have been on a mission ever since." After 3 year s of effort Adm. Robinson said, “ We are just a couple of bureaucratic niceties away from casting the bronze plaque and contracting to have the monument erected - planning a dedication ceremony for the fall and an educational tour with the bronze plaque also in the fall and (publishing) a brochure about the role of chaplains in the United States military... (This project has) been very, very heartwarming and very moving, and I imagine the memorial's dedication will be altogether overwhelming.” [Source: American Legion website Craig Roberts article 11 Jul 2011 ++]

The Jewish Chaplains Monument (simulated on right) will stand alongside memorials to fallen Catholic, Protestant and World War I chaplains.

VA Death Pension Update 01: The widow of a Vietnam veteran has been forced out of one home and she could get kicked out again. She said it's because the Veteran's Administration is taking so long to pay the benefits owed to her following her husband's death. Now, she is out of time and money to pay the rent. "In June, it was go ahead and feed Riley, or I wasn't going to get my meds." Judy Julius opted to feed her service dog, Riley. She said her late husband, Charlie, a Vietnam veteran, would be disgusted to know how she's being treated. "Why so long? I mean this is a man who died believing I was going to be taken care of," Julius said. Charlie passed in September but her first check didn't arrive until June. She said she didn't have income the entire time. Julius said she went to local veteran support offices, wrote politicians and called the Department of Veterans Affairs, trying to get her survivor pension. "I said 'ma'am, I'm due to be evicted if you do not get me some kind of income.'" Now that she's finally received two checks, her days are consumed by again calling the Veteran's Administration, to get the more than $5,000 in back pay from the previous nine months. "It just seemed like every time I called, sign this, do this, do that, I would do what I was asked, but I wasn't getting anywhere." Julius said other widows are in the same position. "Nobody is willing to speak up because they're afraid they'll lose what they have," she said. She said she wants to be a voice for them, hoping others don't have the turmoil of losing everything else on top of losing their spouse. "Dogonnit, I'm sick and tired of the VA mistreating women like myself who are so dependent upon that." Fox59 set out to make sure she gets the money she is owed. It even took them a week to get anyone to call them back. The help came from the Indianapolis Regional VA Office. They released the following statement: "We believe the delay in Ms. Julius receiving her benefits was due to an inaccurate address and a change in bank information. Our recommendation to Veterans and their dependents is let us know as early as possible when they have a new mailing address and if their bank information changes (i.e., opening or closing accounts, using savings account instead of checking account, etc.) in order to prevent delays in receiving their benefits." Judy was told the check is in the mail, but she said she'll believe it when she sees it. Widows of veterans are eligible for pension if the following criteria can be met:• the deceased veteran was discharged from service under other than dishonorable conditions, AND • the deceased veteran served at least 90 days of active military service 1 day of which was during a war time period. If he or she entered active duty after September 7, 1980, generally he or she must have served at least 24 months or the full period for which called or ordered to active duty. (There are exceptions to this rule.) AND • you are the surviving spouse or unmarried child of the deceased veteran, AND • your countable income is below a yearly limit set by law (The yearly limit on income is set by Congress). If you are unsure if you meet all criteria, you are encouraged to go ahead and file an application, particularly if your countable income appears to be near the maximum. VA will determine if you are eligible and notify you. If you do not initially qualify, you may reapply if you have un-reimbursed medical expenses during the twelve month period after VA receives your claim that bring your countable income below the yearly income limit. These are expense you have paid for medical services or products for which you will not be reimbursed by Medicare or private medical insurance. The following are examples of the types of exclusions or deductibles to countable income:• Final expenses of the veteran's last illness and burial paid by the surviving spouse or eligible children. • Public assistance such as Supplemental Security Income is not considered income. • Many other specific sources of income are not considered income, however all income should be reported. VA will exclude any income that the law allows. • A portion of un-reimbursed medical expenses paid by the claimant after VA receives your pension claim may be deducted.• Certain other expenses, such as a surviving spouse's education expenses, and in some cases, a portion of the educational expenses of a child over 18 are deductible.[Source: Indianapolis Fox59 News Jenny Anchondo article 14 Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Jobs Update 32: Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, wrote in the Hill’s Congress Blog on 18 JUL...60,000 veterans were added to the unemployment rolls in June. That brought the total number of America’s out-of-work veterans to over 1 million...a staggering figure. That is why I introduced the Veteran Opportunity to Work Act of 2011 (H.R. 2433), or the VOW Act. All of us have an obligation to find solutions to get America’s veterans back to work. These men and women have defended our nation, only to return home to stand in an unemployment line. That is not the homecoming we promised them. Having a job provides a sense of self-worth and accomplishment. It is our workforce that makes America strong. It makes us exceptional and it averts perils such as homelessness...and the best prescription is meaningful employment. Veterans have the leadership, integrity and ingenuity employers often seek. But in today’s job market, there is a disconnect translating the experiences that hail from the battlefield to Main Street USA. We have already set in place the building blocks for many of today’s veterans. Through the Post-9/11 GI Bill, eligible veterans are getting college degrees, enrolling in on-the-job training programs, and training in specialized fields such as aviation in higher numbers than ever before. Nevertheless, the breadth of the joblessness problem in today’s economy requires that more must be done.

* First, we must re-evaluate programs that are meant to acquaint our veterans with the civilian workforce. We owe it to these men and women, and every taxpayer, to ensure that these programs are effective and that measures are in place to gauge their viability. If they do not work, we must eliminate them and find ones that will.

* Second, we must give unemployed veterans of past wars temporary access to education programs to acquire skills, especially in fields with a shortage of workers, such as technology and health care. Two-thirds of our unemployed veterans are between the ages of 35 and 64, and many face skills and training deficits. Veterans of past conflicts are more likely to face significant financial obligations such as mortgages and college tuition for their children. Imagine looking forward to retirement, only to have to begin again.

* Third, we must enforce the job protections in place for veterans, especially those who serve in the National Guard and Reserve—14 percent of whom are currently unemployed.

* Fourth, we must work with the states to eliminate the regulations that hinder job growth.

     Our veterans have skills that are of value in the private sector and are being wasted due to unduly burdensome laws and regulations across the states. It is time for the states to recognize the quality of military training and the power of reciprocity. We cannot do this in a vacuum, however. We have an obligation to these men and women, and to all Americans, to decrease our debt, lower taxes that impede growth, and assure employers, especially the small businesses that are the engine of our economy that produces 40 percent of new jobs, that help and leadership is on the way. The VOW Act is the most comprehensive solution to address the range of impediments to reducing veteran unemployment. In addition, we must also recognize that America’s small businesses, many of which are veteran-owned, are suffering more today than other companies. Therefore to complement the pillars outlined in the VOW Act, I have also introduced legislation that would provide small businesses with a tax credit toward the purchase of capital equipment for every unemployed veteran they hire (H.R. 2443). We have the opportunity to have the most qualified and desirable veteran workforce since World War II. But we must vow to act today.

[Source: Hill Congress Blog article 18 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Appointments Update 07: Some veterans attempted suicide, were hospitalized, or went to emergency departments while on long waiting lists for Veterans Affairs mental health clinics, according to new reports from the VA Office of Inspector General. An evaluation of the electronic waiting lists used at several mental health clinics in the Atlanta area found a "significantly high number" of patients waited for more than a month during 2010. Though facility managers were aware of the long wait times, they were still slow in getting help to veterans, the Washington Post reports. "We were not as quick as we should have been," William Schoenhard, VA's deputy undersecretary for health for operations and management, told the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs during a committee hearing on 14 JUL. The VA OIG found evidence of mental health patients on the waiting list who attempted suicide, were hospitalized, or showed up to the emergency department. The report noted the agency only tracks the time it takes for new patients to get an appointment. Even so, committee Chairwoman Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) said, the practice was "simply unacceptable and must change." Mental health services for veterans are in high demand as more and more soldiers are coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the report, more than 202,000 veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have been seen for post-traumatic stress disorder at VA facilities through 31 MAR. [Source: GovExec.com Althea Fung article 15 Jul 2011 ++]

VAMC Child Care Program: Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the launch of free, drop-in childcare service centers at three VA medical centers to an audience of more than 700 participants attending the Fifth National Summit on Women Veterans’ Issues July 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. “We know that many Veterans, particularly women Veterans, are the primary care takers of young children,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We want these Veterans to have the opportunity to access the high-quality health care that VA offers, and we believe that these childcare centers will make it easier for Veteran caregivers to visit VA.” The pilot centers are part of VA’s continuing effort to improve access to health care for eligible Veterans, particularly the growing number of women Veterans. Congress established this childcare initiative as part of the “Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 which was” signed by the President in May 2010. All the pilot childcare centers will be operated onsite by licensed childcare providers. Drop-in services are offered free to Veterans who are eligible for VA care and visiting a facility for an appointment. The three sites and childcare details include:

* Northport NY: 30 child capacity, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 12 years• Tacoma WA: Varying capacity, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 10 years• Buffalo NY: 6 to 10 child capacity, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., ages 6 weeks to 12 years In a survey, VA found that nearly a third of Veterans were interested in childcare services and more than 10 percent had to cancel or reschedule VA appointments due to lack of childcare. This pilot program will benefit both men and women Veterans. Development of the pilot program was facilitated by the Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group, which strives to make positive changes in the provision of care for all women Veterans. “While the number of women Veterans continues to grow, they use VA for health care proportionately less than male Veterans,” said Patricia Hayes, Chief Consultant of the VA’s Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. “We hope that by offering safe, secure childcare while the Veteran attends a doctor’s appointment or therapy session, we will enable more women Veterans to take advantage of the VA benefits to which they are entitled.” Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran population. Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services. VA estimates women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the Veteran population by 2020 and 9.5 percent of VA patients.

     For more information about VA programs and services for women Veterans, please visit: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth and http://www.va.gov/womenvet

[Source: VA News Release 16 Jul 2011 ++]

COLA 2012 Update 04: One of the most frequently mentioned options by most parties at the deficit-cutting table is a “technical correction” to the CPI called the “chained CPI.” It’s gone under the radar for the most part. But if implemented, it could affect the lives of almost all Americans... especially servicemembers, federal civilian employees, Social Security recipients, and other retirees and survivors. This isn’t a new idea. It’s been pushed for years by some economists who believe the CPI overstates inflation by failing to adequately recognize that consumers change their behavior when prices of some products and services rise sharply. When that happens, economists say, people simply buy cheaper substitute products...carrots instead of peas or tea instead of coffee. While coffee drinkers might rebel at that, the case gets even stickier with other substitutions. Is hamburger a reasonable substitute for steak? Is a compact car a reasonable substitute for a full-size one? Is pasta a reasonable substitute for fish? Is shopping at a discount store a reasonable substitute for shopping at a high-end department store? We’re not just talking about price substitution here. It’s also about quality-of-life substitution, and that’s where the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) thinks a line must be drawn. Over time, this mentality leads to substantial changes in living patterns...from steak to hamburger to hot dogs to...let’s not go there. While critics might argue this wouldn’t actually happen, there’s no practical safeguard to prevent it. If A can be substituted for B, then B later can be substituted for C, once you’ve accepted the substitution philosophy. Let’s look beyond the philosophy to the bottom line. The chained CPI would reduce retired pay and other COLAs by about one-quarter of a percentage point each year. That doesn’t sound like much, until you see how that would compound over a retiree’s lifetime. Military retirees and the disabled particularly would be affected because they start drawing inflation-adjusted pay at relatively younger ages. For a military retiree, switching to a chained CPI COLA would reduce total lifetime retired pay by about 6 percent. That’s about $100,000 for an E-7 retiring today with 20 years of service. A newly retiring O-5 with 20 years of service would lose double that amount. And that’s for someone living an average lifespan (early 80s). Half will live longer, and expected longevity is rising every year. Three other factors are relevant here, as well.

* First, the Bureau of Labor Statistics already made a change to allow some relatively modest substitutions (of the peas and carrots variety) several years ago.

* Second, when COLA changes (delays) previously were proposed in the 1990s, the outcry from seniors successfully won an exemption for Social Security, leaving COLA penalties to fall disproportionally on military retirees.

* Third, smaller COLAs aren’t the only penalty of the chained CPI, because it also would be used for tax threshold adjustments. Smaller annual tax-bracket adjustments mean … guess what? More people shifting into higher tax brackets every year. For all of these reasons, MOAA is not a fan of the chained CPI. Some think it’s the lesser of the evils we might face during the coming fiscal crunch, and that might well be true. But that doesn’t make it right.

     If you agree, MOAA asks you use their suggested message at http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=51440506&PROCESS=Take+Action to urge your elected officials to avoid options like the chained CPI that disproportionally affect those who already have sacrificed the most for their country.

    If you prefer you can use the NCOA Action alert provided letter at http://capwiz.com/ncoausa/issues/alert/?alertid=52258501&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

[Source: MOAA Leg Up Steve Strobridge article 15 Jul 2011 ++ Col. Steve Strobridge, USAF-Ret.,Dir. MOAA Government Relations

Copper’s Antibacterial Properties: A recent article in Reuters reports on trials of anti-bacterial properties of copper carried out in the U.S. by teams of doctors at the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in South Carolina and New York City’s Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. This product development has been noted before with countless reports supporting the use of copper. The latest piece of research, arguably more thorough and wide ranging than anything previously published, takes four years of sample data and testing. The conclusions demonstrate unequivocal support of the benefits of copper’s anti-bacterial properties and have encouraged the authors to present their findings to the World Health Organization in Switzerland. Reports from elsewhere support the findings. For example, a hospital’s intensive care unit in the mining city of Calama in Chile’s far north installed copper plating and researchers noted a sharp drop in infections. The trial showed copper surfaces killed over 82% of bacteria within hours. Other studies show copper killed over 90% of bacteria. The U.S. research, funded by the Defense Department and spearheaded by the Copper Development Association leaves the reader wondering if the Defense Department will follow up on the findings by mandating all hospitals rip out their steel and plastic surfaces and replace them with copper. If they don’t how will state or private sector institutions do so? The EPA has already granted copper antimicrobial registration status for use in 75 applications in health-care situations, over 30 in public works, 46 in residential and ten in mass transit applications. This begs the question, how frequently does one see a copper door handle, handrail or faucet? Widespread adoption of any new material relates more to aesthetic desirability than practicality. The idea of stainless steel work surfaces or fridge doors would have mortified our parents, thinking them far too industrial. White plastic or melamine laminates served as the best surfaces of the day, as much for their visual appeal as their ability to appear clean and germ free. The use of stainless steel by chefs and in commercial kitchens made it a desirable material for residential applications, and so copper will likely follow a similar path. However much the industry proves the case for copper’s antibacterial benefits, the material needs to make a leap of aesthetic desirability as much as anything. Even for use in hospitals and public buildings, architects and designers value the aesthetics appeal along with the anti-microbial benefits.

     Can copper bridge the gap? Hospital-acquired infections, which kill more than 100,000 people a year in the United States and cost $45 billion per year to treat, create high costs both in loss of life and money. Which brings us to an even bigger problem than aesthetics, money. The cost of substituting copper for stainless steel could make it cost prohibitive, particularly for cash strapped government organizations. It may prove difficult to make a business case to outlay the cash today in the hope of saving money in the future. Nevertheless the research may well move the needle in copper’s favor. Copper producers estimate between 250,000 to 1 million tons a year in additional copper demand could result from anti-bacterial uses, or about 5 percent of the world’s mined copper output. For a metal in surplus only to the tune of 40,000 tons in 2010 according to the World Bureau of Statistics, a market moving level of additional demand could prove significant.

[Source: Metl Miner: Market Analysis Stuart Burns article 13 Jul 2011 ++]

Agent Orange Korea Update 05: Using such modern tools as ground-penetrating radar and conducting analyses of water and soil core samples, a team of investigators in South Korea is searching for clues to a decades-old mystery: Did American soldiers dispose of the defoliant Agent Orange at a U.S.-run base about 150 miles southeast of Seoul in 1978? For weeks, a U.S.-South Korean survey team has focused on a helipad site at the Camp Carroll base. Recently, tiny amounts of a toxic element found in Agent Orange were discovered in three nearby streams. But South Korean officials say the amount of dioxin is too small to cause health problems such as cancer or birth defects and has not yet been connected to the alleged burial of drums containing Agent Orange at the base. U.S. officials say they have no evidence or records of Agent Orange ever being kept at the base. The investigation was launched after a U.S. veteran told a Phoenix television station in May that he and others buried dozens of drums containing Agent Orange at Camp Carroll more than three decades ago. “We’re taking the claim very seriously,” said U.S. Army Col. Joseph F. Birchmeier, an engineer and co-chairman of the joint investigative team. “Our focus is on the health and safety of U.S. soldiers and their families at Camp Carroll and of residents around the base.”

[Source: Los Angeles Times John M. Glionna article 21 Jul 2011 ++]

     South Korean technicians conduct a ground-penetrating radar survey at Camp Carroll, a U.S. base in Waegwan, South Korea, to search for drums of Agent Orange possibly buried there.

Vet Toxic Exposure ~ Lejeune Update 23: After a U.S. District Court judge dismissed the case of Laura Jones, of Glenwood, Iowa recently, lawyers of the woman who believes the time she lived aboard Camp Lejeune caused her non-Hodgkins lymphoma said they have filed an appeal. Court documents show she lived aboard Camp Lejeune with her Marine husband from 1980 to 1983, during a period in which base drinking water was contaminated with a variety of chemical solvents, including TCE and PCE. After learning about the contamination in 2005, two years after her diagnosis with cancer, Jones submitted a complaint to the Navy, then filed a $10 million injury lawsuit against the department in 2009. Since the suit’s filing, judges have denied three motions for dismissal from the Navy on grounds that the suit was outside North Carolina’s 10-year statute of repose for injury claims and that TCE and PCE were unregulated during the period of contamination. Judge Terrence Boyle ruled that the statute of repose did not apply to latent diseases and cited documents showing that Lejeune was in violation of Navy Medicine’s own chemical standards. But on 20 JUL, Judge J. Owen Forester granted the Navy’s motion for summary judgment on the case because Jones failed to reveal that she and her husband had filed for bankruptcy in 2008 or to note the suit in her filing. Quoted at a 18 MAR deposition, Jones said she had never expected the water lawsuit to advance and thus had not revealed the bankruptcy filing. “We didn’t think there would be money coming, and if it did, it would be like 10 years down the road,” she said in a deposition transcript. “So it was more like a pipe dream than a reality.” Though Jones’s representation argued she had not intended to defraud anyone by failing to give full information, Forester said intent may be inferred and dismissed the case. Later the same day, Jones’s attorney Douglas P. Desjardins, of the Transportation Injury Law Group, filed a notice of appeal. “We’ll see what happens,” he told The Daily News on Monday. Desjardins said the process of ruling on the appeal would likely take a year and a half. Meanwhile, he said, roughly four companion cases from other plaintiffs affected by Lejeune water contamination would remain before Forester. The Navy and Marine Corps do not comment on pending litigation. [Source: Jacksonville Daily News Hope Hodge article 19 Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Toxic Exposure ~TCE: As early as WWII, United States Air Force and other Military bases used and disposed of chemical degreasers and other toxic substances that were later determined to contaminate drinking water and pose multiple health risks including: Cancers, Reproductive disorders, Birth defects, and Multiple other serious difficulties. Countless military personnel, their families, and private individuals living and working in the near vicinity of the bases may have been affected by these contaminates, through drinking water, general water usage and exposure through vapor seepage. The four most alarming contaminants are: Trichloroethylene (TCE), Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), Vinyl Chloride, and Benzene. Scientific studies show that some or all of these chemical compounds have breached the ground water supply on several of our US Military Bases and in some instances, have affected civilian properties adjacent to the bases including churches, schools and private wells. Currently, on-going research is being conducted on military bases around the country and on properties directly adjacent to these bases to identify just how wide spread this contamination may be. Prior to 1977, the Nebo Main Base at Barstow CA obtained potable water from six on-base production wells for drinking and operations. The water was used by people working and living on-base. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), evaluated the human exposure to this water because these wells had the potential to be impacted by the Nebo Main Base - northern plume and the Barstow area wide groundwater contamination. The northern plume is an area of groundwater contamination caused by historical disposable practices at Warehouse 2 and surrounding buildings. This warehouse was built in 1942 and the wells were installed from 1942 to 1969. The predominant contaminant in the northern plume is tetrachloroethene. In 1997, MCLB stopped using the wells for drinking and production water because of high levels of total dissolved solids. Water was then obtained from the City of Barstow. The production wells were used after 1977 to irrigate the golf course. The Barstow area wide groundwater contamination is a regional area of groundwater contamination identified by high total dissolved solids caused by off-base upgradient municipal and industrial-waste discharges and upgradient recharge of the aquifers by irrigation. Prior to 1994, limited well data are available. The data that does exist includes the analysis of water quality parameters such as major cation, anions, and a few other chemicals such as phenols, trihalomethanes, and mercury. Prior to 1994, the well water was not analyzed for the type of chemicals found in the Nebo Main Base - northern plume. After 1994, the production wells were sampled once in 1994 and in 1999 for the contaminants found in the northern plume. Of the chemicals analyzed for, only trichlorobenzene was found in the 1994 samples and it was below levels of public health concern. MCLB has investigated the Nebo Main Base - northern plume since 1983 and found that the plume is limited in the upper 20 feet of the aquifer and extends to the edges of the Mojave River. Concentrations at the Mojave River are below MCLs. MCLB is currently cleaning up the groundwater.

For additional info refer to http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/hac/pha/pha.asp?docid=8&pg=0

[Source: http://www.militarycontamination.com Jul 2011 ++]

Saving Money: When in doubt, throw it out.” While that sounds like a decidedly unscientific way to approach your groceries, it may be better than relying on “sell-by”, “use-by,” and other dates stamped on food. No food stays fresh forever. No, not even Twinkies. (Honey comes close, though.) Knowing the expiration date is important to avoid getting sick and wasting money. But figuring out how long food actually lasts can be confusing: Labels use various phrasings to describe shelf life, like “sell by,” “use by,” and “best by.” Others seem to have only a date, with no explanation what it means. The most surprising fact when it comes to food dating? With the exception of baby food and formula, the U.S. Department of Agriculture doesn’t require dates at all, nor is there a uniform system for dispensing them. From the USDA website: There is no uniform or universally accepted system used for food dating in the United States. Although dating of some foods is required by more than 20 states, there are areas of the country where much of the food supply has some type of open date and other areas where almost no food is dated. The most important thing when it comes to food dating is to trust your senses. If it looks, smells, or tastes off, toss it. Poor storage and packaging defects can cause food to go bad before its time. Assuming the food is properly preserved, though, here’s a quick primer on how to use dates… Sell-by dates - These dates aren’t that helpful for predicting the expiration of food you already have at home – a week or two past may be fine, but it’s not exact. “Sell-by” reflects store policy, not USDA rules. It’s telling shelf stockers when food needs to be moved from its regular place to the store’s clearance area. Especially if you plan to cook or freeze the food immediately, sell-by dates can lead to great buys. Use-by or best-by dates - These dates are basically quality guarantees by the manufacturer: The proper flavor and quality should last until at least this date when properly stored. Often these products are fine to eat past the listed date – but they might not taste great. The USDA says, “’Use-by’ dates usually refer to best quality and are not safety dates. But even if the date expires during home storage, a product should be safe, wholesome and of good quality if handled properly and kept at 40 °F or below.” Save money by not throwing out food that’s still safe if not quite as savory. Expiration dates - While the federal government doesn’t require these, some states do on certain products – especially dairy, and often meat. This is one area where you don’t want to cut corners. If the label explicitly mentions expiration, listen to it – with one exception from EggSafety.org: “Cartons may carry an expiration date (EXP) beyond which the eggs should not be sold, but are still safe to eat.” The USDA says you have 3 to 5 weeks from purchase. The USDA also has a convenient list of storage times, which is combined below: Fresh or uncooked food in the fridge: Follow use-by date. For a sell-by date or no date, cook or freeze within this time frame: • Hard cheese: 2-3 months• Eggs: 3-5 weeks

* Yogurt: 3 weeks• Soft cheese: 1 week• Cured ham: 5-7 days• Beef, veal, pork, lamb: 3-5 days• Milk: 3-5 days• Poultry and ground meat: 1-2 days• Variety meats (liver, tongue, etc.): 1-2 days• Sausage from pork, beef, or turkey: 1-2 daysCooked or processed foods in the fridge: Follow use-by date. For a sell-by date or no date, cook or freeze within this time frame:

* Canned ham: 9 months unopened, 3-4 days after opening• Bacon or hot dogs: 2 weeks unopened, 7 days after opening• Luncheon meat: 2 weeks unopened, 3 -5 days after opening

* Commercial sliced bread: 2 weeks

* Cooked ham: 1 week unopened, 1 week after opening (3 days if sliced)

* Cooked poultry or sausage: 3-4 days unopened, 3-4 days after opening Pantry/cupboard :

* Canned fruits and vegetables: 2-5 years• High-acid foods (pickles, tomatoes): 12 to 18 months

* Commercial sliced bread: 1 week

     For more info on food handling and preparation, safety, and labeling, visit the USDA website Fact Sheets at. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/index.asp

[Source: MoneyTalksNews Brandon Ballenger article 18 Jul 2011 ++]

Notes of Interest:

? Tricare Pharmacy. MuGard, a medicine for the treatment of oral mucositis has been added to the list of TRICARE covered pharmacy items. Oral mucositis is a debilitating side effect of many anticancer treatments. Up to 40% of all patients receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy develop moderate to severe mucositis, and almost all patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancer and those undergoing stem cell transplantation develop mucositis.

