VA Looks To Fill Key Medical Posts, Starting With The Department's Top Health Care Job
The Department of Veterans Affairs may finally fill its top health care post later this month, which could lead to hiring even more doctors and nurses in the months to come. Last week, in testimony before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, the White House's nominee to be the VA's under secretary for health said one of his top priorities for the job would be improving recruiting and retention for clinical care positions at the Veterans Health Administration.
More Enlisted Airmen, Guardians Are Eligible For Bonus Pay As Staffing Needs Grow
Enlisted airmen and guardians in more than 60 career fields can earn some extra cash this year by extending their time in the service - a much broader retention push than in 2021.
Vets At Schools With Unusual Calendars May Be Losing Out On GI Bill Money
Students attending classes at colleges with non-traditional semesters could lose out on thousands of dollars in GI Bill payments without fixes to how Veterans Affairs processes their education benefits, the department's inspector general cautioned on Tuesday.
Yesterday (May 4th, 2020), your Military and Government Relations team attended a Military Housing Roundtable.
At the roundtable, we were briefed on a series of important topics pertinent to the current conditions of military housing - as well as the status of proposed reforms pertinent to improving accountability & oversight of the overall MHPI program.
These reforms are primarily driven by codified provisions of the FY2020 NDAA. However, there are also GAO recommendations that are pending adoption and/or implementation from the Department of Defense (DoD).
In short:
According to Elizabeth Field, Director of the GAO's Defense Capabilities and Management team, not all of GAOs recommendations have been implemented, and not all of the NDAA standards have been satisfied.
For example, installation commanders are required by law to conduct an annual inspection of the housing business that administers the housing at an installation's mold mitigation and pest control plant. While the department is developing guidance for the installation commanders to conduct those reviews, according to Ms. Field, they have not yet completed formulating their guidance. Which, in its simplest form, likely means they are not currently conducting these assessments in accordance with law.
As an example of an NDAA requirement that the government is striving to implement but has not yet done so, most corporations responsible for administering the MHPI have agreed to tenants' bills of rights for most projects; however, according to the briefing, there are still five holdouts. GAO is currently conducting an audit to get a better sense of what the Department of Defense is doing to strengthen oversight and, more importantly, to determine whether it is really happening and working on the ground, getting that resident perspective, and understanding how some of these improvements are being implemented.
Elizabeth Field also introduced one of the key speakers, Sam Holmes from Bob Woodruff Foundation. The foundation has committed more than $80 million in initiatives that assist veterans, service members, and their families around the country. During the conversation on veteran homelessness, Sam shared a few pointers such asCHALENG Report, AHAR.
As more updates unfold, our Military and Government Relations Team will keep you informed.
VA's Roundtable Aiming for the Moon(shot): Accelerating Lung Cancer Care and Research
Veterans' Health Administrations participated in a community conversation on lung cancer with the White House cancer cabinet yesterday Wednesday, May 4th, 2022 at 4 p.m. In veterans, lung cancer is the major cause of cancer-related death. Every year, around 43,000 veterans are diagnosed with cancer, with lung cancer accounting for 7,700 of them. Improvements in lung cancer detection and treatment were discussed by VA leadership, non-profit organizations, and academia.
The White House's Office of Science and Technology Policy conducted a discussion with the following experts and veterans regarding lung cancer.
Additional participants will include industry experts such as:
• Lawrence Jamerson, U.S. Army Veteran and lung cancer survivor
• Brian Sturgill, U.S. Air Force Veteran and lung cancer survivor
• Steven Lieberman, M.D., MBA, Deputy Under Secretary for Health, Performing
the Delegable Duties of the Under Secretary for Health, Veterans Health
Administration
• Carolyn Clancy, M.D., MACP, Assistant Under Secretary for Health, Discovery,
Education, and Affiliate Networks, Veterans Health Administration
• Michael Kelley, M.D., Executive Program Director for Oncology, Specialty Care
Updates the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC) of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) by requiring the VA to continue providing assistance to a family caregiver for at least six months after the death of a veteran participating in the program.
Requires the VA to establish a process by which veterans who are determined to have the most significant need for caregiver assistance are permanently eligible for such assistance.
Requires the VA to standardize the criteria used across all facilities in its required evaluations of the needs of the veterans and the skills of the family caregiver.
Standardizes criteria used in accepting and evaluating applications for participation in the program across all facilities.
Support the CHAMPVA Children's Care Protection Act!
This bill provides that a child shall be eligible for medical care under the Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) until the child's 26th birthday, regardless of marital status.
Support the AUTO for Veterans Act!
Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/campaigns/92795/respond
Legislation Summary
The Advancing Uniform Transportation Opportunities for Veterans "AUTO" Act would reduce the financial burden incurred by virtue of military service by ensuring severely disabled veterans receive a grant from the VA's Automobile Assistance Grant program to purchase a specially equipped vehicle once every ten years - as opposed to only once.
