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August 15
Newsletter! 1.
Invisible women: The number of homeless female
veterans outpaces help. 2. Plan to help vets use benefits builds. 3. Alexandria VA Medical Center adding
services, looking for volunteers. 4. Dogs help veterans with PTSD cope,
improve. 5. Veterans' groups are frustrated by scams that prey on patriotism. 6. For disabled vets seeking tax relief, the wait
is over. 7. Agent Orange buried on Okinawa, vet
says. 8. Services availble to veterans through
number of programs. 9. Man gets jail time for false mileage claims. 10. Federal, local officials hail construction
of new VA clinic in Jacksonville. 11. Helping Hometown Heroes. 12. Woman speaks out about rights involving service
animals after incident at fair. 13. White House Rural Council
Delivers Report On Rural America. 14. Disabled
Veterans Recover, Find Employment Through Farming. 15. Vietnam Veteran Uses Comics To Recount War Experience. 16. Army Reports Record Suicide Numbers For July. 17. Vermont High Court: Disability Payments Aren't Part Of Garnishment Calculations. 18. New Law To Improve Veterans' Voting Rights. 19. Federal,
Local Officials Hail Construction Of New VA Clinic In Jacksonville. 20. Claim Payments For Three New "Agent
Orange" Illnesses Surpass 84,000. 21. Senators Call For Safe Housing For Women Veterans. 22. VA Secretary
Makes Appearance In St. Louis. 23. Veterans
Court Offers Treatment, Other Services. 24. Changes
Coming To Post-9/11 GI Bill. 25. VA Adds
Tablet Computers To Massive Technology Buy. 26. Veterans Share Frustrations Over Filing Claims, Accessing Services. 27. Research Targets Veterans' Brain
Damage. 28. ICD Shocks Again Linked To Mortality. 29. Wounded Warrior Complex Symbolizes Covenant, Stanley Says.
30. New Challenges Face Health Care System Treating Women Veterans. 31. VA Seeking Mental Health Stories. 32. VA "Making Strides In Treating" PTSD. 33. Supporters Of Iraq Vet To Call For Better Suicide Prevention Efforts By US Military. 34. VA Med Center May Become
Home For Homeless Vets. 35. Canandaigua VA Awards Volunteers. 36. Logan VA Clinic Increases Hours To Assist Williamson Vets. 37. Vet Homecoming
Planned. 38. Honor Guard Gives Veterans A Fitting Farewell At Lincoln Cemetery. 39. Man Sentenced In Theft Of Dead Mother's
VA Benefits. 40. Woman Gets Five Years In Navy Veterans
Scam. 41. VA / VSO-MSO Hearings as August 15, 2011: 42. Today in History:
1. Invisible women: The number of homeless female veterans outpaces help. Fayetteville Observer
Veterans Affairs is taking the lead on homelessness among its veteran population in part
because of an agencywide push that began in 2009, when VA Secretary Eric Shinseki declared that the VA
would seek to end homelessness among veterans by 2015. ... 2. Plan to help vets use benefits builds. The Columbian
Washington has 640000 military veterans — about 10 percent of the state's population. Allman
said the program has helped move about 10000 Washington veterans and their family members to the federal Veterans Affairs
health-care system. ... 3.
Alexandria VA Medical Center adding services, looking for volunteers. Alexandria Town Talk
Tia Owens-Powers/ towens@thetowntalk.com Gracie Specks was named director of the Alexandria Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Pineville
in July 2010. She is a native of Ruston and graduate of Grambling State University. ... 4.
Dogs help veterans with PTSD cope, improve. York Daily Record
Little study exists on the effectiveness of dog training in treating PTSD, because "it's still too new,"
said Tom Murray, a readjustment counseling therapist and a licensed clinical social worker with the US Department of
Veterans Affairs. ... 5.
Veterans' groups are frustrated by scams that prey on
patriotism. TheDay.com
Blumenthal said he would consult the US Department of Veterans' Affairs and Federal Trade
Commission about stronger laws to protect against scams. Blumenthal likened the scams to those that flowered in the wake of
Hurricane Katrina and more recently ... 6.
For disabled vets seeking tax relief, the wait is over. The Virginian-Pilot
In order to get the best experience with our full-size images, you should enable JavaScript in your browser. Mark Jacobs,
a PTSD-disabled veteran, poses for a photo at his home in Hampton, Va., on Thursday, Aug. 11, 2011.
He doesn't want other veterans ...
7. Agent Orange buried on Okinawa, vet says. The Japan Times
Since his exposure to the defoliant's dioxin during the salvage operation, the veteran has suffered serious illnesses,
including strokes and chloracne. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) — which handles compensation
for ailing service members ... 8.
Services availble to veterans through number of programs. PNW Local News
Part of providing those services is making sure that veterans know they are available. Veterans services are provided
by county, state and federal agencies, most notably the US Department of Veterans Affairs, the VA. It's opening
a new office in the ... 9. Man gets jail time for false mileage claims. Bellingham Herald
Michael Edward Harrison received the jail time in US District Court for his earlier guilty pleas to four counts of
making a false claim for travel benefits from the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Once released, Harrison
will be under court ... 10.
Federal, local officials hail construction of new VA clinic in Jacksonville. Florida Times-Union
The clinic will provide 90 percent of a veteran's daily care, Shinseki said. It will also benefit
from $284 million the VA has spent on telemedicine technology the past two years to connect local
physicians with experts at larger facilities. ... 11. Helping Hometown Heroes. TribLocal
The Illinois Department of Veterans' Affairs is hosting a free Helping Our Hometown Heroes
benefits fair that will offer veterans a chance to learn about the benefits they have earned. The fair will bring federal,
state and local agencies and ... 12. Woman speaks out about rights involving service animals after incident at fair. Chillicothe Gazette
The US Department of Veterans Affairs has been placing more service animals with veterans in recent years.
Both Lucas and Newstrom think veterans are more likely to be asked for identification because they often have the animals
for "invisible" ...
13. White House Rural Council Delivers Report On Rural
America. Whitehouse.gov Previewing next week's White House Rural Economic Forum at Northeast Iowa Community College as part of President Obama's
three-day Midwestern bus tour, offers a lengthy round-up of administration activities and initiatives on rural issues. The
list includes events by Secretary Shinseki last month in North Dakota and Montana, and upcoming appearance in Nevada (August
17), Nebraska (August 19), Minnesota (August 31) and Iowa (September 1). 14. Disabled Veterans Recover, Find Employment Through
Farming. WFGA-TV The Veterans Farm, founded by a former Army sergeant injured in Iraq, that gives area veterans a chance to learn about agriculture,
earn money and participate in "agriculture therapy" for PTSD. 15. Vietnam Veteran Uses Comics To Recount War Experience. AP Don Lomax, the creator of Vietnam Journal, a comic which "offers an honest depiction of the Vietnam
War," drawing on his experience there. Introduced in 1987, the comic "chronicles the lives and events of soldiers
on the front line during Vietnam." 16. Army Reports
Record Suicide Numbers For July. Stars and Stripes "As many as 32 soldiers killed themselves in July, the Army reported Friday, a figure that, if confirmed,
would be the highest total since the Army began releasing the figures in 2009. The Army suffered 31 suicides in June 2010.
Among active-duty troops, three of 22 cases have been confirmed as suicides. Of 10 potential suicide cases among reserve troops,
all remain under investigation, the Army said." 17.
Vermont High Court: Disability Payments Aren't Part Of Garnishment Calculations. Leagle, Inc. The Supreme Court of Vermont, in Cote v. Cote, decided August 12, overturned a lower court's inclusion
of veterans' disability payments within the total income of a husband whose Social Security payments were being garnished
after he failed to make court-ordered alimony payments. The Federal Consumer Credit Protection Act caps at 55% the percentage
of aggregate disposal earnings that may be garnished; by including the husband's monthly $2,721vetrans' disability
payment within its calculation of his aggregate disposal earnings, the lower court had garnished his entire $1,569 Social
Security payment. The state Supreme Court ruled, however, that veterans' disability payments were not "remuneration
for employment" within the meaning of federal law, and therefore should not be counted. As a result, 55% of the husband's
Social Security payment was all that could be garnished.
18. New Law To Improve Veterans'
Voting Rights. Carol Stream (IL) Press "A new Illinois law will soon ensure residents at federal veterans facilities have the same voting
options and assistance offered at statewide veterans facilities and nursing homes. Senate Bill 98 was signed into law this
week" and takes effect on January 1, 2012. 19. Federal, Local
Officials Hail Construction Of New VA Clinic In Jacksonville.
Florida Times-Union On Thursday, Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki "presided over the ceremonial ground breaking for the Jacksonville
Replacement Clinic, a $35 million, 133,500-square-foot facility that will serve up to 35,000 veterans a year. About 200 veterans,
city, state and federal officials attended the event on North Jefferson Street." In attendance was US Rep. Corrine Brown
(D-FL) and Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown, who both talked about how the new facility will benefit area veterans. The Times-Union
adds, "The department will close the existing clinic near downtown but maintain a Southside facility it has been leasing
for almost two years." 20. Claim Payments
For Three New "Agent Orange" Illnesses Surpass 84,000. Stars And Stripes "More than 84,000 Vietnam veterans afflicted with heart disease, Parkinson's disease or B-cell leukemia are drawing
disability compensation today thanks to a decision by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki to expand the list of ailments
presumed caused by exposure to herbicides, including Agent Orange, used during that war. Another 74,000 veterans have claims
pending, and will only need to show VA that they set foot in Vietnam and have one of the diseases added last year to the list
of Agent Orange 'presumptive' conditions." While such "payments comfort veterans and their families, they
have upset some Republican senators who argue" that VA should not pay benefits if there is only an "association"
between a disease and Agent Orange exposure, especially during a time when tough budget choices must be made.
21. Senators Call
For Safe Housing For Women Veterans. CQ "Sens. Richard J. Durbin and Patty Murray are calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure
safe housing conditions for women veterans who are homeless, after a group of them was placed this year in a shelter that
was found to be unsafe." In a letter to VA Secretary Eric Shinseki "on Thursday, the Democratic senators expressed
disappointment over...VA's decision to place women veterans who were enrolled in the department's Grant and Per Diem
(GPD) program in a homeless shelter in Chicago geared toward men." While VA said the women were relocated earlier this
summer, the "senators called the incident 'unacceptable' and asked the department to report to Congress on the
steps that have been taken to ensure such incidents are not repeated." 22. VA Secretary
Makes Appearance In St. Louis. KSFX-TV Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki on Wednesday told "a crowd of veterans in St Louis" that "his
administration is doing all it can to help them," including by expediting its benefit application process. The Secretary
made his comments while speaking "at the AMVETS national convention going on this week in St. Louis, Missouri."
Shinseki "also met with officials from the embattled John Cochran VA Hospital, saying he's pleased with the progress
there." 23. Veterans
Court Offers Treatment, Other Services. Thousand Oaks (CA) Acorn "The judges of the Ventura Superior Court have
established a Veterans Court that began hearing cases involving veterans of the US military as a pilot project in November
2010." The court is a "coordinated effort of the Ventura Superior Court, Department of Veterans Affairs and Ventura
County district attorney, public defender and probation agency offices. Under the California Penal Code, defendants eligible
for this court are US military veterans who would otherwise be sentenced to county jail or state prison and who committed
a criminal offense as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, substance abuse or psychological
problem stemming from US military service." 24. Changes Coming To Post-9/11 GI Bill. Frederick (MD) News-Post Several "changes to the Post-9/11 GI Bill just took effect, with
a second wave of changes coming Oct. 1." One of the changes which went into effect at the beginning of this month is
that private and "foreign tuition payments will be capped at $17,500 per academic year, except for those" although
veterans in certain states will not be subject to the cap. Veterans Affair is "reaching out to veterans so they better
understand these changes, and they're also reaching out to colleges to boost participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program,
where colleges and the VA help cover some of the additional costs of attending private and out-of-state institutions."