? Restaurant Menus. Researchers who used bomb calorimetry to measure the energy (caloric) content of food items in restaurants in three states last year found significant differences between measured and stated amounts. Of 269 items, 50 (19%) contained at least 100 calories per portion more than the stated caloric contents. Of the 10% with the highest difference in the initial sampling, 13 of 17 were available for a second sampling. In the first analysis, these foods averaged 289 calories per portion more than the stated contents; in the second analysis, they averaged 258 calories per portion. Foods with relatively low stated caloric content--the most appropriate choices for individuals trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain--contained more calories than stated, whereas foods with high stated caloric content contained fewer calories than stated. [Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21771989]/.

? Presidential Coins. Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) to save taxpayers money introduced a bill (S.1385) to repeal the 2005 Presidential Dollar Coin Act to honor all 44 U.S. chief executives on a $1 piece by 2016. Some 1.252 billion presidential $1 coins are currently sitting in plastic bags or boxes on shelves in vaults in Philadelphia and Baltimore. The cost of making the coins is about 32 cents each, or $576,000 per day.

? Vet Guns. A House Veterans Affairs panel on 22 JUL advanced a bill that would clarify the right of mentally incapacitated veterans to buy firearms. The Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs approved the measure (H.R.1898), sponsored by Rep. Denny Rehberg (R-MT), which provides that persons found to be "mentally incompetent" would not be prohibited from buying or transporting firearms, unless a judge or other judicial authority asserts that they are a danger to themselves or others.

? Lejeune Water Contamination Booklet. The USMC official website has removed a much-disputed pamphlet describing the history and effects of Camp Lejeune contaminated water. The much disputed booklet cited the 2009 National Research Council Report which downplayed the link between the contaminated water and adverse health affects.

? COLA. Inflation dropped 0.2% in June, marking the first time in ninth months the Consumer Price Index hasn't risen. With four months left in the fiscal year, cumulative inflation stands at 3.2%.? Pro Flowers. Sending flowers via phone or online is a convenience but buyer beware. Although not a scam Pro Flowers seems to have an unusual number of complaints on their shipping/charging policies. Check out http://www.ripoffreport.com/directory/Pro-Flowers.aspx.

? VA Home loans. According to Veterans Affairs, 66,000 veterans defaulted on home loans last year and were assisted by the department, but that number did not include the tens of thousands of other veterans who faced foreclosure on FHA or conventional mortgages or those in the National Guard who fell behind their mortgage payments while deployed, leaving the actual number of defaulting veterans unknown.

? VA Workforce Diversity. The DVA has been selected by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) to receive the Outstanding HACU Public Partner Award in recognition of the Department's efforts to bring Hispanics into its workforce. The VA’s student intern program averages 58 participants every summer.

? Tylenol. McNeil Consumer Healthcare announced it is lowering the maximum daily dose instructions for Extra Strength Tylenol to six pills a day (3,000 mg) to reduce the risk of acetaminophen overdose.

? Brown Water ships. VA has not yet posted an updated list of oceangoing U.S. Navy vessels presumed to have been exposed to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. The list of so-called Brown Water ships should be available at VA's website sometime during the first week in August, officials say. VA began updating the Brown Water list a year ago. In April, the agency said it was expanding the list from 150 to 170 ships. However, it has so far not made the new list public.

? Military Retirement. The military’s “contribution” for retirement is “10 times greater than in the private sector. Average private sector pension contributions range from 4-12 percent per year [while the] military retirement benefit equates to 75 percent of annual pay per year for those who retire after 30 years.

? Degreaser. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division at Patuxent River said 29 JUL that a chemist in its material laboratory developed an environmental friendly product called NAVSOLVE. The solvent is not petroleum-based, has lower emissions and a higher flash point than products typically used for cleaning machinery and aircraft components. [Source: Various 16-31 Jul 2011 ++]

Medicare Fraud Update 72:

? Miami FL - The manager of a Miami health care agency and a registered nurse pleaded guilty 13 JULfor their participation in a $25 million home health Medicare fraud scheme. Lisandra Alonso, 33, and Luisa Morciego, 39, each pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joan A. Lenard in Miami to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Alonso and Morciego were charged in a FEB 2011 indictment. Alonso was a manager and patient recruiter for ABC Home Health Care. Morciego was a registered nurse and worked for ABC and Florida Home Health Care Providers Inc. ABC and Florida Home Health were Miami home health care agencies that purported to provide home health and physical therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries. ABC and Florida Home Health were operated for the purpose of billing the Medicare program for expensive physical therapy and home health care services that were medically unnecessary and/or were never provided. Beginning in approximately JAN 06 and continuing until MAR 09, Alonso taught the owners and operators of ABC how to operate a fraudulent home health agency. Alonso explained the structure of the corrupt scheme, specifically the importance of recruiters, kickbacks, doctors, beneficiaries and Medicare billing. Alonso negotiated kickback payment rates between patient recruiters and the ABC owners and operators, distributed the kickback payments to patient recruiters on behalf of the ABC owners and operators., and served as a patient recruiter for ABC. She paid kickbacks and bribes to beneficiaries in return for those beneficiaries allowing ABC to bill Medicare for services that were medically unnecessary and/or never provided. Alonso also taught nurses at ABC how to falsify patient files for Medicare beneficiaries to make it appear that such beneficiaries qualified for home health care and therapy services from ABC. Alonso taught the nurses to do so by, among other things, describing in the nursing notes and patient files non-existent symptoms such as tremors, impaired vision, weak grip and inability to walk without assistance. These symptoms were described to make it appear that the patients qualified for home health care benefits under Medicare. Alonso admitted that the files were falsified so that ABC could bill Medicare for medically unnecessary services. Nurses employed by ABC also paid kickbacks to Alonso in return for being assigned patients at ABC. As a result of Alonso’s participation in the illegal scheme, the Medicare program was billed approximately $17 million for home health care services that were medically unnecessary and/or were never provided.

? Gatlinburg TN - Allen R. Foster, 49, was sentenced to a year in federal prison and three years of supervised release in a Knoxville federal courtroom 15 JUL. The sentencing followed a guilty plea in February. Foster must also pay $74,307 in restitution to Medicare, $65,837 to TennCare, and $596,761 to the IRS. Foster also agreed to surrender his license to practice medicine to the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners.Court documents show that Foster billed Medicare and TennCare for pain management patients who were never seen face-to-face, but who were provided prescriptions during monthly visits to offices in Knoxville and Morristown in 2006 and 2007. The tax offense involved not filing a tax return for the 2005 tax year.

? Miami FL - Jorge Zamora, 48, pleaded guilty 14 JUL to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to court documents, Zamora was an owner of Dynamic Therapy Inc. Zamora and his co-conspirators purchased Dynamic from its previous owners, and transformed it into a fraudulent enterprise. Dynamic purported to provide physical therapy services to Medicare beneficiaries, but in reality used the stolen identities of a physical therapist and scores of patients to bill Medicare for physical therapy services that were never provided. From fall 2009 to summer 2010, Zamora and his co-conspirators submitted and caused the submission of $757,654 in fraudulent claims to the Medicare program by Dynamic. Zamora admitted that he and his co-conspirators submitted claims to Medicare for physical therapy services that were never provided. Three officers of Dynamic Therapy also have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud. At sentencing, Zamora faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date has not been set.

? San Antonio TX - Pharmacist Marcelleus Anunobi, 47, ordered last year to serve 20 years in prison for defrauding Texas' Medicaid program returned to the same courtroom 19 JUL, this time pleading no contest to illicit business practices concerning two other insurance providers. He also agreed to forfeit $163,000 from investment accounts as well as his rare coin collection, which was seized by the government last year and appraised at $250,000. Anunobi, whose trial began a year ago, operated Advanced Doctor's Prescribed Pharmacy in 2007 and 2008. He would obtain Medicaid numbers from children — including a group of Somali refugees — and continually bill the government for massive amounts of medications that patients neither asked for nor received. Prosecutors said he bilked the program of $2.5 million. On the 19th, he agreed to a concurrent 20-year sentence for using the same scheme to steal $184,613 from Tricare. He also took a concurrent 10-year sentence for defrauding Aetna Health Insurance of $32,492. He has agreed to pay restitution to both companies and has dropped his appeal of the jury's verdict last year. His pleas were motivated in large part by a pending investigation of his wife, local pediatrician Endaline Anunobi, on money laundering charges concerning the seized coins.“Mr. Anunobi wants to do everything in his power to keep his wife from being prosecuted,” he said. “He's hoping that by taking the blame for everything they'll let his wife go.” Marcelleus J. Anunobi at the 227th district courtroom in San Antonio.

? Jersey City NJ - Neurologist Dr. Madgy Elamir, who previously was arrested in connection with a major Medicaid fraud and narcotics trafficking investigation, was re-arrested on 25 JUL for engaging in the practice of medicine while his license is suspended and submitting fraudulent prescription claims to be submitted to Medicaid. Elamir, 58, was charged with health care claims fraud, Medicaid fraud and the practice of medicine by an unlicensed perso. Bail was set at $1 million cash or bond . Elamir is scheduled to go on trial in September in connection with a 15 JUL 2010 indictment charging him for his alleged role in a major network that engaged in narcotics trafficking and Medicaid fraud. Thst indictment alleges that between 2007 and 2009, he conspired with others to submit fraudulent claims to Medicaid and received payments for medical examinations that had not been provided. It also is alleged that he conspired to write medically unnecessary prescriptions for Medicaid beneficiaries, thereby causing pharmacies to submit claims to Medicaid for the medically unnecessary drugs. Dr. Magdy Elamir

? Frankfort KY - Attorney General Jack Conway alleged in a lawsuit 25 JUL that drug wholesaler McKesson Corp. conspired with a price data service to illegally inflate the drug reimbursements paid out through state Medicaid. McKesson — the largest drug distributor nationwide — plotted with First DataBank to distort pricing information on more than 1,800 brand-name prescription drugs over the past decade, the suit alleges. The scheme allowed pharmacies to reap higher profits, but Medicaid made up the difference, overpaying for drugs by tens of millions of dollars, according to the Attorney General's office. First DataBank compiles figures on wholesale drug prices, which Medicaid references to reimburse pharmacies after the drugs are sold to consumers. Medicaid bases its payments on the acquisition costs of drugs. Conway's suit says the fraud began in 2001, when McKesson asked First DataBank to inflate the prices it reported by 5 percentage points. The companies wanted to boost goodwill with retailers by spurring higher reimbursements while keeping the actual costs consistent, the suit claims.

? Massachusetts - Rite Aid Corp. will pay the state $2.1 million, becoming the fifth major company to settle with the attorney general’s office for allegedly overcharging for prescription drugs. The settlement with the drugstore chain was a result of them allegedly charging Massachusetts cities and towns $1 million more for workers’ compensation claims than it billed insurance companies. State law requires pharmacies to offer state entities the best price paid by any company. Collectively, Walgreen Co., Shaw’s Supermarkets Inc., Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., CVS Caremark Corp., and Rite Aid have settled for almost $8 million in similar cases since an investigation began two years ago. Records were available only back to 2002 for the investigation and the overcharging could have occurred before that, as well. One hundred cities and towns will share the $2.1 million payout from Rite Aid. Boston will receive the largest amount, about $41,000, while several other municipalities, including Lawrence, Lowell, Springfield, and Wrentham, will each receive more than $10,000. Rite Aid made no admission of wrongdoing in the settlement.

? Brooklyn NY - Pharmacists Luba Balyasny, 46, and Alla Shrayber, 40, were arrested 26 JUL for allegedly defrauding Medicare of more than $3 million after billing the federal government for prescriptions they never filled. Each is charged with conspiracy to commit health care fraud. According to investigators, from January 2007 through December 2009, Balyasny and Shrayber systematically submitted false claims totaling 869,698 units to the Medicare Part D program through their pharmacies for medications that they did not purchase or dispense. HHS-OIG agents searched both pharmacies seizing more than 90 boxes containing wholesaler invoices, prescriptions, financial records Medicare correspondence and other business files. If convicted, Balyasny and Shrayber could face up to 10 years in federal prison.

? Baton Rouge LA - Thompson W. Chinwoh has been sentenced to four years in federal prison in a scheme that defrauded Medicare of $878,280. His attorney asked U.S. District Judge James J. Brady on 18 JUL to consider a sentence of probation. The Assistant U.S. Attorney argued for a prison term of nearly seven years. The prosecutor said Chinwoh's business partner, Samuel B. Johnson, earlier was sentenced to five years in prison. Chinwoh worked with Johnson at their Medical Supplies of Baton Rouge Inc. Both men admitted they defrauded Medicare by submitting bogus bills for power wheelchairs and other medical equipment that either had not been prescribed by physicians or were never delivered to patients.

? Tennessee - Psychotherapy fraud is becoming more and more common. Janet Renee Vaughn claimed she spent 20-30 minutes with patients at the Humphreys County nursing home and billed Medicare tens of thousands of dollars. But a video proved she spent less than five minutes with many residents and fabricated reports turned into Medicare. Agents caught Vaughn after hiding a camera in an alarm clock then watching how long she interacted with patients. She pleaded guilty to health care fraud and must re-pay the government more than $85,000. Glene Moye and Tabitha Jones pled guilty to defrauding Medicare of more than a million dollars. Their Nashville based health care company billed Medicare for psychotherapy services that either never happened or was done by unlicensed people. Then there's the case of Nashville doctor Cupid Poe. He pleaded guilty to fraud that involved sending untrained people like former patient, Delano Avent, into nursing homes to council residents. Dr. Poe billed taxpayers for counseling done by someone who was not licensed. Poe actually gave information that helped prosecute Candyce Jones. Her company billed Medicare for psychotherapy that either never happened or was performed by untrained people. This case involved a $650,000 loss to the Medicare program.

[Source: Fraud News Daily 16-31 Jul 2011 ++]

Medicad Fraud Update 44:

? Washington Cnty OR - The last of four family members who were suspects in a Medicaid fraud ring that went on from 2006 to 2009 has been convicted. In AUG 2010, three of the family members pleaded guilty to multiple counts of theft and fraud after an eight-month investigation by federal and state agencies. The family was accused of receiving more than $100,000 by filing false claims for progressive disabilities so they could qualify for government assistance. The ringleader, Rania S. Hamad, 34, received 13 months in prison, while her husband, Zack H. Maysi, 45, and her mother, Nahla S. Awad, 72, were given probation. The three paid the federal government $93,583.96 in restitution for money they defrauded from Medicaid. Awad was also ordered to pay $8,131 in restitution to the U.S. Social Security Administration. Rania Hamad's brother, Ahmad Hamad Hamad, 48, fled overseas but was arrested on 14 FEB by U.S. Marshals upon discharge from a Portland hospital. Officials did not say when Ahmad Hamad returned to the United States and would not comment on how they discovered his whereabouts. On 23 JUN Ahmad Hamad pleaded guilty to six of 99 counts he was facing. The 99 counts consisted of multiple charges of first-degree theft and of making false claims for health care payments. Ahmad Hamad Hamad

? New York NY - Indictments were handed out in connection with a scam that cost the city's Human Resources Administration nearly $100,000. The cases include 12 people who allegedly used Medicaid to fund a prescription drug ring. The ringleaders used a doctor's office on Grand Street in Bushwick to write fake prescriptions for Oxycontin and then sold the narcotic on the street. They made more than $200,000 in profit, while Medicaid lost $96,000. The ringleaders included two women who worked at a doctor's office and another who worked in a pharmacy across the street. Their nine alleged co-conspirators, who are Medicaid recipients, allegedly went to various Brooklyn pharmacies to fill the phony prescriptions. All 12 defendants are being charged with second degree grand larceny. Sandra Quinones, Jennifer Garrastegui and Lindsay Ortiz face additional charges including forgery and conspiracy.

? Hermiston OR - Barbara Kashuba will spend 19 months in prison for Medicaid fraud following sentencing 22 JUL in a case that involved her husband, Kenneth Kashuba, and his cousin, John. She received the same sentence as her husband on 37 counts of fraud, including making false claims to Medicaid, theft I and unlawful use of food stamps. The several dozen charges filed against the three stemmed from claims regarding John Kashuba's health. Kenneth and Barbara Kashuba filed for Medicaid money, claiming they were providing care for John Kashuba, who suffered severe medical conditions, leaving him unable to walk or drive, among other things. Kashubaclaimed he couldn't even squeeze a tube of toothpaste himself. DOJ investigators began putting a case together following a DHS report and provided contrary video and visual surveillance evidence to jury. John Kashuba received a probation of five years for his part in the scam. The reduced sentence was due to his poor health. Kenneth and Barbara both received 19 months in prison, along with three years post-prison supervision. All three will face $77,520 in fines.

? Brownsville TX - Felicitas Velez Alanis, 50, and her daughter Erika Ortega Alanis, 26, were arrested 28 JUL by state and federal authorities for health care fraud charges. A federal grand jury indictment alleges that between Jan. 1, 2005 and Oct. 12, 2006, the women submitted more than $646,000 in false and fraudulent bills to the Texas Medicaid program. Felicitias Alanis owns and operates Ve-Ala Inc., a corporation that does business as Nisi Medical Equipment Supply around the Brownsville and Harlingen areas. Erika Alanis was in charge of the day-to-day operations of the company. [Source: Fraud News Daily 16-31 Jul 2011 ++]

State Veteran's Benefits: The state of Nevada provides several benefits to veterans as indicated below. To obtain information on these refer to the “Veteran State Benefits NV” attachment to this Bulletin for an overview of those benefits listed below. Benefits are available to veterans who are residents of the state. For a more detailed explanation of each click on “Learn more about …” wording highlighted in blue on the attachment.• Housing Benefits

* Financial Assistance Benefits

* Employment Benefits

* Other State Veteran Benefits

[Source: http://www.military.com/benefits Jul 2011 ++]

Military History: The Texas Army National Guard has a proud history that has not only influenced but, has come to define its military culture. Texas has traditionally been committed to the defense of its nation and usually contributes more troops to the U.S. military than any other state. The Texas Army National Guard traces their beginnings to the fight for Texas’ independence from Mexico. The spirit of the defenders of the Alamo, and the victorious men that carried the day on the grounds of San Jacinto, is alive and well in the hearts of every Texas National Guard soldier and airman. The TXARNG is a state military force in local operation but trains and fights alongside the federal Army, daubed “Big Army”. They call themselves “citizen soldiers” because although they have the same training as “Big Army”, they only serve one weekend out of the month, unless called into active duty. The TXARNG has fought in every major conflict that the Unites States has faced; however it received its greatest distinctions when it became activated and deployed to the European theater of WWII. Some modern historians tend to forget the glory and sacrifice of the “T-patchers’” and instead attack the competency and character of the command of the TXARNG as well as that of “Big Army”. The TXARNG was one of the most decorated elements of the U.S. Army and unfortunately, it received some of the highest casualties of the entire war. Controversy surrounded the Anzio offensive as well as Gen. John E. Dahlquist in France, due to the high amount of casualties. . To read more about the details of this controversy and the performance of the TXARNG during WWII refer to this Bulletin’s attachment titled, “Remember the Alamo!-Anzio!”. [Source: http://www.militaryhistoryonline.com/wwii/articles/texasnationalguard.aspx Landon

Military History Anniversaries:

Significant August events in U.S. Military History are:

* Aug 01 1801 - Tripolitan War: The schooner USS Enterprise defeated the 14-gun Tripolitan corsair Tripoli after a fierce but one-sided battle.

* Aug 01 1942 - WWII: Ensign Henry C. White, while flying a J4F Widgeon plane, sinks U-166 as it approaches the Mississippi River, the first U-boat sunk by the U.S. Coast Guard.

* Aug 01 1950 - Korea: Lead elements of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division arrive in country from the U.S, in defense of Pusan/Naktong Perimeter

* Aug 02 1990 - Iraq: Iraq invades Kuwait initiating Operation Desert Shield which became Desert Storm on 17 JAN 91 when it became clear he would not leave.

* Aug 03 1958 - Cold War: The first nuclear submarine USS Nautilus passes under the North Pole.

* Aug 04 1790 - The Revenue Cutter Service, forerunner of the COAST GUARD was established by Alexander Hamilton.

* Aug 04 1952 - Korea: Battle for Old Baldy (Hill 266) which commenced on 26 JUN ends.

* Aug 04 1964 - Vietnam: The U.S.S. Maddox and Turner Joy exchange fire with North Vietnamese patrol boats.

* Aug 05 1861 - Civil War: Congress adopts the nation’s first income tax to finance the Civil War.

* Aug 05 1864 - Civil War: Admiral David Farragut, USN, exclaiming "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead," ran through a Confederate minefield at Mobile Bay, Alabama, and captured a defending group of Confederate ships.

* Aug 05 1951 - Korea: The United Nations Command suspends armistice talks with the North Koreans when armed troops are spotted in neutral areas.

* Aug 05 1995 - Operation Storm begins in Croatia.• Aug 06 1945 - WWII: Paul Tibbets, the commander of Enola Gay, drops the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.

* Aug 07 1782 - Revolutionary War: Purple Heart day. General George Washington authorizes the award of the Purple Heart for soldiers as an award for military merit. Only 3 were given. As we know it today it was reestablished in 1932 to coincide with the 200th anniversary of the birth of George Washington.

* Aug 07 1942 - WWII: The U.S. 1st Marine Division lands on the islands of Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon islands. This is the first American amphibious landing of the war.

* Aug 07 1964 - Vietnam: Congress overwhelmingly passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, allowing the president to use unlimited military force to prevent attacks on U.S. forces.

* Aug 08 1942 - WWII: U.S. Marines capture the Japanese airstrip on Guadalcanal.

* Aug 08 1944 - WWII: U.S. forces complete the capture of the Marianas Islands.

* Aug 08 1950 - Korea: U.S. troops repel the first North Korean attempt to overrun them at the battle of Naktong Bulge, which continued for 10 days.

* Aug 09 1945 - WWII: The B-29 bomber Bock’s Car drops a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan. It was the second atomic bomb that induced the Japanese to surrender.

* Aug 10 1950 - Korea: President Harry S. Truman calls the National Guard to active duty to fight in the Korean War.

* Aug 11 1972 - Vietnam: The last U.S. ground forces withdraw from Vietnam.

* Aug 12 1898 - Spanish American War: Conflict officially ends after three months and 22 days of hostilities.

* Aug 12 1952 - Korea: The Battle of Bunker Hill (Hill 122) began which continues for 4 days• Aug 12 1969 - Vietnam: American installations at Quan-Loi come under Viet Cong attack.

* Aug 13 1898 - Philippine-American War: Manila, the capital of the Philippines, falls to the U.S. Army.

* Aug 14 1945 - WWII: The Empire of Japan surrendered to the Allied forces, ending World War II.

* Aug 14 1973 - Vietnam: The United States ends the "secret" bombing of Cambodia.

* Aug 15 1942 - WWII: The Japanese submarine I-25 departs Japan with a floatplane in its hold which will be assembled upon arriving off the West Coast and used to bomb U.S. forests.

* Aug 15 1950 - Korea: Two U.S. divisions are badly mauled by the North Korean Army at the Battle of the Bowling Alley in South Korea, which rages on for five more days.

[Source: Various Jul 2011 ++]

Military Trivia Update 32:

1. What South Vietnamese decoration was issued to almost all US soldiers in Vietnam?

2. For a period of time the RVN government awarded their highest gallantry award posthumously to any enlisted and NCO US soldier killed in action.

What award was this?