Support the Aid and Attendance Support Act!
Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/campaigns/92792/respond
Legislation Summary
The Aid and Attendance Support Act temporarily increases eligible disabled veterans' and surviving spouses' Aid and Attendance (A&A) allowance by 25%.
Support the Ensuring Survivor Benefits during COVID-19 Act!
The Ensuring Survivor Benefits During COVID-19 Act requires the VA to solicit a medical opinion to determine if a service-connected disability was the principal or contributory cause of death in situations where a veteran's death certificate identifies COVID-19 as the principal or contributory cause of death, the certificate does not clearly identify any of the veteran's service-connected disabilities as the principal or contributory cause of death, and a claim for dependence and indemnity compensation is filed with respect to the veteran.
Ensures Reservists and National Guard members have no-fee healthcare through TRICARE Reserve Select that covers medical and dental coverage.
Fixes the parity gap for Reserve Component retirees receiving early retirement pay due to deployment credits making them eligible for TRICARE upon receipt of retirement pay.
Provides an incentive for small businesses to hire Reserve and National Guard members by ensuring their healthcare costs are covered.
Ensures service members can access physicals needed to be ready for no-notice deployments (which have increased over the past year).
Eliminates the statutory language that excludes Federal Employees Health Benefits Program eligible service members from TRICARE Reserve Select eligibility.
Support the Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act!
Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/campaigns/92818/respond
Legislation Summary
The Advancing Toward Impact Aid Full Funding Act would:
Split Impact Aid's $1.1 billion request evenly over five years, across three main categories for funding: Basic Support, Federal Property, and Children with Disabilities.
Increase Basic Support funding by $190 million annually, meeting Impact Aid's 2019 funding requests.
Increase Federal Property funding proportionally to Basic Support (BSP) by allocating an additional $11 million annually.
Increase funding for Children with Disabilities by $9 million annually, funding $2,000 per eligible student.
Advance national K-12 school systems to become more equitable and meet educational needs.
Support military families that are especially impacted by federally tax-exempt land.
Support the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act!
Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/campaigns/92815/respond
Legislation Summary
Modifies the extension of dependent coverage under TRICARE by allowing a dependent at the age of 26 to be covered without an additional premium.
Authorizes such coverage of dependents without a premium regardless of whether they are eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored plan.
Support Expanding TRICARE Cranial Remolding Helmet Coverage!
Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/campaigns/92802/respond
AFSA urges our nation's elected officials to support legislation that would expand the scope of TRICARE's coverage of the DOC Band Post-Op device if your baby:
Is three to 18 months old; and
Is diagnosed with craniosynostosis or nonsynostotic positional plagiocephaly (to include torticollis)
Support the Jobs and Childcare for Military Families Act!
Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/campaigns/92799/respond
Legislation Summary
Allow an employer a work opportunity tax credit for hiring the spouse or domestic partner of a member of the Armed Forces.
Specifically, an employer may receive a tax credit equal to 40% of a new employee's first-year wages if the employer hires a service member's spouse or domestic partner (as recognized under state law or by the Armed Forces).
Create programs for service members to pay for childcare on a pretax basis.
Specifically, the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security (with respect to the Coast Guard) must implement flexible spending arrangements that permit members of the Armed Forces to use basic pay and compensation to pay on a pretax basis for dependent childcare.
Support the Retired Pay Restoration Act!
Link to Advocacy Campaign: https://www.votervoice.net/AFSA/campaigns/92798/respond
Legislation Summary
Allowsthe receipt of both military retiredpay and veterans' disability compensation with respect to any service-connected disability.
Extends full concurrent receipt eligibility to individuals who were retired or separated after at least 20 years of military service due to a service-connected disability.
Call To Action:Share How TRICARE's coverage of the Dynamic Orthotic Cranioplasty (DOC) Band Post-Op device negatively impact your family's quality of life!
For the past year, our Military and Government Relations Team has been working with AFSA military families on getting legislation introduced that would expand the scope of TRICAR's coverage of the DOC Band Post-Op device if a baby:
Is three to 18 months old; and
Is diagnosed with craniosynostosis or nonsynostotic positional plagiocephaly (to include torticollis)
Despite unsuccessful efforts (via FOIA request) to obtain important data for the purpose of quantifying the need of this issue in the aggregate, our Team is looking to hear from the field to share your story and help have your voice heard by members of Congress.
Issue Background
Helmet therapy is used to gently correct the shape of babies' skulls over time.
Newborn babies' skulls are soft plates with spaces between them. As the baby grows, these plates grow, gradually harden, and knit together.
Unfortunately, there are circumstances under which the soft plates may develop a flat spot or uneven appearance. This condition is called plagiocephaly.
Today, almost one in two babies (47%) is affected by some form of plagiocephaly.