25.
VA Adds Tablet Computers To Massive Technology Buy. NextGov Reports, tablet "computers gained a spot on the Veterans Affairs
Department's upcoming procurement of desktop, laptop and server computers." It is the "first large-scale buy
of tablets in the federal government." Roger Baker, VA's chief information officer, "Baker said he expects the
more than 200,000 employees in the Veterans Health Administration, including 17,000 doctors, will be early users of tablet
computers." 26. Veterans
Share Frustrations Over Filing Claims, Accessing Services. Kitsap (WA) Sun "Ex-servicemembers applying for veterans' assistance
face paperwork nightmares and long delays in getting help," while Federal "veterans assistance programs are skimpy
on the Kitsap and Olympic peninsulas. That's what several people told US Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington on Thursday,"
at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 239 in Bremerton. According to the Sun, approximately "100 people attended a
discussion of veterans issues with Murray," who is supporting a bill that "would require every departing service
member to go through the Transition Assistance Program, which tackles resume writing, interviewing skills and job hunting."
27. Research Targets Veterans' Brain Damage. St. Louis Post-Dispatch Researchers "at St. Louis University School of Medicine want to
detect and categorize mild brain damage suffered in military combat" by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. Dr. Richard Bucholz,
director of the St. Louis University Advanced Neurological Innovation Center, is "leading the Traumatic Brain Injury
Research Study, funded by $5.3 million from the Department of Defense." 28. ICD Shocks Again Linked To Mortality. MedPage Today "Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD)
shocks may contribute to mortality risk, researchers suggested" in a study that appeared "online in Heart Rhythm."
MedPage Today adds, "Patients who got a jolt of any kind from their ICD were 55% more likely to die over a nearly 4.5-year
period than those who didn't (P=0.02), Merritt Raitt, MD, of the Oregon Health & Science University and VA Medical
Center in Portland, and colleagues found."
29. Wounded Warrior Complex Symbolizes Covenant, Stanley
Says. American Forces Press Service "The Wounded Warrior Barracks and Wounded Warrior Complex at the National Naval Medical Center...are
symbols of the military covenant of caring for troops whether they are at home or deployed, and after hospital discharges,
the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness said" this week. The American Forces Press Service adds, "The
new barracks and complex for wounded warrior care are provisions of the Base Closure and Realignment Commission, which consolidates
NNMC and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, the two military flagship hospitals." 30. New Challenges Face Health Care System Treating Women Veterans. Camp Pendleton (CA) Patch "In a military healthcare system originally geared for men, are women veterans getting the health
care they need? The Veterans Administration is doing a lot to ensure that they do, according to the July/August Women's
Health Issues, a journal of the Jacobs Institute of Women's Health at The George Washington University School of Public
Health and Health Services." The Patch notes, however, that "female veterans also say the quality of care varies
from VA hospital to hospital and clinic to clinic and that the battle for services geared for women has been hard-fought." 31. VA Seeking Mental Health Stories. American Legion The American Legion is "asking its members planning on attending the 2011 National
Convention in Minneapolis to share their stories of mental health treatment" with VA. The "American Legion Veterans
Affairs & Rehabilitation Division is working with VA on a mental health anti-stigma campaign called 'Make the Connection.'
During the national convention, VA representatives will be in the convention center to interview American Legion members about
their mental health treatment to encourage other veterans to reach out for assistance." 32. VA "Making Strides In Treating" PTSD. WPTV-TV VA is "making strides in treating" post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) "after possibly
missing it in older war veterans." Since "2004, federal funding has increased so much for PTSD treatment that...VA
staff treating the disorder has doubled across the country." WPTV added, "At the West Palm Beach VA, PTSD treatment
has its own specialized building."
33. Supporters Of Iraq Vet To Call For Better Suicide Prevention Efforts By US
Military. KOMO-TV According to US Army veteran Mike Prysner, Sgt. Derrick Kirkland, who committed suicide after serving
in Iraq, had been rated as low-risk for suicide by Madigan Army Hospital, despite having already tried to kill himself on
three other occasions. Kirkland's "supporters say the Army cleared itself in an internal investigation, but they
want the investigation reopened." Kirkland's supporters also "say it's going to take public pressure on
the military" to get it to increase suicide prevention efforts. On Friday night, near the military base, those supporters
will try to gain the military's attention by speaking out about their concerns. 34. VA Med Center May Become Home For Homeless Vets. Dayton (OH) Daily News The Dayton Veterans Affairs Medical Center hopes by the end of this year to "find nonprofit partners to develop 29 acres
on the southern and eastern side of its campus, addressing the Department of Veterans Affairs' top national goal of ending
homelessness for veterans by 2015 while marking a return of permanent residential living to the site." St. Mary Development
Corp., a "nonprofit neighborhood development agency, already has plans to build a $6.5 million, 67-unit low-income housing
development on 6 acres on the southwest side of the campus. That project, endorsed by the VA, hinges on receipt of $4.8 million
in federal Housing and Urban Development funding, plus tax credits." 35. Canandaigua VA Awards Volunteers. Canandaigua (NY) Daily Messenger The Canandaigua Veterans Affairs Medical Center "honored a number of volunteers at its recent Volunteer Picnic and Student
Award Ceremony." During an event attended by 75 volunteers, "14 students were recognized for their efforts in providing
care to veterans." 36. Logan VA
Clinic Increases Hours To Assist Williamson Vets. Williamson (WV) Daily News After the Veterans Affairs clinic in Williamson was temporarily closed following an inspection by the
Huntington VA Medical Center, the US VA "announced expanded hours" at the Logan Community-Based Outpatient Clinic,
which "will now operate five days a week. The measure is being taken to accommodate veterans in the Williamson area,
according to a statement made by the VA." The Daily News adds that Huntington VAMC Director Edward H. Seiler said problems
at the Williamson clinic did not have negatively impact patient care.
37. Vet Homecoming Planned. Laurinburg (NC) Exchange The Veterans Affairs hospital in Fayetteville, North Carolina, "will host a welcome home event for Operation Enduring
Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn veterans and their families on Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m."
The "event is sponsored on behalf of the employees and volunteers" at the hospital "to thank the troops for
their service." 38. Honor Guard Gives Veterans A Fitting Farewell
At Lincoln Cemetery. Chicago Sun-Times The Memorial Squad, whose volunteers serve as honor guards accompanying 15 to 30 military funerals daily
at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery. One member, bugler Rich Yndestad, started after he attended a military funeral where
"Taps" came from a boombox, rather than a live bugler. "He has played at 430 funerals since then. A veteran
himself, Yndestad sees his volunteerism as a way of giving back." 39. Man Sentenced In Theft
Of Dead Mother's VA Benefits. Tulsa (OK) World Timothy Gaffney, 50, "was sentenced Friday to one year and three months in prison after he pleaded
guilty to illegally taking more than $23,000 in Department of Veterans Affairs funds meant for his dead mother." He admitted
having accepted $23,724 in Veteran Dependency and Indemnity Compensation from Dec. 1, 2008, to April 1, 2010, without informing
the VA that his mother had died in November 2008. 40. Woman Gets Five Years In Navy Veterans Scam. UPI 41. VA / VSO-MSO Hearings as August 15, 2011:
August 30, 2011. SAC-MILCON/VA will hold a field hearing on VA’s collaboration with Indian Health Service (IHS)
titled: Improving Access to Care for Native American Veterans by Maximizing the Use of Federal Funds and Services. (10:00
A.M.; Rapid City, South Dakota)
September 8, 2011. HVAC will hold a full Committee mark-up on pending legislation. (10:00 A.M; 334 Cannon)
September 21, 2011. SVAC and HVAC will hold a full committee joint hearing on the legislative agenda of the American
Legion. (8:00 A.M.; G-50 Dirksen)
September (Date TBD). The Committee on Oversight and Government Reform will conduct a hearing on “Is This Any
Way to Treat Our Troops? Part IV: Lack of Progress and Accountability.” 42. Today in History: ·
778 – The Battle of Roncevaux Pass, at which Roland is killed. ·
927 – The Saracens conquer and destroy Taranto. ·
982 – Holy Roman Emperor Otto II is defeated by the Saracens in the battle of Capo Colonna, in Calabria ·
1018 – Byzantine general Eustathios Daphnomeles blinds and captures Ibatzes of Bulgaria by a ruse, thereby ending Bulgarian resistance against Emperor Basil II's conquest of Bulgaria. ·
1040 – King Duncan I is killed in battle against his first cousin and rival Macbeth. The latter succeeds him as King of Scotland. ·
1057 – King Macbeth is killed at the Battle of Lumphanan by the forces of Máel Coluim mac Donnchada. ·
1281 – Mongol invasion of Japan: The Mongolian fleet of Kublai Khan is destroyed by a "divine wind" for the second time in the Battle of Kōan. ·
1248 – The foundation stone of Cologne Cathedral, built to house the relics of the Three Wise Men, is laid. (Construction is eventually completed in 1880.) ·
1309 – The city of Rhodes surrenders to the forces of the Knights of St. John, completing their conquest of Rhodes. The knights establish their headquarters on the island and rename themselves the Knights of Rhodes. ·
1430 – Francesco Sforza, lord of Milan, conquers Lucca. ·
1461 – The Empire of Trebizond surrenders to the forces of Sultan Mehmet II. This is regarded by some historians as the real end of the Byzantine Empire. Emperor David is exiled and later murdered. ·
1599 – Nine Years War: Battle of Curlew Pass – Irish forces led by Hugh Roe O'Donnell successfully ambush English forces, led by Sir Conyers Clifford, sent to relieve Collooney Castle. ·
1695 – French forces end the Bombardment of Brussels, leaving a third of the buildings in the city in ruins. ·
1760 – Seven Years' War: Battle of Liegnitz – Frederick the Great's victory over the Austrians under Ernst von Laudon. ·
1843 – The Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace in Honolulu, Hawaii is dedicated. Now the cathedral of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Honolulu, it is the oldest Roman Catholic cathedral in continuous use in the United States. ·
1843 – Tivoli Gardens, one of the oldest still intact amusement parks in the world, opens in Copenhagen, Denmark. ·
1863 – The Anglo-Satsuma War begins between the Satsuma Domain of Japan and the United Kingdom (Traditional Japanese date: July 2, 1863). ·
1907 – Ordination in Constantinople of Fr. Raphael Morgan, first African-American Orthodox priest, "Priest-Apostolic" to America and the West Indies. ·
1914 – A male servant of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright sets fire to the living quarters of the architect's Wisconsin home, Taliesin, murders seven people and burns the living quarters to the ground. ·
1914 – The Panama Canal opens to traffic with the transit of the cargo ship Ancon. ·
1914 – The First Russian
Army, led by Pavel Rennenkampf, enters Eastern Prussia. ·
1935 – Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after their aircraft develops engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska. ·
1939 – 13 Stukas dive into the ground during a disastrous air-practice at Neuhammer. No survivors. ·
1940 – An Italian submarine torpedoes and sinks the Greek cruiser Elli at Tinos harbour during peacetime, marking the most serious Italian provocation prior to the outbreak of the Greco-Italian War in October. ·
1941 – Corporal Josef Jakobs is executed by firing squad at the Tower of London at 7:12am, making him the last person to be executed at the Tower for treason. ·
1942 – World War II: Operation Pedestal – The SS Ohio reaches the island of Malta barely afloat carrying vital fuel supplies for the island's defenses. ·
1944 – World War II: Operation Dragoon – Allied forces land in southern France. ·
1945 – World War II: Japan surrenders to end the war. ·
1947 – India gains Independence from the British Indian Empire and joins the Commonwealth of Nations. ·
1948 – The Republic of Korea is established south of the 38th parallel north. ·
1961 – Conrad Schumann flees from East Germany while on duty guarding the construction of the Berlin Wall. ·
1962 – James Joseph Dresnok defects to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea after running across the Korean DMZ. Dresnok still resides in the capital, Pyongyang. ·
1963 – Execution of Henry John Burnett, the last man to be hanged in Scotland. ·
1963 – President Fulbert Youlou is overthrown in the Republic of Congo, after a three-day uprising in the capital. ·
1965 – The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City, in an event later seen as marking the birth of stadium rock. ·
1969 – The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opens. ·
1971 – President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors. ·
1971 – Bahrain gains independence from the United Kingdom. ·
1973 – Vietnam War: The United States bombing of Cambodia ends. ·
1974 – Yuk Young-soo, First Lady of South Korea, is killed during an apparent assassination attempt upon President of South Korea, Park Chung-hee. ·
1975 – Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is killed along with most members of his family during a military coup. ·
1975 – Miki Takeo makes the first official pilgrimage to Yasukuni Shrine by an incumbent prime minister on the anniversary of the end of World War II. ·
1977 – The Big Ear, a radio telescope operated by Ohio State University as part of the SETI project, receives a radio signal from deep space; the event is named the "Wow! signal" from the notation made by a volunteer on the project. ·
1984 – The PKK in Turkey starts a campaign of armed attacks upon the Turkish military ·
1995 – In South Carolina, Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet matriculated at The Citadel (she drops out less than a week later). ·
1998 – Omagh bomb in Northern Ireland, the worst terrorist incident of The Troubles ·
1999 – Beni Ounif massacre in Algeria; some 29 people are killed at a false roadblock near the Moroccan border, leading to temporary tensions with Morocco.