3. On the RVN Campaign Medal there is something odd about its ribbon device.

What is it?

4. It's 1969. You've just completed your first tour in Vietnam with the Army and wear your ribbons on your dress as you head home. Which of the following ribbons would you NOT expect to have on your jacket - RVN Campaign Medal, Soldier's Medal, Vietnam Campaign Medal, or National Defense Service Medal?

5. For your exceptional service as colonel in Vietnam the ARVN awarded you this very prestigious medal. But when you first see it you think it's kind of a joke; the thing has a plaited ribbon on a jagged background, tassels, and a rosette. What was it ?

6. What was the main problem with US soldiers being awarded the RVN Wound Medal?

7. There were Bronze and Silver Star Medals awarded to service personnel during the conflict. Was there something like a Gold Star medal?

8. Of the 246 Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipients, which of the following groups received three - Canadians, Colonels, Chaplains, or Conscientious Objectors?

9. Of the Air Force Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Aerial Achievement Medal, and Air Medal which could not possibly have been awarded to a superb pilot during the Vietnam War?10. More than 3 million US servicemen served in the Vietnam War, of which more than 150,000 were wounded.

Approximately how many Purple Hearts were awarded?

Answers

1. The Gallantry Cross Unit Citation was extensively awarded to foreign troops by the government of the RVN. By 1974 it was decided to award it retroactively to any American Army unit involved in the Vietnam Conflict between 1961 and 1974, and therefore the soldiers.

2. The Military Medal was modeled after the French Médaille Militaire, which could also only be awarded to enlisted men (and sometimes senior generals) for distinguished service. Reasoning that any man dying for the cause of the RVN made them a hero it was decided to award all of them this prestigious award. However, with the increased numbers of US troops in Vietnam, and corresponding higher number of KIAs, the number of bestowals soared, and the policy was abandoned.

3. The "1960-" device was supposed to show the start and end year of the conflict, the latter to be engraved upon victory. As the RVN lost and ceased to exist the field was left empty, with only "1960-" on the scroll.

4. The Soldier's Medal was rather rarely awarded for non-combat acts of heroism, in contrast to combat medals such as the Bronze Star Medal or the Commendation Medal with Valor Device.

5. Distinguished Service Order 1st Class. While it was based on ancient Vietnamese vestments for successful military commanders, given to them by the Emperor as a token of appreciation, it stands out as one of the most peculiar medal designs in modern history.

6. They were not allowed to wear it on their uniforms. While some may have thought that it brings them bad luck, Army regulations did not allow for the Wound Medal to be worn on the uniform, as the Purple Heart was the equivalent American decoration, and it was thus considered a needless redundancy.

7. Yes, in North Vietnam . The Gold Star was (and is) the highest decoration of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, modeled after the Soviet Gold Star Medal. There is no connection to the American Bronze and Silver Star.

8. Three. Vincent R. Capodanno, Angelo J. Liteky and Charles J. Watters. William A. Jones III was the only full-bird colonel to receive the Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War. Conscientious objector Thomas Bennett received it while serving as a medic, as did Canadian Peter C. Lemon as an infantryman.

9. Aerial Achievement Medal . It was created in 1988, well after the Vietnam War had ended. It is arguably one of the worst-looking American medals ever designed.10. Approximately 350,000. Servicemen could receive multiple awards of the Purple Heart for multiple instances of wounding. However, the figure for physical wounds dwarfs in comparison to the 830,000 soldiers who were left with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) due to the mental wounds they received in Vietnam.

[Source: http://www.funtrivia.com/quizzes/history/war_history.html Jul 2011 ++]

Tax Burden for Delaware Retirees: Many people planning to retire use the presence or absence of a state income tax as a litmus test for a retirement destination. This is a serious miscalculation since higher sales and property taxes can more than offset the lack of a state income tax. The lack of a state income tax doesn’t necessarily ensure a low total tax burden. Following are the taxes you can expect to pay if you retire in Delaware: Sales TaxesState Sales Tax: None (State collects a gross receipts tax of 2.07%)Gasoline Tax: 23 cents/gallonDiesel Fuel Tax: Tax 22 cents/gallonCigarette Tax: $1.60 cents/pack of 20 Personal Income TaxesTax Rate Range: Low - 2.2%; High - 6.95% For 2010 the state has increased the top marginal tax rate by one percentage point to 6.95 percent on income over $60,000.Income Brackets: Six. Lowest - $2,000; Highest - $60,000 Tax Credits: Single - $110; Married - $220; Dependents - $110; Over 60 - take an additional $110Standard Deduction: $3,250 if single and not itemizing; $6,500 if married filing jointly and not itemizing.Medical/Dental Deduction: NoneFederal Income Tax Deduction: NoneRetirement Income Taxes: Social Security and Railroad Retirement benefits are exempt. Taxpayers 60 and older can exclude $12,500 of investment and qualified pension income. They may qualify for an additional tax credit of $110. Out-of-state government pensions qualify for the pension and retirement exemption. Under age 60, $2,000 is exempt. If you are 65 or older on December 31, you are eligible for an additional standard deduction of $2,500 (if you do not itemize). For more information on tax rates and exemptions refer to http://revenue.delaware.gov/information/faqs_pit.shtml#RI.Retired Military Pay: Up to $2,000 of military retirement pay excluded for individuals under age 60; $12,500 if 60 or older. Military Disability Retired Pay: Retirees who entered the military before Sept. 24, 1975, and members receiving disability retirements based on combat injuries or who could receive disability payments from the VA are covered by laws giving disability broad exemption from federal income tax. Most military retired pay based on service-related disabilities also is free from federal income tax, but there is no guarantee of total protection.VA Disability Dependency and Indemnity Compensation: VA benefits are not taxable because they generally are for disabilities and are not subject to federal or state taxes.Military SBP/SSBP/RCSBP/RSFPP: Generally subject to state taxes for those states with income tax. Check with state department of revenue office. Property Taxes All real property in the state is subject to tax unless specifically exempt. Personal property, tangible and intangible property is exempt. Real estate is subject to county, school district, vocational school district and municipal property taxes. The state offers various property tax relief programs for residents age 65 and older and for residents with disabilities. For more info on this refer to http://finance.delaware.gov/publications/proptax/propmain.shtm

Homeowners 65 and older can get a credit equal to half of the school property taxes, up to $500.

For information on the senior school property tax credit refer to http://www.finance.delaware.gov/publications/proptax/proptaxq_a.shtml

For property tax rates refer to http://www.dedo.delaware.gov/pdfs/main_root/publications/2008-2009_property_tax_report.pdf

Inheritance and Estate Taxes

     In July 2005 the legislature eliminated the requirement to file a Delaware estate tax return for dates on which the federal estate tax law does not allow a credit for state death tax (currently 2005 through 2010). It has now been reinstate for decedents dying after June 30, 2009.

For further information, visit the Delaware Division of Revenue site http://revenue.delaware.gov or call 302-577-8200

[Source: http://www.retirementliving.com Jul 2011 ++]

Have You Heard?: Pearly GatesThree men; a philosopher, a mathematician and a Chief Petty Officer, were out riding in a bus, coming home from scout summer camp when it crashed into a tree. Before anyone knows it, the three men found themselves standing before the Pearly Gates of Heaven, where St. Peter and the Devil were standing nearby. Gentlemen, the Devil said, Due to the fact that Heaven is now overcrowded, St. Peter has agreed to limit the number of people entering Heaven. If anyone of you can ask me a question which I don't know or cannot answer, then you're worthy enough to go to Heaven; if not, then you'll come with me to Hell. The philosopher then stepped up, OK, give me the most comprehensive report on Socrates' teachings. With a snap of his finger, a stack of paper appeared next to the Devil. The philosopher read it and concluded it was correct. Then, go to Hell! With another snap of the Devil's finger, the philosopher disappeared. The mathematician then asked, Give me the most complicated crypto formula you can ever think of that could never be deciphered! With a snap of his finger, another stack of paper appeared next to the Devil. The mathematician read it and reluctantly agreed the code was unbreakable. Then, go to Hell! with another snap of the Devil's finger, the mathematician disappeared, too. The Chief Petty Officer then stepped forward and said, Bring me a chair! The Devil brought forward a chair.

     Drill 7 holes on the seat. The Devil did just that. The squid then sat on the chair and let out a very loud fart. Standing up, he asked, Which hole did my fart come out of? The Devil inspected the seat and said, The third hole from the right. Wrong, said the chief, it came out of my a**hole. And the Chief went to Heaven... The HeadA Chief and a captain happened to be in the head at an airport one day, both standing at the urinals. The chief, finishing first, proceeded to the door and was about to leave when the captain said, You know, Chief, we officers are taught from OCS to wash our hands after we urinate. The Chief responded with, You know, Captain, we enlisted are taught from boot camp not to piss on our hands. And promptly departed. A wise old Master Chief once said...A young Ensign approaches the crusty old Master Chief and asked about the origin of the commissioned officer insignias."Well," replied the Master Chief, " the insignias for the Navy are steeped in history and tradition.First, we give you a gold bar representing that you are very valuable but also malleable.The silver bar also represents significant value, but is less malleable.Now, when you make Lieutenant, your value doubles, hence the two silver bars.As a Captain, you soar over the military masses, hence the eagle.As an Admiral, you are, obviously, a star.Does that answer your question?""Yes Master Chief" replied the young Ensign. "But what about Lieutenant Commander and Commander?""That, sir, goes waaaay back in history - back to the Garden of Eden. You see we've always covered our pr*cks with leaves." "THE FIVE MOST DANGEROUS THINGS IN THE US NAVY"A Seaman saying, "I learned this in Boot Camp..."A Petty Officer saying, "Trust me, sir..."A Lieutenant JG saying, "Based on my experience..."A Lieutenant saying, "I was just thinking..." A Chief chuckling, "Watch this shit..."

The greatest use of life is to spend it for something that will outlast it. --- William James (1842 - 1910)

Veteran Legislation Status 28 JUL 2011: Of the 2676 House and 1433 Senate bills introduced in the 112th Congress as of 28 JUL, the following are of interest to the non-active duty veteran community. A good indication on the likelihood of a bill of being forwarded to the House or Senate for passage, and subsequently being signed into law by the President, is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the bill. An alternate way for it to become law is if it to become law is if it is added as an addendum to another bill, such as the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and survives the conference committee assigned to iron out the difference between the House and Senate bills. At http://thomas.loc.gov you can review a copy of each bill's text, determine its current status, the committie it has been assigned to, 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, and if your representative has sponsored, cosponsored, or dropped sponsorship on refer to http://thomas loc.gov/bss/d111/sponlist.htm
To review a numerical list of all bills introduced refer to http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/111search.html

HR 23: Belated Thank You to the Merchant Marineers of World War II Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a Merchant Mariner Equity Compensation Fund to provide benefits to certain individuals who served in the
United States during World War II.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/5/2011 Cosponsors (43)
Committee: House Veteran' Affairs.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=21643506

HR 28: Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2011. A bill to ammend title 38, United Ststes Code to improve the outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor:Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans Affairs
Latest Major Action: 2/18/2011 Refered to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

HR 46: Fallen Heroes Family Act of 2011. A bill to ammend the Immigration and Nationality Act to provide for nonimmigrant status for an alien who is the parent or legal guardian of a United States citizen child if the child was born abroad and is the parent of a a deceased member of the Armed Forces of the United States.
Sponsor: Rep Issa, Darrnell E. [CA-49} (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Judicary
Latest Major Action: 1/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Reffered to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.

HR 79: Dependent Care Act of 2011. A bill to ammend title 38, United States Code to provide certain abused dependents of veterans with health care.
Sponsor: Rep Jackson Lee, Sheila [TX-18] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committes: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action; 2/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Sumcommittee on Health.

HR 115: CHAMPVA Children's Protection Act of 2011. A bill to ammend title 38, United States Code to increase the maximu age for children eligible for medical care under the CHAMPVA program.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (3)
Committee: House Veterans' Affairs.
Latest Major Action: 2/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to Subcommittee on Health.

HR 117: Help Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to ammend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51} (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Related Bills: S.1017
Committee: House Veterans' Affairs.
Latest Major Action: 2/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

HR 120: Disabled Veterans' Surviving Spouses Home Loans Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for eligibility for housing loans guaranteed by the Department of Veterans Affairs for the surviving spouses of certain totally-disabled veterans.
Sponser: Rep Foxx, Virginia [NC5] (inroduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsers (10)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/7/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions.
Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R 136: Taxpayer Payment Designation to Homless Vets. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow taxpayers to designat a portion of their income tax payment to provide assistance to homless veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsers (18)
Commities: House Ways and Means; House Veterans Affairs
Latest Major Action: 2/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to Subcommittee on Health.

H.R. 159: TBI Treatment Act. A bill to direct the Secretary of Defence and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to cary out a pilot program under which the Secretaries make payments for certain treatments of traumatic brain and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Sponsor: Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsers (None)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 2/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R. 168: VA Care for Obstructive Pulmonary Disease. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of veterans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Sponsor: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsers (1)
Latest Major Action: 2/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R. 169: Publicize VA VetSuccess Internet Website. A bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to include on the main page of the Internet website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a hyperlink to the VetSuccess Internet Website.
Sponser: Rep Stearns, Cliff [FL-6] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsers (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs.
Latest Major Action: 7/15/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions.
Status: Committee Hearings Held.

H.R. 178: Military Surviving Souuses Equity Act. A bill to ammend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan for military surviving spouses to offset the receipt of veterans dependency and indemnity compensation.
Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsers (146)
Committees: House Armed Services.
Latest Major Action: 2/4/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Refferred to the Subcommittee on Military Personel.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=21785541&type=CO or TREA's
http://www.capwiz.com/trea/issues/bills/?bill=22113586 or
http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/alert/?alertid=21755506

H.R. 179: Health Care for Under 60 Retired Reserves. A bill to ammend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the requirement that certain former members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces be at least 60 years of age in order to be eligible to receive health care benefits.
Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsers (3)
Commiittees: House Armed Services.
Latest Major Action: 1/5/2011 Referred to House committee.
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://www.capwiz.com/trea/issues/bills/?bill=22113711

H.R. 181: National Guardsmen and Reservists Parity for Patriots Act. A bill to ammend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces who have served on active duty or performed active service since September 11, 2001, in support of a contingency operation or in other emergency situations receive credit for such service in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (58)
Committies: House Armed Services. Last Major Action: 2/4/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Refferred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://www.capwiz.com/trea/issues/bills/?bill = 22113641 or http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/alert/?alertid=21507501

H.R. 186: Chapter 61 CRDP Eligibility. A bill to ammend title 10, United States Code, to expand the eligibility for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation to include all members of the uniformed services who are retired under chapter 61 of such title for disability, regardless of the members' disability rating persentage.
Sponsor: Rep Wilson, Joe [SC-2] (introduced 1/5/2011) Cosponsors (19)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Budget; House Veterans' Affairs.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators, send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=217810506&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id] or TREA's http://www.capwiz.com/trea/issues/bills?bill=22113501
or http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/alert/?alertid=21651506

H.R. 198: Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on dog training therapy.
Sponsor: Rep Grimm, Michael G [NY-13] (introduced 1/6/2011) Cosponsors (85)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs.
Latest Major Action: 7/25/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions.
Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R. 208: Tricare Mental Health Reimbursement. A bill to ammend title 10, United States Code, to authorize the reimbursement of mental health counselors under TRICARE, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rooney, Thomas J. [FL-16] (introduced 1/6/2011)
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R. 210: Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2011. A bill to ammend title 38, United States Code, to deem certain service in the organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service for purposes of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep Speier, Jackie [CA-12] (introduced 1/6/2011) Cosponsors (48) Committees: House Veterans' Affairs.
Latest Major Action: 2/18/2011 Reffered to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R. 238: Military Retiree Health Care Relief Act of 2011. A bill to ammend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a refundable credit to military retirees for premiums paid for coverage under Medicare Part B.
Sponsor: Rep Emerson, Joe Ann [MO-8] (introduced 1/7/2011 Cosponsors (10)
Committees: House Ways and Means.
Latest Major Action: 1/7/2011 Referred to House commitrtee.
Status: Reffered to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert?alertid=23523796&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

H.R. 240: Promote Vet Jobs with DVA Sole Source Contracts. A bill to ammend title 38, United States Code, to promote jobs for veterans through the use of sole source contracts by Department of Veterans Affairs for purposes of meeting the contracting goals and preferences of the Department of Veterans Affairs for small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 1/7/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees; House Veteran' Affairs.
Latest Major Action 7/7/2011 House committee.subcommittee actions.
Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R. 248: Depleated Uranium Screening and Testing Act. A bill to provide for identification of members of the Armed Forces exposed, during military service, to depleted uranium, to provide for health testing of such members, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] (introduced 1/7/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Armed Services Latest major Action: 2/4/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R. 284: Veterans, Women, Families with Children, and Persons With Disabilities Housing Fairness Act of 2011.
A bill to authorize funds to prevent housing discrimination through the use of nationwide testing, to increase funds for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Rep Green, Al [TX-9] (introduced 1/12/2011) Cosponsors (24)
Committees: House Financial Services.
Latest Major Action: 3/23/2011 Refered to House subcommittee.
Status: Reffered to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.

H.R. 287: Homes for Heroes Act of 2011. A bill to provide housing assistance for very low-income veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Green, AL [TX-9] (introduced 1/12/2011) Cosponsors (40)
Committees: House Financial Services; House Ways and Means.
Latest Major Action: 3/23/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.

H.R. 303: Retired Pay Restoration Act. A bill to ammend title 10, United States Code, to permit additional retired members of the Armed Forces, who have a service-connected disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or Combat-Related Special Compensation and to eliminate the phase-in period under current law with respect to such concurrent receipt.
Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 1/18/2011) Cosponsors (63)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans' Affairs.
Latest Major Action: 2/25/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Reffered to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://www.capwiz.com/trea/issues/bills/?bill=23349501  or  http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/alert/?alertid=29334506

H.R. 309: Samuel B. Moody Bataan Death March Compensation Act. A bill to provide compensation for certain World War II veterans who survived the Bataan Death March, and were held as prisoners of war by the Japanese.
Sponsor: Rep Mica, John L. [FL-7] (introduced 1/18/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 2/4/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittees on Military Personnel.

H.R. 319: Veterans Day Off Act. A bill to require employers to provide veterans with time off on Veterans Day.
Sponsor: Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] (introduced 1/19/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Education and the Workforce.
Latest Major Action: 2/25/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

H.R. 333: The Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act. A bill to ammend title 10, United States Code, to permit retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated less than 50 percent to receive concurrent payment of both retired pay and veterans' disability compensation, to eliminate the phase-in period for concurrent receipt, to extend eligibility for concurrent receipt to chapter 61 disability retirees with less than 20 years of service, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Sandford D., Jr. [GA-2] (introduced 1/19/2011) Cosponsers (134)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans' Affairs
To Support this bill and/or contact your legislators, send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=23493506&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]  or TREA's
http://www.capwiz.com/trea/issues/bills/?bill=23355556 or http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/alert/?alertid=22944561

H.R. 396: TBI Treatment Act. A bill to direct the Secretary of Defence and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to cary out a pilot program under which the Secretaries make payments for certain treatments of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Sponsor: Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] (introduced 1/24/2011) Cosponsors (14)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 2/25/2011 Reffered to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to Subcommittee on Health.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators, send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=31989511&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

H.R. 420: Veterans' Heritage Firearms Act of 2011. A bill to provide an amnisty period during which veterans and their family members can register certain firearms in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Redord, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT} (introduced 1/25/2011 Cosponsors (169) Related Bill: S.798
Committees: House Judiciary; House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: 2/7/2011 Reffered to House subcommittee.
Status: Refered to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

H.R. 493: Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act. A bill to ammend title 10, united States Code, to provide for forginess of certain overpayments of retired pay paid to deceased retired members of the Armed Forces following their death.
Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walterr B., Jr. [NC-3] introduced 1/26/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 2/4/2011 Refered to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/alert/?alertid=25118621

H.R. 540: In Memory Medal for Forgotten Veterans Act. A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense to issue a medal to honor veterans of the Armed Forces who died after their service in the Vietnam War, but whose deaths were a direct result of their service in the Vietnam War.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/8/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Latest Major Action: 3/3/2011 Refered to House to House subcommittee:
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R. 544: Servicemen Mortgage Foreclosure Protection. A bill to ammend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permanently extend the period of protections for servicemembers against mortgage forclosures, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/8/2011) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Reffered to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

H.R. 545: Providing Military Honors for our Nation's Heroes Act. A bill to ammend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse certain volunteers who provide funeral honors details at the funerals of veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/8/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related Bill H.R. 811
Committee: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Refered to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R. 561: Veterans Employment Tax Credit Act of 2011. A bill to ammend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the work opportunity tax credit with respect to veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Welch, Peter [VT] (introduced 2/8/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Refered to House subcommittee.
Latest Major Action: 2/8/2011 Referred to House committee.
Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R. 575: HEALTHY Vets Act of 2011. A bill to ammend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into contracts with community health care providers to improve access to health care for veterans in highly rural areas, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Pearce, Stevan [NM-2] (introduced 2/9/2011) Cosponsors (6)
Committees: House Veterans Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Reffered to House subcommittee.
Status: Reffered to the Subcommittee on Health.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators, send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=32026521&queueid=[capwiz-_queue_id]

H.R. 595: National Song of Rememberance. A bill to ammend title 36, United States Code, to designate the musical pice commonly known as "Taps" as the National Song of Remembrance, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Reed, Tom [NY-29] (introduced 2/9/2011) Cosponsors (13)
Committees: House Judiciary; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Reffered to the Subcommittee on Disibility Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R. 648: Pledge of Allegiance Saluting. A bill to ammend title 4, United States Code to authorize membeers of the Armed Forces not in uniform and veterans to render a military salute during the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Sponsor: Rep Terry, Lee [NE-2] (introduced 2/10/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 2/28/2011 Referred to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution.

H.R. 652: Tricare Premium Limits. A bill to amend title 10, united States Code, to limit the increaase of premiums, deductibles, copayments, or other charges for health care provided under the TRICARE program.
Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK] (introduced 2/10/2011 Cosponsors (5)
Latest Major Action: 3/3/2011 Reffered to House subcommittee.
Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alertid=32098o6&queid=[capwiz:queue_id] or http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/?alert=33916536

H.R. 743: Tricare Premium Limits. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to limit the increase of premiums, deductibles, copayments, or other charges for health care provided under the TRICARE program.
Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK] (introduced 2/10/2011) Cosponsors (5)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 3/3/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=32098506&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]
http://capwiz.com/fra/issues/alert/?alertid=33916536

H.R.743: Hire A Hero Act of 2011. A bill to To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the work opportunity credit to small businesses which hire individuals who are members of the Ready Reserve or National Guard.
Sponsor: Rep Jenkins, Lynn [KS-2] (introduced 2/16/2011) Cosponsors (23) Related bill S.367
Committees: House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: 2/16/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.776: Guaranteed 3% COLA for Seniors Act of 2011. A bill to To require the establishment of a Consumer Price Index for Elderly Consumers to compute cost-of-living increases for Social Security benefits under title II of the Social Security Act and to provide, in the case of elderly beneficiaries under such title, for an annual cost-of-living increase which is not less than 3 percent.
Sponsor: Rep Engel, Eliot L. [NY-17] (introduced 2/17/2011) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Ways and Means; House Education and the Workforce
Latest Major Action: 2/17/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.802: VetStar Award Program. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a VetStar Award Program.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/6/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.803: Equity for Injured Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to increase vocational rehabilitation and employment assistance, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.804: Operation New Dawn Vet Care. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the eligibility of certain veterans who serve in support of Operation New Dawn for hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.805: Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights Education. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to educate certain staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to inform veterans about the Injured and Amputee Veterans Bill of Rights, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (6)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.806: End Veteran Homelessness Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the services provided for homeless veterans under the administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.809: Post Women Veterans Bill of Rights. To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to display in each facility of the Department of Veterans Affairs a Women Veterans Bill of Rights.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (7)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.810: Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the tolling of the timing of review for appeals of final decisions of the Board of Veterans' Appeals, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.811: Providing Military Honors for our Nation's Heroes Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to reimburse certain volunteers who provide funeral honors details at the funerals of veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related bill H.R.545
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/3/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.812: Agent Orange Equity Act of 2011. A bill to To amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify presumptions relating to the exposure of certain veterans who served in the vicinity of the Republic of Vietnam.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (26)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
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H.R.813: Vet Survivor Benefit Eligibility. To amend title 38, United States Code, to reduce the period of time for which a veteran must be totally disabled before the veteran's survivors are eligible for the benefits provided by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for survivors of certain veterans rated totally disabled at time of death.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.814: Medicare VA Reimbursement Act of 2011. A bill to To provide Medicare payments to Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities for items and services provided to Medicare-eligible veterans for non-service-connected conditions.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 2/18/2011) Cosponsors (5)
Committees: House Ways and Means; House Energy and Commerce; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 3/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
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H.R.834: Veterans Home Loan Refinance Opportunity Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow eligible veterans to use qualified veterans mortgage bonds to refinance home loans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] (introduced 2/28/2011) Cosponsors (8)
Committees: House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: 2/28/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.865: Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the work opportunity credit to certain recently discharged veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (introduced 3/1/2011) Cosponsors (55)
Committees: House Ways and Means; House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 3/16/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.923: Veterans Pensions Protection Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to exempt reimbursements of expenses related to accident, theft, loss, or casualty loss from determinations of annual income with respect to pensions for veterans and surviving spouses and children of veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] (introduced 3/3/2011) Cosponsors (57) Related Bill: S.780
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/22/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .

