Nearly 113K Claims Already Filed For PACT Act Benefits
Veterans Affairs officials have already received nearly 113,000 new disability claims related to the sweeping toxic exposure legislation signed into law less than three months ago, an indication of the potential impact of the measure and the work ahead for the department.
More Than 70 New Employees Join The Push To Hire Military Spouses
The Military Spouse Employment Partnership Program welcomed more than 70 new employees on Tuesday, bringing the total number of partners looking specifically to hire military spouses to more than 600.
Delay To Incentive Pay Boost For Guard And Reserves Draws Rebuke From Lawmakers
By: Rebecca Kheel | Military.com
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is pushing the Pentagon over a delay in National Guardsmen and reservists receiving higher incentive pay caused by the department failing to deliver a report to Congress on time.
At issue is a provision in last year's National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, that required the Defense Department to give members of reserve components incentive pay equal to the bonuses given to active-duty service members. The bill required the Pentagon to complete a report before increasing the pay, but the report has yet to be delivered despite being due to Congress on Sept. 30.
"Since reserve component service members who receive incentive pay are already maintaining the same skills as their counterparts in the active component, they deserve to receive the same amount of incentive pay," six House and Senate members from both parties wrote in a letter to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Tuesday.
"Failure to provide this will only exacerbate the military's manning crisis as current reserve component service members weigh whether to continue dedicating their time to maintaining their critical military skills despite this pay disparity or focus instead on opportunities in the civilian labor market of which they are already members," they added.
The letter was organized by Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel, and Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, a member of the House Appropriations Committee's defense subpanel who is currently running for the Senate.
Asked about the status of the report, a Pentagon spokesperson told Military.com the department requested an extension on the deadline, without providing a specific timeline on when it would be completed.
You Can Rewatch The Broadcast Videos On AFSAHQ.Org If You Missed LAW22.
Even though Legislative Awareness Week has ended, its importance has not. AFSAHQ appreciates everyone that joined and watched LAW22. Any broadcasts that you missed can currently be rewatched on hqafsa.org. All of the broadcast videos from Days 1 through 7 may be seen on AFSAHQ.org under the heading LAW2022. You can download and distribute the broadcast as well!
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 TRICARE'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, after President Joe Biden signed the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (commonly known as the PACT Act) into law on August 10, benefit administrators started taking claims for all presumed illnesses covered by the statute. They include hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS) for veterans who served in Vietnam, 12 different cancers and 12 other respiratory illnesses linked to burn pit exposure in the Gulf War, the wars in Iraq, and Afghanistan, as well as radiation-related illnesses for veterans who served in a number of new locations in the 1960s and early 1970s.
For years, there had been disagreement about the problems' coverage. Veterans' activists bemoaned in particular that too many significant issues believed to be caused by exposure to burn pits were being disregarded by VA administrators due to the lack of complete scientific evidence connecting the health issues to the toxic smoke from the waste burns.
The agency has received 112,949 additional applications for disability claims relating to the new presumed illnesses in the 75 days following the signing, a 21% increase in the workload for benefits. A veteran may be qualified for disability benefits of up to $4,000 depending on the severity of their wounds. Presumptive status for conditions related to military service reduces the amount of paperwork veterans must submit in order to be eligible for monthly benefits.
Even though claims won't be processed until January 2023, VA officials have been advising veterans who think they might be eligible to submit now. Payouts ought to start in the early spring.
In addition, The Military Spouse Chamber of Commerce, Save the Children, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the University of Dayton, and the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs are just a few of the diverse new members of this group, which also includes Garmin International, Great Clips, Hunt Companies, Winn Companies, TD Bank, and TIAG.
The DoD Military Spouse Employment Partnership is in its eleventh year. "Our largest hiring level ever" has been achieved since last October thanks to the initiative, according to Gilbert Cisneros, undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, who spoke at the occasion. According to him, the DoD MSEP program has connected more than 250,000 military spouses to career opportunities in private and federal settings, across all business sectors. The initiative started in the Army and was made available across the DoD in 2011.
On the MSEP portal as of October 25, there were 607,117 active job postings looking for military spouses. Military spouse Eddy Mentzer, associate director of Military Community Support Programs and manager of the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, said that the Defense Department is starting a new initiative. In order to "recognize the opportunity that businesses in military-impacted communities present for our military spouse community," 30 firms will join a new MSEP Small Business program on October 31. Additionally, he announced earlier that the DoD will sponsor a spousal fellowship program, placing spouses in 12-week paid fellowship positions with the intention of having them land full-time jobs at the conclusion of their experience.The DoD's Military Spouse Career Accelerator Program will launch in January.
And lastly, in 10 states across the nation, Tricare members have exclusive access to a pilot program that will run from January 1, 2021, through December 31, 2023, and is intended to treat one of the most prevalent causes of disability in the U.S., which affects at least 25% of individuals. Beneficiaries who experience lower back discomfort can receive three free physical therapy sessions through the pilot program, which is planned to run through December 31, 2023.
Muscle sprains and injuries, as well as arthritis, are among the reasons for lower back discomfort. To aid in your recovery, your doctor might advise rest, physical therapy, medicine, or other therapy. No matter the technique of treatment, recovery from lower back pain typically requires time.
According to TRICARE, program participants must be TRICARE beneficiaries with a main diagnosis of low back pain and a recommendation for physical therapy from a TRICARE-authorized clinician. However, those who utilize TRICARE for Life can choose between utilizing a network provider or a non-network provider. For the majority, the physical therapy provider must be in-network.
TRICARE members who reside in the following areas are eligible for the program:
Arizona
California
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Kentucky
North Carolina
Ohio
Tennessee
Virginia
For up to three sessions of physical therapy to alleviate back discomfort, the pilot program waives cost shares. Regular cost-shares and copayments start to apply following the third covered physical therapy appointment.
And that's the way it is for Thursday, October 27, 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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