News Releases (05/02/2011 - 06/01/2011)  VA Honors Military Sacrifice on Memorial Day - From parades to somber ceremonies and moments of silence, on Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, Americans will honor the sacrifices
of military men and women who paid the ultimate price in their service to our nation. (5/27/11)
VA Announces Disaster Assistance After Tornado Outbreaks - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that special disaster assistance may be available to Veterans with
VA-guaranteed home loans who have been affected by recent tornados in Missouri. (5/26/11) Veterans Descend on Honolulu to Compete in the National Veterans Golden Age Games - For 25 years, military Veterans age 55 and older have come to the National Veterans Golden Age Games to compete and demonstrate
the warrior spirit never fades. This year, the competition will be held in Honolulu, Hawaii, May 26 – 31. More than
900 Veterans from across the country will compete in 14 different categories for medals. (5/25/11) VA Processing Hundreds of Applications for New Family Caregiver Benefits in First Week - In the first week for open applications, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has assisted more than 625 Veterans, Servicemembers
and their Family Caregivers in applying for new services under the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act 2010. (5/18/11) Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) App Helps Thousands - The PTSD Coach smartphone application (app), launched in April by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department
of Defense (DoD), has already helped more than 5,000 users connect with important mental health information and resources. (5/17/11) VA Announces Disaster Assistance After Tornado Outbreaks - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today that special disaster assistance may be available to Veterans with
VA-guaranteed home loans who have been affected by recent tornados in the South. Veterans living in the designated disaster
areas in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee may receive mortgage assistance through their loan servicers. (5/17/11) VA Honored by 2011 “Innovations in American Government” Award - The ethics program used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to handle issues affecting its patients was named one of
the top 25 innovations in American Government by Harvard University. It is the third time in a decade that VA has received
the prestigious award. (5/11/11) VA Partners with Easter Seals to Train Family Caregivers of Wounded Warriors - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Easter Seals formally announced a partnership to provide comprehensive Caregiver
Training to Family Caregivers of eligible post-9/11 Veterans as authorized by the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services
Act of 2010. (5/9/11) VA Putting “Point-of-Care Research” to the Test - A team from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Stanford University is exploring a new approach to clinical trials
that experts say will cost less and be easier to translate into practice. (5/6/11) VA Names New Industry Innovation Competition Winners - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the second round of awards from the agency’s Industry
Innovation Competition to six commercial and non-profit organizations. Five projects will provide new tools for Veteran entrepreneurs,
reduce the risk of adverse drug reactions and streamline clinical coordination in VA hospitals. (5/6/11) VA Honors Veteran Mothers and Daughter - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has always recognized and appreciated the special sacrifice that families make
when military service crosses generations. In recent years, VA has watched with pride as this special generational service
has increasingly extended to mothers and their daughters. (5/6/11) Four VA Employees Are Finalists for Top Government Award - Four Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees are finalists for the prestigious Samuel J. Heyman Service to America
Medal, which honors outstanding federal employees who are making high-impact contributions critical to the health, safety
and well-being of Americans. (5/6/11) VA-Army Agreement Helping Transform Health Care for Patients - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of the Army are working together to provide cutting-edge simulation-based
training for medical staff to enhance the quality of patient care at VA medical facilities across the Nation. (5/5/11) The Million Veteran Program: VA’s Genomics Game-Changer Launches Nationwide - An unprecedented Veterans Affairs (VA) research program that promises to advance the sophisticated science of genomics
goes national today. (5/5/11) “Discovery and Collaboration for Exceptional Health Care” Research Week Celebrates VA Investigators’ Achievements
and Affiliations - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is celebrating exceptional care for Veterans this week, May 2 – 6 as part
of the nationally recognized Research Week. This year’s theme, “Discovery and Collaboration for Exceptional Health
Care,” celebrates two crucial elements of VA research: dedicated follow-through on important research findings to optimize
medical therapies for Veterans and others; and vital research and care collaborations between VA and academic institutions,
other government agencies, and health-related industry. (5/3/11) VA Hosts Veteran Small Business Conference in New Orleans - The Department of Veterans Affairs will host the upcoming National Veterans Small Business Conference and Expo, Aug.15-18
in New Orleans. It will be the largest nationwide conference of its kind focused on helping Veteran-owned businesses succeed
in winning federal contracts. (5/3/11) VA to Take Applications for New Family Caregiver Program - Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published the interim final rule for implementing the Family Caregiver Program
of the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act 2010. This new rule will provide additional support to eligible
post-9/11 Veterans who elect to receive their care in a home setting from a primary Family Caregiver. (5/3/11)
Atomic Veterans Have New Voice on Advisory Board
April 28, 2011 - Dr. Charles H. Roadman II, a retired Air Force lieutenant general and professor of military and emergency
medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, assumed duties as the chairman of the Veterans’
Advisory Board on Dose Reconstruction last month. Nationwide 2K Event Will Support Homeless Veterans and Promote Employee Wellness
April 22, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is hosting a nationwide 2K Walk and Roll event at more than
130 VA facilities on June 2 in support of employee wellness month. The event will also encourage employee and local community
support of homeless Veterans. VA Dedicates New Wind Turbine at Massachusetts National Cemetery
April 22, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs held a dedication ceremony today to dedicate a new 50-kilowatt wind
turbine at Massachusetts National Cemetery. The 120-foot tall structure is projected to produce up to 95 percent of the cemetery’s
annual electricity usage which will allow it to operate almost entirely on renewable energy. VA/DOD Smart Phone App Helps Veterans Manage PTSD
April 19, 2011 - Veterans dealing with symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can turn to their smart phones
for help anytime with the PTSD Coach application created by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of
Defense. VA Infection Control Practices Featured in New England Journal of Medicine
April 13, 2011 - A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) initiative that reduced the global health care issue of methicillin
resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections by more than 60 percent in intensive care units (ICU) across the Nation
is featured in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine. It reports data from the first three years of the
initiative that is now in its fourth year of implementation, and which continues to be associated with decreased rates of
MRSA infections. Richmond VA Medical Center Launches Health Information Exchange
April 7, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs today announced a new pilot project in the Richmond region to improve
the delivery of Veterans health information. The Richmond VA Medical Center will partner with MedVirginia (MedVA) to create
a comprehensive health information network for exchanging health information in the area. VA Changes Billing Process for Third Party Pharmacy Prescriptions
April 7, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is implementing a new billing process for charging third party
insurers for outpatient prescription medications provided to Veterans for conditions unrelated to their military service.