H.R.924: Jobs for Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Small Business Act to establish a Veterans Business Center program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Heinrich, Martin [NM-1] (introduced 3/3/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Small Business
Latest Major Action: 3/3/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Small Business.

H.R.930: PTSD Disability Compensation Evaluation. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the disability compensation evaluation procedure of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or mental health conditions related to military sexual trauma, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Pingree, Chellie [ME-1] (introduced 3/3/2011) Cosponsors (17)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 4/1/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.938: Frank Buckles World War I Memorial Act. To establish a commission to ensure a suitable observance of the centennial of World War I and to designate memorials to the service of men and women of the United States in World War I.
Sponsor: Rep Poe, Ted [TX-2] (introduced 3/8/2011) Cosponsors (31)
Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform; House Natural Resources
Latest Major Action: 3/10/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.

H.R.943: K-9 Companion Corps Act. A bill to establish a grant program to encourage the use of assistance dogs by certain members of the Armed Forces and veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 3/8/2011) Cosponsors (22)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 4/1/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.948: Embedded Mental Health Providers for Reserves Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to require the provision of behavioral health services to members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces necessary to meet pre-deployment and post-deployment readiness and fitness standards, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] (introduced 3/8/2011) Cosponsors (17) Related bill S.325
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 3/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
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H.R.961: Safe Haven for Heroes Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, with respect to the prohibition on disrupting military funerals, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [MD-2] (introduced 3/8/2011) Cosponsors (9)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 3/21/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

H.R.1003: National Guard, Reserve, "Gray Area" Retiree, and Surviving Spouses Space-available Travel. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize space-available travel on military aircraft for reserve members, former members of a reserve component, and unremarried surviving spouses and dependents of such members and former members.
Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK] (introduced 3/10/2011) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill: S.542
Latest Major Action: 3/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1014: Children of Military Service Members Commemorative Lapel Pin Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to recognize the dependent children of members of the Armed Forces who are serving on active duty or who have served on active duty through the presentation of an official lapel button.
Sponsor: Rep Latta, Robert E. [OH-5] (introduced 3/10/2011) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 3/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1025: Reserve Veteran Status. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to recognize the service in the reserve components of certain persons by honoring them with status as veterans under law.
Sponsor: Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (introduced 3/10/2011) Cosponsors (46)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/22/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/ngaus/mailapp

H.R.1092: Military Retirees Health Care Protection Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to prohibit certain increases in fees for military health care.
Sponsor: Rep Jones, Walter B., Jr. [NC-3] (introduced 3/15/2011) Cosponsors (15)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 4/6/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
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H.R.1130: Education Assistance to Realign New Eligibilities for Dependents (EARNED) Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide authority for certain members of the Armed Forces who have served 20 years on active duty to transfer entitlement to Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to their dependents.
Sponsor: Rep Alexander, Rodney [LA-5] (introduced 3/16/2011) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 4/1/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.1133: Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements with States and nonprofit organizations to collaborate in the provision of case management services associated with certain supported housing programs for veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/16/2011) Cosponsors (1) Related bill: S.411
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Financial Services
Latest Major Action: 4/4/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.

H.R.1154: Veterans Equal Treatment for Service Dogs Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to prevent the Secretary of Veterans Affairs from prohibiting the use of service dogs on Department of Veterans Affairs property.
Sponsor: Rep Carter, John R. [TX-31] (introduced 3/17/2011) Cosponsors (62) Related Bill: S.769
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/25/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.1169: National Guard Technician Equity Act. A bill to amend titles 5, 10, and 32, United States Code, to eliminate inequities in the treatment of National Guard technicians, to reduce the eligibility age for retirement for non-Regular service, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] (introduced 3/17/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform
Latest Major Action: 3/17/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.1178: Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability and to their dependents.
Sponsor: Rep Fortenberry, Jeff [NE-1] (introduced 3/17/2011) Cosponsors (2) Related Bills: H.R. 2148
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 3/17/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Armed Services.

H.R.1245: Navy UDT-SEAL Museum. To recognize the memorial at the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, Florida, as the official national memorial of Navy SEALS and their predecessors.
Sponsor: Rep Rooney, Thomas J. [FL-16] (introduced 3/29/2011) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill: S.1235
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 5/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1260: Support for Survivors Act. A bill to provide for the preservation by the Department of Defense of documentary evidence of the Department of Defense on incidents of sexual assault and sexual harassment in the military, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] (introduced 3/30/2011) Cosponsors (4) Related Bill: S.658
Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1263: Surviving Spouse Mortgage Protection. A bill to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide surviving spouses with certain protections relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 3/30/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/21/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

H.R.1283: Reserve Retirement Deployment Credit Correction Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to eliminate the per-fiscal year calculation of days of certain active duty or active service used to reduce the minimum age at which a member of a reserve component of the uniformed services may retire for non-regular service.
Sponsor: Rep Latham, Tom [IA-4] (introduced 3/31/2011) Cosponsors (32)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 5/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1285: Military Health Care Affordability Act. A bill t o amend title 10, United States Code, to prohibit certain increases in fees for military health care before fiscal year 2014.
Sponsor: Rep Bachmann, Michele [MN-6] (introduced 3/31/2011) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 5/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1288: World War II Merchant Mariner Service Act. A bill to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to accept additional documentation when considering the application for veterans status of an individual who performed service in the merchant marines during World War II, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Butterfield, G. K. [NC-1] (introduced 3/31/2011) Cosponsors (63)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 4/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.1298: Veterans' Efficiencies Through Savings Act of 2011. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to conduct cost-benefit analyses for the provision of medical care by the Department of Veterans Affairs in certain geographic areas served by multiple Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities.
Sponsor: Rep LoBiondo, Frank A. [NJ-2] (introduced 3/31/2011) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 4/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.1312: Jobs for Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an increased work opportunity credit with respect to recent veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep King, Peter T. [NY-3] (introduced 4/1/2011) Cosponsors (9)
Committees: House Ways and Means; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 4/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

H.R.1383: Restoring GI Bill Fairness Act of 2011. A bill to temporarily preserve higher rates for tuition and fees for programs of education at non-public institutions of higher learning pursued by individuals enrolled in the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs before the enactment of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010, and for other purposes
Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 4/6/2011) Cosponsors (11) Related Bill S.745
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/26/2011 Resolving differences -- House actions. Status: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 424 - 0 (Roll no. 638).
Latest Action: 7/26/2011 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
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H.R.1392: Fairness to Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to provide assistance to veterans and veteran-owned businesses with respect to contract opportunities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Fitzpatrick, Michael G. [PA-8] (introduced 4/6/2011) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Oversight and Government Reform
Latest Major Action: 4/6/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

H.R.1407: Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2011. A bill to to increase, effective as of December 1, 2011, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and the rates of dependency and indemnity compensation for the survivors of certain disabled veterans, and for other purposes by the same percentage as applies to any social Security rate increase.
Sponsor: Rep Runyan, Jon [NJ-3] (introduced 4/6/2011) Cosponsors (8) Related bill S.894
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/24/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.1441: Arlington Gravesite Reservations. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to codify the prohibition against the reservation of gravesites at Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Runyan, Jon [NJ-3] (introduced 4/8/2011) Cosponsors (3) Related bill: S.698
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 5/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1451: Post 9/11 GI Bill Payment Restoration Act. A bill to repeal a modification of authority to make certain interval payments of educational assistance under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Davis, Susan A. [CA-53] (introduced 4/8/2011) Cosponsors (8)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Appropriations
Latest Major Action: 4/29/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

H.R.1457: William Shemin Jewish World War I Veterans Act. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Army and the Secretary of the Navy to conduct a review of military service records of Jewish American veterans of World War I, including those previously awarded a military decoration, to determine whether any of the veterans should be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Luetkemeyer, Blaine [MO-9] (introduced 4/8/2011) Cosponsors (16)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 5/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1460: Automatic Combat Vet Enrollment. A bill to provide for automatic enrollment of veterans returning from combat zones into the VA medical system, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Owens, William L. [NY-23] (introduced 4/8/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 4/29/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.1484: Veterans Appeals Improvement Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the appeals process of the Department of Veterans Affairs and to establish a commission to study judicial review of the determination of veterans' benefits.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 4/12/2011) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
House Reports: 112-83
Latest Major Action: 6/6/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.1497: Tripoli Libya Vet Remains. A bill to direct the Secretary of Defense to take whatever steps may be necessary to exhume and transfer the remains of certain deceased members of the Armed Forces buried in Tripoli, Libya, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rogers, Mike J. [MI-8] (introduced 4/12/2011) Cosponsors (5)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 5/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1450: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012. A bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2012 for military activities of the Department of Defense and for military construction, to prescribe military personnel strengths for fiscal year 2012, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep McKeon, Howard P. "Buck" [CA-25] (by request) (introduced 4/14/2011) Cosponsors (1) Related Bills: S.981
Committees: House Armed Services
House Reports: 112-78, 112-78 Part 2
Latest Major Action: 6/6/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

H.R.1491: Sanctity of Eternal Rest for Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to guarantee that military funerals are conducted with dignity and respect.
Sponsor: Rep Bass, Charles F. [NH-2] (introduced 4/15/2011) Cosponsors (29) Related Bill: S.815
Committees: House Judiciary; House Veterans' Affairs; House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 5/18/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1595: Veterans' Home Loan Improvement Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to make all veterans eligible for home loans under the veterans mortgage revenue bond program.
Sponsor: Rep Blumenauer, Earl [OR-3] (introduced 4/15/2011) Cosponsors (14)
Committees: House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: 4/15/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.1627: Arlington Monument Placements. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for certain requirements for the placement of monuments in Arlington National Cemetery, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 4/15/2011) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Armed Services
House Reports: 112-84 Part 1
Latest Major Action: 5/24/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.1647: Veterans' Choice in Filing Act of 2011. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program under which certain veterans may submit claims for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary to any regional office of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep Runyan, Jon [NJ-3] (introduced 4/15/2011) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/3/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.1657: Vet Business Misrepresentation Penalties. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the enforcement penalties for misrepresentation of a business concern as a small business concern owned and controlled by veterans or as a small business concern owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Stutzman, Marlin A. [IN-3] (introduced 4/15/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related Bill: S.1184
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
House Reports: 112-85
Latest Major Action: 5/24/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.1671: Andrew Connolly Veterans' Housing Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide specially adapted housing assistance to individuals residing temporarily in housing owned by a family member.
Sponsor: Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] (introduced 5/2/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/5/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

H.R.1775: Stolen Valor Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to establish a criminal offense relating to fraudulent claims about military service.
Sponsor: Rep Heck, Joseph J. [NV-3] (introduced 5/5/2011) Cosponsors (50)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 6/1/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security.

H.R.1811: National Guard Employment Protection Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for employment and reemployment rights for certain individuals ordered to full-time National Guard duty.
Sponsor: Rep Coffman, Mike [CO-6] (introduced 5/10/2011) Cosponsors (9)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/25/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

H.R.1826: Unauthorized Vet Fees Penalty. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to reinstate criminal penalties for persons charging veterans unauthorized fees.
Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 5/11/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 7/22/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

H.R.1850: Army Combat Action Badge Eligibility Expansion. A bill to expand retroactive eligibility of the Army Combat Action Badge to include members of the Army who participated in combat during which they personally engaged, or were personally engaged by, the enemy at any time on or after December 7, 1941.
Sponsor: Rep Nugent, Richard [FL-5] (introduced 5/11/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 5/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1854: Veterans Outreach Enhancement Act of 2011. A Bill to require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a program of outreach for veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] (introduced 5/11/2011) Cosponsors (1) Related bill: S.935
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/25/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.1855: Veterans' Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitative Services' Improvements Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the provision of rehabilitative services for veterans with traumatic brain injury, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (introduced 5/11/2011) Cosponsors (7) Related Bills: S.957
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/25/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.1863: Veterans Health Equity Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Guinta, Frank C. [NH-1] (introduced 5/12/2011) Cosponsors (1) Related Bills: S.910
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/27/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.1871: Wounded Warrior Tax Equity Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prevent the extension of the tax collection period merely because the taxpayer is a member of the Armed Forces who is hospitalized as a result of combat zone injuries.
Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Sam [TX-3] (introduced 5/12/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related Bills: S.993
Committees: House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: 5/12/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.1898: Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the conditions under which certain persons may be treated as adjudicated mentally incompetent for certain purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rehberg, Denny [MT] (introduced 5/13/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/22/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

H.R.1910: Unused Post-9/11 Educational Assistance. A bill to extend for one year the authority of certain members of the Armed Forces and veterans to transfer unused Post-9/11 Educational Assistance benefits to family members.
Sponsor: Rep Bartlett, Roscoe G. [MD-6] (introduced 5/13/2011) Cosponsors (13)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/27/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

H.R.1911: Protecting Veterans' Homes Act. A bill to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to permanently extend the period of protections for servicemembers against mortgage foreclosures, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] (introduced 5/13/2011) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/21/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

H.R.1928: Women's Fair and Equal Right to Military Service Act. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the ground combat exclusion policy for female members of the Armed Forces.
Sponsor: Rep Sanchez, Loretta [CA-47] (introduced 5/13/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1941: Hiring Heroes Act of 2011. A bill to improve the provision of Federal transition, rehabilitation, vocational, and unemployment benefits to members of the Armed Forces and veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Bishop, Sanford D.[GA-2] (introduced 5/23/2011) Cosponsors (57) Related Bills: S.951
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Armed Services; House Oversight and Government Reform
Latest Major Action: 7/15/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

H.R.1968: Cold War Service Medal Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Israel, Steve [NY-2] (introduced 5/24/2011) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.1979: Chapter 61 CRDP + SBP/DIC Offset + Reserve Retired Pay: A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to expand eligibility for concurrent receipt of military retired pay and veterans' disability compensation to include additional chapter 61 disability retirees, to coordinate eligibility for combat-related special compensation and concurrent receipt, to eliminate the reduction of SBP survivor annuities by dependency and indemnity compensation, and to enhance the ability of members of the reserve components who serve on active duty or perform active service to receive credit for such service in determining eligibility for early receipt of non-regular service retired pay.
Sponsor: Rep Andrews, Robert E. [NJ-1] (introduced 5/25/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.
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H.R.2002: Post 9/11 Educational Assistance Transfer. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to permit disabled or injured members of the Armed Forces to transfer Post 9/11 Educational Assistance benefits after retirement, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Chaffetz, Jason [UT-3] (introduced 5/26/2011) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

H.R.2026: Services, Education, and Rehabilitation for Veterans Act. A bill to provide grants to establish veteran's treatment courts.
Sponsor: Rep Cicilline, David N. [RI-1] (introduced 5/26/2011) Cosponsors (13)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 5/26/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

H.R.2046: Vet Discharge Transitional Services. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to ensure that members of the Armed Forces who are being separated from active duty receive comprehensive employment assistance, job training assistance, and other transitional services.
Sponsor: Rep Rangel, Charles B. [NY-15] (introduced 5/26/2011) Cosponsors (6)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.2048: Vet Private Cemetery Headstones. A bill to expand the eligibility for the provision of Government headstones, markers, and medallions for veterans buried at private cemeteries.
Sponsor: Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] (introduced 5/26/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 5/26/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.2051: Veterans Missing in America Act of 2011. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to assist in the identification of unclaimed and abandoned human remains to determine if any such remains are eligible for burial in a national cemetery, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Tiberi, Patrick J. [OH-12] (introduced 5/26/2011) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.2052: Fort McClellan Health Registry Act. A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a registry of certain veterans who were stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Tonko, Paul [NY-21] (introduced 5/26/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.2053: Veterans' Disability Claims Efficiency Act of 2011. To amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the efficiency of processing certain claims for disability compensation by veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] (introduced 5/26/2011) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/3/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.2055: Military Construction and Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012.
Sponsor: Rep Culberson, John Abney [TX-7] (introduced 5/31/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related Bills: H.RES.288
Committees: House Appropriations
House Reports: 112-94 Senate Reports: 112-29
Latest Major Action: 7/20/2011 Resolving differences -- Senate actions. Status: Senate insists on its amendment, asks for a conference, appoints conferees Johnson SD; Inouye; Landrieu; Murray; Reed; Nelson NE; Pryor; Tester; Leahy; Kirk; Hutchison; McConnell; Murkowski; Blunt; Hoeven; Coats; Cochran.
Latest Action: 7/21/2011 Message on Senate action sent to the House.

H.R.2070: World War II Memorial Prayer Act of 2011. A bill to direct the Secretary of the Interior to install in the area of the World War II Memorial in the District of Columbia a suitable plaque or an inscription with the words that President Franklin D. Roosevelt prayed with the nation on June 6, 1944, the morning of D-Day.
Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Bill [OH-6] (introduced 6/1/2011) Cosponsors (40)
Committees: House Natural Resources
Latest Major Action: 6/9/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.

H.R.2074: Veterans Sexual Assault Prevention Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to require a comprehensive policy on reporting and tracking sexual assault incidents and other safety incidents that occur at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep Buerkle, Ann Marie [NY-25] (introduced 6/1/2011) Cosponsors (6)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/25/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.2115: Filipino Veterans of World War II Family Reunification Act. A bill to exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas.
Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 6/3/2011) Cosponsors (9) Related Bill: H.R.2116 & S.1141
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 7/11/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.

H.R.2116: Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act of 2011. To exempt children of certain Filipino World War II veterans from the numerical limitations on immigrant visas and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] (introduced 6/3/2011) Cosponsors (1) Related Bill: H.R.2115 & S.1141
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 7/11/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement.

H.R.2148: Disabled Veterans Commissary and Exchange Store Benefits Act. A bill to To amend title 10, United States Code, to extend military commissary and exchange store privileges to veterans with a compensable service-connected disability and to their dependents.
Sponsor: Rep Burton, Dan [IN-5] (introduced 6/13/2011) Cosponsors (2) Related Bills: H.R.1178 2148
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.2192: National Guard and Reservist Debt Relief Extension Act of 2011. A bill to exempt for an additional 4-year period, from the application of the means-test presumption of abuse under chapter 7, qualifying members of reserve components of the Armed Forces and members of the National Guard who, after September 11, 2001, are called to active duty or to perform a homeland defense activity for not less than 90 days.
Sponsor: Rep Cohen, Steve [TN-9] (introduced 6/15/2011) Cosponsors (5)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 6/15/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

H.R.2203: Alaska Hero's Card Act of 2011. A bill to establish a pilot program under which veterans in the State of Alaska may receive health care benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs at non-Department medical facilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Young, Don [AK] (introduced 6/15/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related bill: S.1146
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.

H.R.2232: AMRA Charter Amendment. A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to grant a Federal charter to the American Military Retirees Association, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Rooney, Thomas J. [FL-16] (introduced 6/16/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 6/16/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

H.R.2243: Veterans Employment Promotion Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to require the Secretary of Labor to publish on an Internet website certain information about the number of veterans who are employed by Federal contractors.
Sponsor: Rep McNerney, Jerry [CA-11] (introduced 6/21/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/20/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.2274: Annual Post 9/11 VA EAP Report. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Secretary of Defense to submit to Congress annual reports on the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Bilirakis, Gus M. [FL-9] (introduced 6/22/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 7/21/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

H.R.2300: VA Paralympic Team Allowance. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly assistance allowance to disabled veterans training or competing for the Paralympic Team.
Sponsor: Rep Stutzman, Marlin A. [IN-3] (introduced 6/22/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related Bills: H.R.2345
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/8/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

H.R.2301: Streamlining Education Claims Processing Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to make payments to educational institutions under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program at the end of a quarter, semester, or term, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Stutzman, Marlin A. [IN-3] (introduced 6/22/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/21/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote.

H.R.2302: DVA Conference Congressional Notification. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to notify Congress of conferences sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep Stutzman, Marlin A. [IN-3] (introduced 6/22/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/21/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .

H.R.2305: Memorialize Our Guardsmen and Reservists Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make memorial headstones and markers available for purchase on behalf of members of reserve components who performed inactive duty training or active duty for training but did not serve on active duty.
Sponsor: Rep Hayworth, Nan A. S. [NY-19] (introduced 6/23/2011) Cosponsors (2)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/8/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.2318: Medal of Honor Stipend Increase Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to increase the amount of the Medal of Honor special pension provided under that title by up to $500.
Sponsor: Rep Sessions, Pete [TX-32] (introduced 6/23/2011) Cosponsors (19)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/8/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.2345: VA Assistance to Paralympics, Inc. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the authorization of appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly assistance allowance to disabled veterans training or competing for the Paralympic Team and the authorization of appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide assistance to United States Paralympics, Inc.
Sponsor: Rep Stutzman, Marlin A. [IN-3] (introduced 6/23/2011) Cosponsors (None) Related Bills: H.R.2300
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/21/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote.

H.R.3349: Veterans' Benefits Training Improvement Act of 2011 . A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to annually assess the skills of certain employees and managers of the Veterans Benefits Administration, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Runyan, Jon [NJ-3] (introduced 6/24/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/8/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.2369: American Legion Charter Amendment. A bill to o amend title 36, United States Code, to provide for an additional power for the American Legion under its Federal charter.
Sponsor: Rep Altmire, Jason [PA-4] (introduced 6/24/2011) Cosponsors (195)
Committees: House Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 6/24/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

H.R.2383: Modernizing Notice to Claimants Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to use electronic communication to provide required notice to claimants for benefits under laws administered by the Secretary, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Bill [OH-6] (introduced 6/24/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/20/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.2388: Access to Timely Information Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to improve the submission of information by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to Congress.
Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 6/24/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/20/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.2403: National Guard Outreach Act. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Defense to provide assistance to State National Guards to provide counseling and reintegration services for members of reserve components of the Armed Forces ordered to active duty in support of a contingency operation, members returning from such active duty, veterans of the Armed Forces, and their families.
Sponsor: Rep Welch, Peter [VT] (introduced 6/24/2011) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 7/19/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

H.R.2419: COMBAT PTSD Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to clarify the meaning of "combat with the enemy" for purposes of service-connection of disabilities.
Sponsor: Rep Connolly, Gerald E. "Gerry" [VA-11] (introduced 7/6/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.2433: Veterans Opportunity to Work Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the laws relating to the employment and training of veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 7/7/2011) Cosponsors (13)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 7/15/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee Hearings Held.

H.R.2443: Tax Credit to Hire Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the limitation on expensing certain depreciable assets for certain businesses that hire veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Miller, Jeff [FL-1] (introduced 7/7/2011) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: House Ways and Means
Latest Major Action: 7/7/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

H.R.2470: E-SERV Act. A bill to improve the electronic health information systems and capabilities of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Rep Donnelly, Joe [IN-2] (introduced 7/8/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Armed Services; House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/20/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.2477: VA Distinguished Public Service Medal. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish a Department of Veterans Affairs Medal for Distinguished Public Service to honor veterans who make remarkable and distinguished contributions to their communities.
Sponsor: Rep McIntyre, Mike [NC-7] (introduced 7/8/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.2498: Veterans Day Moment of Silence Act. A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to encourage the nationwide observance of two minutes of silence each Veterans Day.
Sponsor: Rep Frank, Barney [MA-4] (introduced 7/12/2011) Cosponsors (11) Related Bills: S.1348
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/15/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.

H.R.2530: State Nursing Home Reimbursement Rates. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for increased flexibility in establishing rates for reimbursement of State homes by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs for nursing home care provided to veterans.
Sponsor: Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] (introduced 7/14/2011) Cosponsors (23)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/25/2011 House committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Subcommittee Hearings Held.

