After A 5-Year Wait, VA Gets A New Top Medical Leader
After more than a five-year wait, the Department of Veterans Affairs has a Senate-confirmed official leading its health care operations again. Lawmakers on Thursday voted 66-23 to confirm Dr. Shereef Elnahal as the next VA under secretary for health.
Cost Of VA's New Medical Records System Could Triple To $50 Billion, Report Claims
The total cost of the Department of Veterans Affairs' new electronic medical records system could be more than triple its current $16.1 billion budget when factoring in delays, maintenance and other expenditures that aren't part of the contract, a new report has found.
White House Announces $270M Military Package For Ukraine
The White House announced Friday that the U.S. is sending an additional $270 million in security assistance to Ukraine, a package that will include additional medium range rocket systems and tactical drones.
With about two months left until a congressional deadline, Veterans Affairs officials said plans to expand the caregiver support program to veterans of all eras remain on schedule, even if fixes to other aspects of the program are still in limbo.
Currently, the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers - which provides a monthly stipend to qualified full-time caregivers of seriously ill or injured veterans - is open only to veterans who served before 1975 or after 2001. But per a mandate from Congress, the program must be opened to all families by Oct. 1 of this year.
In comments to reporters on Wednesday, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said department leaders are on track to do that.
"We're going to expand in October," he said. "We're committed to that. It should have already been done by now, but we'll get it done by October."
About 33,000 families are enrolled in the 11-year-old program. Doubts about VA's ability to expand it have surfaced in recent months amid other caregiver program turmoil.
In 2021, in anticipation of the upcoming expansion, VA officials rewrote eligibility criteria and reviewed about 19,000 legacy participants to see if they still qualified for the benefit. Specific payout totals based on where veterans live, but generally amount to about $3,000 a month for the full level two stipend and $1,800 for the partial level one stipend.
In the spring, following months of outcry from advocates that too many families were being purged from the program, VA leaders suspended all program dismissals. Officials later acknowledged that under the new eligibility criteria as many as 90% of the legacy participants could have been stripped of caregiver benefits.
Since then, McDonough has publicly vowed to rewrite the eligibility criteria to better reflect the needs of injured veterans and their families. However, no timetable has been set for when that work will be completed.
"We still don't have those new criteria established, but the establishment of new criteria will not impact the launch of the expansion," he said.
VA officials have said that once those criteria are developed, they will be applied to existing program participants to see if the program participants still qualify for stipends. However, all current participants are guaranteed to continue receiving benefits until April 2023, under past promises by leaders.
Outside groups have complained that even after McDonough announced the pause in program dismissals, local officials have continued to review families cases and warn that they could lose eligibility in the future, even though the new program criteria still have not been developed.
Past analysis of the program have estimated that the upcoming expansion plans could nearly double participation in it.
More information on the program is available at the VA web site.
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, Dr. Shereef Elnahal was confirmed by lawmakers as the new VA under secretary for health on Thursday by a vote of 66 to 23. Before the vote, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Montana, delivered a floor statement in which he stated that the Department of Veterans Affairs "needs a steady hand to steer the Veterans Health Administration now more than ever." Elnahal, according to him, "has a remarkable track record of heading health care systems and health agencies." But more importantly, he is dedicated to providing treatment for the more than 9 million veterans who are currently under VA supervision.
Since early 2017, when Dr. David Shulkin resigned from the position to become secretary of the entire department, the VA's top healthcare position has remained vacant. Since then, a number of temporary, unconfirmed executives have held the position. Officials have held many panels to discover applicants for the position over the past five years, but they have not been successful.
Elnahal was proposed by Vice President Joe Biden in March. At the moment, he leads University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey, as its CEO.
Members of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee gave him relatively favorable ratings during his confirmation hearing in April, but since Sen. Rick Scott, R-Florida, vetoed a move to expedite his appointment due to broader reservations about Biden's candidates, his candidacy has been in limbo.
In addition, According to a report from the Institute for Defense Analyses that was presented to Congress on Monday, the price of the Oracle Cerner Millennium electronic health records system, which was initially projected to cost $10 billion but was later revised to $16.1 billion, could rise by $39 billion if the rollout takes three years longer than expected. It may also cost another $17 billion to maintain it over its lifetime. Members of Congress criticized the potential cost during a hearing on the controversial program on Wednesday, noting that just five VA medical centers and their connected clinics have implemented the system, and that each of them has encountered software issues.
A portion of the system's design resulted in the effective disappearance of 11,000 medical orders or referrals, resulting in 149 instances of patient harm, including at least one potentially fatal incident, according to the findings of two investigations into the health records system that the VA Inspector General released last week.
The Office of Inspector General's ongoing work was hampered by the fact that two VA training supervisors at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, Washington, where the system was introduced, gave the office inadequate or false information.
And lastly, The most recent instalment, which is being funded by the $40 billion in economic and security help for Ukraine approved by Congress in May, takes the total amount of U.S. security assistance committed to Ukraine by the Biden administration to $8.2 billion.
According to John Kirby, the White House National Security Council's coordinator for strategic communications, the new package includes four High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, and will enable Kyiv to purchase up to 580 Phoenix Ghost drones. These are both essential weapon systems that have allowed the Ukrainians to remain in the fight despite Russian artillery superiority. Along with extra ammo for the HIMARS, the most recent support also includes about 36,000 rounds of artillery ammunition.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, July 26, 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!