This change will not affect Veterans’ co-payments for prescriptions. Paralympic Veterans May Qualify for New Benefit
April 1, 2011 - Some Veterans in training for the Paralympics will be able to qualify for a monthly subsistence allowance
from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), under a new program to help disabled Veterans more easily take part in competitive
sports. VA Begins Process to Create Open Source Electronic Health Record
April 1, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today released a draft Request for Proposal (RFP) aimed at forming
an Open Source community around its ground-breaking VistA (Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture) electronic
health record (EHR) system. When award is made under a planned RFP for a custodial agent, VA will commit to deploy the Open
Source version of VistA to all of its facilities, and will contribute all non-security essential modifications to the product
it makes or pays for directly to the Open Source custodian. VA will also commit to participate in Open Source VistA with other
public and private sector participants. VA Extends Post-Incarceration Health Care
March 30, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will extend health care to eligible Veterans in halfway houses
and other temporary, post-incarceration housing under a new program aimed at cutting back on repeat offenses. Veterans Tackle the Slopes at 25th Winter Sports Clinic
March 29, 2011 - This week, more than 300 Veterans will hit the slopes at the 25th National Disabled Veterans Winter
Sports Clinic, taking place this week in Snowmass Village, Colo., March 27 – April 1. The clinic provides newly injured
Veterans, and those from years past, the opportunity to learn life changing skills through rehabilitative winter sporting
events. VA, AFGE Reach Agreement on New Union Contract
March 18, 2011 - Officials of the Department of Veterans Affairs and the American Federation of Government Employees
(AFGE) have reached final agreement on a new national collective bargaining agreement, their first since 1997. This contract
will enhance VA’s partnership with the union, change the rules for teleworking and expand the use of e-mail in labor-management
relations. VA Launches New PSA on Suicide Prevention for Veterans
March 15, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reaching out to Veterans in crisis and their families in
a new public service announcement to raise awareness about suicide prevention resources, such as the Veterans Crisis Line
at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). VA Reaching Out to Veterans on Campus Through VetSuccess
March 11, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is making a concerted effort this Spring to reach out to student
Veterans at eight VetSuccess on Campus sites to make them aware that VA counselors are standing by to help ease their transition
from active-duty military to college life. Dr. Haru Okuda Named National Medical Director for SimLEARN
March 10, 2011 - Dr. Haru Okuda was recently named national medical director for the Department of Veterans Affairs
Simulation Learning Education and Research Network (SimLEARN) program. Okuda leads a staff of clinical simulationists and
educators in conducting research, developing curricula and best practices and coordinating acquisitions of clinical simulation
training systems in support of health care providers at VA medical centers. Schools Encouraged to Join VA’s Yellow Ribbon Program
March 10, 2011 - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki is encouraging interested colleges and universities
to join the Department of Veterans Affairs in participating in the Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Program for the upcoming
2011-2012 academic year. U.S. and Australian Departments of Veterans Affairs Research Impacts of Recent Conflicts
March 10, 2011 - The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will collaborate with the Australian Department of Veterans
Affairs on a new research effort focused on investigating the impact of recent conflicts on the health of returning Servicemembers. VA Honors Military Women of Past, Present
March 7, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs joins with the nation to observe Women's History Month in March
by recognizing and honoring women Veterans. New Members Appointed to VA Committee on Women Veterans
March 4, 2011 - Four new members have been appointed to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Advisory Committee on
Women Veterans, an expert panel that advises VA on issues and programs affecting women Veterans. New Members Appointed to VA Committee on Minority Veterans
March 2, 2011 - The Secretary of Veterans Affairs has announced the appointment of eight new members to VA’s Advisory
Committee on Minority Veterans, an expert panel that advises him on issues involving minority veterans. VA’s Caregiver Support Program Expanding
March 1, 2011 - The Department of Veterans (VA) is expanding support nationally to caregivers of Veterans with Alzheimer’s
disease. A pilot program of the REACH VA (Resources for Enhancing Alzheimer’s Caregiver Health in VA) program showed
great success in reducing stress on caregivers while improving care outcomes for the Veterans. VA Marks 20th Anniversary of Ground Combat in Gulf
February 22, 2011 - On Feb. 23, the men and women of the Department of Veterans Affairs will mark the 20th anniversary
of the start of ground combat in the 1990-1991 Gulf War. Fighting ended 100 hours later after a U.S.-led coalition drove Iraqi
forces from the small nation of Kuwait. VA Observes Recovery Act Anniversary With More Progress Nationwide
February 18, 2011 - On the second anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that Recovery Act funds are playing a major role this year in advancing much-needed infrastructure
and other construction nationwide to benefit our Nation’s Veterans. VA Completes Initial Evaluations of Technology Proposals
February 17, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has completed the initial evaluation of proposals for its
Transformation Twenty-One Total Technology (T4) solicitation to transform its information technology programs, which will
result in improved quality of health care and benefits services to Veterans, their families and survivors. VA Announces 2011 Industry Innovation Competition
February 15, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced the opening of the 2011 Industry Innovation
Competition to identify, fund and evaluate promising innovative technology proposals to improve the quality of health care
for Veterans. VA Seeks Western New York Land for Cemetery
February 15, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is seeking land on which to build a new
national cemetery to serve Veterans in Western New York, including the Buffalo and Rochester areas. VA Announces Budget Request for 2012
February 14, 2011 - In announcing the proposed budget for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) during the next fiscal
year, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki emphasized “making every dollar” count in the $132 billion
budget proposal for VA. Sports Programs for Disabled Veterans Expanding
February 11, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is awarding two grants totaling $7.5 million to the U.S.
Olympic Committee to enhance recreation and sporting activities for disabled Veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces. VA & HUD Issue First-Ever Report on Homeless Veterans
February 10, 2011 - For the first time, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Housing and Urban
Development today published the most authoritative analysis of the extent and nature of homelessness among Veterans. According
to HUD and VA’s assessment, nearly 76,000 Veterans were homeless on a given night in 2009 while roughly 136,000 Veterans
spent at least one night in a shelter during that year. New and Enhanced VA Benefits Provided to Caregivers of Veterans
February 9, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching the first of a series of new and enhanced services
supporting family caregivers of seriously ill and injured Veterans. In May 2010, President Obama signed the Caregivers and
Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010 legislation authorizing VA to establish a wide range of new services to support
certain caregivers of eligible Post 9/11 Veterans. New VA Support Line Provides Important Assistance to Caregivers
February 8, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is increasing its support to caregivers with a new, toll-free
telephone line for the caregivers of Veterans of all eras. VA Announces Award of First Industry Innovation Competition Projects
February 4, 2011 - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki officially announced today the first VA Innovation
Initiative (VAi2) awards under the agency’s Industry Innovation Competition, its third competition since it began in
early 2010. These four projects will use innovative new technologies in VA facilities to improve the quality of patient care
for Veterans. They represent the first of nearly two-dozen more awards to be made in the coming months. VA Automating Educational Benefits under Post-9/11 GI Bill
January 31, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has successfully deployed a new automated system that is
delivering faster, more accurate payments to Veterans attending school under the Post-9/11 GI Bill. VA Expands Outreach to American Indians, Hawaiians, Alaska Natives
January 31, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced the creation of a new Office of Tribal Government
Relations to ensure the more than 200,000 Veterans who are American Indians, Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiians receive the
VA benefits they have earned. VA Hosts Public Forum to Improve Disability Compensation Criteria
January 31, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is hosting a public forum in Scottsdale, Ariz., aimed at
improving the fairness of payments for Veterans who are service-connected for genitourinary, digestive, dental, infectious,
immune disorder and nutritional deficiency diseases and injuries. VA Publishes Final Regulation to Aid Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange in Korea
January 25, 2011 - Veterans exposed to herbicides while serving along the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Korea will have
an easier path to access quality health care and benefits under a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) final regulation that
will expand the dates when illnesses caused by herbicide exposure can be presumed to be related to Agent Orange. VA’s National Cemeteries Lead Nation in Satisfaction Survey
January 25, 2011 - For the fourth consecutive time in 10 years, the system of national cemeteries operated by the Department
of Veterans Affairs has bested the nation’s top corporations and other federal agencies in a prestigious, independent
survey of customer satisfaction. VA Office Developing Innovative Patient-Centered Model of Care for Veterans
January 19, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is creating a new office to develop personal, patient-centered
models of care for Veterans who receive health care services at VA’s more than 1,000 points of care across the Nation. VA Adds Chat Feature to Online Application for Health Benefits
January 18, 2011 - Veterans will find it easier and faster to apply for their health care benefits now that the Department
of Veterans Affairs has enhanced and streamlined its online Form 10-10EZ, “Application for Health Benefits.” Enhanced VA Health Care Enrollment Opportunity Closing for Certain Combat Veterans
January 10, 2011 - Certain combat Veterans who were discharged from active duty service before Jan. 28, 2003 have until
Jan. 27, 2011 to take advantage of their enhanced health care enrollment opportunity through the Department of Veterans Affairs. VA Posts Annual Medical Quality Report
January 6, 2011 - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued the 2010 annual VA Facility Quality and Safety Report
on Jan. 5 that reports on VA health care for Congressional review and offers Veterans the opportunity to see the quality and
safety findings specific to their VA medical cente President Signed Improvements to Post-9/11 GI Bill
January 5, 2011 - To bring the educational benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill closer to more Veterans and Service Members,
President Obama signed legislation Jan. 4 that streamlines the 18-month-old education program administered by the Department
of Veterans Affairs. VA Set to Verify Veteran Small Businesses
January 3, 2011 - To further advocate for Veterans, VA announced that companies identifying themselves as small businesses
or Veteran-owned businesses to gain priority for some Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contracts must now provide documentation
verifying their status within 90 days of receiving notice from the agency.
http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/
|
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Veterans Benefits Administration
Washington, D.C. 20420 |
Director (00/21)
In Reply Refer To:
211B Purpose This letter introduces the Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing, a rating job aid for determinations regarding service
connection of hearing loss and/or tinnitus. The Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing is a compilation of Department
of Defense-verified lists of military occupational specialties (MOSs) and the corresponding probability of hazardous noise
exposure. Use of a single listing of duty position and probability of exposure to hazardous noise will
help to standardize processing of these claims. Background Each branch of the Armed Services has reviewed and endorsed lists of military
occupational specialties and the corresponding probability of hazardous noise exposure related to an individual’s occupational
specialty. The Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing is available at http://vbaw.vba.va.gov/bl/21/rating/docs/dutymosnoise.xls. Direct service connection may not be granted without medical
evidence of a current disability; medical or, in certain circumstances, lay evidence of in-service incurrence or aggravation
of a disease or injury; and medical evidence of a nexus between the claimed in-service disease or injury and the present disease
or injury. See Caluza v. Brown,7 Vet. App. 498, 506 (1995) aff'd, 78 F.3d 604 (Fed. Cir. 1996). A Veteran is competent to report symptoms of hearing loss and/or tinnitus as a disability because symptoms of hearing
loss and tinnitus are capable of lay observation. See Charles v. Principi, 16 Vet. App. 370 (2002);
Espiritu v. Derwinski, 2 Vet. App. 492 (1992). Consequently, a Veteran’s testimony regarding
hearing loss and/or tinnitus is sufficient to serve as evidence that the disability(ies) currently exists. Instructions Effective immediately, when a
claim for hearing loss and/or tinnitus is received, the decision maker must review the claim for: - Sufficient
evidence of a current disability (including lay evidence); and - Evidence
of hearing loss and/or tinnitus in service; or records documenting an event, injury, disease, or symptoms of a disease
potentially related to an audiological disability. If there is no documented evidence of an in-service
illness, injury, or event with which the claimed conditions could be associated, the Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing will
be considered. Based on the Veteran’s records, each duty MOS, Air Force Specialty Code, rating, or
duty assignment documented will be reviewed for a determination as to the probability of exposure to hazardous noise on the
Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing. If the duty position is shown to have a “Highly Probable”
or “Moderate” probability of exposure to hazardous noise, exposure to such noise will be conceded
for purposes of establishing the in-service event. In such cases, where there is sufficient evidence of a current disability and the in-service exposure
to hazardous noise is conceded based on the Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing, we would be obligated to request a VA examination
and opinion to determine if there is a medical nexus. The level of probability of exposure conceded, such
as “Highly Probable” or “Moderate,” should be included in the information provided to the examiner
in the body of the examination request. Additionally, in other cases where an examination and opinion request are otherwise warranted, the probable
level of exposure to hazardous noise associated with the Veteran’s documented duty position will be provided in the
examination request remarks.
Finally,
the Duty MOS Noise Exposure Listing is not an exclusive means of establishing a Veteran’s in-service noise exposure.
Claims for service connection of hearing loss must be evaluated in light of all evidence of record in each case, including
treatment records and examination results. Questions Questions should be e-mailed to
VAVBAWAS/CO/21Q&A.