H.R.2550: Spouses of Fallen Heroes Scholarship Act. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the transfer of entitlement to educational assistance under the Post-9/11 Educational Assistance Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs by deceased members of the Armed Forces.
Sponsor: Rep Boren, Dan [OK-2] (introduced 7/15/2011) Cosponsors (1)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/15/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.2559: Helping Homeless Heroes Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs relating to homeless veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Deutch, Theodore E. [FL-19] (introduced 7/15/2011) Cosponsors (20)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/15/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

H.R.2563 KWVM Wall of Remembrance. A bill to authorize a Wall of Remembrance as part of the Korean War Veterans Memorial and to allow certain private contributions to fund that Wall of Remembrance.
Sponsor: Rep Hall, Ralph M. [TX-4] (introduced 7/15/2011) Cosponsors (5)
Committees: House Natural Resources
Latest Major Action: 7/19/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.

H.R.2634: Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2011. A bill to direct the Secretary of State to provide assistance for certain individuals affected by exposure to Agent Orange and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enhance the availability of medical care for descendants of veterans of the Vietnam era, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Filner, Bob [CA-51] (introduced 7/25/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs; House Foreign Affairs; House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 7/25/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and in addition to the Committees on Foreign Affairs, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

H.R.2654: Don't Default on Military Families Act. A bill to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide servicemembers increased protection during a funding gap.
Sponsor: Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] (introduced 7/26/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: House Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 7/26/2011 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

**: Union Calendar: A separate calendar in the United States House of Representatives that schedules bills involving money issues. It arose from the requirement in Article One of the United States Constitution that all revenue bills originate in the House of Representative. To meet that requirement, Rule XIII.

S.63: WWII Filipino Vet Claims. A bill to require the Secretary of the Army to determine the validity of the claims of certain Filipinos that they performed military service on behalf of the United States during World War II.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/25/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 1/25/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

S.67: Disabled Vet Space “A” Travel. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit former members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected disability rated as total to travel on military aircraft in the same manner and to the same extent as retired members of the Armed Forces are entitled to travel on such aircraft.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/25/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 1/25/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

S.68: POW Commissary/Exchange Use. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize certain disabled former prisoners of war to use Department of Defense commissary and exchange stores.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/25/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 1/25/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

S.70: Restore Memorial Day Observance. A bill to restore the traditional day of observance of Memorial Day, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Inouye, Daniel K. [HI] (introduced 1/25/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Judiciary
Latest Major Action: 1/25/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.

S.146: Veteran Employment Transition Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the work opportunity credit to certain recently discharged veterans.
Sponsor: Sen Baucus, Max [MT] (introduced 1/25/2011) Cosponsors (22)
Committees: Senate Finance
Latest Major Action: 1/25/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

S.260: SBP DIC Offset. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the requirement for reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan by veterans' dependency and indemnity compensation.
Sponsor: Sen Nelson, Bill [FL] (introduced 2/2/2011) Cosponsors (43)
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 2/2/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via http://capwiz.com/naus/issues/alert/?alertid=25851506

S.277: Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to furnish hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care to veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, while the water was contaminated at Camp Lejeune, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 2/3/2011) Cosponsors (8)
Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/29/2011 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.

S.316: Fort Hood Victims and Families Benefits Protection Act. A bill to ensure that the victims and victims' families of the November 5, 2009, attack at Fort Hood, Texas, receive the same treatment, benefits, and honors as those Americans who have been killed or wounded in a combat zone overseas and their families.
Sponsor: Sen Cornyn, John [TX] (introduced 2/10/2011) Cosponsors (2) Related bill: H.R.625
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 2/10/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

S.325: Embedded Mental Health Providers for Reserves Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to require the provision of behavioral health services to members of the reserve components of the Armed Forces necessary to meet pre-deployment and post-deployment readiness and fitness standards, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Murray, Patty [WA] (introduced 2/10/2011) Cosponsors (7) Related bill H.R.948
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 2/10/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/ngaus/issues/alert/?alertid=34823501

S.344: Retired Pay Restoration Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain retired members of the uniformed services who have a service-connected disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans Affairs for their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of military service or Combat-Related Special Compensation, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Reid, Harry [NV] (introduced 2/14/2011) Cosponsors (24)
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 2/14/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=31190506&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]

S.367: Hire A Hero Act of 2011. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow the work opportunity credit to small businesses which hire individuals who are members of the Ready Reserve or National Guard, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Brown, Scott P. [MA] (introduced 2/16/2011) Cosponsors (2) Related bill H.R.743
Committees: Senate Finance
Latest Major Action: 2/16/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/ngaus/issues/alert/?alertid=37155526

S.402: Cold War Service Medal Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the award of a military service medal to members of the Armed Forces who served honorably during the Cold War, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] (introduced 2/17/2011) Cosponsors (3)
Committees: Senate Armed Services
Latest Major Action: 2/17/2011 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Armed Services.

S.411: Helping Our Homeless Veterans Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to enter into agreements with States and nonprofit organizations to collaborate in the provision of case management services associated with certain supported housing programs for veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Klobuchar, Amy [MN] (introduced 2/17/2011) Cosponsors (18) Related bill: H.R.1133
Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/8/2011 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

S.423: Fully Developed VA Claim Applications. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide authority for retroactive effective date for awards of disability compensation in connection with applications that are fully-developed at submittal, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Burr, Richard [NC] (introduced 3/1/2011) Cosponsors (None)
Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/8/2011 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.

S.491: Honor America's Guard-Reserve Retirees Act of 2011. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to recognize the service in the reserve components of the Armed Forces of certain persons by honoring them with status as veterans under law, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sen Pryor, Mark L. [AR] (introduced 3/4/2011) Cosponsors (11)
Committees: Senate Veterans' Affairs
Latest Major Action: 6/8/2011 Senate committee/subcommittee actions. Status: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held.
To support this bill and/or contact your legislators send a message via
http://capwiz.com/ngaus/issues/alert/?alertid=35309501

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Medal of Honor Update 07: A century and a half after the Medal of Honor was established by Lincoln, another president from Illinois awarded the medal to a living recipient–only the second from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Sergeant First Class and Army Ranger Leroy Petry earned the award when his team came under insurgent attack during a raid in Afghanistan in 2008. A fighter lobbed a grenade at his men, but SFC Petry grabbed it and tossed it away from his men without hesitation. He lost a hand in the process, but saved the lives of his men. As the saying goes, he showed “conspicuous gallantry above and beyond the call of duty.”
     At http://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/petry/battlescape.html is a play-by-play battlescape feature available for viewing which breaks down the event in detail. [Source: Vantage Point Alex Horton article 12 Jul 2011 ++]

California Vet Home Update 10: Assemblymember Linda Halderman, M.D. (R-Fresno) joined veterans’ groups and local officials 11 JUL in calling upon Governor Brown and legislative Democrats to restore $12.1 million in funding to the California Department of Veterans Affairs. The funds are needed to finish building new veterans’ homes in Fresno and Redding, but were cut without advance warning in the state budget that the Governor signed last week. “This is a betrayal of the state’s obligation to men and women who served. California’s veterans were thrown under the bus by the Governor and Democrat controlled-Legislature in order to protect union giveaways and big government programs,” said Dr. Halderman. “Their decision to cut $12.1 million from the California Department of Veterans Affairs will delay the opening of the new Fresno veterans’ home by a year, costing taxpayers more in the long-run. The state should honor the promise it made to our veterans a year ago by immediately restoring funding.” The Legislature and the Governor’s Administration on 28 JUN removed $12.1 million from the California Department of Veterans Affairs budget to construct new veterans’ homes in Fresno and Redding. No public hearings were held on this budget cut.
     Last year, Governor Schwarzenegger and other officials broke ground on the Fresno veterans’ home and promised the facility would open in 2012. The home would house 300 veterans and create hundreds of jobs and millions in economic activity. “Budgets are about priorities. There is no excuse to defund a project that would help those who selflessly served our country,” said Dr. Halderman. “My Assembly Republican colleagues and I proposed a budget road map in May that would protect priorities like these without higher taxes. We proposed common-sense reforms and spending cuts in lower priority government programs, but Democrats rejected them. I hope they reconsider this ill-advised cut and restore funding for our veterans immediately.” [Source: KSEE 24 News article 11 Jul 2011 ++]

Purple Heart Vets: A study led by Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) researchers found that aging Veterans who earned the Purple Heart show decreased mortality compared with those who had not earned the medal. Additionally, those war-wounded Veterans who survive into later life -especially those who do not develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)- may provide valuable clues as to the that lead to resilience to combat stress. A team of VA researchers who studied more than 10,000 Veterans of World War II and the Korean War produced these findings, which appear online in the journal Depression and Anxiety. "Among the older Veterans we studied, those with Purple Heart citations had half the mortality rate of those without Purple Heart citations," said lead author Tim Kimbrell, MD, a physician-researcher with the Center for Mental Health and Outcomes Research, based at the Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System. Whether the Purple Heart holders had chronic PTSD or not, they were about twice as likely to still be alive after some 10 years of follow-up, compared with those with no Purple Heart and no PTSD. The study included Veterans who were 65 and or older in the late 1990s. It tracked their survival through 2008. It is estimated that more than a million Servicemembers received a Purple Heart in World War II, and nearly 119,000 in the Korean War.
     In recent years, researchers with VA and the Department of Defense have sought insight into the psychological and neurobiological factors that enable some Servicemembers to not develop PTSD after traumatic events. The authors of the new VA study say Purple Heart holders who survive long past their war experience without PTSD may be the ideal population on which to focus such research. "Our theory was that there are many factors that contribute to resilience to PTSD, and these same factors may increase survival," said Kimbrell. The researchers were surprised to find that among Purple Heart recipients, those with PTSD had slightly lower mortality than those without PTSD. This is a contradiction to several studies that have shown a link between chronic stress conditions such as PTSD and worse survival. Kimbrell and colleagues suggest this finding is due to what they term "early attrition." Those who had been physically injured in World War II or Korea and suffered PTSD may have been less likely to survive until age 65 in the first place; the PTSD-Purple Heart group included in their study may have been an exceptionally healthy and hearty cohort of Veterans. The researchers say further studies involving these Veterans, as well as those who were wounded in combat but did not develop PTSD, may lead to new insights to help prepare future Servicemembers to cope with the stress and trauma of war. Kimbrell, in addition to his VA role, is also a professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. He collaborated on the study with other authors from his site, as well as with colleagues from the Houston Center for Quality of Care and Utilization Studies, at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center; Baylor College of Medicine; the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC; the Medical University of South Carolina; and the University of Texas Health Science Center.
For more information on VA research, visit http://www.research.va.gov [Source: VA News Release 12 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Vet Contaminant Exposure Update 09: A Coral Gables veteran who filed a $30 million medical malpractice lawsuit charging that an improper colonoscopy at the Miami Veterans’ Administration hospital gave him life-threatening hepatitis C was scheduled to Miami to appear in federal court 11 JUL in the first of what could be dozens of similar trials.
     More than 11,000 U.S. veterans received colonoscopies with improperly cleaned equipment at VA hospitals in Miami, Murfreesboro, Tenn., and Augusta, Ga., between 2004 and 2009. Of the veterans who had the procedure at the three facilities, five have tested positive for HIV, 25 for hepatitis C and eight for hepatitis B. In Miami, 11 additional suits charging emotional distress have been settled out of court for undisclosed amounts, the U.S. Attorney’s office said. Nine malpractice suits have been filed in Tennessee. Officials in Georgia couldn’t say how many have been filed there. None has gone to trial until now.
     Robert Metzler, now 69, a U.S. Air Force veteran, says he got a colonoscopy at the Miami VA hospital in 2007 and two years later was told he has hepatitis C. Metzler’s medical malpractice suit against the VA asks for $20 million for him and $10 million for his wife, Lucy Ann, for loss of consortium. Miami Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence Rosen, who’s defending the VA, declined to comment on the case. Court documents he filed in the case acknowledge the VA “breached” a “duty of reasonable care” with the vets by using improperly cleaned equipment, but deny the equipment caused the health problems. In another Miami VA colonoscopy case settled out of court in March, the plaintiff’s lawyer says the VA tracked down his client’s ex-girlfriend from 10 years earlier to see if she...rather than the VA equipment...might have been the source of his HIV. “They don’t want to open the floodgates and take responsibility for every one of the veterans who may or may not have been infected by their procedures,” contends Alexander Perkins, the plaintiff’s lawyer in that case.
     The lawsuits were filed after a 2009 investigation by the VA’s own Administrative Investigation Board revealed more than 11,000 colonoscopies were done at three VA hospitals using equipment that had been rinsed after each patient rather than being sterilized by steam and chemicals as called for by the manufacturer. Investigators who took apart water tubes on some of the equipment that was supposed to be clean and ready for use instead found “discolored liquid and debris.” The AIB report said the colonoscopies in Miami were done in an environment of inadequate training, lack of supervision and inadequate communication. In the case settled out of court in March, U.S. Army veteran Juan Rivera of Miami sued for medical malpractice when he became HIV positive after a colonoscopy at the Miami VA hospital. Rivera, who is single, had asked for $20 million. Neither side would reveal the size of the settlement in that case. Rosen represented the VA in that case as well as Metzler’s. Rivera is “doing OK, on antiviral drugs,” Perkins says.
     The VA has promised lifetime care for all infected veterans, even if it can’t be proved they were infected at the VA hospitals. In the Metzler case, court papers filed by Rosen in April 2011 argue that the chances that the veteran contracted hepatitis C from the VA equipment are no more than “two in one trillion.” Hepatitis C can’t survive outside a human host for more than four days, the documents say, and “substantially more than four days had passed” between any previous patient with Hepatitis C who had a colonoscopy and the one performed on Metzler. In the court papers, Rosen downplays the seriousness of the illness, asserting that Metzler “more likely than not will be completely cured of this infection…The plaintiff’s current disease state is minimal, and liver function is normal. Experts agree that the medications becoming available will cure plaintiff of all symptoms.” Gonzalez, Metzler’s lawyer, responds that the veteran has “fatigue, dry skin, insomnia, hot flashes. He has virus-like symptoms. He worries he may need a liver transplant or get cancer.” Metzler’s case is based on the assertion that he had a blood test in August 2006 at the VA, with no sign of hepatitis C, Gonzalez said. His colonoscopy was in June 2007 and he was notified in March 2009 that he needed to come in to the VA for testing because the endoscope used in the procedure may have been contaminated, the lawyer said. A month later, he was told he was positive for hepatitis C. In Tennessee, Nashville lawyer Mike Sheppard filed suit for three veterans and filed notice of suit for 18 more treated at the VA hospital in Murfreesboro. One has HIV and 18 have hepatitis C or B. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for that district says it has received notice of nine colonoscopy cases against the VA. A federal court has dismissed two cases, the VA has filed motions to dismiss in four others and has not yet responded to the remaining three cases, said Mark H. Wildasin, civil chief for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Nashville. No case has come to trial, he said.

[Source: Miami Herald Fred Tasker a=article 11 Jul 2011 ++]

COLA 2012 Update 03: The ongoing effort to rein in federal spending includes a possible change in the way cost-of-living adjustments are calculated. If that happens, military retirees could lose a lot of money. Army Times reported that even the small change being discussed—an average of 0.25 percentage points...would cost a military retiree thousands of dollars over his or her lifetime. The publication noted that an active-component E-7 retiring this year after 20 years in uniform would receive more than $109,000 less in retired pay over a 40-year period. That’s a drop of 5.6 percent from what that retiree would receive under the current calculation. For an O-5, the figure would be nearly $208,000, or a 5.5 percent difference. Also affected by the possible change would be retired federal workers and Social Security recipients, among others. According to Army Times, Congress and the White House are considering changing the index to which COLA is currently figured. It is now tied to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners, which tracks the costs of goods and services. Under consideration is a switch to the Chained Consumer Price Index for Urban Consumers, which includes nonwage earners. Over the last year, it has increased at a slower rate than the other index and economists predict the difference over time would be .025 percent. [Source: NGAUS Washington Report 12 Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Housing Update 03: An Iraq war veteran from Texas sued a Citigroup unit 8 JUL, claiming the lender illegally foreclosed on his home he was on active duty. Army Sgt. Jorge Rodriguez said in a complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan that he was in training for deployment to Iraq in 2006 when CitiMortgage filed a foreclosure suit against his home in Del Valle, on the outskirts of Austin. CitiMortgage lawyers falsely said in an affidavit that Rodriguez wasn't on active service at the time, depriving him of protection under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, or SCRA, according to the complaint. Rodriguez is seeking to have the suit certified as a class action against CitiMortgage on behalf of other service members whose homes were foreclosed. "This was not an isolated incident," Rodriguez said in the complaint. Beginning in DEC 03, "CitiMortgage initiated thousands of foreclosure proceedings across the United States without adequate safeguards to ensure that service members on active duty were not targeted by CitiMortgage's foreclosures." The suit seeks unspecified damages and an order restoring to service members possession of properties foreclosed in violation of the SCRA. Sean Kevelighan, a Citigroup spokesman, said the bank is looking into the matter. Bank of America Corp. and Morgan Stanley agreed in May to pay $22.4 million to resolve U.S. allegations that they improperly foreclosed on active-duty soldiers. JPMorgan Chase & Co. earlier agreed to a $56 million settlement of claims that it illegally overcharged military personnel on home loans.
[Source: Bloomberg News Bob Van Voris article 8 Jul 2011 ++]

Vet Cemetery Philippines: Walking along the rows of tombstones at the Clark Veterans Cemetery offers a glimpse of the wars America has fought and the men and women who waged them. But most of the grave markers have been half-buried for 20 years, and there is little hope that the volcanic ash obscuring names, dates and epitaphs will be cleared any time soon. Clark Veterans Cemetery was consigned to oblivion in 1991, when Mount Pinatubo's gigantic eruption forced the U.S. to abandon the sprawling air base surrounding it.
     Retired U.S. soldiers, Marines and sailors volunteer to keep watch, relying on donations to try to maintain the grounds, but they lament that they're helplessly short on funds to fix things, and that Washington is unwilling to help. As America markred Independence Day, the U.S. veterans who collect funds to care for the cemetery renewed their calls for Washington to fund and take charge of the work.
     Workers at the cemetery north of Manila recently dug to fully expose a gravestone for an Army sergeant who died in World War II in the Philippines. They discovered his wife's name engraved under his and a long-hidden tribute: "Daughter, sister, wife and mother of veterans."
     It's impossible to say what else remains hidden at the 17-acre (seven-hectare) cemetery. It holds the remains of 8,600 people, including 2,200 American veterans and nearly 700 allied Philippine Scouts who saw battle in conflicts from the early 1900s to the resistance against brutal Japanese occupation troops in WWII.
     Clark's dead also include military dependents, civilians who worked for the U.S. wartime government and at least 2,139 mostly unidentified soldiers whose marble tombstones are labeled "Unknown." "People celebrate on the Fourth of July but they forgot the 8,600 who helped make that freedom happen," said former Navy Capt. Dennis Wright, who saw action in Vietnam and is now a business executive. "We're trying to get the U.S. government to assume responsibility for maintaining the cemetery so we can get it up to standards...not on nickels and dimes and donations and gifts," said retired Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Larry Heilhecker, who served as cemetery caretaker for five years until last month.  
     Clark was a U.S. base for nearly a century and was once the largest American Air Force installation off the U.S. mainland. It served as a key staging area for U.S. forces during the Korean and Vietnam wars. The Clark cemetery, which can accommodate at least 12,000 remains, was developed between 1947 and 1950, when it was used to collect the remains and tombstones from four U.S. military cemeteries as American officials sorted out their dead from WWII and previous wars.
     An American cemetery at the then-Fort McKinley in Manila became the exclusive burial ground for all Americans and allied Philippine Scouts who were killed in WWII combat. The 152-acre (61-hectare) Manila cemetery collected 17,202 dead, the largest number of American casualties interred in one place from the last world war. Now closed to burials, the stunningly landscaped Manila cemetery became one of 24 American burial grounds outside the U.S. mainland. Nearly 125,000 Americans who perished in WWI and WWII and the Mexican War are interred in those U.S.-funded overseas cemeteries, regarded as among the most beautiful war memorials in the world. The overseas burial sites are administered by the American Battle Monuments Commission, or ABMC.
     The dead at Clark are not limited to World War II casualties...they date as far back as 1900. Also unlike the Manila cemetery, it continues to accept burials. One U.S. veteran who lives in the area had his son buried here after he was killed in Iraq in 2004. But Clark is not administered by the ABMC.
     The Air Force managed Clark cemetery from 1947 to 1991, when it abruptly left after nearby Pinatubo roared back to life from a 500-year slumber. Even before the eruption, negotiations with the Philippine government for a new U.S. military lease on Clark had bogged down after nearly a century of presence in the Philippines, according to the veterans. Philippine authorities failed to look after the cemetery. In 1994, American veterans were shocked to find it had become an ash-covered jungle of weeds, overgrown grass and debris. Half of its old steel fence had been looted. Today, a pair of U.S. and Philippine flags flutter in the wind over the graves. A recently restored marble obelisk, pockmarked by World War II gun and artillery fire, venerates the unknown dead. A small sign at a new steel gate ushers in visitors with a tribute to the war dead: "Served with honor." All the improvements came from donations. Wright's company spent $90,000 to construct a new concrete and steel fence and a parking lot and make other improvements. An old veteran, confined to a nursing home in Florida, sent one dollar in a touching act, Heilhecker said.
     Ret. U.S. Air Force Technical Sgt. Littleton John Fortune has been giving small amounts from his pension for the upkeep of the cemetery, where many of his friends lay. He said the worst day in his life came in 2004 when his son, a young Army sergeant, was killed by a bomb in Iraq. He buried his son at Clark and continues to help the cemetery. Still, the Clark gravesites look forlorn compared to the American cemetery in Manila. A U.S. government decision to take control of the Clark cemetery could shed light on the fate of still-missing Americans, Wright said, citing the case of a U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Hershel Lee Covey, whose name is on a Clark cemetery tombstone that declared him as having died on July 17, 1942 in the Philippines. A check by The Associated Press showed ABMC lists Covey as "missing in action or buried at sea."
     Dashing the hopes of the American veterans, the ABMC and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which manages 131 U.S. mainland cemeteries through an agency, both said Clark was outside their mandate. "Whether the U.S. government should take on responsibility for maintaining such a foreign, private cemetery is a veterans' benefits issue outside the scope of our authority," ABMC public affairs director Michael Conley told the AP in an e-mailed reply to questions. U.S. Ambassador to Manila Harry Thomas, who has visited the Clark cemetery twice, praised the American veterans for looking after the burial grounds, which he said volunteer embassy staff and visiting U.S. sailors have helped clean up. But he said the U.S. Congress only appropriates funds for official cemeteries overseas through the ABMC, Thomas said. Philippine officials have authorized an American veterans' group led by Chesko to manage the Clark cemetery up to 2030, and have said they are open to allowing any U.S. agency to manage it. "Without them, we wouldn't have this freedom now," said Felipe Antonio Remollo, president of the state-run Clark Development Corp., which oversees the former base, now an industrial and commercial hub. Once developed and possibly turned into a war memorial, the cemetery could draw in tourists, Remollo said.
     Clark's elderly veterans, some of whom become teary-eyed when reminiscing days with fallen comrades, worry about who will look after the cemetery as their ranks dwindle. Two passed away and were buried last week. "We're getting old. We can feel it in our bones, you know, in mind and everything," said 65-year-old Chesko. He has wondered whether fallen soldiers' sacrifices still matter to young Americans. "What bothers me sometimes is, will they still remember?" Chesko said. The new cemetery caretaker, John Gilbert, said the veterans were not trying to pass the responsibility. "We're proud to do it, don't get me wrong, but we do not have the resources to do it," said Gilbert. They would have no choice if Washington ignores their pleas, he said. "We are not ready to let this cemetery be taken back by the jungle," he said. "If we have to do it ourselves, we will do it. We don't leave our brothers behind."
     For further info refer to the Clark Veterans Cemetery Restoration Association at http://www.vfwpost2485.com/CVCRA.htm

[Source: AP Jim Gomez article 7 Jul 2011 ++]

Volunteer Opportunities: The United We Serve website http://www.serve.gov provides a search engine that enables military advocates and supporters looking for volunteer opportunities to enter a city and state location and get a list of organizations that are seeking volunteers. The website allows users to narrow searches to match the type of organizations or activities they desire to support.
For more details on support groups for the military, visit the Military Spouse Network http://www.military.com/military-spouse-network
[Source: Military.com 11 Jul 2011 ++]

Commissary Coupon Use Update 03: Overseas Army and Air Force exchanges (AAFES) and commissaries accept coupons up to six months after their expiration date. Newspapers there don’t contain them and sites often won’t let those IP addresses print them, making coupons very difficult to come by for overseas families. The policy is one of the only ways families can use coupons at all. AFEES all but started a Facebook riot recently when they wrote on their wall that, thanks to the changing coupon acceptance policy of manufacturers, they were reexamining their rule around the acceptance of old coupons. The post, which has since been removed, sparked mass confusion and panic among overseas coupon users, speculation over whether or not the commissary would follow suit and demands to know who, exactly, these manufacturers are. To clarify, policy has been to only accept current coupons yet overseas Exchanges have made exceptions. Initial posting of the notice was due to pending industry changes. The Exchange has no immediate plans to stop granting the exception overseas. A representative with AAFES said they will continue to accept them for the foreseeable future but “… the Exchange is a flexible entity and prepared to adapt to industry changes as they occur.” Also, officials at the commissary have given assurances that they have no intention of changing their overseas coupons rules. In short, yes — it might change. But it isn’t changing today.It’s important to remember how coupons work on the manufacturer and store ends. When a patron hands a coupon to a clerk, that discount comes out of the store’s pocket until the coupon is mailed in and reimbursed by the manufacturer. According to one source, each manufacturer has a different grace period for accepting the coupon after that expiration date. Even coupons submitted stateside on the last day may not be mailed-in by that window. Those out of pocket costs to AAFES and the commissary are absorbed as operating costs by the store and never reimbursed. Coupons, particularly those used overseas, are a gift. It’s good to hear that AAFES and the commissary are not shutting down their use … yet. But when budget crunch time comes and people start throwing around ideas to reduce cost, that lax policy may go away. If you want to help OCONUS families get coupons, there is a way to forward your unused coupons to them via the ‘Support Our Troops organization’. Surplus and/or expired food and non-food manufacturer coupons can be mailed to Support Our Troops, P.O. Box 70, Daytona Beach, FL 32115-0070. They in turn will forward them to overseas locations. Expired coupons are accepted until they are two months old.

