VA Suicide Prevention Efforts Need More Focus On Gun Safety Training
Despite promises to prioritize lethal means safety in their suicide prevention efforts, Veterans Affairs officials aren’t focusing enough on the issue, according to new findings released Thursday by a government watchdog.
Lawmakers Press DoD To Restore Troops' Full Housing Stipend
A bipartisan group of 60 House lawmakers is urging Defense Department officials to restore full housing allowance payments immediately in light of the increasing financial pressures on military families.
Bidens Open Holiday Season, Serve Thanksgiving Meal To Service Members
President Joe Biden continued a 75-year tradition on Monday and pardoned a pair of Thanksgiving turkeys named after his favorite flavor of ice cream while cracking jokes about his political party’s better-than-expected performance in this month's midterm elections.
Our Military and Government Relations Team wanted to take a moment to wish you and your family a very Happy Thanksgiving!
To celebrate Thanksgiving with loved ones, AFSAHQ will be closed on Thursday, November 25, 2022.
However, we will resume back with the M&G-Brief Newsletter on Tuesday, November 29th, 2022.
We gather on this day to be thankful for what we have, for the family we love, the friends we cherish, and for the blessings that will come. May you enjoy this celebration with your family full of laughter and peace. Happy Thanksgiving greetings!
IMPORTANT TO REITERATE: Duckworth, Houlahan, Speier Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Letter Urging DoD To Follow Congressional Intent And Provide Equal Access To Parental Leave
By: Senator Tammy Duckworth Press Release
Combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), alongside U.S. Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-06) and Jackie Speier (D-CA-14), led a bipartisan and bicameral letter urging the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide military moms with convalescent leave separately and apart from their guaranteed 12 weeks of parental leave, as Congress intended. Duckworth served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is Chair of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) Subcommittee on Airland.
“We want to ensure that the Department’s implementation of this provision will maintain the historical separation of medical convalescent leave from parental leave (previously known as caregiver leave). Our military must support our servicemembers who are building a family - it is a matter of military readiness and national security,” wrote the members. “Any attempt to overlap parental leave and convalescent leave would be contrary to congressional intent and would lead to additional Congressional action if the Department is unwilling to implement this policy properly.”
In last year’s NDAA that was signed into law, Duckworth was instrumental in securing the provision to increase paid parental leave for our servicemembers, which is why she’s joining her colleagues in this effort to ensure the DoD implements the full intent of her provision. In addition to her advocacy for parental leave, Duckworth remains a fierce supporter of our servicemembers and authored several provisions in last year’s NDAA to tackle military hunger, enhance Air Force capacity, increase monthly incentive pay for Guardsmen and women as well as Reservists with critical skills, improve access to military child care and more.
Along with Duckworth, Houlahan and Speier, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) as well as U.S. Representatives Sara Jacobs (D-CA-53) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK-05).
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, a recent VA inspector general report detailed a number of issues, including clinicians failing to complete training on firearms safety, clinicians failing to apply the training in patient consultations, and administrators failing to stress the significance of the problem with additional training and advice.Veterans Affairs (VA) officials published its yearly report on veteran suicides in September. The report revealed that in 2020, the rate of these deaths has dropped to under 17 per day, the lowest level in 14 years.
Veterans are more likely than non-veterans to use firearms in suicide attempts, according to earlier VA studies on the subject. Gun use caused roughly half of all suicide fatalities in America in 2020, while 71% of suicide deaths among veterans involved a gun. In order to strengthen outreach and prevention efforts, VA authorities have recently announced plans for expanded staff training and public service announcements on issues including weapons storage and mental health support.
In addition, as a cost-cutting move approved by Congress in 2015, military officials decreased the housing stipends they provided to military families from 100% of the Basic Allowance for Housing formula to 95%. Officials claimed at the time that the change was required to balance rising compensation costs. Over the years, military officials have temporarily increased that percentage for a few high-cost regions of the nation. In October, they increased the housing allowance for more than 114,000 service members.
Nevertheless, they have continued to use the 95% target as the benchmark for benefit distributions not with standing these revisions.House lawmakers approved language requiring the Defense Department to review that decision and move back toward full compensation earlier this year as part of the annual defense authorization bill debate. The letter signers said that even though the provision isn't yet law, Pentagon leaders should take action now to make the change.
And lastly, while making jokes about his political party's better-than-expected performance in this month's midterm elections, President Joe Biden continued a 75-year tradition on Monday and pardoned a pair of Thanksgiving turkeys named after his favorite ice cream flavor. Chocolate and Chip, each weighing close to 50 pounds, were driven up from North Carolina on Saturday.
In order to wait for their meeting with the president and his proclamation of their liberation, they checked into a room at the Willard hotel, which is close to the White House.According to President Harry Truman and the National Turkey Federation, who started the holiday tradition in 1947, both gobblers were born in July in Monroe, North Carolina.
In addition to a busy weekend for Biden and his family personally, the midterm elections saw the president's Democratic Party do strongly enough to defy historical tendencies that had predicted significant losses. The Senate will continue to be run by Democrats. Democrats did limit GOP gains in the House, which they will still control when a new Congress is sworn in in January. The Bidens assisted in serving a Thanksgiving-style supper at a North Carolina Marine Corps post later that day. On Monday, the official White House Christmas tree was delivered.
Later on Monday, the Bidens went to Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, which is close to the coast of North Carolina, for "friendsgiving," or a dinner similar to Thanksgiving that was shared with service men and their families. The nearly 350 attendees heard the first couple thank them for their sacrifices.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, November 22, 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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