/S/
Thomas J. Murphy
Director
Compensation and Pension Service
News Releases (12/08/2010 - 01/07/2011)  VA Posts Annual Medical Quality Report - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued the 2010 annual VA Facility Quality and Safety Report on Jan. 5 that reports
on VA health care for Congressional review and offers Veterans the opportunity to see the quality and safety findings specific
to their VA medical cente (1/6/11)
President Signed Improvements to Post-9/11 GI Bill - To bring the educational benefits of the Post-9/11 GI Bill closer to more Veterans and Service Members, President Obama
signed legislation Jan. 4 that streamlines the 18-month-old education program administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (1/5/11) VA Set to Verify Veteran Small Businesses - To further advocate for Veterans, VA announced that companies identifying themselves as small businesses or Veteran-owned
businesses to gain priority for some Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) contracts must now provide documentation verifying
their status within 90 days of receiving notice from the agency. (1/3/11) Update on Cost-of-Living Adjustment for Veterans Compensation and Pension Benefits in 2011 - The Social Security Administration has announced that no cost-of-living adjustments will be made to Social Security benefits
in 2011 because the consumer price index has not risen since 2008 when the last Social Security increase occurred. (12/30/10) Awareness of Services During the Holiday Season - The holidays are a traditional time of joy, laughter and sharing with family and friends. They are also a time of remembrance
of past celebrations and anticipation of family gatherings. (12/23/10) VA Starts Mentoring for Veteran-Owned Small Businesses - To help small businesses owned by service-disabled Veterans and other Veteran-owned small businesses become more competitive
in the marketplace, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has selected 20 mentor-protégé teams to participate
in a new program. (12/22/10) A Christmas Message from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki - The second year of our declared independence found General George Washington’s Continental Army encamped at Valley
Forge, Pennsylvania. In the week before Christmas of 1777, more than 12,000 poorly-clothed, hungry and near-frozen American
soldiers were huddled against a brutal winter, enduring the numbing cold as disease ravaged their ranks. As many as 2,000
of them did not survive Valley Forge. (12/22/10) VA Urges Veterans to Sign Up for Direct Deposits - The Department of the Treasury announced a new rule that will extend the safety and convenience of electronic payments to
millions of Americans and phase out paper checks for federal benefits by March 1, 2013. Officials at the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) urge Veterans to sign up for electronic payment of their benefits. (12/21/10) VA Processes First Claims for New Agent Orange Presumptives - The Department of Veterans Affairs has decided more than 28,000 claims in the first six weeks of processing disability
compensation applications from Vietnam Veterans with diseases related to exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange. (12/17/10) VA’s Homeless Intervention Program Nears Roll Out - A homeless-prevention program by the Department of Veterans Affairs, which seeks to help Veterans and families who are
on the verge of becoming homeless, has moved closer to implementation. The program marks the first time that VA will fund
services for the spouses and children of Veterans at risk of becoming homeless. (12/16/10) VA Announces Use of Standard Payment Rates for Some Non-VA Care - The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today it will begin using Medicare’s standard payment rates for certain
medical procedures performed by non-VA providers on Feb. 16, 2011. (12/16/10) Military Members and Veterans with Disabilities Learn Life-Changing Skills - This week more than 120 wounded military personnel, disabled Veterans and their families are traveling to Walt Disney World
in Orlando for the 6th Annual Road to Recovery Conference. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing on-site counseling
and information about VA programs. (12/15/10) Federal Agencies Share Latest Research on Polytrauma and Reintegration at Conference - Helping severely wounded Veterans and Servicemembers recover and reintegrate into their families and communities was the
theme of a joint Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic
Brain Injury (DCoE) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) two-day conference at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Md. (12/10/10) New Approach to Smoking Cessation Boosts Quit Rates for Veterans with PTSD - Smoking cessation treatment that is made part of mental health care for Veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
improves quit rates, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study published in the Dec. 8 Journal of the American
Medical Association. (12/8/10)
News Releases (09/26/2010
- 10/26/2010) New Medical Forms Will Streamline Veterans Claims Process - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has released three new disability benefits questionnaires for physicians of Veterans
applying for VA disability compensation benefits. This initiative marks the beginning of a major reform of the physicians’
guides and automated routines that will streamline the claims process for injured or ill Veterans. (10/26/10) VA’s ‘Medical Team’ Approach Reduces Operating Room Mortality Rates - A Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) study published October 20 in the Journal of the American Medical Association concludes
that a concept called Medical Team Training (MTT) improves communication, teamwork, and efficiency in VA operating rooms,
resulting in significantly lower mortality rates. (10/21/10) VA Taking Life-Saving Campaign to Streets - This week, nearly 1,200 life-saving advertisements will go up on city buses, bus shelters, rail and subway stations across
the Nation displaying a message of hope for those who have served their country and may be facing an emotional crisis. The
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is advertising its Suicide Prevention Hotline through Jan. 9, 2011. (10/19/10) Secretary of Veterans Affairs Designates 54 Regional Veterans Day Observances - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the designation of 54 regional Veterans Day observances.
These sites are recognized as model events for the observance of Veterans Day on November 11. (10/19/10) VA Funds Solar Energy Projects at 12 Hospitals, Clinics, Cemeteries - The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded nearly $78 million in contracts to build solar photovoltaic (PV) systems
in support of ongoing energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced.
(10/19/10) VA Tops $1B Mark in Recovery Act Distributions - he Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has distributed more than $1 billion in funds made available through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, agency officials have announced. Recovery Act funding is being used to modernize and
replace existing VA medical facilities, make improvements at national cemeteries and award grants to states for Veterans homes. (10/15/10) VA Video Outreach Message Aimed at New Veterans - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is launching a new television advertisement encouraging Veterans to take full advantage
of the VA benefits and services they have earned. The ad is one step in a robust outreach effort aimed at welcoming returning
Servicemembers and easing their transition from military to Veteran status. (10/12/10) VA Announces $22.9 Million Expansion of Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced a $22.9 million construction contract to develop another section
of Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery in Elwood, Ill. for local Veterans. (10/6/10) VA Announces Expansion of VetSuccess on Campus Pilots - Two community colleges and three other four-year colleges and universities are being added to the Department of Veterans
Affairs (VA) VetSuccess on Campus pilot program. VA counselors are being assigned to assist Veterans attending school under
the Post-9/11 GI Bill make the most of their educational opportunities at Salt Lake City Community College, the Community
College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College, Arizona State University and Texas A&M University -- Central Texas. (10/5/10) VA Awards Contract to Austin Clinic - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) awarded a $224 million contract to Cullinan Properties, Ltd., for the construction
of a new state-of-the-art medical clinic in Austin. The VA clinic will be the largest of its type in the country. (10/5/10) Secretary Shinseki Announces $41.9 Million to Help the Homeless - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced that 40 states will share more than $41.9 million in grants
to community groups to provide 2,568 beds for homeless Veterans this year. (10/1/10) Top VA Physician Appointed to PCORI Board of Governors - Dr. Robert Jesse, Principal Deputy Under Secretary for Health at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), accepted an appointment
to the first Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute’s Board of Governors. (9/30/10) VA’s Disclosure Policy Lauded in New England Journal of Medicine - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) policy on disclosure of adverse medical events was praised as a “valuable
resource for all health care institutions” in an article in a recent issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (9/29/10) VA Publishes Final Regulation on “Presumptive” Illnesses for Gulf War and Iraq, Afghanistan Veterans - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced the publication of a final regulation in the Federal Register
that makes it easier for Veterans to obtain Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and disability compensation for
certain diseases associated with service in Southwest Asia (including Iraq) or Afghanistan. (9/28/10)
News Releases (08/21/2010 - 09/20/2010) VA Earns ‘A’ in Annual Small Business Scorecard - VA has been recognized by the Small Business Administration with a rating of “A” on its Small Business Scorecard
for its success in contracting with small businesses. VA’s Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU)
collaborated with other VA acquisition professionals to achieve the high rating. (9/17/10) VA Awards $19 Million Contract for Puerto Rico Cemetery Improvements - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded a nearly $19
million construction contract for gravesite expansion and cemetery improvements at Puerto Rico National Cemetery in Bayamón. (9/17/10) VA Honors Veterans on POW/MIA National Recognition Day - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki wants former American prisoners of war (POWs) to be aware of the benefits
and services available to them as Americans across the nation show respect and appreciation for this special group of men
and women during POW/MIA National Recognition Day. (9/17/10) VA Continues to Ensure and Protect Servicemembers’, Survivors’ Life Insurance Benefits - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has reviewed the account administered by Prudential that includes Servicemembers'
Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans' Group Life Insurance (VGLI) programs to ensure beneficiaries are protected,
being treated fairly, and accorded the utmost care and respect. VA is also ensuring that benefits are delivered in a transparent
way that clearly outlines all available options. (9/14/10) Message from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki on the Anniversary of September 11, 2001 - Today, September 11, 2010, we remember our fellow citizens who lost their lives nine years ago in New York City, at the
World Trade Center, in Washington, D.C., at the Pentagon, and in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Every American was
touched by those horrific events-those who reside in our largest cities and those living in our smallest towns. We all knew
someone who was touched by those acts of terrorism. The pain of that touch is with us still. (9/11/10) Post-9/11 GI Bill Sponsoring NASCAR Weekend in Richmond - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will partner with Richmond International Raceway for the upcoming NASCAR doubleheader
titled, the “Post-9/11 GI Bill NASCAR Weekend at Richmond,” culminating with the Sept. 11 Air Guard 400 Sprint
Cup series race. (9/10/10) Secretary Shinseki Announces $13 Million Gravesite Expansion at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded
a nearly $13 million construction contract for gravesite expansion at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis. (9/10/10) VA Announces Contract for New Denver Medical Center - The Department of Veterans Affairs has selected the construction contractor to build the Denver VA Medical Center (VAMC)
replacement hospital. The new hospital will be on the same campus as the University of Colorado Hospital complex in Aurora,
site of the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. (9/8/10) VA Celebrates Workforce, Unions and Veterans - The Department of Veterans Affairs workforce of more than 300,000 – including more than 90,000 who are Veterans –
knows one of its objectives as it observes Labor Day is to help young Veterans find jobs. (9/3/10) International Study Led by VA-Harvard Physician Yields Insight on Risks from Fatty Arteries - An international study of clinical data led by a Department of Veterans Affairs-Harvard University cardiologist found that
patients with deposits of fatty plaque in their arteries are at especially high risk for life-threatening cardiovascular events
if they have diabetes, disease in multiple arteries or a history of heart attack or stroke. (9/3/10) VA Publishes Final Regulation to Aid Veterans Exposed to Agent Orange - Veterans exposed to herbicides while serving in Vietnam and other areas will have an easier path to access quality health
care and qualify for disability compensation under a final regulation that will be published on August 31, 2010 in the Federal
Register by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The new rule expands the list of health problems VA will presume to be related
to Agent Orange and other herbicide exposures to add two new conditions and expand one existing category of conditions. (8/30/10) VA Secretary Addresses Traumatic Brain Injury Conference - Recognizing the longstanding, integrated collaboration shared by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense,
VA Secretary Eric K. Shinseki gave the keynote address Monday at the fourth annual Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Military Training
Conference here. (8/30/10) VA/NIH Award $6 Million for Substance Abuse Research - The Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to award $6 million in grants
for research examining the link between substance abuse and military deployments and combat-related trauma. (8/26/10) Veterans with Disabilities to Learn Life-Changing Skills at Summer Sports Clinic in San Diego - The National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic is an event like no other, uniquely designed to teach recently-injured Veterans
how to surf, kayak, sail, cycle and enjoy other sports. The 3rd National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic, sponsored by the Department
of Veterans Affairs (VA), will be held September 19 - 25 in San Diego. (8/26/10) Veterans with Disabilities to TEE Off in Iowa - Nearly 200 military Veterans are registered to tee-off in a unique golf tournament in Riverside, Iowa, September 6 - 9,
2010, proving that having a visual impairment or other disability does not mean they cannot lead a full and rewarding life.
(8/25/10) Indianapolis VA Medical Center Launches Health Information Exchange - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced a new pilot in the Indianapolis region that will improve the delivery
of Veterans health information. The Richard L. Roudebush VA Medical Center in Indianapolis will partner with the Indiana Health
Information Exchange (IHIE), the largest health information exchange organization in the United States, to securely exchange
electronic health record (EHR) information using the Nationwide Health Information Network. (8/24/10) |
|
VA Makes Filing Claims Easier and Faster for Veterans
http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-526EZ-ARE.pdf
http://www.vba.va.gov/pubs/forms/VBA-21-527EZ-ARE.pdf
VA Makes Filing Claims Easier and Faster for Veterans
Simpler Forms and New Program Reduce
Paperwork and Speed Process
WASHINGTON (June 15, 2010) - As part of Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K.