For more info on this refer to http://www.supportourtroops.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1435

[Source: Military Life, Spouse & Family News, by Amy article 1 Jul 2011 ++}

TRICARE Philippines Update 02: Effective 1 SEP 2011, reimbursement of pharmaceuticals in the Philippines will be cost-shared only when purchased at a licensed retail or hospital-based TRICARE certified pharmacy. Claims for reimbursement of pharmaceuticals purchased or issued after this date from other than a licensed retail or hospital-based TRICARE certified pharmacy will be denied. To provide beneficiaries with a variety of locations to fill their prescription needs, the nation-wide chain of Mercury Drug retail pharmacies has been added as TRICARE certified providers. Beneficiaries may also locate other TRICARE certified pharmacies by going to the website: http://www.tricare.mil/tma/pacific/pacificcertifiedproviders.aspx Providers and beneficiaries in the Philippines will receive letters in August 2011 about this change.
[Source: TRICARE Marketing and Benefits Coordinator Roger D. Barker msg. 7 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Claims Backlog Update 53: Results of an online survey conducted last winter by The American Legion reveal just how frustrated veterans are with backlog-choked VA Regional Offices across the country. Of the 2,145 who responded, 96 percent were veterans, 2 percent spouses and the remainder were dependents, caregivers or others. The survey was conducted to establish a foundation of understanding before American Legion Regional Office Action Review (ROAR) teams began visiting the offices to see where the problems are and what might be done to correct them. VA has been mired in a backlog of unresolved benefits claims for several years. It is now believed to be nearly 1 million and growing. According to a report documenting the results of the ROAR online survey:

* 85 percent of respondents described the overall performance of the regional offices as "inefficient and untimely." Only 6 percent said their claims were adjudicated in 120 days or less, a standard VA Secretary Eric Shinseki has set as a goal for the department. At the 92nd American Legion National Convention in 2010, he told Legionnaires, "We intend to break the back of the backlog."
* Fifty-seven percent of survey respondents reported a processing time of one year or longer.
* Survey respondents expressed an understanding that there is a large volume of claims for VA to process, and it will take some time." However, respondents also expressed frustration about VA's failure to communicate clearly about the status of claims. While 50 percent indicated that professional courtesy at the regional office was at least adequate, 31 percent were dissatisfied about the way they were treated.
* The survey illuminated: lost paperwork. "A large percentage of respondents indicated that paper evidence they submitted had been lost even after certified arrival at the regional office," the report states. "A small percentage complained that their entire claims file had been lost."
* A common problem reported throughout the country is the practice of making veterans go out of their way for compensation and pension examinations, often "hundreds of miles away from their homes when there (is) an equipped facility within 25 miles."
* Sixty-six percent of respondents reported difficulty accessing their regional offices at all.
* Veterans reported "extreme frustration" with VA's lack of flexibility, short notice of appointment openings and examiner politeness at C&P examinations, according to the report.
* 65 percent said they were not treated fairly by adjudicators, and 54 percent said they intended to appeal VA's decisions. Claimants didn't feel that all evidence in the file was reviewed before a decision was made on the claim.
* Seventy percent said they would like to see VA hire more veterans to reduce the backlog and improve performance, and some participants suggested other strategies to improve regional offices, including: 1) Institute a "call-back" system to reduce the amount of time veterans have to wait on the phone, on hold with VA's call center. 2) Convert the claims-adjudication process to an electronic system. 3) Allow veterans to review C&P examination results before adjudication to correct omissions. 4) Expedite all pension claims because pension claims are income-based, and "it should be assumed that all applicants are experiencing financial hardship." The American Legion's Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Division launched the ROAR program last spring to strengthen the organization's understanding of the claims backlog and help VA set priorities to begin reversing it. Through June, the Legion had conducted site visits at six regional offices to discuss issues reported in the online survey and to work out solutions. The Legion's VA&R Division is sharing results of the survey with VA Central Office.
[Source: AL Online Update 7 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Sexual Assaults Update 03: A San Diego psychologist has exposed the alarming increase of sexual misconduct among the military. Carolyn Allard, a psychologist with the Veteran's Affairs Department, said she knew men and women in the military were being subjected to military sexual trauma, or MST, but she never realized the full extent. "One in five women report experiencing MST when they come to the VA and one in 100 men report experience with MST," she said. Allard co-authored a new study for the June issue of the Journal of Trauma and Disassociation. "What's really alarming is if you factor the unreported number of men and women this is happening to," she said. The study revealed 24 percent of women and 1 percent of men reported some sort of MST, which ranges from inappropriate comments to physical assault. However, if the unreported number is factored in, it jumps to 80 percent of women and 30 percent of men have had experience with MST. Of the 48,000 veterans who were screened at the end of fiscal year 2010, more than 3.2 percent reported some form of MST. That is almost a full percentage point higher than the national average outside the military. "The good news is that we can take the findings of this study and move forward towards better reporting and more important treatment and prevention, which the Department of Defense is fully committed to," said Allard.
[Source: San Diego 10News.com article 5 Jul 2011 ++]

Louisiana Vet Legislation Update 01: Calling it “a small thank you,” Gov. Bobby Jindal signed a bill into law 5 JUL that extends benefits to Louisiana National Guardsmen disabled in action and to the families of those killed in action, retroactive to 2001. Jindal signed flanked by its author, Rep. Nick Lorusso, R-New Orleans, National Guard officials and family members of four guardsmen killed in action who will receive benefits. “It’s fitting on the heels of Independence Day we are here to sign this bill that will ensure military families get the benefits they deserve,” Jindal said. “We know no amount of money will bring their loved ones back. " I guarantee every one of these families would rather see their husband, their son, their brother walk through that door than to have this check. We can never pay them back. What we can do is show we care.” House Bill 143 extends benefits to guardsmen called to active duty since Sept. 11, 2001. A 2007 bill provided such benefits, but only for guardsmen killed or disabled after that bill was passed. HB 143 amends the benefits, extending them back to the start of the War on Terror. “This is not about money,” said Larry Murphy of Crown Point, whose son was killed in action in Iraq in 2005. “This is about justice and seeing everybody treated equally.” Sgt. Warren Murphy was killed along with six other soldiers when an improvised explosive device detonated near their vehicle in Taji, near Baghdad. Larry Murphy, a Navy veteran whose other son, Sean, is in the National Guard and stationed at Camp Beauregard, made the trip with his wife, Bonnie, to witness the ceremony. “For me personally, it’s about solidarity,” Murphy said. “You can’t separate these people from those people when they’re fighting in the same operation. What’s fair for one is fair for all.”
     The benefit is $250,000 for a fatality and $100,000 for a permanent disability. Under the new legislation, two guardsmen disabled and the families of 32 guardsmen killed from 2001-07 will receive more than $8 million in benefits. “This gives certainly peace of mind for many of our soldiers here,” said Maj. Gen. Bennett Landreneau, the adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard. “As we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, it makes us very comfortable to know it will help families who are so deserving.” Lane Carson, secretary of Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, said, “I am proud to live in a state that values the sacrifices made by our military personnel and supports their families in times of loss.”
[Source: The News Star Jeff Matthews article 5 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Women Vet Programs Update 13: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has embarked on a major initiative to reach out to women Veterans in order to solicit their input on ways to enhance the health care services VA provides to women Veterans. "We are taking a proactive approach to enhancing VA health care for women Veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "We are seeking the input of women Veterans so that VA can continue to provide high quality health care to the growing numbers of women Veterans." Representatives at VA's Health Resource Center (HRC) are placing calls to women Veterans nationwide, asking them to share their experiences with VA and suggest potential enhancements that will further VA's mission to provide the best care anywhere. Women Veterans are one of the fastest growing segments of the Veteran population. Of the 22.7 million living Veterans, more than 1.8 million are women. They comprise nearly 8 percent of the total Veteran population and 6 percent of all Veterans who use VA health care services. VA estimates by 2020 women Veterans will constitute 10 percent of the Veteran population and 9.5 percent of VA patients.
     The HRC, which started placing calls on 1 JUN, is contacting women Veterans who have enrolled, but have not begun using VA services. "Through this contact center, we are placing friendly, conversational calls to women Veterans," said Patricia Hayes, chief consultant of the VA's Women Veterans Health Strategic Health Care Group. "We want these Veterans and their caregivers to talk candidly about why they are not using VA, whether they are aware of the gender-specific services we offer, and what additional services they would like to see VA offer." The HRC representatives making the calls are also informing women Veterans about the services VA offers and quickly connecting them with appropriate departments if they are interested in trying VA health care. Veterans who have complaints about VA are connected to a patient advocate who helps resolve issues. VA has trained professionals in all aspects of women's health, including general primary care, osteoporosis management, heart disease, mentalhealth care, menopausal services and obesity-related issues, such as diabetes. Preventive screenings for breast and cervical cancer are also areas in which VA excels. Soon, all VA facilities will offer comprehensive primary care for women from a single provider. The Women Veterans Health Care program has made significant changes in the last few years to enhance the health care offered to eligible women Veterans.

This progress includes:
* Adopting key policies to improve access and enhance services for women Veterans;
* Implementing comprehensive primary care for women Veterans;
* Conducting cutting-edge research on the effects of military service on women's lives;
* Improving communication and outreach to women Veterans; and
* Providing mental health, homelessness and other services designed to meet the unique needs of women Veterans.

For more information about VA programs and services for women Veterans, refer to http://www.va.gov/womenvet and http://www.publichealth.va.gov/womenshealth [Source: VA News Release 7 Jul 2011 ++]

Mobilized Reserve 5 JUL 2011: The Department of Defense announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 5 JUL 2011. The net collective result is 1,772 fewer reservists mobilized than last reported in the 1 JUL 2011 RAO Bulletin. At any given time, services may activate some units and individuals while deactivating others, making it possible for these figures to either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty from the Army National Guard and Army Reserve is 72,022; Navy Reserve 5,007; Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve, 10,331; Marine Corps Reserve, 6.191; and the Coast Guard Reserve, 782. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel who have been activated to 94,333 including both units and individual augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve personnel who are currently activated may be found at http://www.defense.gov/news/d20110705ngr.pdf
[Source: DoD News Release No. 583-11 dtd 6 Jul 2011 ++]

Bariatric Surgery Update 03: In the first study to compare survival associated with bariatric surgery in mostly male patients, bariatric surgery was not significantly associated with decreased mortality, according to a research study published in the 15 JUN issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. "At VA, we are committed to delivering the best care possible to Veterans," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. "VA's research program plays an invaluable role by continually evaluating available approaches to determine their benefits and risks in different populations." In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of obesity, which is a challenge to treat. Bariatric surgery is the most effective way for severely obese patients to achieve weight loss. The bariatric surgery study compared mortality rates for 850 obese Veterans who had received the procedure at one of 12 VA bariatric surgery centers between 2000 and 2006. These Veterans were considered to be "high-risk" due to older age and greater weight in comparison to more than 41,000 obese Veterans who had not received bariatric surgery, but had used VA outpatient services.
     The study also compared mortality rates for 847 obese Veterans who had received bariatric surgery and 847 matched obese Veterans who had not received bariatric surgery. Patients were followed for nearly 7 years. "By evaluating one important treatment option for obesity, this study represents another significant advance in defining best care approaches for those who entrust their health to VA," said Dr. Robert A. Petzel, VA's Under Secretary for Health.
     The study was designed to shed light on the benefits of bariatric surgery in a defined group of patients over a limited timeframe. Despite this study's findings, study investigators are not suggesting VA stop doing bariatric surgery for certain patients. "Significant weight loss results in improved disease control and quality of life for patients, so there are many reasons why patients like those in our study may still want to undergo bariatric surgery," said Dr. Matthew Maciejewski, the study's lead investigator and part of the Health Services Research and Development Center for Health Services Research in Durham, N.C.
     "Also, other studies, conducted on different patient populations, have found bariatric surgery to be associated with reduced mortality and have also suggested that survival benefits from surgery-induced weight loss may take longer than six years to become evident." An analysis of the 1,694 propensity-matched patients found that bariatric surgery was not significantly associated with reduced mortality. Maciejewski recommends that Veterans who are considering bariatric surgery in VA, and who are similar to Veterans examined in this study, "should be counseled by their VA surgeon that bariatric surgery may not impact their survival in the medium term (6-7 years), but that the long-term association with mortality remains unknown." Moreover, because a high proportion of Veterans with diabetes or high cholesterol are able to discontinue their medications after bariatric surgery, he suggests that longer-term survival benefits be examined forVeterans who had bariatric surgery after 2006, before VA changes its policy and/or guidelines. Dr. Joel Kupersmith, VA's Chief Research and Development Officer, notes that VA considers all associated evidence in any policy decision, but notes this is just one study. "It is by conducting leading-edge research studies such as this one on bariatric surgery, and evaluating the meaning in the context of all rigorous scientific evidence, that VA Research provides the foundation for optimal Veterans' health care," he said. Dr. Maciejewski also does not recommend that insurers stop covering bariatric surgery for high-risk patients based on these study results because, "survival is just one aspect of the cost-effectiveness of bariatric surgery, which has been shown to be cost-effective for eligible patients."

[Source: VA News Release 7 Jul 2011 ++]

Health Care Reform Update 42: The American Medical Association saw another steep drop in its membership in 2010 -- this time losing about 12,000 members or 5% of its total membership, the group announced Sunday during its 2011 House of Delegates meeting. In 2010, the AMA's had a total membership of 215,854, down from 228,150 in 2009. Numbers for 2011 are not yet available. While the AMA remains the nation's largest physician's group, membership has dropped sharply since the group endorsed President Obama's healthcare reform plan, which became law last year. Many in the organization quit in protest, and many more continue to quit. "Individual membership in the AMA continues to plummet as physicians see less value in their AMA membership, and increasingly perceive the AMA to be a less responsive organizational bureaucracy..." the District of Columbia delegation wrote in a resolution it introduced to reorganize the group's House of Delegates. Membership declines were most acute in Southern states -- the same region in which state medical societies have been championing opposition to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Daniel Edney, MD, a nephrologist and delegate for Mississippi, placed his state's membership at just 600 doctors. Mississippi had 2,327 members in 2010, according to the AMA. "It's PPACA and we all know it," Edney said, referring to the original full name of the law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which has since been shorted to just the Affordable Care Act. "PPACA is what is driving all of our doctors crazy." But not all doctors oppose ACA, as evidence by the number of members...most of them younger physicians...who testified in support of the ACA's individual mandate during a Sunday session on the ACA provisions. The number of members in Alabama has dropped so much that the House of Delegates was set to strip away one seat from the state this year, said W. Jeff Terry, MD, a urologist and delegate for Alabama. But the House agreed to hold Alabama's seats at five and give the delegation a year to try and get its membership back up, Terry said. Which will be a difficult task, he admits. Many doctors in his state were so angry with the AMA for supporting healthcare reform that they resigned their memberships. "That was the one issue that caused the drop in membership," Terry told MedPage Today. Terry has been trying to convince doctors in his state that like it or not, the AMA is the voice of doctors, at least in the minds of the public, and they're better off having their voices heard. Plus, the organization should have a diversity of opinions, he said. If the deflected docs don't rejoin, and more keep quitting, the AMA "will just be a bunch of people who think exactly the same," Terry said. But for those who quit in protest of the AMA's support of the healthcare reform law, it's an emotional thing, he said, likening the split to a divorce. "It takes a while to get over it," he said, adding he hopes Alabama members will eventually rejoin, but admits it will likely take a while. The AMA reported that membership dues revenue decreased by $4.2 million in 2010...down nearly 10% from 2009. Annual dues for active physician members are $420, but students...who comprise 21% of the AMA's membership, pay just $20 a year.

[Source: MedPage Today | Emily P. Walker article 20 Jun 201 ++]

Automated Phone Menus: A survey by Consumers Union of 1000 people disclosed that 71 percent were extremely irritated when they couldn’t reach a human on the phone. Websites such as http://www.dialahuman.com and http://gethuman.com list customer service numbers and tell how to bypass automated prompts to get a real person. Another free service, http://www.lucyphone.com will help you avoid sitting on hold by letting you to provide your phone number and hang up. The service calls you back when a live representative is on the line. Other Tips for getting to a human: 1. Dial O, or try multiple zeros2. You can add the # key or the * key before and after a 03. Dial multiples of other numbers 1111, 2222, 3333, 4444, etc.4. Being silent sometimes works (believe it or not some people still have rotary phones)5. Speak non-sensible phrases to confuse computer6. Try speaking and repeating "Operator" or "Customer Service" 7. If there is a company directory, press just one letter and then try to connect to that person and then may transfer you or give you an inside phone number8. Make sure once you get a human, ask for the direct line to call (and then email us with it!) [Source: MoneyTalksNews Karla Bowsher article 22 Jun 2011 ++]

Displaying the Flag Update 01: As a patriotic gesture after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, Bodger Seeds, planted a Floral Flag in Lompoc, California. It had been 50 years since they have planted such a flag. It was planted in January 2002 and was in full bloom on July 4, 2002. There have been four Floral Flags planted by Bodger Seeds in Lompoc during the last century: 1942, 1943, 1945, 1952. All of the flags were comprised of Red, White and Blue Larkspur flowers. Some of the flags were planted in a background of White Larkspur. Either the 1943 or the 1945 flag was a 'wavy' flag that was a failure. The first Floral Flag was planted a week after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 and was in bloom during the early summer of 1942. That flag was 455 feet long and 260 feet high, equaling 2.75 acres. It was planted in a 9 acre field of White Larkspur. The Stars were 10' x 10' and the Stripes were 22 feet wide. It was estimated to contain 200,000 Larkspur plants. The1952 Floral Flag was planted with Stripes of varying widths so that the flag would retain proper perspective from the top of Lookout Point, approximately 1/4 mile to the south. This Flag was 7 acres square: 550 feet long and 540 feet wide. The Stripes were 33 feet wide on the south end of the flag and became progressively wider to a maximum of 53 feet wide on the north end of the flag. This 2002 Flag was the first to have 5 pointed floral Stars. All previous flags had square blocks of White Larkspur for Stars. First the blue field (210 ft X 296 ft.) was planted. Once the Blue Larkspur plants began to sprout, a 24 foot metal frame in the shape of a 5 pointed star was placed precisely where each Star would be. The Blue Larkspur plants within this frame were removed and White Larkspur plants were planted in their place. This was repeated 49 more times to make 50 Stars. There were 5 rows of 6 Stars and 4 rows of 5 stars staggered in a way that makes the stars evenly spaced from one another. The flowers are grown by seed companies. The Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions, as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars, comprised of White Larkspur. Each each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants, with 4-5 flower stems each, for a total of more than 2 million flowers. You can drive by this flag on V Street south of Ocean Ave. in Lompoc, CA. It's a beautiful place, close to Vandenberg AFB. Between the fields where the flag is planted, there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean The developer of the Floral Flag had been in existence since 1890, and in Lompoc since about 1925. For many years they dominated the national flower-seed industry. In May of 2009, John Bodger and Sons sold off its flower and seed division, called Bodger Seeds, to German company Benary. Along with the sale came ownership of Bodger’s facilities in Lompoc and Chile. With the global economic situation, Benary decided they had too many global facilities, and needed to scale back. The Lompac Valley facility was closed 9 APR 2010 and the Floral Flag no longer exists.

[Source: http://forums.christiansunite.com/index.php?topic=21794.0 Jul 2011 ++]

Social Security Myths Update 01: It's not surprising that myths about Social Security persist, often fed by the program's critics. With the debate about Social Security's future once again heating up, these three myths need to be put to rest...so we can focus on the real issues.
     Myth #1: By the time I retire, Social Security will be broke. If you believe this, you are not alone. More and more Americans have become convinced that the Social Security system won't be there when they need it. In an AARP survey released last year, only 35% of adults said they were very or somewhat confident about Social Security's future. It's true that Social Security's finances need work, because over the long term there will not be enough money to fully cover promised benefits. But radical changes aren't needed. In 2010 a number of different proposals were put forward that, taken in combination, would put the program back on firm financial ground for the future, including changes such as raising the amount of wages subject to the payroll tax (now capped at $106,800) and benefit changes based on longer life expectancy.
     Myth #2: The Social Security trust fund assets are worthless. Any surplus payroll taxes not used for current benefits are used to purchase special-issue, interest-paying Treasury bonds. In other words, the surplus in the Social Security trust fund has been loaned to the federal government for its general use...the reserve of $2.6 trillion is not a heap of cash sitting in a vault. These bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the federal government, just as they are for other Treasury bondholders. However, Treasury will soon need to pay back these bonds. This will put pressure on the federal budget, according to Social Security's board of trustees. Even without any changes, Social Security can continue paying full benefits through 2037. After that, the revenue from payroll taxes will still cover about 75 percent of promised benefits.
     Myth #3: I could invest better on my own. Maybe you could, and maybe you couldn't. But the point of Social Security isn't to maximize the return on the payroll taxes you've contributed. Social Security is designed to be the one guaranteed part of your retirement income that can't be outlived or lost in the stock market. It's a secure base of income throughout your working life and retirement. And for many, it's a lifeline. Social Security provides the majority of income for at least half of Americans over age 65; it is 90 percent or more of income for 43 percent of singles and 22 percent of married couples. You can, and should, invest in a retirement fund like a 401(k) or an individual retirement account. Maybe you'll enjoy strong returns and avoid the market turmoil we have seen during the past decade. If not, you'll still have Social Security to fall back on.

[Source: AARP Magazine Liz Weston article July/August 2011 issue ++]

Tricare Overseas Program Update 11: As a TRICARE Overseas Program (TOP) Standard beneficiary, you may be required to submit your own claims for health care services. You should take the following steps to help avoid late or denied payments.

* To file your own medical claim, you must complete and submit a TRICARE DoD/CHAMPUS Medical Claim—Patient’s Request for Medical Payment form (DD Form 2642). The sooner your claims processor receives your paperwork, the sooner you will be paid. Claims must be filed within one year of the date of service or within one year of the date of an inpatient discharge, but you are encouraged to send your DD Form 2642 to your claims processor as soon as possible after you receive care. You can access the DD Form 2642 at http://www.tricare.mil/claims or http://www.tricare-overseas.com You may also be able to submit your claims electronically using the secure portal available on http://www.tricare-overseas.com Certain restrictions apply. Note: Providers who file claims for you are required to submit their claims directly using either the CMS-1500 or UB-04 forms.