When the baby's skull joins together too early, or in an abnormal way, this is called craniosynostosis. There are several types of craniosynostosis, depending on when the baby's skull joins together.
Today, it is estimated that 1 in every 2,500 babies has craniosynostosis.
Positional skull deformities and/or abnormalities - whether diagnosed as a form of plagiocephaly or craniosynostosis - can have short and long term health effects on a child.
However, despite this, TRICARE only covers the Dynamic Orthotic Cranioplasty (DOC) Band Post-Op device, synonymously referred to as a "molding helmet," if your baby:
Is three to 18 months old; and
Has had craniosynostoris surgery;
But still has a misshaped skull.
In other words, cranial molding helmet(s) are not covered for the treatment of nonsynostotic positional plagiocephaly or for the treatment of craniosynostosis before surgery; despite medical evidence that suggests the presence or absence of congenital or acquired plagiocephaly (to include torticollis) can, at the very least, increase the risk of gross motor development.
In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics school-aged children with moderate to severe plagiocephaly scored lower than controls on cognitive and academic measures.
As a result, military families - who face unique challenges given the sacrifices that come along with serving our country - have been put in the tragic position to either front the hefty cost of the helmet (approximately $2,000), seek alternative forms of treatment that may not be preferred, or forego treatment altogether.
AFSA Int'l Convention ONLY (Arrive Saturday, August 7) This Registration Fee includes the following: Access to discounted hotel room rates, seminar/briefings, refreshments, Info Expo, Convention Theme Party, Welcoming Ceremony, and the AFSA International President's Dinner. However, if you are NOT an AFSA member, this registration fee does NOT grant you access to the AFSA's Member Appreciation Hospitality Room(s). This Convention Registration DOES NOT include hotel reservations.
Greetings AFSA Division and Chapter Leadership,
We are pleased to share the AFSA Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay procedures and marketing materials to help share the process with our members, your membership and potential new recruits.
The Set-It-Forever/Auto Pay program creates an opportunity to JOIN AFSA or RENEW a membership by making a $36 once-a-year/every-year auto payment, or a $4-each-month/every- month auto payment. The $36 once-a-year option is set at $36, and the $4-a-month option includes a bank processing fee of $1 each month.
Review the two ways to enroll, the benefits to using the auto-pay option, and the marketing materials to help share the details of this program and ensure its success.
For questions, please contact AFSAHQ Member & Field team at 800-638-0594 x 288.
Please Update Your Contact Information Today!
Dear Air Force Sergeants Association Member,
In order for the AFSA to effectively communicate with our members, it is essential to ensure we have your current and / or valid e-mail address. We are in the process of updating our records and need your help! Please take a moment to ensure that we have your most current mail and email address (no .mil's); and accurate membership listing information.
We've made it easy, as you can update your information in either one of three ways:
Call Member & Field Relations team directly at 800-638-0594 x 288 (Mon. - Fri. 8:00 am to 5:00 pm (EST)
Email to: msvcs@hqafsa.org
Visit www.hqafsa.org and select the UPDATE button on the right
We thank you in advance for your support and prompt updates.
In sum, in testimony before the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee last week, the White House's candidate for VA undersecretary for health indicated that one of his major priorities for the post would be to improve recruiting and retention for clinical care roles at the VA. VA had over 50,000 unfilled posts in the health administration at the start of 2022, including roughly 2,000 physicians and 15,000 nurses. In recent years, department officials have focused on employing those specialists, but have failed in several regions due to rising public demand for health care employees.
Elnahal believes that part of the endeavor to fill those positions should be to better pitch VA to potential employees.
In other news, hundreds of thousands of dollars in extra pay will be awarded to troops who reenlist by Sept. 30 to serve in 63 specialties with high turnover or high training expenses, ranging from Chinese and Russian language experts to satellite and radar operators. Following an abnormally high rate of retention during the start of the coronavirus epidemic, the Air Force is increasing its retention incentives. Between 2016, when the Air Force granted extra pay to 117 career fields, and 2020, when only 37 specialties were eligible, bonus pay dried up. The program's most recent upgrade in 2021 made forty fields eligible.
And lastly, according to a new analysis from the watchdog, about 2,500 students were underpaid more than $624,000 for the 2020-2021 academic year due to errors that may be corrected by modernizing the VA's record system to accept automated updates regarding when schools are in session. The issue only affects a minor fraction of the GI Bill's overall benefits. The government paid roughly 658,000 students $10.1 billion in education stipends in fiscal 2020. The inspector general, however, stated that the errors cost students a month or more of housing stipends, potentially causing severe financial injury to those who rely on the money for basic living expenses.
And that's the way it is for Thursday, May 5, 2022.
Stay tuned for our next M&G-B, where we will continue to keep you in the loop on all things pertinent to the coronavirus, veterans, active-duty members, guards and reservists, and military family members. Stay happy, and stay healthy!
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