Lawmakers Boost Number Of Military Families Getting New Allowance
Congress’ efforts to increase the number of lower-income military families who would qualify for a new allowance to address food insecurity and other basic needs are welcome, but still fall short of the need, advocates say.
Thousands Of Pharmacies Will Return To TRICARE In January
About 2,000 independent pharmacies will rejoin Tricare's network next month, the company in charge of administering the pharmacy benefits confirmed Friday.
Bidens Spread Holiday Cheer At Marine Corps Reserve Toys For Tots Event
President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden helped pack presents for children and encouraged holiday cheer as the White House marked the 75th anniversary of Toys for Tots at an event hosted by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
As Part Of A "Week Of Action" To Raise Awareness Of PACT Act Benefits, The VA Has Begun Reviewing Claims From Veterans Who Have Terminal Illnesses.
By: Vanessa Lee | AFSA Legislative Communications & Administrative Assistant
Beginning on Saturday and lasting through December 17, the VA will hold its "PACT Act Week of Action." Attendees of the events, whether veterans or their surviving family members, will be able to learn more about the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act and, in many circumstances, apply for benefits and medical care that are tied to it.
The PACT Act offered some veterans who were discharged before October 1, 2013, a unique one-year enrollment period for VA health care that ends on October 1, 2023, as well as an extension of up to 10 years on the period of time after discharge during which they can enroll in VA health care.
By adding new illnesses to the list of presumptive illnesses for Agent Orange exposure and designating nearly two dozen diseases as presumed to be related to exposure to burn pits, the PACT Act, which was signed into law on August 10 by President Joe Biden, allows veterans who have been diagnosed with the named illnesses to receive expedited disability benefits.
In addition, it expanded the geographic areas where veterans can receive Agent Orange-related benefits, lengthened the time after 9/11 during which they can enroll in VA health care, and granted some veterans who were released prior to October 1, 2013, a special one-year enrollment period for VA health care that lasts through October 1, 2023.
The law added conditions to the list of illnesses presumptively linked to exposure to Agent Orange and designated nearly two dozen diseases as such. Veterans who have been diagnosed with the named illnesses are now eligible for expedited disability benefits if they were exposed to burn pits or other hazardous environments.
Additionally, on Monday, Veterans Affairs employees will start processing new hazardous exposure claims right away for veterans who are nearing the end of their lives, three weeks before other cases that are currently pending in the system.
The action, according to officials, will ensure that veterans with serious illnesses "get their rightful benefits and health care at the earliest date."
The change is anticipated to affect about 2,500 veterans. The VA disclosed that they are weeks ahead of schedule and for veterans who are qualifying under the PACT Act and have a terminal illness, they have begun processing disability compensation claims; stated it would expedite processing for terminally ill veterans immediately, starting the procedure prior to the original January 1, 2023 deadline for sorting out all claims under the Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics, or PACT Act.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out at milgov3@hqafsa.org. As more updates unfold, our team will keep you posted.
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, the House and Senate decided to raise the family income threshold for the new Basic Needs Allowance from the 130% set by the 2022 law establishing the allowance to 150% of the federal poverty level as part of negotiations to create a compromise 2023 defense policy bill. Jan. 1 will see the implementation of the new allowance. The Defense Department has until January 15, 2024, under the new legislation, to raise eligibility to 150% of the standards, though it may do so sooner.
The number of active duty families who would be eligible for the allowance would rise from the 300 who might be under existing law and DoD regulations as of January 1 to 2,400 under the higher income ceiling, according to estimates from the Defense Department. According to a DoD demographics forecast for 2021, that still represents less than 0.4% of all active duty soldiers with families.
In addition, more than 2,000 pharmacies have agreed to the terms and will re-join the Tricare network since we released the new solicitation on December 1, and additional pharmacies still have a few more days to reply, according to Justine Sessions, a spokeswoman for Express Scripts.
Only a small portion of the approximately 15,000 pharmacies that left the network in October have returned, to the chagrin of patients, lawmakers, and advocacy organizations. On January 15, pharmacies that accepted the deal will rejoin the network. The contract offer response period closes on Thursday.
Because of the decreased reimbursement rates, many of the 14,963 retail pharmacies that were removed from the network on October 24 refused the contract to continue because doing so would force them to operate at a loss. They claimed that the October date caught them off guard because they had anticipated remaining on the network through the end of the year.
And lastly, Jill Biden's Joining Forces initiative, which provides support and resources to families of military personnel and veterans as well as to their caregivers and survivors, is a part of the event that will take place at Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall in northern Virginia. Spouses of Pentagon officials and local servicemembers' kids assisted the first pair in sorting through gifts.
Since 1947, more than 281 million children have received toys through the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Program thanks to the efforts of Marines and volunteers, according to the White House. According to Joe Biden, the effort "gave Santa a run for his money" last year by collecting 22 million toys for 8 million kids.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, December 13, 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!