* You must submit proof of payment with your claim form in order for your payment to process. Proof of payment may include a receipt, canceled check, bank or credit card statement or invoice from the provider that clearly states payment was received. Note: Claims for services provided in Puerto Rico are reimbursed according to stateside guidelines and TRICARE-allowable charges. Claims for services provided in the Philippines and Panama are reimbursed based on government-provided foreign fee schedules. To file a claim attach a readable copy of the provider’s bill to the claim form, making sure it contains the following:

* Sponsor’s Social Security number. (An eligible former spouse should use his or her own SSN, not the sponsor’s.)• Name of beneficiary receiving services• Provider’s name and address (If more than one provider’s name is on the bill, circle the name of the person who treated you.)

* Date and place of each service.

* Description of each service or supply,

* Charge for each service.

* Diagnosis (If the diagnosis is not on the bill, be sure to complete block 8a on the form.)

* Fill out all 12 blocks of the form correctly.

* Do not forget to sign the claim form. The beneficiary or a spouse, parent or guardian may sign the initial claim form. Claims Mailing Addresses• Non-active duty, TRICARE Eurasia-Africa send to TRICARE Overseas Program, P.O. Box 8976 Madison, WI 53708-8976 USA

* Non-active duty, TRICARE Latin America and Canada send to TRICARE Overseas Program, P.O. Box 7985 Madison, WI 53707-7985 USA

* Non-active duty, TRICARE Pacific send to TRICARE Overseas Program, P.O. Box 7985, Madison, WI 53707-7985 USA

* TRICARE For Life (TFL) claims in the United States and U.S. territories (American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) send to WPS TFL, P.O. Box 7890 Madison, WI 53707-7890 USA

     Any forms submitted later with additional required information may only be signed by a beneficiary age 18 or older, or by the parent or guardian if the beneficiary is under age 18. Be sure to keep a copy of the paperwork for your records. Mail your completed claim form to your claims processor to the address for the overseas region where you live. For assistance with filing claims, contact your TOP Regional Call Center and select option 2.

Note that International SOS Assistance, Inc. issues reimbursements to overseas beneficiaries in U.S. dollars unless you specifically request reimbursement in foreign currencies.

[Source: The 2011 Publication for Tricare Standard Overseas Beneficiaries May 2011 ++]

NM Vet Legislation: Nine New Mexico state laws and benefits aimed at military veterans took effect 1 JUL, including disabled veteran license plates, enrollment priority for military children and tax exemptions for veterans service organizations. The laws were enacted during the 2011 legislative session and signed by the governor.

They cover the following areas:

* Disabled veteran license plate. Any honorably-discharged veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces who is rated at least 50 percent service disabled can apply for a state of New Mexico vehicular license plate which identifies the veteran as a disabled veteran.
* Mandatory Police Training for interacting with the mentally impaired. Provides for additional education and training of law enforcement officials to facilitate interaction with persons with mental impairment. The goal is to increase crisis intervention training for handling law enforcement calls involving people with mental impairments.
* NMDVS Enterprise Fund. Creates an Enterprise Fund for the New Mexico Department of Veterans' Services consisting of appropriations, gifts, sale proceeds, fees collected and other public or private funds received by the NMDVS to carry out its programs and services.
* Veterans' Service Organization Property Tax Exemption. Any U.S. Congressionally-chartered veterans' service organization is exempt from paying property tax on the property of its facility.
* Veteran business incubator program feasibility study. The Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee has been requested to work with the Department of Veterans' Services and the New Mexico Economic Development Department to study the feasibility of enacting legislation to establish a business incubator program to foster the creation of veteran-owned businesses, lower veteran unemployment rates and increase jobs for New Mexicans. The Committee must report its findings, conclusions and recommendations for legislation to the legislature by November.
* Hunting fee discount for non-resident disabled veterans undergoing rehabilitation. Hunting licenses for deer, antelope, elk, javelina and turkey may be sold to non-resident disabled U.S. military members or veterans at resident license-fee rates if the applicant is undergoing a rehabilitation program utilizing hunting activities supported by the U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs or an authorized nonprofit organization.
* Deceased military person's disposition arrangements. A person designated as the immediate contact on the Department of Defense (DoD) Emergency Data Form of an active-duty member of the U.S. Armed Forces can determine the means of disposition of that deceased Armed Forces member. The designee is authorized to make burial, funeral and disposition arrangements.
* Military children school enrollment. Priority enrollment status is automatically assigned to incoming students or the New Mexico schools system whose active-duty, National Guard or Reservist parent is transferred to a New Mexico military facility.
* Temporary hunting and fishing license for active-duty military personnel. Any active duty military personnel, National Guard or Reserve member who is a legally domiciled resident of New Mexico can apply for a temporary active duty fishing or small game hunting license. Applicants must show proof of residency and not claim residency elsewhere. Applicants may also apply if they are on active duty outside the state but are currently on leave here in New Mexico for not more than 30 days.

[Source: Clovis News Journal article 30 Jun 2011 ++]

Guard Empowerment Legislation: Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) introduced S.1025, the National Guard Empowerment and State-National Defense Integration Act of 201 in late May. Twenty-eight senators have since signed on as co-sponsors. As of 5 JUL thirty senators sponsor the legislation that would give the National Guard a voice in final resource decisions at the Pentagon. The bill includes a provision to give the Guard’s senior officer a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The National Guard Association of the United States (NGAUS) has asked the White House to clarify the administration’s position on elevating the chief of the National Guard Bureau to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Despite the support from both the president and vice president during their campaign in 2008, the Department of Defense has declared its opposition to the move, which is now under consideration in the Senate after being approved in the House of Representatives. In a letter 1 JUL to both President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, retired Maj. Gen. Gus L. Hargett Jr., the NGAUS president, noted that the Pentagon’s opposition “leaves us extremely concerned. It also has us wondering if there has been some evolution in your Administration’s thinking and position on this matter,” Hargett wrote. Nothing has changed since the 2008 campaign, he noted, that would warrant a switch in the position of the president and vice president. Hargett pointed out the dual mission of the Guard and the lack of a homeland mission for the active-component forces represented on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. “There should be no confusion, without the NGB chief on the Joint Chiefs, not only is the Guard not at the table, homeland security and the nation’s governors are not at the table,” the NGAUS boss wrote. [Source: NGAUS Washington Report 5 Jul 2011 ++]

Medicare Scam: As the nation's leaders struggle to address steep health care costs, a Medicare scam is being orchestrated right under their noses and no one is doing anything to stop it, said former medical laboratory executives who have filed a lawsuit against Quest Diagnostics, Inc., accusing the company of overcharging the federal government by over $1 billion. The individuals suing Quest called on the U.S. Department of Justice to intervene in their lawsuit, which alleges that the scam industry wide among medical labs is costing taxpayers as much as $15 billion in Medicare and Medicaid overcharges. This particular fraud, known in the industry as "pull-through" business, is featured in the July 4th-10th edition of Bloomberg Businessweek. Since 1996, the federal government has paid more...sometimes as much as 400 to 500 percent more...than private insurers for some Medicare and Medicaid patients' lab work conducted by Quest, the nation's largest lab testing company based in Madison, NJ. The lawsuit claims that billions of dollars in lab fees have been siphoned into illegal kickbacks to private insurers, such as Aetna and Cigna, which are among Quest's largest contract providers. "Quest and other labs are ripping off taxpayers, yet the federal government has done nothing. Despite our lawsuit, the scam continues and will until the government makes them pay damages," said Andrew Baker, one of three former executives of Unilab, purchased by Quest in 2003, who brought the lawsuit. The details of the fraud can be found in Fair Laboratory Practices Associates vs. Quest Diagnostics, Inc., filed in 2005 under seal before the Southern District Court of New York. The federal court recently unsealed an amended complaint that charges Quest with violations of the Federal False Claims Act and the Federal Anti-Kickback Statute.
It can be found at http://amlawdaily.typepad.com/04062011troutman_complaint.pdf
     Baker wonders why the federal government has not joined his lawsuit, especially since just last month Quest settled a remarkably similar California state claim for $241 million in overcharges to the state's Medicaid program. In March 2009, California Attorney General Jerry Brown intervened in that case and a settlement soon followed, returning hundreds of millions of dollars to the state's coffers. Baker asserts billions are waiting to be returned to the federal government if the U.S. Department of Justice would join the FLPA case. The California' lawsuit alleged Quest overcharged the state by as much as 400 percent for blood, urine and other tests conducted on Medicaid patients. For example, Quest charged the State of California $8.59 for a complete blood test, but billed private insurers only $1.43. The fraud is simple: Quest pressures private insurers to lean on doctors to send all their lab work to Quest, for patients insured privately and by Medicare and Medicaid. In return, the private insurers benefit from lower and, in many cases, below-cost, lab fees, effectively subsidized by higher fees for the Medicare and Medicaid patients. Insurers threaten to throw doctors out of their networks if they refuse to send their tests for Medicare and Medicaid patients to Quest. While Baker's lawsuit names only Quest, the FLPA plaintiffs believe the practice of overbilling Medicare and Medicaid has become widespread throughout the industry, resulting in overpayments of as much as $15 billion. FLPA has appealed a lower court dismissal of their claims based on procedural grounds. The lower court did not rule on the merits of the case. The Quest scam could be the largest Medicare fraud committed by one company. In February 1999, the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warned against the "pull-through" practice.

[Source: PR Newswire Karen Hinton article 5 July 2011 ++]

Cell-Phone Radiation Scams: The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has published tips on how to avoid cell phone radiation scams at http://www.devicewatch.org/reports/cellphone_scams.shtml The agency's warning was made in response to the proliferation of devices that are claimed to absorb electromagnetic emissions from mobile phones. Its warning document states: There is no scientific proof that so-called shields significantly reduce exposure from these electromagnetic emissions. In fact, products that block only the earpiece-or another small portion of the phone-are totally ineffective because the entire phone emits electromagnetic waves. What's more, these shields may interfere with the phone's signal, cause it to draw even more power to communicate with the base station, and possibly emit more radiation. A few reports have suggested that mobile telephone use is related to the development of certain brain tumors. The World Health Organization's International Agency on Research on Cancer recently classified mobile phone use as a 'possible carcinogen' based upon inconclusive epidemiological findings.
     Their report can be read at http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/pressreleases/2011/IARCcellphoneMay2011 However, mobile phones produce very small amounts of non-ionizing radiation and no mechanism is known by which such radiation can cause brain tumors. The largest and most important study to date has reported that overall, cell phone users have no increased risk of the most common forms of brain tumors-glioma and meningioma. In addition, the study revealed no evidence of increasing risk with progressively increasing number of calls, longer call time, or years since beginning cell phone use. [Source: Consumer Health Digest #11-18, 23 Jun 2011++]

SVAC Update 08: In these tight budget times, the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has learned it must cut current spending to fund new initiatives for veterans.

Accordingly, during a recent session they approved the following:
* Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), committee chairman, would pay for her Hiring Heroes Act of 2011 (S 951) by extending by three years, to 2014, a higher fee on veterans who reuse their VA home loan authority. So the committee agreed that current fee of 3.3 percent for "subsequent" home loan usage, set to fall to 2.15 percent Oct. 1, should only fall now to 3.0 percent. The full Congress would have to agree to that.
* Likewise, to pay for the Senate version of a bill to repair a glitch in last December's Post-9/11 GI Bill Reform Act so it doesn't lower benefits for at least 4000 students enrolled in private colleges across seven states, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) got committee agreement to extend current higher fees on VA home loans with five or 10 percent down payments, by three years and one year respectively. The fees in question are 1.5 percent for loans with five percent down payments and 1.25 percent for 10 percent.
* To free up billions of dollars for the cost of providing VA health care to veterans and family members exposed to contaminated water over three decades at Camp Lejeune, N.C., Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) won approval, without debate, to consolidate all base exchanges and commissary operations worldwide into a single for-profit retailing system. Before being made law these measures will have to pass the scrutiny of at least the full Senate, if not an additional committee. They then will face additional hurdles, such as passing the House and being signed by the president.
[Source: Military.com Tom Philpott article 30 Jun 2011 ++]

NDAA 2012 Update 02: The Senate Armed Services Committee has agreed with House colleagues to approve a small increase in TRICARE Prime enrollment fees for working-age retirees, and to allow these fees to be raised annually by the percentage cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) applied to military retired pay. The vote ensures that TRICARE Prime enrollment fees for individual retirees under age 65 will be raised in the new fiscal year by $30, to $260 a year, and that retiree family coverage will climb by $60, to $520. These will be the first fee increases since TRICARE rates were set in 1995. The Senate panel also joined with the House to endorse an Obama administration plan to restructure TRICARE pharmacy co-payments to encourage use of mail order for refills instead of having local drugstores, at far greater cost to the government, refill prescriptions for chronic conditions. Through TRICARE “home delivery,” patients get a 90-day supply of pills versus a 30-day supply from retail outlets. Defense officials intend to make mail order more attractive by ending a $3 charge for generic drugs and raising the co-pay for generic medicines at retail outlets to $5, up from $3. Co-pays for brand name drugs on the military formulary would stay at $9 by mail but climb to $12 at retail pharmacies. For non-formulary brand drugs, the $22 co-pay would climb to $25 for mail order and retail. The new co-pays are projected to save $2.6 billion over five years, or five times the savings projected from higher TRICARE Prime fees on working age retirees.The Senate committee also voted with the House to support a 1.6 percent military pay increase next January, enough to ensure that pay keeps pace with private sector wage growth. But the Senate committee parted ways with the House version of the fiscal 2012 defense authorization bill on a number of other personnel issues. Here’s a rundown of some key differences that will have to be reconciled before Congress can pass a final defense authorization bill later this year:

* Combat Pay Windfall: Only the Senate bill would require the services to begin to prorate monthly imminent danger pay and hostile fire pay of $225 a month based on number of days in designated danger areas. Under current law, spending only part of a day in a war zone or imminent danger area makes a member eligible for the full $225 payment. Amid the looming debt crisis, and congressional leaders searching for ways to lower federal spending, senators decided to address perceived combat pay windfalls to save $30 million a year. The main targets are persons on temporary assignments. Flight crews, for example, can spend only hours in Afghanistan and get a full month of danger pay. The committee also received reports of military personnel attending first-of-the-month change of command ceremonies in war zones and, by arriving a day early and departing immediately after the ceremony, qualifying for two months of danger pay. Members on full deployments also would be impacted by this change. Currently, if a member on a yearlong, wartime deployment arrives mid-month and, a year later, departs mid-month, he or she qualifies for a total of 13 months of danger pay. If the prorated formula becomes law, total payments would reflect the actual length of deployment, ending the extra month of danger pay so many members now receive.

* Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance: The Senate bill is silent on a House-passed provision that would ease further a reduction in Survivor Benefit Plan payments felt by 57,000 surviving military spouses. Spouses of these survivors either have died on active duty or, in retirement from a service-connected injury or ailment. As a result they qualify for tax-free Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from VA. But to accept DIC they must forfeit an equal amount of taxable SBP. To ease this so-called “widow’s tax,” Congress four years ago authorized a Special Survivor Indemnity Allowance (SSIA) valued now at $70 a month and rising by $10 a year until it hits $100 by 2014. The House version of this year’s defense bill would raise SSIA higher and extend its life so that by fiscal 2017 payments would reach $314 a month. The House was able to pay for this $150 million SSIA initiative in part by accepting the administration’s plan to curb costs linked to the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan, a managed care plan for military beneficiaries living in six areas of the U.S. near former Public Health Service hospitals. The Senate bill also would curb costs under USFHP, as described below. But rather than use the dollars saved to expand SSIA, senators choose to beef up incentives available to downsize the force.

* Force Shaping Tools: The Senate bill would give the services three new or extended authorities to downsize forces. One new tool would be a “voluntary retirement payment” which could be offered to certain officers with between 20 and 29 years of service if they agree to retiree. The payment could equal up to 12 times an officer’s monthly basic pay. This could be used as an alternative to an early retirement board. The Senate bill also would extend the Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) authority that was set to expire. VSI is an annuity used extensively during the Post-Cold War drawdown to entice members to leave service. A third initiative would expand from three months to a full year the period service prior to expiration of an enlistment contract that member could be discharged without a loss of benefits such as the GI Bill. The change would apply only to benefits, not pay or allowances.

* USFHP and Medicare: Both the Senate and House would require individuals newly enrolled in the Uniformed Services Family Health Plan to transition to TRICARE for Life, and out of USFHP, as they become Medicare eligible due to age. But only the Senate bill praises the USFHP model and directs Defense officials to work with USFHP and Medicare to develop and evaluate health plan alternatives for TRICARE for Life beneficiaries so they can get integrated health care management like that being delivered to elderly through USFHP.

[Source: Standard-Examiner Tom Philpott article 29 Jun 2011 ++]

Senior Exercise: Stretching to increase your flexibility and freedom of movement will help you do more of the activities you enjoy. Here are a few basic stretching exercises from the National Institutes of Health:

Before you start, follow these safety tips:
* Check with your health care provider to make sure these stretching exercises are safe for you.
* Always warm up before stretching exercises by doing some easy walking or arm-pumping first, or by doing stretching exercise after endurance or strength exercises.
* Mild discomfort or a mild pulling sensation is normal, but stretching should never cause pain, especially joint pain. If you feel pain, stop at once and consult your health care provider.
* Never bounce into a stretch -- make slow, steady movements to help your muscles stretch naturally.

     Tricep Stretches: lengthen muscles in the back of the upper arm.
1) Hold one end of a towel in your right hand.
2) Raise and bend right arm to drape towel down back. Keep your right arm in this position and continue holding onto the towel.
3) Reach behind your lower back and grasp bottom end of towel with left hand.
4) Climb your left hand progressively higher up towel, which also pulls your right arm down. Continue until your hands touch, or as close as you can comfortably go.
5) Reverse positions.
6) Repeat 3 to 5 times each session. Hold stretch for 10 to 30 seconds. Double Hip Rotation: stretch the outer muscles of hips and thighs.

     Important: If you have had a hip replacement, do NOT perform double hip rotation exercises without permission from your surgeon.
1) Lie on floor on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2) Keep shoulders on floor at all times.
3) Keep knees bent together and gently lower legs to one side as far as possible without forcing them.
4) Hold position for 10 to 30 seconds.
5) Return legs to upright position.
6) Repeat toward other side.
7) Repeat 3 to 5 times on each side.

How Much Should You Stretch, and How Often?
* Stretch after you do your regularly scheduled strength and endurance exercises.
* Do each stretching exercise 3 to 5 times at each session.
* Slowly stretch into the desired position, as far as possible without pain, and hold the stretch for 10 to 30 seconds.
* Relax, then repeat, trying to stretch farther.
* If you can't do endurance or strength exercises for any reason, and stretching exercises are the only kind you are able to do, do them at least 3 times a week, for at least 20 minutes each session.
* Remember that stretching exercises, by themselves, don't improve endurance or strength.

[Source: About.com | Senior Living Sharon O'Brien article 5 Jul 2011 ++]

Social Security Reform Update 02: On 17 JUN, the Wall Street Journal reported that AARP, the nation's most powerful lobbying and advocacy group on senior issues, has changed its longstanding defense of Social Security and is now ready to consider reforms such as raising the retirement age. It was the organization's most startling change of direction since 2003 and 2005, when it backed Bush-era efforts to privatize Medicare, a move that many critics characterized as AARP abandoning its members' interests to line its own pockets with revenue from the supplemental insurance plans it endorses. AARP is now willing to enter negotiations with federal lawmakers to restructure the program, which could run out of money by 2036 based on the lastest estimates. AARP leaders believe payouts to the elderly will eventually decline by 25% or more unless Social Security is reformed because the program will no longer be able to cover its own costs. The AARP believes changes are inevitable given intense pressure on Congress to fix massive budget problems and make Social Security solvent for future generations. “The ship was sailing. I wanted to be at the wheel when that happens,” said John Rother, the AARP’s influential policy director. Yet after the Journal article appeared, the ensuing uproar prompted the AARP to quickly issue a statement denying that it’s changed its position on Social Security. The statement did not specifically reject any Social Security cuts, but insisted that the program needs to be strengthened “for future generations.” Read AARP statement.
     The AARP’s official statements on Social Security have often been ambiguous. In March, the AARP suggested it was open to “gradual and modest changes” to ensure the financial stability of Social Security. And four years ago the AARP said: “Strengthening Social Security will require tough choices, and our members are prepared to make them. They want Social Security to be there for their kids and grandkids.” The AARP remains leery of many plans circulating in Congress to reform Social Security, such as a proposal to cut benefits for wealthier retirees, and the organization does not plan to push the idea of benefit reductions. Nor will Rother support the idea of cutting Social Security to reduce the national debt because the AARP argues that the program has not contributed to U.S. deficits. “Social Security should not be used as a piggy bank to solve the nation’s deficit. Any changes to this lifeline program should happen in a separate, broader discussion and make retirement more secure for future generations, not less,” AARP Chief Executive Barry Rand said in the group’s statement Friday. Rother also says taxes should be increased to pay for most of the projected shortfall in the government pension fund for the elderly, according to the Journal article. An explicit shift in the AARP’s position would be welcomed by budget hawks in Washington, but the organization is sure to meet with resistance from both liberals and conservatives. The left objects to sharp cuts in Social Security, though some favor trimming benefits for the wealthy. The right generally is opposed to stiff tax hikes or means testing for program recipients.
[Source: Market Watch Jeffry Bartash article 17 Jun 2011 ++]

Afghanistan, Iraqi Campaign Medals: The Defense Department announced 30 JUN it is adding a seventh star to the Iraq Campaign Medal and a fourth to the Afghanistan Campaign Medal. Each star recognizes a period of time and service members who serve more than one tour in Iraq or Afghanistan are eligible to pin on additional stars. Multiple deployments mean some service members could wear one, two, three or more stars on their medals. The newest star for service in Iraq is for the period the Pentagon is calling "New Dawn." It begins Sept. 1, 2010 "through a date to be determined." It follows, in order, the periods known as, "Liberation of Iraq," "Transition of Iraq," "Iraqi Governance," "National Resolution," Iraqi Surge" and "Iraqi Sovereignty." Afghan war veterans who have served since Dec. 1, 2009 "through a date to be determined" are now eligible for a new star dubbed simply, "Consolidation III." That follows the "Liberation of Afghanistan" from Sept. 11, 2001 to Nov. 30, 2001, and consolidation I and II. The services will announce implementing instructions to their members about wear of the new campaign stars. Service members who have qualified for the ICM and ACM may display a bronze campaign star on their medal for each campaign phase in which they participated. A silver campaign star is issued in lieu of five bronze stars. Six other campaign phases were previously identified for Iraq, and three in Afghanistan.
In Iraq, they are:
* Liberation of Iraq, March 19 to May 1, 2003;
* Transition of Iraq, May 2, 2003 to June 28, 2004;
* National Resolution, Dec. 16, 2005 to Jan. 9, 2007;
* Iraqi Surge, Jan. 10, 2007 to Dec. 31, 2008; and
* Iraqi Sovereignty, Jan. 1, 2009 to Aug. 31, 2010.

 In Afghanistan, the previously identified campaign phases are:
* Liberation of Afghanistan, Sept. 11 to Nov. 30, 2001;
* Consolidation I, Dec. 1, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2006; and
* Consolidation II, Oct. 1, 2006 to Nov. 30, 2009.