Shinseki's effort to break the back of the backlog, the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is reducing the paperwork
and
expediting the process for Veterans seeking compensation for
disabilities related to their military service.
"These reductions in paperwork, along with other improvements to
simplify and speed the claims
process, symbolize changes underway to
make VA more responsive to Veterans and their families," said Secretary
Shinseki.
VA has shortened application forms to reduce paperwork for Veterans. The
new forms, which are
being made available on VA's Web site at
www.va.gov/vaforms <http://www.va.gov/vaforms/> , include:
* A shortened VA Form 21-526 for Veterans
applying for the
first-time to VA for disability compensation or pension benefits. This
form has been cut
in half - from 23 to 10 pages. It is immediately
available to Veterans via Web download, and will be available
through
VA's online claim-filing process later this summer at
http://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp
* VA Form
21-526b for Veterans seeking increased benefits for
conditions already determined by VA to be service-connected. This
new
form more clearly describes the information needed to support claims for
increased benefits.
In
order to make the claims process faster, VA has also introduced two
new forms for Veterans participating in the Department's
new fully
developed claim (FDC) program, which is one of the fastest means to
receive a claims decision.
Gathering the information and evidence needed to support a Veteran's
disability claim often takes the largest portion
of the processing time.
If VA receives all of the available evidence when the claim is
submitted, the remaining
steps in the claims-decision process can be
expedited without compromising quality.
To participate in the
FDC program, Veterans should complete and submit
an FDC Certification and VA Form 21-526EZ, "Fully Developed Claim
(Compensation)," for a compensation claim, or a VA Form 21-527EZ, "Fully
Developed Claim (Pension),"
for a pension claim.
The forms were designed specifically for the FDC program. These
six-page
application forms include notification to applicants of all
information and evidence necessary to "fully develop"
and substantiate
their claims. With this notification, Veterans and their
representatives can "fully
develop" their claims before submission to VA
for processing.
Along with the application and certification,
Veterans must also submit
all relevant and pertinent evidence to "fully develop" their claims. A
claim
submitted as "fully developed" may still require some additional
evidence to be obtained by VA, to include
certain federal records and a
VA medical examination.
VA provides compensation, pension, education, loan guaranty,
vocational
rehabilitation, employment, and insurance benefits to Veterans and their
families through 57 VA regional
offices.
Disability compensation is a tax-free benefit paid to a Veteran for
disabilities that are a result
of -- or made worse by -- injuries or
diseases that happened while on active duty, active duty for training or
inactive
duty training. Pension is a benefit paid to wartime Veterans
with limited income, and who are permanently and totally
disabled or age
65 or older.
For additional information, go to www.va.gov <http://www.va.gov/> or
call VA's toll free benefits number at 1-800-827-1000.
News Releases (05/16/2010 - 06/15/2010) VA Makes Filing Claims Easier and Faster for Veterans - As part of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki’s effort to break the back of the backlog, the Department
of Veterans Affairs is reducing the paperwork and expediting the process for Veterans seeking compensation for disabilities
related to their military service. (6/15/10) Secretary Shinseki Honors Returning Veterans at Event in Bowie, Md. - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki joined returning combat Veterans from all branches of the armed forces today
during a "Welcome Home" celebration at Prince George’s Stadium in Bowie, Md., sponsored by the Department
of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense. (6/12/10) Department of the Army Taps VA to Help Serve Our Nations Veterans - Today, at the request of the Army Secretary John McHugh, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced that
Patrick K. Hallinan, a over 31-year employee of VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA), is being detailed to the
Army to assist in the management of Arlington National Cemetery. (6/10/10) VA Announces Change to Medication Copays for Some Veterans - As previously announced on January 7, 2010, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) froze prescription copayment increases
for six months. Veterans who generally have higher income and no service-connected disabilities - referred to as Priority
Groups 7 and 8 Veterans - will now pay an additional $1 for each 30-day supply of outpatient medications. Taking effect July
1, the increase to $9 from $8 is the first change in VA’s medication copay since Jan. 1, 2006. (6/10/10) Celebrate Independence Day with Disabled Veterans - The Fourth of July celebration in Denver takes on special importance this year when more than 500 wheelchair athletes who
are all military Veterans begin competition at the 30th National Veterans Wheelchair Games. The event, presented each year
by the Department of Veterans Affairs and Paralyzed Veterans of America, runs July 4 through July 9. (6/9/10) VA Announces Industry Innovation Competition - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the opening of the Industry Innovation Competition by the
Department of Veterans Affairs, the most recent effort under the VA Innovation Initiative. With this competition, VA seeks
the best ideas from the private sector to address the department’s most important challenges. (6/7/10) VA Research Offers Insight on Parkinson’s Disease - Veterans and others with Parkinson’s disease who undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) may benefit from research co-sponsored
by the Department of Veterans Affairs and published recently in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. (6/4/10) Secretary Tours Recovery Act Improvements - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki visited the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center today and received
a first-hand update on Recovery Act-funded projects that will help Veterans access VA care and provide surgical ward upgrades.
The Cleveland VA Medical Center provides both inpatient and outpatient health care services at two facilities located in Cleveland
(Wade Park) and Brecksville, Ohio. (6/4/10) VA Secretary Announces New Hotline for Homeless Veterans - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the establishment of a new telephone hotline to provide
emergency support and resources to homeless Veterans. He made the announcement as he toured the facility at the VA medical
center in Canandaigua, N.Y. (6/3/10) VA Announces Winners of Health Information Technology Initiative - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today the selection of 26 winning ideas in the Veterans Health
Administration / Office of Information and Technology (VHA/OIT) Innovation Competition. (5/28/10) VA Honors Military Sacrifice on Memorial Day - From parades to somber ceremonies and a moment of silence, Americans will recall the sacrifices of military personnel who
paid the ultimate price for freedom on Memorial Day, Monday, May 31. (5/28/10) Secretary Shinseki Announces $19.5 Million Cemetery Construction Contract for Greater Philadelphia - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today a nearly $19.5 million contract to develop the next phase
of Washington Crossing National Cemetery, in Newtown, Pa. (5/28/10) Shinseki Delivers Commencement Address at University of Vermont - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki urged graduates to “share your time, talents and energy with those
less fortunate” at the University of Vermont's commencement ceremony on Sunday, May 23. (5/24/10) Des Moines Set to Host National Veterans Golden Age Games - Hundreds of Veterans from around the nation will make their way to Des Moines, Iowa, May 26-31 to compete in the 24th National
Veterans Golden Age Games, the largest annual sports competition of its kind in the world. (5/24/10)
I invite you to add our
new website to your favorites. It has our past Veterans Service Officer (VSO) meeting minutes, a future schedule of
calls, and our present schedule of outreach activities. You'll also find a reference source for VA Compensation
and Pension benefits, and a slide show on PMC performance. Possibly of most importance
is the Contact Section. It includes the national Pension toll free number, as well as the fax number that will get claims
directly into Virtual VA. Of special note, we have a phone number and two email addresses posted exclusively for VSOs,
to include Country Veterans Service Officers (CVSOs). Feel free to send this link to VSOs and CVSOs. But please
remind them to keep this website and the contact information it provides within the VSO/CVSO community. Only then can
we provide you with the enhanced level of service you deserve. http://www.vba.va.gov/ro/milwaukee/pmcvso12.htm
<<...>> <<...>>
Sincerely, Chris Fischer, Milwaukee Pension Center Manager
Meeting Minutes PMC
and State Department of Veterans Affairs Conference Call http://www.vba.va.gov/ro/milwaukee/pmcvso12.htm March 5, 2010 10:00 AM CST800-767-1750 - Access code 20362 I. Call to Order Jennifer Stone-Barash, Milwaukee PMC Acting Director, called to order the State Department of Veterans Affairs
conference call at 10:00 A.M. CST on March 5, 2010. II. Roll Call
The following State Department of Veterans Affairs representatives were in attendance: a) Arkansas: David Fletcher, Director b) Illinois: Anthony
Vaughn, Appeal Supervisor c) Indiana: Tom Applegate, Director d) Kentucky: Roger Romine, Branch
Manager e) Michigan: Brigadier General Carol Ann Fausone,
Assistant Adjutant General
News Releases (01/24/2010 - 02/23/2010) Shinseki Announces Winners of Innovation Competition for Improving Claims Processing - The Department of Veterans Affairs selected 10 winners in a competition that solicited ideas from VA employees and co-located
Veterans service organizations to improve claims processing and provide greater transparency to Veterans. (2/19/10) Petzel Sworn in to Head Veterans Health Care System - Dr. Robert A. Petzel has taken the oath of office as the Under Secretary for Health within the Department of Veterans Affairs,
stepping up to lead the nation's largest integrated health care system. (2/18/10) “Innovation Initiative” Underway for Health Records Improvements - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki launched the “Veterans Health IT Innovation Initiative,” an
employee-based Health Information Technology (HIT) competition to spur VA’s transformation into a 21st Century organization
that is Veteran-centric, results-oriented, and forward-looking. (2/18/10) Secretary Shinseki Mourns Loss of Rep. Murtha - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki mourned the loss of Rep. John P. Murtha, Chairman of the House Appropriations’
subcommittee on defense and a champion of the Nation’s Veterans. (2/10/10) White House Seeks $125 Billion for Veterans in 2011 - To expand health care to a record-number of Veterans, reduce the number of homeless Veterans and process a dramatically
increased number of new disability compensation claims, the White House has announced a proposed $125 billion budget next
year for the Department of Veterans Affairs. (2/1/10) Miramar National Cemetery Dedicated - The Department of Veterans Affairs held a dedication ceremony today in San Diego for the Miramar National Cemetery. (1/30/10) VA Secretary Shinseki Helps Veterans at VA Medical Center Homeless Stand Down - At the VA Medical Center in Washington, D.C., (DCVAMC), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki joined hundreds
of volunteers in support of homeless Veterans in our Nation’s capital. (1/24/10)
Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
News Releases (10/16/2009 - 11/15/2009) On Veterans Day, Nation Salutes Those Who Served - On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki called on Americans to honor the 48 million men
and women – including America’s 23 million living Veterans – who have served our Nation in uniform. (11/11/09) VA Suffers Losses and Offers Help at Ft. Hood - In the midst of providing mental health services and other support to the Ft. Hood community following the recent shooting,
the Department of Veterans Affairs learned about its own losses from the violence. Two VA employees, both serving on active
duty with their Army Reserve units, were among the slain. A third VA health care worker on reserve duty was seriously wounded. (11/10/09) Secretary Shinseki Addresses Florida Educators - The Department of Veterans Affairs is working with Florida and other states to help Veterans make the transition from combat
to college life. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki addressed educators and Veterans during a conference this
week at the University of South Florida (USF) on the importance of programs that ease the transition from active duty to Veteran
status. (11/6/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $10 Million for Leavenworth Cemetery - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced a $10 million contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs
to expand the Leavenworth National Cemetery in Leavenworth, Kan. (11/5/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $12 Million for Jacksonville Cemetery - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced an $11.8 million contract to develop the next phase of the
Jacksonville National Cemetery, which opened for burials in January 2009. (11/5/09) Craigslist Founder Joins VA Innovation Search Panel - Craig Newmark, the founder of “craigslist” and a well-known technology visionary, has agreed to serve on the
blue-ribbon panel of the Department of Veterans Affairs that will review and evaluate ideas to improve disability claims processing
times and provide greater transparency to Veterans. (11/4/09) Shinseki Announces Veterans’ Stories Posted on VA’s Web Page - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs will join with the Library
of Congress to host a “Veterans History Countdown” on the VA Web site – www.va.gov – featuring the
oral histories of Veterans from every state and U.S. territory. (11/4/09) Secretary Shinseki Details Plan to End Homelessness for Veterans - Today, at the “VA National Summit Ending Homelessness among Veterans,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki unveiled the department’s comprehensive plan to end homelessness among Veterans by marshalling the resources
of government, business and the private sector. (11/3/09) VA Seeks Temporary Contractor to Help Process Education Claims - On Oct. 21, the Department of Veterans Affairs issued a solicitation for temporary contractor support to assist in processing
the increased volume of education claims received since implementing the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. (10/28/09) VA, DoD Host National Mental Health Summit - The Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense are hosting a first-of-its-kind national summit to address
the mental health care needs of America’s military personnel, families and Veterans, harnessing the programs, resources
and expertise of both departments to deal with the aftermath of the battlefield. (10/26/09) Secretary Shinseki Visits Duke University for Memorial Dedication - Returning today to his alma mater at Duke University for the dedication of a Veterans memorial, Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K. Shinseki honored alumni who have lost their lives in service to America. (10/23/09) Secretary Announces Expansion of Veterans Appeals Board - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the addition of four new Veterans Law Judges to the Board of Veterans'
