Dislocation Allowance Increases By $500 For Many Junior Enlisted
As part of the Pentagon's ongoing efforts to make life easier for military members, enlisted personnel E-6 and below facing a permanent change of station (PCS) move will see an increase in their dislocation allowance (DLA). All PCS travel with an effective date of Oct. 1, 2022, or later is eligible for the increased allowance.
Space Force Guardians Now Eligible For Air Medal, Bronze Star And More
A handful of military awards and decorations got an update Monday, including expanding eligibility to the Space Force and cleaning up some gendered language, in an executive order signed by President Joe Biden.
Previously, PCAFC was only available to eligible Veterans who served on or after Sept. 11, 2001. This expansion opens the program to eligible Veterans who served after May 7, 1975, and before Sept. 11, 2001.
PCAFC provides caregivers of eligible Veterans with resources, education, financial assistance, health insurance, beneficiary travel, peer support and more. The program is a cornerstone of VA health care, ensuring that Veterans get the world-class care they deserve and that caregivers get the comprehensive support they need.
"For the first time, eligible Veterans of all service eras can participate in the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers," says Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Donald Remy. "We recognize the critical role family caregivers play in caring for Veterans, and through this expansion, we're able to ensure that family caregivers of all eligible Veterans have access to the comprehensive support they deserve."
This is the second expansion of PCAFC, and it will expand access to the program for tens of thousands of Veterans and their family caregivers. The first expansion of PCAFC began in Oct. 2020, as part of implementation of the VA MISSION Act of 2018. PCAFC has added approximately 20,000 active veterans and family caregiver participants during the past two years.
Earlier this month, VA announced an interim final rule that will extend PCAFC eligibility for legacy participants, legacy applicants and their family caregivers, by three years to Sept. 30, 2025. Legacy Participants or Legacy Applicants are Veterans and their family caregivers who participated in PCAFC prior to Oct 1, 2020.
Learn more about the PCAFC expansion and VA's Caregiver Support Program, reach out to a local CSP team or call our Caregiver Support Line at 855-260-3274 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET, and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET.
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.
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, for the first time since 2005, the Supporting Families of the Fallen Act will increase the maximum coverage for the Veterans' Group Life Insurance Plan and the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Plan.
The bill, which earlier this year passed the Senate, was unanimously adopted by the House on Thursday and is now on its way to President Joe Biden's desk for his anticipated signature. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., the bill's sponsor, said in a video message last week that "our military families support our combat soldiers in hazards of battle and during the most difficult moments." "When one of our service members makes the ultimate sacrifice, their family should be taken care of," the statement continued. "We hope they never receive that dreadful call."
The measure will increase the maximum coverage for the Veterans' Group Life Insurance and the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance from $400,000 to $500,000.
Although neither insurance plan is free, it does provide military members and veterans with a low-cost choice for life insurance. Both insurance plans are managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
In addition, Along with other improvements to travel and other military perks, the higher DLA is intended to help service personnel manage the general increase in cost of living.
The Pentagon announced a number of changes to housing, commissary, and other home benefits on September 22, 2022, with the goal of making daily life less expensive for troops and making moves less of a financial strain. A tax-free payment known as a "dislocation allowance" is intended to partially cover a service member's moving costs during a PCS. The travel allowance for enlisted troops in pay grades E-1 through E-4 will increase by $500, while pay grades E-5 through E-6 will see lesser but still significant increases.
Typically, military salary and benefits are increased by the cost of living each year. The Basic Allowance for Housing and the rates for trip reimbursement, however, have both seen several hikes in 2022 in reaction to inflation. In addition to raising the dislocation allowance, the Pentagon also announced a number of other financial advantages that are intended to help military personnel deal with financial difficulties. There are also reductions in commissary and daycare costs, an increased Temporary Lodging Allowance, a new Basic Needs Allowance, and a higher Monthly Housing Allowance for 28 high-cost locations around the U.S.
And lastly, The following awards are now available to Guardians:
Air Medal, for "meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight."
Good Conduct Medal, for three years of service without disciplinary action.
Bronze Star, for meritorious service or heroic action in a combat zone.
Presidential Unit Citation, for units that display extraordinary heroism in a combat zone.
Defense Distinguished Service Medal, for "exceptionally meritorious service in a duty of great responsibility.
The decision is a further step toward establishing the sixth and newest military service, which former President Donald Trump established in December 2019.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, October 4, 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!
.jpg)
.jpg)