[Source: AFPS Donna Miles article 30 Jun 2011 ++]

VA Caregiver Program Update 10: The Department of Veterans Affairs will send out more than $430,000 in stipend payments to nearly 200 Family Caregivers of Veterans in July. These Family Caregivers were the first to complete their Caregiver training under the program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers. The first payments to 96 recipients were issued 1 JUL. Family Caregivers will receive an average $1,600 in monthly stipend payments. The initial payments will average $2,500 because the first stipend checks are retroactive to the date of application. The amount of the stipend is based on the condition of the Veteran and the amount of care they require as well as the geographic location where the Veteran resides. An additional 80 stipend payments will be released from the U.S. Treasury on 8 JUL bringing the total to 176 Family Caregivers receiving the stipend in July. "We continue to process and approve applications on a daily basis" said Deborah Amdur, VA's Chief Consultant for Care Management and Social Work. "It has been profoundly gratifying to receive messages from Family Caregivers about the value of this program." Since 9 MAY, nearly 1,250 Caregivers of Veterans who were seriously injured in the line of duty on or after September 11, 2001, have applied for the Program. A core caregiver training curriculum is a required component of the program. This comprehensive training, which was developed by Easter Seals in collaboration with VA clinical experts, has received many positive comments from Family Caregivers. In addition to the training, eligible Family Caregivers can also access mental health services and are provided health care insurance, if they are not alreadyentitled to care or services under a health plan. Veterans may review the criteria for eligibility and download the Family Caregiver program application (VA CG 10-10) at http://www.caregiver.va.gov The application enables the Veteran to designate a primary Family Caregiver and secondary Family Caregivers if needed. Caregiver SupportCoordinators are stationed at every VA medical center to assist with coordinating the training or assist Caregivers in locating available services. Support for all Caregivers is also available via the national Caregiver Support Line at 1-855-260-3274. Caregivers of Veterans from all eras are encouraged to use the Website and Support Line to learn about more than two dozen supportive services VA offers to Family Caregivers. [Source: VA News Release 1 Jul 2011 ++]

VA Cemetery Texas Update 03: Some Houston veterans and volunteer groups are accusing Department of Veterans Affairs officials of censoring religious speech at Houston National Cemetery. In one example cited in documents filed in federal court, cemetery director Arleen Ocasio reportedly told volunteers with the National Memorial Ladies that they had to stop telling the families, "God bless you," at funerals and that they had to remove the words "God bless" from condolence cards. The new allegations of "religious hostility" by VA and cemetery officials follow on the heels of a controversy over a prayer in Jesus' name by Pastor Scott Rainey at a Memorial Day service in the cemetery. U.S. District Judge Lynn N. Hughes ruled 26 MAY that Ocasio couldn't stop Rainey from using the words "Jesus Christ" in his invocation. Attorneys with the nonprofit Liberty Institute, which represented Rainey, filed an amended complaint this week after allegedly finding other instances of religious discrimination by cemetery officials against members Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4, The American Legion Post 586, and the National Memorial Ladies, a volunteer group that attends funerals of fallen service members. The complaint accuses VA of "a widespread and consistent practice of discriminating against private religious speech" at the cemetery. According to court documents, Ocasio banned members of the groups from using certain religious words such as ‘God’ or ‘Jesus,’ censored the content of prayer, and forbade the use of religious messages in burial rituals unless the deceased's family submitted the text to her for prior approval. Court documents also describe the closure of the cemetery's chapel after Ocasio's appointment as director two years ago. "The doors remain locked during Houston National Cemetery operating hours, the cross and the Bible have been removed, and the Chapel bells, which tolled at least twice a day, are now inoperative," the complaint reads. "Director Ocasio only unlocks the Chapel doors when meetings or training sessions are held at the building. Furthermore it is no longer called a chapel but a meeting facility." Founder of Houston National Memorial Ladies, Cheryl Whitfield, said, "It's just unfair that somebody would ask us to take God out of our vocabulary. I could've kept my mouth shut and let things happen, but when it comes to standing up for your belief in God and giving comfort to the families, I don't want to regret not saying anything. We all had to stand up for what we believe in.” A standing-room only crowd jammed a federal courtroom in Houston 29 JUN for a status conference on the case. [Source: Houston Chronicle article 29 Jun 2011 ++]

VA Cemetery Texas Update 04: The Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday said that invoking the name of God or Jesus is not only allowed, but common at VA National Cemeteries across the country. Local veterans and volunteer groups have accused VA officials of censoring religious speech...including the words Jesus and God...at Houston National Cemetery. "VA values and respects every veteran and their family's right to a burial service that honors their faith tradition," Keith Ethridge, director of VA's National Chaplain Center, said in a statement. "VA employs nearly 1,000 chaplains who, every year, preside over thousands of religious burial services, representing veterans of all faiths." Among the allegations raised in a federal civil suit against VA is a claim that Cemetery director Arleen Ocasio did not allow volunteer honor guards to recite prayers at funerals without approval of the deceased veteran's family. The catch, according to the suit, was that the honor guards couldn't get approval because they were forbidden from providing optional texts to the families for consideration. Cemetery guidelines released by VA on 30 JUN appeared to confirm that VA's National Cemetery Administration does not allow volunteer honor guards to submit any texts to veterans' families for review. Such a policy is an unconstitutional prior restraint on speech, said Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for the Liberty Institute, a nonprofit that filed the suit. "In this case they're telling private citizens that their speech is banned, and they're banned from even talking to the families and letting the families even know that there are options, religious or not religious," Sasser said.
     A memo released by VA on 30 JUN was sent to all VA cemetery directors on 1 NOV 07, by William Tuerk, under secretary for Memorial Affairs at the time. It states that cemetery employees, including VA-sponsored volunteer honor guards, "shall not provide texts of any such recitations to the deceased's survivors for consideration." Ocasio was told to enforce this policy. Similar language is used in a document titled, "Houston National Cemetery Honor Guard Guidelines." It is signed by Ocasio and dated 15 MAR.
     Neither the NCA memo nor the Houston National Cemetery guidelines ban the words God or Jesus. They do list some limitations on texts, but those limitations do not include religious language. "VA will not accept for reading any texts that would, as determined by the cemetery director, have an adverse impact on the dignity and solemnity of a cemetery honoring those who served the Nation," the guidelines say. "Among the texts that would not be read would be those that are obscene, racist, are 'fighting words,' or are coarse, abusive or politically partisan."
     Ocasio's guidelines for honor guards in Houston permit a veteran's family to request a member of the clergy to conduct a brief religious service, which may include a reading from scriptures or a brief prayer. The guidelines state that military honors at funerals should consist only of the "core elements" of flag folding, presentation of the flag to survivors, playing of Taps and a rifle salute. Any additions can be made only at the request of the veteran's family.
     The latest allegations of religious hostility at Houston National Cemetery add fuel to a controversy that first erupted last month over Pastor Scott Rainey's prayer in Jesus' name at a Memorial Day service. U.S. District Judge Lynn Hughes ruled 26 MAY that the government couldn't stop Rainey from using the words "Jesus Christ" in his invocation at the cemetery. Hughes issued a temporary restraining order to prevent VA from censoring Rainey's prayer. Liberty Institute, which filed that suit on Rainey's behalf, amended it Monday to include additional allegations of religious discrimination by cemetery officials against American Legion Post 586, Veterans of Foreign Wars District 4 and the National Memorial Ladies, a volunteer group that attends funerals of fallen service members. The controversy shows no signs of letting up, especially now that lawmakers have jumped into the fray. U.S. Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, sent a letter to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki, asking for an investigation and calling for Ocasio's termination if the allegations against her are true. Congressman Gene Green, D-Houston, whose father is buried at a VA National Cemetery, also voiced his concern. In a statement Green said freedom of speech and religion is a constitutional right that veterans buried at all national cemeteries fought for and defended. I believe all faiths should have the freedom to honor our Veterans, and it is unacceptable for the government to try to deny that right," Green said.

[Source: Houston Chronole Lindsay Wise article 30 Jun 2011 ++]

VA Cemetery Texas Update 05: Several Houston-area military veteran groups filed a lawsuit against Houston National Cemetery, alleging that director Arleen Ocasio has been stamping out religious speech at the cemetery's military funerals. Specifically, members of groups like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, as well as cemetery volunteers, claim they were not allowed to use words like "God" and "Jesus" during ceremonies or in condolence letters. For those wondering whether this could be an issue in Abilene, a visit to the Texas State Veterans Cemetery at Abilene offers a pretty clear piece of evidence. A large painting, depicting servicemen and women of all branches, covers one of the walls in the administrative building. At the top of the painting are the words, "In God We Trust, United We Stand." In his office just next to the mural, cemetery director Clint Lynch offered a straightforward explanation of his policies, which mirror those of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The families of the deceased ultimately have the final say as to the religious content of their loved one's service. "If the family wants a minister, they get a minister. If they want bagpipes, we provide them bagpipes," Lynch said. Houston, he said, is Houston. Lynch said his main goal is to "ensure as much dignity as possible" through funeral services. Whether the family opts for a religious or secular memorial isn't his decision to make. "I'm not there to provide any comments," Lynch said. "I'm there to help the family through the military portion of the service." The U.S. Department of Defense provides memorial details...the military personnel who fire rifles, play taps and present a folded flag to the family...for active-duty funerals in Abilene. Dyess Air Force Base supplies personnel for Air Force and Marine funerals. The Army sends in a detail from Fort Hood, while the Navy brings one in from Goodfellow Air Force Base in San Angelo. Those details are augmented locally by the Veterans Honor Guard, which features a host of American Legion and VFW members volunteering their time to perform ceremonial rites at military funerals throughout the Big Country. Ralph Rodriguez is a Vietnam veteran, the commander for District 8 of the VFW, and one of the local honor guard's organizers. He said the use of the word "God" has never been an issue in and around Abilene, and he certainly hopes it never will be. Rodriguez noted that it's pretty difficult to avoid it when the American Legion's motto is, "For God and Country." "Even in the Pledge of Allegiance, it's 'one nation under God,'" Rodriguez said. "And that's what we are." Rodriguez was just in Houston for a VFW convention, in fact. Tempers were riding high about the issue out there..."It kind of made me angry, too," Rodriguez said...but he said he's cautiously optimistic about the matter getting settled. Rodriguez said the local Honor Guard assembles on a voluntary basis for each funeral. He's been involved with it for more than a decade, and said he sees the rites as a small token of gratitude for the services troops have rendered. "If we can't give a little of our time for them, what else can we give?" Rodriguez said. "They gave everything for their country." [Source: Abilene Reporter News Jeremy Goldmeier article 6 Jul 2011 ++]

Commissary Update 05: Among the bills approved by the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee this week was the "Caring for Camp Lejeune Veterans Act of 2011" (S. 277), sponsored by Sen. Burr (R-NC), the senior Republican on the Committee. The bill would authorize VA health care for former military family members and veterans and certain family members stationed at Camp Lejeune between 1957 and 1987, when the water at the base is acknowledged to have been contaminated with carcinogens. The Military Officers Association of America (MOAA) indicated its support for the bill and other pending measures in a letter to Committee Chair Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Sen. Burr. But that was before the committee voted unanimously, without notice or hearing, to fund the care by eliminating the federal subsidy for military commissaries and directing consolidation of all DoD commissaries and exchanges. MOAA strongly opposes this sneak attack on the military benefit package.

* First, the Veterans Affairs Committee has no jurisdiction over and no knowledge of DoD commissary and exchange systems, which are under the purview of the Armed Services Committee.
* Second, they propose virtually dismantling the commissary system without any hearings or other effort to assess the adverse impact of such a dramatic cut to a core military benefit. There are good reasons why the Armed Services Committees, who actually understand the commissary and exchange programs, have ardently rejected similar proposals for the last four decades.
* Third, they seek to poach DoD funds to pay for VA health care at a time when DoD personnel budgets already are under threat.

     MOAA supports expanding VA care to cover Camp Lejeune veterans, but the Veterans Affairs Committee needs to find another way to fund it besides raiding the military commissary system. Make no mistake, without the federal subsidy, military commissaries would eventually go out of business, as prices would have to rise, and savings to customers would be lost. The commissary is one of DoD’s most cost-effective people programs. Every dollar of the subsidy translates to nearly three dollars of benefit value to patrons (and considerably more than that for lower-grade enlisted families). Where else can the Pentagon get that kind of compensation bang for the buck?

     Active duty and retired community veterans are encouraged to go to MOAA’s preformatted editable message at http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?alertid=51001611&PROCESS=Take+Action and forward it to their legislators. The messages asks for legislators to reject this attack on military commissaries.

[Source: MOAA Leg Up 1 Jul 2011 ++]

Arlington National Cemetery Update 26: The Justice Department has opened an investigation of Arlington National Cemetery for the mishandling of remains, possible contracting fraud and falsification of records, the Washington Post reported 28 JUN.. A federal grand jury in Alexandria has been subpoenaing witnesses and records relating to the scandal to see if criminal charges are warranted, sources said. The investigation has been underway for at least six months, according to sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. It is being conducted by the FBI and the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division.Investigators are also looking into whether some grave sites were reserved against Army regulations. The cemetery has been under new management for a year, but officials have continued to discover burial problems, including a mass grave. Arlington National’s new management testified in front of the House Veterans Committee’s Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (DAMA) in late JUN. There, Ms. Kathryn Condon, the Executive Director of the Army National Cemeteries Program and Mr. Patrick Hallinan, the Superintendant at Arlington National Cemetery, testified about the problems Arlington has continued to encounter, as well as about some of the improvements that have been made. On 9 JUN 69 boxes of records were found in a Northern Virginia storage facility; the Army’s Criminal Investigative Division is investigating to find out if a crime was committed, or if any personally identifiable information was contained in the records.
     Congressman Jon Runyan (R-NJ), Chairman of the DAMA subcommittee, promised that there would be more hearings on that particular issue in the future. On the bright side, Arlington officials said that the cemetery is now paperless, and that it had successfully transferred to a digital scheduling system over the last year. The hope is that this will be more efficient while at the same time preventing the kinds of mistakes that have plagued Arlington recently. Investigators are said to be seeking information about who knew about the cemetery’s burial problems and whether fraud or falsification of records was involved. An Army inspector general’s report found that cemetery officials lacking in contracting experience and with little supervision failed to digitize the cemetery’s paper records. Additionally, the practice of reserving gravesites at Arlington is being reviewed.      Officially, the cemetery stopped taking reservations in 1962, but the practice of reserving choice grave sites continued, unofficially, under Raymond J. Costanzo, who was superintendent from 1972 to 1990, an Army investigation found. Metzler, his successor, who ran the cemetery until he was forced to retire last year, also apparently allowed people to pick areas of the cemetery where they wanted to be buried, Army officials have said. In regards to the mass grave that was recently found at Arlington, three of the eight sets of remains were identified, and so far two have been reburied, officials said. They are still working to identify one other. Four were certified as unidentifiable. The cemetery will have to bury multiple sets of remains under a headstone that reads “Unknown.” [Source: TREA Washington Update 1 Jul 2011 ++]

Chronic Pain Update 01: Chronic pain affects 116 million Americans and costs the U.S. as much as $635 billion each year, according to a new report from the Institute of Medicine (IOM) that called for changes in how chronic pain is managed. Much of the chronic pain experienced by Americans isn't treated correctly, in part because doctors are not taught in medical school how to help patients manage pain, according to the report, entitled
     "Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education, and Research," http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Relieving-Pain-in-America-A-Blueprint-for-Transforming-Prevention-Care-Education-Research/Report-Brief.aspx which was mandated by the healthcare reform law.
     Chronic pain is so widespread and poorly understood that it's a public health issue and a major "national challenge," concluded the Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education, which was made up of 18 experts in pain management, anesthesiology, bioethics, statistics, and immunology. "
     Given the large number of people who experience pain and the enormous cost in terms of both dollars and the suffering experienced by individuals and their families, it is clear that pain is a major public health problem in America," said committee chair Philip Pizzo, MD, professor of microbiology and immunology at Stanford University School of Medicine, in a press release.
     Chronic pain is "more than a physical symptom" and can be influenced by genetics, stress, depression, and behavioral, cultural, and emotional factors, the committee wrote. Moreover, long-term, persistent pain, which may have been caused by an injury or a disease, can cause changes in the nervous system, which in turn cause the pain to become its own distinct chronic disease.
     The report called for a cultural change in order to prevent, assess, treat and understand all types of pain and laid out a blueprint for providing relief from pain.
     It directs the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a plan to increase awareness about pain and its health consequences; improve how pain is assessed in the healthcare setting and how treatment of pain is paid for by the federal government; and to address disparities in how different groups of people experience pain.
     It also called for the National Institutes of Health to designate a lead institute tasked with "moving pain research forward," and it called for coordinated efforts between public and private organizations to create recommended changes to how chronic pain is managed.
     The committee said that while pain is prevalent, the full scope of the problem is unclear, especially among groups of people where pain might be under diagnosed and underrated, including minorities, women, children, the elderly, military veterans, and people who are at the end of life. More data should be collected to study trends over time and to pinpoint certain populations at risk for chronic pain, the committee wrote.
     The panel offered some advice for doctors as well: Primary care physicians should collaborate with pain specialists in cases where a patient's pain persists even after treatment. The committee acknowledges that healthcare providers need to be better educated about how to understand pain and its causes, especially primary care doctors who are often the first stop for patients seeking treatment for chronic pain. The report recommends healthcare providers engage in continuing education programs, and that licensure, certification, and recertification should include assessment of providers' knowledge of pain management.

[Source: MedPage Today Emily P. Walke article 30 Jun 2011 ++]

Vet Jobs Update 31: The Midwest and Northern states appear to be where some of the highest rates of unemployed 9/11 veterans live, according to a JUN 2011 Understanding Our Economy Senate report. Below are the 10 states with the highest veteran unemployment For comparison, total state unemployment rates from the Bureau of Labor Statistics are in parentheses.

* Michigan 29.4 percent (10.3)
* Indiana 23.6 percent (8.2)
* Minnesota 22.9 percent (6.6)
* Montana 20.1 percent (7.3)
* Tennessee 20 percent (9.7)
* Kansas 17.2 percent (6.6)• Vermont 16.8 percent (5.4)
* Connecticut 15.5 percent (9.1)
* Nevada 15.2 percent (12.1)
* New York 15.2 percent (7.9)

     The complete report at http://jec.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?a=Files.Serve&File_id=f18b678e-10a0-4e9e-a01c-1aa3606964d5 is the sixth edition of state-by-state snapshots issued by the Joint Economic Committee during the 112th Congress and includes data through May 2011. For the first time, the report includes the 2010 average unemployment rates forPost-9/11 veterans (those who have served on active duty since September 2001) and for all veterans. Post-9/11 veterans faced higher unemployment rates than the overall veteran population in 35 states and the District of Columbia. Post-9/11 veterans in Michigan had the highest unemployment rate (29.4 percent). Indiana saw the largest difference between the Post-9/11 unemployment rate (23.6 percent) and the overall veteran unemployment rate (9.0 percent) – a gap of 14.6 percentage points. Nationally, Post-9/11 veterans had an average unemployment rate in 2010 almost 3 percentage points higher than the overall veteran-unemployment rate, 11.5 percent vs. 8.7 percent.
[Source: AL Online Update 30 Jun 2011 ++]

Military Retirement System Update 04: Two cuts in military retired pay are under discussion as part of negotiations between Congress and the White House over the size of the U.S. national debt, but getting an agreement is proving difficult. One cut is small, involving how annual cost-of-living adjustments are calculated. It could apply to military and federal civilian retirees, disabled veterans and survivors. The net effect would be annual adjustments that average one-quarter of a percentage point below what they would be with the current formula. The second option involves a complete overhaul of the benefit, replacing a 20-year program that pays immediate benefits with a new plan that could provide some retirement benefits for as few as five years of service...with payments not starting until at least age 60 for any service members who do not retire on a full military disability.
     As it stands, this proposal would apply only to future troops, not current retirees or anyone already in uniform. The talks come as the U.S. has run out of borrowing power after reaching its current $14.3 trillion debt limit.
     The Treasury Department has warned the U.S. will run out of cash reserves to pay bills Aug. 2, which has become the deadline for reaching an agreement.
     Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky met with Republican colleagues 21 Jun and later said he expects a "large package" of spending cuts that includes short-term reductions in spending by federal agencies over two years, as well as bigger cuts in entitlement programs over 10 years. He did not offer specifics, but entitlements include government retirement benefits and veterans' benefits, which is why they are under scrutiny at the same time as more well-known programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
     The proposed change to the annual cost-of-living adjustment in retired pay would save $24 billion over 10 years, according to an estimate from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. The change would stop linking annual COLAs for benefits and retired pay to the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners. Instead it would be linked to the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The past two years have seen no cost-of-living increase in retired pay because of flat consumer prices. But the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which tracks prices, is reporting a 3.6 percent overall increase in the CPI-U in the past 12 months. The CPI-W has increased 4.1 percent over the same period, half a percentage point more.      A complete overhaul of military retired pay would pay immediate annuities only to those who receive military medical retirement. For everyone else, retired pay would not begin until age 60...or possibly older.
     The Pentagon has been pushing for this kind of retired pay overhaul since Donald Rumsfeld was in charge, but finding support among the services and key lawmakers for such a change has been tough. "About 70 to 80 percent of our force does not stay in the service long enough to retire, but they leave with nothing," Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this month. "That doesn't make any sense. The private sector is well ahead of us in that respect." Second, he said, is the 20-year retirement model that encourages people to leave when the military wants some to stay. "We make it financially silly for them not to retire at 20 years," Gates said, adding that the military needs to "incentivize them to give us another five years of service." The Pentagon has not provided an estimate of how much this concept might save, but the immediate effect would be small because current members would be exempt.

[Source: AL Online Update Rick Maze article 30 Jun 2011 ++]

Vet Toxic Exposure ~TCE: As early as WWII, United States Air Force and other Military bases used and disposed of chemical degreasers and other toxic substances that were later determined to contaminate drinking water and pose multiple health risks including: Cancers, Reproductive disorders, Birth defects, and Multiple other serious difficulties. Countless military personnel, their families, and private individuals living and working in the near vicinity of the bases may have been affected by these contaminates, through drinking water, general water usage and exposure through vapor seepage. The four most alarming contaminants are: Trichloroethylene (TCE), Tetrachloroethylene (PCE), Vinyl Chloride, and Benzene.      Scientific studies show that some or all of these chemical compounds have breached the ground water supply on several of our US Military Bases and in some instances, have affected civilian properties adjacent to the bases including churches, schools and private wells.
    Currently, on-going research is being conducted on military bases around the country and on properties directly adjacent to these bases to identify just how wide spread this contamination may be. Marine Corps Base (MCB) Camp Pendleton encompasses about 125,000 acres in southern California. The base lies along the Pacific Ocean and contains an estimated 17 miles of coastline. The entire base, except for about 125 acres in southern Orange County, is within northern San Diego County. MCB Camp Pendleton lies between two major cities...San Diego is 38 miles south of the base and Los Angeles is 82 miles north. In 1980, 2, 4, 5-TP (silvex) was detected in two base production wells (51 and 73 micrograms per liter [µg/L]). An initial assessment study (IAS) conducted in September 1984 identified eight sites that warranted further evaluation.
    The IAS determined that none of the sites posed an immediate health hazard, but recommended five sites for further investigation. A site investigation (SI) in 1988 included sampling of six sites: the five identified in the IAS and an additional site recommended for further study by the Navy.
     Sampling detected metals in soil, groundwater, sediment, and surface water; VOCs in groundwater and surface water; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and pesticides in soil; and an SVOC in groundwater (CDM 1988).
     Three of the remaining UST sites are in residential areas, but only subsurface soil and groundwater contamination remains at these sites. Soil remediation has occurred in these residential areas, with remaining contamination beneath several feet of soil or pavement and inaccessible to residents. Further, the UST site-related groundwater contamination is not near any drinking water production wells.
     The base water systems draw their water from local groundwater basins. MCB Camp Pendleton has four main groundwater basins: Las Flores, San Mateo, San Onofre, and Santa Margarita. The base’s North System has four wells in the San Mateo River Basin and three wells in the San Onofre River Basin . This system provides drinking water to about 12,000–15,000 consumers in the San Onofre housing and mobile home areas, San Onofre Recreation Beach, and 52–64 areas of the base .The South System has 12 wells in the Santa Margarita River Basin and three wells in the Las Flores River Basin. This system provides drinking water to about 39,000–43,000 consumers in the remaining base areas, including residences in the 43 area and all areas south.

[Source: http://www.militarycontamination.com Jul 2011 ++]

Saving Money: The end of an era in cell phones was marked 7 JUL when Verizon confirmed it has joined AT&T and T-Mobile in dumping its popular unlimited data plan. That leaves Sprint as the only major wireless provider still offering a one-price-for-all-you-can-consume data. And who knows how long it’ll be before Sprint follows suit. Starting 7 JUL, new Verizon customers will have to sign up for what’s called a usage-based data plan. Existing customers are grandfathered in, but Verizon hasn’t announced what’ll happen when those contracts expire. Most likely, they’ll have to go usage-based too. So instead of one price for all data, Verizon is charging $10 for 75 MB per month, $30 for 2 GB per month, $50 for 5 GB per month, and $80 for 10 GB per month. Verizon will also begin charging $30 for unlimited mobile wireless hot spots, which were previously free. For more details, PC Magazine has a good Q&A at http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2388130,00.asp

     Even if you’re not affected by this move, it’s a good reminder to check your own usage and your bill for any potential savings. Here are five ways to save money on your cell phone bill:

1. Pay attention to where and when you use your phone. You probably already know that many plans offer reduced rates if you talk or text at different times and on different days. And you should know to watch out for roaming charges. But here’s something yo