Appeals (BVA), which will enable the board to increase the number of cases being decided. (10/21/09) U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Olympic Committee Launch Paralympic Community Initiative to Serve Physically
Disabled Veterans - Today, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) signed a memorandum of understanding to
provide Paralympic sport programming and additional community support, including funding and resources, to injured servicemembers
and Veterans across the country. (10/21/09) VA Contacting Veteran-Students about New GI Bill - Representatives of the Department of Veterans Affairs will be telephoning Veterans across the country to explain their
education benefits under the new Post-911 GI Bill and ensure beneficiaries are able to receive payments due them (10/19/09) |
|
News Releases (10/16/2009 - 11/15/2009) On Veterans Day, Nation Salutes Those Who Served - On Veterans Day, Nov. 11, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki called on Americans to honor the 48 million men
and women – including America’s 23 million living Veterans – who have served our Nation in uniform. (11/11/09) VA Suffers Losses and Offers Help at Ft. Hood - In the midst of providing mental health services and other support to the Ft. Hood community following the recent shooting,
the Department of Veterans Affairs learned about its own losses from the violence. Two VA employees, both serving on active
duty with their Army Reserve units, were among the slain. A third VA health care worker on reserve duty was seriously wounded. (11/10/09) Secretary Shinseki Addresses Florida Educators - The Department of Veterans Affairs is working with Florida and other states to help Veterans make the transition from combat
to college life. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki addressed educators and Veterans during a conference this
week at the University of South Florida (USF) on the importance of programs that ease the transition from active duty to Veteran
status. (11/6/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $10 Million for Leavenworth Cemetery - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced a $10 million contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs
to expand the Leavenworth National Cemetery in Leavenworth, Kan. (11/5/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $12 Million for Jacksonville Cemetery - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced an $11.8 million contract to develop the next phase of the
Jacksonville National Cemetery, which opened for burials in January 2009. (11/5/09) Craigslist Founder Joins VA Innovation Search Panel - Craig Newmark, the founder of “craigslist” and a well-known technology visionary, has agreed to serve on the
blue-ribbon panel of the Department of Veterans Affairs that will review and evaluate ideas to improve disability claims processing
times and provide greater transparency to Veterans. (11/4/09) Shinseki Announces Veterans’ Stories Posted on VA’s Web Page - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs will join with the Library
of Congress to host a “Veterans History Countdown” on the VA Web site – www.va.gov – featuring the
oral histories of Veterans from every state and U.S. territory. (11/4/09) Secretary Shinseki Details Plan to End Homelessness for Veterans - Today, at the “VA National Summit Ending Homelessness among Veterans,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki unveiled the department’s comprehensive plan to end homelessness among Veterans by marshalling the resources
of government, business and the private sector. (11/3/09) VA Seeks Temporary Contractor to Help Process Education Claims - On Oct. 21, the Department of Veterans Affairs issued a solicitation for temporary contractor support to assist in processing
the increased volume of education claims received since implementing the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. (10/28/09)
VA Extends "Agent Orange" Benefits to More Veterans
Parkinson's Disease, Two Other Illnesses Recognized
WASHINGTON (Oct. 13, 2009) -
Relying on an independent study by the
Institute of Medicine (IOM), Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki
decided to establish a service-connection for Vietnam Veterans
with three specific illnesses based on the latest evidence
of an
association with the herbicides referred to Agent Orange.
The illnesses affected by
the recent decision are B cell leukemias, such
as hairy cell leukemia; Parkinson's disease; and ischemic heart disease.
Used in Vietnam to defoliate trees and remove concealment for the enemy,
Agent Orange left
a legacy of suffering and disability that continues to
the present. Between January 1965 and April 1970, an estimated
2.6
million military personnel who served in Vietnam were potentially
exposed to sprayed Agent Orange.
In practical terms, Veterans who served in Vietnam during the war and
who have a "presumed"
illness don't have to prove an association between
their illnesses and their military service. This "presumption"
simplifies and speeds up the application process for benefits.
The Secretary's decision
brings to 15 the number of presumed illnesses
recognized by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
"We must do better reviews of illnesses that may be connected to
service, and we will,"
Shinseki added. "Veterans who endure health
problems deserve timely decisions based on solid evidence."
Other illnesses previously recognized under VA's "presumption" rule as
being
caused by exposure to herbicides during the Vietnam War are:
* Acute and Subacute Transient
Peripheral Neuropathy
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/peripheral_neuropathy.asp>
* AL Amyloidosis
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/al_amyloidosis.asp>
* Chloracne
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/chloracne.asp>
* Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/chronic_leukemia.asp>
* Diabetes Mellitus (Type 2)
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/diabetes.asp>
* Hodgkin's Disease
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/hodgkins.asp>
* Multiple Myeloma
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/multiple_myeloma.asp>
* Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/nh_lymphoma.asp>
* Porphyria Cutanea Tarda
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/porphyria.asp>
* Prostate Cancer
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/prostate_cancer.asp>
* Respiratory Cancers
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/respiratory_cancers.asp> , and
* Soft Tissue Sarcoma (other than Osteosarcoma,
Chondrosarcoma,
Kaposi's sarcoma, or Mesothelioma)
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/condi
tions/st_sarcoma.asp>
Additional information about Agent Orange and
VA's services and programs
for Veterans exposed to the chemical are available at
www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange
<http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/> .
News Releases (08/19/2009 - 09/18/09) Inspector General Completes Study of VA Endoscopic Programs - The Department of Veterans Affairs' Office of Inspector General inspected every VA medical site with endoscopic equipment,
independently verifying the success of a national program VA instituted to ensure safe and sterile procedures for reprocessing
endoscopic equipment across the country. (9/18/09) VA Secretary Helps Launch The Red Sox Foundation-Massachusetts General Hospital Home Base Program - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki joined The Red Sox Foundation and Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) to
launch a new initiative to help returning OEF/OIF Veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and traumatic brain
injuries and their families. (9/17/09) VA Warns Veterans of Telephone Prescription Scam - The Department of Veterans Affairs is warning Veterans not to give credit card numbers over the phone to callers claiming
to update VA prescription information. (9/17/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $1 Million for Aurora Site - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced the award of a $936,276 contract by the Department of Veterans
Affairs to a Washington state company for demolition and site clearing of VA’s new medical center in Aurora, Colo. (9/15/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $19 Million for Columbia, Mo., Facility - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the award of a $19 million contract to an Illinois firm to construct
a new surgical suite and renovate existing surgical support areas within the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in
Columbia, Mo. (9/14/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces New Efforts to Explore Health Consequences of Service in Vietnam - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced today plans to begin additional research by the Department of
Veterans Affairs to better understand the health consequences of service in Vietnam. (9/14/09) “Innovation Competition” Begins at Veterans Affairs - To speed its transformation into a 21st Century organization that is Veteran-centric, results-oriented and forward-looking,
the Department of Veterans Affairs has launched one of the largest innovation competitions in the agency’s history.
The competition solicits ideas from VA employees and co-located Veterans Service Organizations who are on the front lines
of the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) and encourages them to submit entries addressing everything from claims processing
times to better process transparency. (9/10/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $7 Million Grant to Virginia - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced that Veterans living in southwestern Virginia will soon have a
final resting place that honors their service to the nation. The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded $7,218,366 to
the Commonwealth of Virginia to establish the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin. (9/10/09) Veterans to TEE Off in Iowa City at National Tournament - More than 100 Veterans with visual or mobility impairments, blindness and other disabilities hit the golf course at the
National Veterans TEE Tournament, September 6 - 10, in and around Iowa City, Iowa. (9/6/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $6 Million Grant to Kentucky - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced Veterans living in northeastern Kentucky will soon have a
final resting place that honors their service to the nation. (9/4/09) VA To Host Summer Sports Clinic in San Diego - Recently-injured Veterans will learn how to surf, kayak, sail and enjoy other summer sports at a rehabilitative clinic
sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. (9/3/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $3.9 Million Grant to Wisconsin - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced a grant of $3,896,563 from the Department of Veterans Affairs
to expand the Southern Wisconsin Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Union Grove. (9/2/09) VA Honors Veterans Who Are Artists, Performers - More than 120 Veterans from across the country who are medal winners in national music, dance, drama, creative writing
or visual arts contests are preparing to attend the National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in San Antonio from Oct. 5 –
11. (9/1/09) VA’s Suicide Prevention Program Adds Chat Service - The Suicide Prevention campaign of the Department of Veterans Affairs is expanding its outreach to all Veterans by piloting
an online, one-to-one “chat service” for Veterans who prefer reaching out for assistance using the Internet. (8/31/09) VA Awards $526,000 for Wisconsin State Veterans Home - To support high-quality health services for Veterans at the state home in King, Wis., the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) is awarding a grant of up to $526,000 for upgrades to the facility’s water supply well. (8/28/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $11 Million for Alabama Cemetery - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced an $11 million contract from the Department of Veterans Affairs
to develop the next phase of the Alabama National Cemetery, which opened for burials on June 25. (8/28/09) VA Continues Gulf War Research, Cancels Contract with UTSW Medical Center - Citing persistent noncompliance and numerous performance deficiencies, the Department of Veterans Affairs will not exercise
the third year of a five-year, $75 million contract with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (UTSWMC) to perform
research into Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses (GWVI). (8/26/09) VA Pledge to Women Veterans on Women’s Equality Day - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki pledged today on Women’s Equality Day that the Department of Veterans
Affairs will work to ensure the nation upholds its obligation to meet the needs of our Veterans – including women Veterans. (8/26/09) Secretary Shinseki Moves to Simplify PTSD Compensation Rules - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs is taking steps to assist Veterans
seeking compensation for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). (8/24/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces Expansion in Albany - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced a plan to expand health care in Albany, N.Y., by leasing 2.4
acres to a private-sector medical facility in exchange for construction of a 30,000 square-foot building for the Department
of Veterans Affairs at its Samuel S. Stratton VA Medical Center. (8/21/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $8.8 Million for Washington Cemetery - Ensuring that military Veterans living in eastern Washington have a final resting place that honors their service to the
nation, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki announced the award of $8.8 million to establish the Washington State
Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake. (8/20/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces Award of $1.8 Million to Delaware - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki has announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is awarding $1.8 million
to the Delaware Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Sussex to expand its facility. (8/20/09) VA Reaching Out to Suppliers, Contractors - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is strengthening its working relationship with the private-sector to improve service
for Veterans, cut costs for taxpayers and enhance the operation of federal employees, VA’s Deputy Secretary W. Scott
Gould said recently. (8/20/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces Expansion of Jefferson Barracks Cemetery - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced the Department of Veterans Affairs is awarding more than
$898,000 to URS Group Inc., a St. Louis-based company, to design a gravesite expansion project at Jefferson Barracks National
Cemetery in St. Louis. (8/19/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces $8.7 Million Contracts in Philadelphia - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki today announced the Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded two contracts
totaling $8.7 million to prepare the new Washington Crossing National Cemetery near Philadelphia for its first burials. (8/19/09)
Secretary Shinseki Moves to Simplify
PTSD Compensation Rules
WASHINGTON (Aug. 24, 2009) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K.
