VA Drops Mask Requirements For Staff, Patients At Most Medical Facilities
The Department of Veterans Affairs has dropped its requirement that patients and staff wear face masks in most VA medical facilities, ending a mandate that has been in effect for the past three years.
Coast Guard Will Let New Moms Defer Assignments For Up To A Year Following Childbirth
Military family members who are Type 1 diabetics can now get Tricare coverage for the Omnipod 5 insulin pump, Defense Health Agency officials announced.
IMPORTANT TO REITERATE: VA To Award $52.5 Million In Grants To Local Organizations Working To Prevent Veteran Suicide
By: VA Office Of Public Affairs | VA.Gov
Today, March 2nd, VA announced the availability of $52.5 million in grants to community-based organizations that provide or coordinate suicide prevention services for Veterans and their families – including conducting Veteran mental health screenings, providing case management and peer support services, delivering emergency clinical services, reaching out to Veterans at risk of suicide and more.
These grants will be awarded through VA’s Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. The Notice of Funding Opportunity provides information about the program, eligibility, and award process. Applications are due by 11:59 pm ET on May 19, 2023 and awards will be granted to eligible entities by Sept. 30, 2023. The funds will be used by the selected organizations in Fiscal Year 2024.
“Veterans at risk of suicide deserve quick and easy access to mental health screenings, peer support, emergency services, and more – both from VA and community-based organizations,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “There are countless great organizations across America that are providing Veterans with this type of local, on-the-ground support, and we at VA are proud to support their efforts.”
This will be the second round of grants awarded as part of VA’s Staff Sergeant Parker Gordon Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. In September 2022, VA awarded grants for the program’s first year, totaling $52.5 million to 80 awardees in 43 states, Washington, D.C., and American Samoa. The grant program is named after Parker Gordon Fox, a sniper instructor who died by suicide at the age of 25.
Grant funding will be divided into two priorities. Under Priority 1, VA will provide opportunities for funding to those entities with existing SSG Fox SPGP awards. Under Priority 2, new organizations can apply for grants worth up to $750,000. Following the selection of Priority 1 grantee applicants, any remaining funds will be awarded according to Priority 2. VA may prioritize the distribution of suicide prevention services grants under this priority to: (i) Rural communities; (ii) Tribal lands; (iii) Territories of the United States; (iv) Medically underserved areas; (v) Areas with a high number or percentage of minority Veterans or women Veterans; and (vi) Areas with a high number or percentage of calls to the Veterans Crisis Line.
The Total Force 2023 survey will expire soon 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 Jan 3rd 2023, 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:
S.344 -The Major Richard Star Act, to amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for concurrent receipt of veterans’ disability compensation and retired pay for disabled retirees with fewer than 20 years of service and a combat-related disability, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Jon Tester [Sen-D-MT]
Committees - Senate Armed Services
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)
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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, even before the administration's planned publication, there were position hearings on the Defense Department and Veterans Affairs budgets. Throughout the week, representatives from several military commands are set to speak.
While though fiscal 2024 begins on October 1st, the budget battle is anticipated to go on until the end of the year. Democratic politicians (including President Joe Biden) have pledged to maintain those services, in contrast to Republican lawmakers who have committed to cutting non-defense programs to help reduce federal expenditure.
High-ranking military and VA officials frequently come to Capitol Hill in March and April to discuss their spending plans for the upcoming fiscal year and respond to inquiries about past spending.
In addition, according to officials, the department will continue to require masks in buildings where the risk of transmission is thought to be high. Masks will also be required in locations where COVID-19 continues to pose a risk to patients who are already vulnerable, such as inpatient medical and surgical units, intensive care, chemotherapy, dialysis, and post-transplant units.
Local medical leaders will analyze the hazards and decide if masking should be optional in their hospital for regions with low or medium levels of risk.
The news was made on the third anniversary of the discovery of COVID-19 in a veteran at a VA hospital. Since then, coronavirus has been identified in more than 834,000 individuals inside the VA health system, and 24,308 people have perished from it, including 259 VA workers.
According to the CDC, 19 cases have decreased nationwide during the past month by almost 20%. Nonetheless, coronavirus still claims the lives of 2,652 Americans on average each week.
And lastly, Capt. Monique Roebuck, the interim director for military personnel, stated in a service-wide letter that the benefit will be continued through March 5, 2024 as part of the service's "commitment to providing employment flexibility" for members and their families.
"Postpartum Active Duty members will not be deployed for up to 12 months from the date of a birth event unless the member elects such orders," Roebuck said in the communication, ALCOAST 091/23.
According to the policy, Reserve members are also exempt from being involuntarily mobilized for up to 12 months following childbirth. However, they are also permitted to choose voluntary mobilization with the consent of a Coast Guard medical officer and the first 0-6 or GS-15 in their chain of command.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, March 7, 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!
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