VA To Waive Medical Copays For Native Americans, Alaskan Native Vets
The Department of Veterans Affairs is following through with a congressional mandate to waive copayments for native American and native Alaskan veterans for most medical appointments.
Applications To Air Force Academy Bounce Back After Plummeting During Pandemic
Applications to join the Air Force Academy's class of 2027 skyrocketed last year, following a year when the school saw a dive in applications from young men and women during the coronavirus pandemic.
It's Official: Military Spouses To Get Employment Relief After Moving
President Joe Biden signed a provision into law late Thursday that will make it easier across the board for military spouses to transfer professional licenses when making a military move.
VA Health And Benefits Mobile App: A Convenient Way For Veterans To Access Service
By: Vanessa Lee AFSA Legislative Communications & Administrative Assistant
In order to make it simpler for veterans to interact with the VA and receive benefits, the VA wants to remind them of the availability of a mobile app for VA Health and Benefits.
In August 2021, VA soft-launched the app; since then, more than 800,000 veterans have downloaded it. Veterans can check and cancel medical appointments using the interface, see the status of their claims and appeals, submit documents, communicate with their doctors, find facilities, and more. Access to the VA Crisis Line is also made available.
VA's Office of Information and Technology (OIT) and Veterans Experience Office (VEO) collaborated to develop an app that veterans would find practical and easy to use. They engaged the veteran community in order to better understand their requirements and preferences for mobile app features, using human-centered design methodologies.
Veterans can also save time and money by photographing and uploading papers to the VA rather than physically mailing them. Because claims and documents are submitted automatically using this new system, Johnston claimed that there is "no space for error." The application places a high priority on security. To protect user privacy, the software has encryption and two-factor authentication.
The VA mobile app for health and benefits, which provides simple access to a variety of services, is safeguarded by built-in phone security features like fingerprints and facial recognition. The smartphone application allows veterans to:
Complete health care and benefits transactions;
Update VA.gov profile account information;
Check claims and appeals status, and upload documents;
Download VA documents, such as the Benefit Summary and Service Verification Letter, and VA vaccine records;
View and cancel health care appointments and add them to the phone’s calendar;
Securely message their health care team.
Users' comments will be utilized to improve the VA mobile app, which has a current rating of 4.8 on Apple and 4.6 on Google Play.
Today, manage your VA experience wherever you are, whenever you want, by downloading the VA mobile app for health and benefits.
IMPORTANT TO REITERATE: AFSA 2023 Total Force Survey!
The Total Force 2023 survey is now available on the HQAFSA.org website, just in case you missed it or haven't caught up. Please take the time to complete the survey so that our Military and Government Relations Team can best assist you. The survey this year is thorough and covers a variety of vital subjects for our members, such as an Active Component, Reserve Component, and more! Have any inquiries? Contact our M&G team by sending an email to milgov3@hqafsa.org.
Several historic events occurred on Tuesday, the first day the 118th Congress met. Despite being a long list, these legislation addresses a larger variety of public policy objectives that fall under the purview of the seven main emphasis groups of our legislative platform. The bills are currently being introduced, and AFSA is striving to provide more details on the following:
H.R.254 – To amend title 10 United States Code, to improve the administration of the TRICARE program in Puerto Rico, and for other purposes.
H.R.236 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate a week as “Battle Buddy Check Week” for the purpose of outreach and education concerning peer wellness checks for veterans, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Sheila Lee Jackson [D-TX-18]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.234 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide a burial allowance for certain veterans who die at home while in receipt of hospice care furnished by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Sponsor: Jack Bergman [R-MI-1]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.228 – To amend title 10, United States Code, to include a single comprehensive disability examination as part of the required Department of Defense physical examination for separating members of the Armed Forces, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Robert J. Wittman [R-VA-1]
Committees – House Armed Services, House Veterans Affairs
H.R.226 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program to promote and encourage collaboration between the Department of Veterans Affairs and nonprofit organizations and institutions of higher learning that provide administrative assistance to veterans.
Sponsor: Robert J. Wittman [R-VA-1]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.221 – To amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to expand eligibility for participation in the Federal Pell Grant program to certain trade schools.
Sponsor: Robert J. Wittman [R-VA-1]
Committees – Education and Labor
H.R.214 – To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide eligibility for TRICARE selected for veterans with service-connected disabilities, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Gregory W. Steube [R-FL-17]
Committees – House Armed Services, House Veterans Affairs
H.R.196 – To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to modify the information technology systems of the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide for the automatic processing of claims for certain temporary disability ratings, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Matthew M. Rosendale Sr. [R-MT-2]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.129 – To require the Secretary of Defense to ensure drop boxes are maintained on military installations for the deposit of unused prescription drugs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Vern Buchanan [R-FL-16]
Committees – House Armed Services
H.R.105 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to furnish Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy to veterans with traumatic brain injury or post-traumatic stress disorder.
Sponsor: Andy Biggs [R-AZ-5]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.104 – To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to formally recognize caregivers of veterans, notify veterans and caregivers of clinical determinations relating to eligibility for caregiver programs, temporarily extend benefits for veterans who are determined ineligible for the family caregiver program, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Andy Biggs [R-AZ-5]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
H.R.41 – To amend title 38, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to ensure the timely scheduling of appointments for health care at medical facilities of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: James R. Baird [R-IN-4]
Committees – House Veterans Affairs
If you have any additional questions on this specific issue, please e-mail our Military and Government Relations team at milgov3@hqafsa.org.
This edition features Port Mortuary and America’s Missing Heroes, Living with Bipolar Disorder in the Military, Fly-By Wire Defense and AFSA’s American Award Recipient – Don Ward. Read, download, print and share: https://www.hqafsa.org/fallmagazine.html
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, The VA will issue an interim rule in the Federal Register on Thursday informing the public of its intention to eliminate copays for veterans who have a known tribal affiliation. The waiver will be retroactive to January 5, 2022, although it is not yet clear when veterans will be able to seek compensation or notice a difference in their bills. Officials from the VA stated during a Tuesday media roundtable that the department is required by law to allow the public 30 days to comment on the interim plan before publishing a final regulation.
The Indian Health Care Improvement Act forbids the VA from requesting copayments from any veteran who meets the definition of an Indian under the Johnny Isakson and Dr. David Roe Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020.
In addition, by the deadline of December 31, more than 10,000 students had submitted applications to be a part of the class of 2027. According to Air Force Academy spokesperson Dean Miller, it is a 21% increase over the more than 8,300 applications who sought to join the class of 2026 the previous year. The school said that the pandemic reduced the number of in-person events it could host for high school students, which contributed to the low number of applications received the previous year.
Col. Arthur Primas Jr., the academy's director of admissions, told Military.com in an email on Tuesday that "USAFA Admissions was able to conduct and attend more in-person recruiting events for this next generation of future leaders." "We think the surge in applicants this year was largely due to our capacity to directly impact young people, both on campus and in the community."
And lastly, late on Thursday, President Joe Biden signed a measure into law that will make it simpler for military spouses generally to transfer professional licenses while making a military move.
For the first time, a federal statute mandates that states offer reciprocity by accepting active occupational licenses from other states. Military personnel are likewise subject to the law.
According to calculations made by defense authorities, more than 132,000 active-duty spouses work in professions that need a license, accounting for nearly 39% of all military spouses. Numerous professions, including real estate agents, nurses, teachers, cosmetologists, and many others, call for these licenses. The practice of law is the only occupation that the new legislation clearly excludes.
And that's the way it is for Thursday, January 12, 2023.
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!
