Army Pressed To Fix Dilapidated Base Housing By Senators
The Army must put more money and effort into repairing poorly maintained and substandard base housing for military service members and their families, U.S. senators demanded Thursday, amid persistent reports that mold and other issues threaten troops' health.
Vital Computer System Has Gone Down More Than 50 Times Since Launching in Washington, VA Confirms
An electronic health record system being piloted at Spokane's VA hospital and other sites in the Inland Northwest has been partly or completely unusable at least 50 times since its launch in 2020, the Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed.
Veterans Unemployment Under 3% For Second Consecutive Month
Veterans unemployment remained below 3% for the second consecutive month in April, offering more evidence that the American job market is nearing full recovery from the two-year coronavirus pandemic.
Statement from Secretaries Fudge, McDonough, Vilsack and Yellen on Continued Efforts to Connect Homeowners to Pandemic Relief
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Marcia L. Fudge, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, and Treasury Secretary Janet L. Yellen are urging servicers of federally backed mortgages to make every effort to ensure that no individual or family suffers undue hardship or foreclosure while the Homeowner Assistance Fund is available.
Millions of homeowners are at risk of losing their houses as a result of the pandemic's economic and public health effects. As a result, HAF was founded as part of President Biden's American Rescue Plan to offer close to $10 billion in financial assistance to help families weather these obstacles and stay in their homes.
"To protect vulnerable homeowners, we strongly urge all servicers of federally backed mortgages to halt foreclosure proceedings when notified by a HAF program administrator of a pending HAF application. Pausing any ongoing procedures is an important step toward keeping people in their homes while they receive HAF help, and it is in line with Congress's objective in establishing the HAF program to safeguard vulnerable homeowners."
"We encourage homeowners and servicers to continue working collaboratively on loss mitigation alternatives during any such pause to ensure that vulnerable homeowners who are eligible for help can pick the best path to staying in their homes and fully use available resources. We also urge servicers to make these loss mitigation options available to borrowers who are having trouble making their mortgage payments, including those who are eligible for HAF support."
The treasury encourages HAF program administrators to take steps to ensure that applications from homes facing foreclosure are processed as quickly as possible, including assessing the homeowner's eligibility for HAF and communicating with the servicer about the homeowner's application. The treasury also encourages HAF programs to develop faster procedures for dealing with homeowners who are facing imminent threats to their housing stability, as well as to support homeowners who may be eligible for loss mitigation options offered by the agencies. This assistance may include referring homeowners to HUD-approved housing counseling agencies or a Tribal government for legal assistance. The treasury has also promoted collaboration between HAF programs and their servicers to establish infrastructure that will facilitate rapid and accurate communication regarding programs and between servicers.
"Our Departments have taken a number of steps to ensure residents receive the support they need to recover, including asking servicers to make HAF funding available to them. We will continue to look into updates to our loss mitigation home retention options for servicers to use as part of an administration-wide effort to assist families who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments as a result of the pandemic's economic effects."
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 TRICAR'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.
AFSA Int'l Convention ONLY (Arrive Saturday, August 7) This Registration Fee includes the following: Access to discounted hotel room rates, seminar/briefings, refreshments, Info Expo, Convention Theme Party, Welcoming Ceremony, and the AFSA International President's Dinner. However, if you are NOT an AFSA member, this registration fee does NOT grant you access to the AFSA's Member Appreciation Hospitality Room(s). This Convention Registration DOES NOT include hotel reservations.
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, during a hearing, members of the Senate Armed Services Committee pressured top Army officers to spend money on military housing in their states one after the other. Housing is a priority, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth has told lawmakers, but it competes for financing in the Army and defense budgets with other critical needs such as equipment and weapon modernization and training. She claimed that due to the Army's immense size, it would be hard to address all of the issues in a single year.
She said the Army has a 10-year infrastructure plan and is proposing about $2 billion for soldier housing in the projected budget for 2023. The Army would invest $27 billion in infrastructure over the next decade under this plan.
In other news, Between its launch in 2020 and April 20, 2022, the computer system, which health care workers rely on to track patient information and coordinate care, experienced 42 "unplanned degradations" and eight "unplanned outages," according to VA spokesman Randal Noller in an emailed response to questions from The Spokesman-Review. There were two further disruptions on April 25 and 26, VA officials informed a congressional subcommittee at the time, bringing the total number of outages to 52.
The system, which will be unveiled in October 2020 at the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center in Spokane, is being constructed under a $10 billion contract awarded to Cerner Corporation in 2018 without the competitive bidding procedure that most federal contracts of that magnitude need. The VA Office of Inspector General estimates that the delayed 10-year effort will cost up to $21 billion, plus another $2 billion for each extra year it takes to complete.
And lastly, the unemployment rate for veterans was 2.9 percent last month, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, up slightly from 2.6 percent in March. It's the first time the statistic has been below 3% for two months in a row since early 2019, before the epidemic triggered widespread business closures and job losses. In April, the economy added around 428,000 jobs nationwide, but the unemployment rate remained at 3.6 percent for the second month in a row.
President Joe Biden said in a statement released after the BLS data that the news proves the country is witnessing "the strongest job creation economy in recent times." In April 2021, the unemployment rate for veterans was 5.2 percent, while the overall unemployment rate was 6.1 percent. Unemployment among veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars increased slightly in April, rising from 3.0% in March to 3.4 percent. With 3.8 million workers, this group is the largest generation of veterans in the US labor force today. That younger cohort accounts for over half of the estimated 260,000 veterans looking for work last month. A year ago, there were approximately 480,000 veterans looking for full-time work.
And that's the way it is for Tuesday, May 10, 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!