Shinseki announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking
steps to assist Veterans seeking compensation
for Post-Traumatic Stress
Disorder (PTSD).
"The hidden wounds of war are being addressed
vigorously and
comprehensively by this administration as we move VA forward in its
transformation to the 21st century,"
said Secretary Shinseki.
The VA is publishing a proposed regulation today in the Federal Register
to make it easier for a Veteran to claim service connection for PTSD by
reducing the evidence needed if the stressor
claimed by a Veteran is
related to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity. Comments on
the proposed
rule will be accepted over the next 60 days. A final
regulation will be published after consideration of all comments
received.
Under the new rule, VA would not require corroboration of a stressor
related
to fear of hostile military or terrorist activity if a VA
psychiatrist or psychologist confirms that the stressful experience
recalled by a Veteran adequately supports a diagnosis of PTSD and the
Veteran's symptoms are related to the claimed
stressor.
Previously, claims adjudicators were required to corroborate that a
non-combat
Veteran actually experienced a stressor related to hostile
military activity. This rule would simplify the development
that is
required for these cases.
PTSD is a recognized anxiety disorder that can follow
seeing or
experiencing an event that involves actual or threatened death or
serious injury to which a person responds
with intense fear,
helplessness or horror, and is not uncommon in war.
Feelings of fear,
confusion or anger often subside, but if the feelings
don't go away or get worse, a Veteran may have PTSD.
VA is bolstering its mental health capacity to serve combat Veterans,
adding thousands of new professionals
to its rolls in the last four
years. The Department also has established a suicide prevention
helpline (1-800-273-TALK)
and Web site available for online chat in the
evenings at www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans
<http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans/> .
News Releases (07/03/2009 - 08/02/09) Secretary Shinseki Meets with Philippine President Arroyo - The status of benefits to Filipino Veterans of World War II was a prime topic recently when Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Eric K. Shinseki met with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (7/31/09) VA Medical Imaging Reaches Record Level - VistA Imaging, the medical and health care imaging system used in Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers, attained
over one billion stored images in January this year, according to the department. (7/24/09) Veterans Affairs Helps Veteran Small-Business Owners - More than 1,000 Veterans who own small businesses and seek to do more contracting with the federal government recently
heard Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki extol the importance of small businesses and reaffirm the commitment
of the Department of Veterans Affairs to help veterans start or expand their companies. (7/22/09) Top Obama Administration Officials Hold Rural Health Community Forum - Four Cabinet Secretaries will host a rural health community forum today in St. John Parish, La., to share information about
the federal government’s efforts to rebuild and revitalize rural America. This is the next leg of a tour launched by
President Obama, showcasing how communities, states, and the federal government can work together to help strengthen rural
America. (7/20/09) Secretary Shinseki Announces Next Steps in Technology Advancements to Reduce Wasteful Spending and Increase Accountability - The Department of Veterans Affairs announced today that it will temporarily halt 45 information technology projects which
are either behind schedule or over budget. These projects will be reviewed, and it will be determined whether these projects
should be continued. (7/17/09) VA Leaders Discuss Diversity and Benefits at LULAC Convention - Joining other top administration officials addressing America’s Hispanic leaders this week at the 80th annual convention
of the League of United Latin American Citizens were two Department of Veterans Affairs executives with pledges of ethnic
inclusion and outreach to Veterans from the nation’s second largest government department. (7/17/09) VA Expanding Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery - The Department of Veterans Affairs awarded an architect-engineer contract for more than $1.3 million to SmithGroup JJR,
LLC, to prepare construction documents for a gravesite expansion and other improvements at the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery
in Elwood, Ill. (7/15/09) VA Announces $26 Million Construction Contract for Palo Alto - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the award of a $26 million contract to a San Francisco firm to construct
a new 80-bed acute psychiatric facility at VA’s Palo Alto Health Care System. (7/15/09) More Than 1,100 Colleges and Universities Partner with VA to Improve GI Bill Benefits - Over 1,100 colleges, universities and schools across the country have entered into “Yellow Ribbon” program
agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve financial aid for Veterans participating in the Post-9/11 GI
Bill. (7/13/09) VA Expands Acute Inpatient Care Services for New Hampshire Veterans - Veterans in New Hampshire will have improved access to acute inpatient hospital care from the Department of Veterans Affairs,
thanks to VA’s decision to expand its community partnership with Concord Hospital. Concord Hospital is a centrally located
regional medical center that offers traditional acute care services in 42 medical specialties. (7/13/09) VA Secretary Announces $1 Million to Develop New Miramar Annex - The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded nearly $1 million to a small business to begin expanding burial services
for Veterans in the San Diego area by developing the new Miramar Annex. (7/10/09) Milwaukee VA Hospital Gains New Spinal Cord Treatment Center - The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded a $26.9 million contract to design and build a free-standing spinal cord
injury center at the Milwaukee VA Medical Center. (7/10/09) VA Awards $3.7 Million for El Paso Cemetery Project - The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded more than $3.7 million for a construction project at Fort Bliss National
Cemetery in El Paso. (7/9/09) VA Expanding Fort Jackson National Cemetery - The Department of Veterans Affairs has awarded more than $10 million to a construction company based in Charleston, S.C.
to develop the next phase of the Fort Jackson National Cemetery in Columbia, which opened for burials in January. (7/9/09) VA Advisory Committee on Women Veterans Visits Dallas - As part of a Department of Veterans Affairs upgrade of programs and services for women Veterans, the Department’s
Advisory Committee on Women Veterans, an expert panel that advises VA on issues and programs affecting women Veterans, recently
traveled to the VA North Texas Health Care System in Dallas. (7/9/09) Stimulus Funds Support VA Energy Conservation Efforts - As part of a clean-energy transformation, the Department of Veterans Affairs is targeting nearly one-quarter of its $1.4
billion in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to investments in clean energy generation and energy conservation.
(7/8/09) VA Secretary Announces Opening Alabama National Cemetery - The Department of Veterans Affairs officially opened its 129th national cemetery June 25 with the first burials at Alabama
National Cemetery in Montevallo. (7/6/09) 29th Annual Veterans Wheelchair Games Scheduled for Spokane - A wide range of disabilities cannot stop more than 500 of America’s greatest wheelchair athletes, all U.S. military
Veterans who will begin competition at the 29th National Veterans Wheelchair Games being held July 13-18 in Spokane, Wash. (7/6/09)
ECS 2009 Update 08: The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 provides for a one-time payment of $250 to individuals
who receive benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA), including Supplemental Security Income (SSI), the Railroad
Retirement Board (RRB), or Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). However, the law allows only one $250 payment per individual.
VA beneficiaries who are also eligible for SSA, SSI, or RRB benefits will be paid through the SSA or RRB, and will therefore
not receive payment from VA. To be eligible for the $250 payment, VA beneficiaries must have received compensation, pension,
Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC), or spina bifida benefits at any time between NOV 08 and JAN 09. VA will use its
existing payment records to determine eligibility to the $250 payment. No application is necessary. VA expects to release
payments in JUN 09. Beneficiaries will receive their payments in the same way they receive their monthly VA benefits (either
by direct deposit or mail). VA will inform both the general public and actual beneficiaries when releasing the payments. This
payment is not countable in determining eligibility for any Federal program, including VA pension or Parents’ DIC. The
beneficiaries must reside within the United States or its territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, American
Samoa, and the U.S. Virgin Islands). This does not apply to Filipino vets residing overseas who submit claims authorized under
the ECS Plan for WWII U.S. service payments of $15,000 if they are U.S. citizens or $9,000 if they are non-U.S. citizens.
An Open Letter to Veterans
From Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Eric K. Shinseki
WASHINGTON (March 13, 2009) - Following is an open letter to Veterans
from Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki:
"My name is Ric Shinseki, and I am
a Veteran. For me, serving as
Secretary of Veterans Affairs is a noble calling. It provides me the
opportunity
to give back to those who served with and for me during my
38 years in uniform and those on whose shoulders we all stood
as we grew
up in the profession of arms.
"The Department of Veterans Affairs has a
solemn responsibility to all
of you, today and in the future, as more Veterans join our ranks and
enroll to secure
the benefits and services they have earned. I am fully
committed to fulfilling President Obama's vision for
transforming our
department so that it will be well-positioned to perform this duty even
better during the 21st
Century. We welcome the assistance and advice of
our Veterans Service Organizations, other government departments
and
agencies, Congress, and all VA stakeholders as we move forward,
ethically and transparently, so that Veterans
and citizens can
understand our efforts.
"Creating that vision for transforming the
VA into a 21st Century
organization requires a comprehensive review of our department. We
approach that review
understanding that Veterans are central to
everything VA does. We know that results count, that the department
will be measured by what we do, not what we promise, and that our best
days as an organization supporting Veterans
are ahead of us. We will
fulfill President Lincoln's charge to care for ". . . him, who shall
have
borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan . . ." by
redesigning and reengineering ourselves for the future.
"Transforming any institution is supremely challenging; I know this from
my own experience
in leading large, proud, complex, and high-performing
organizations through change. But the best organizations
must be
prepared to meet the challenging times, evolving technology and, most
importantly, evolving needs of clients.
Historically, organizations
that are unwilling or unable to change soon find themselves irrelevant.
You and
your needs are not irrelevant.
"Veterans are our clients, and delivering the highest quality
care and
services in a timely, consistent and fair manner is a VA responsibility.
I take that responsibility seriously
and have charged all of the
department's employees for their best efforts and support every day to
meet our
obligations to you. Our path forward is challenging, but the
President and Congress support us. They have
asked us to do this
well-for you. Veterans are our sole reason for existence and our number
one priority-bar
none. I look forward to working together with all VA
employees to transform our department into an organization
that reflects
the change and commitment our country expects and our Veterans deserve.
"Thank
you, and God bless our military, our Veterans, and our Nation."
Signed: Eric K. Shinseki
VA, DOT, DOD Steer Vets toward Safe Driving
Deadly Toll from Post-Deployment Car Crashes
WASHINGTON (Jan. 12, 2009)
- With motor vehicle crashes being a leading
cause of deaths among combat veterans during the first years after their
return home, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Department of
Transportation (DOT) and the Department of
Defense (DOD) are working
together to reduce these accidents.
Today, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James
B. Peake, Deputy Under
Secretary of Defense for Installations and Environment Wayne Arny, and
Acting Administrator
of the National Highway Traffic Safety
Administration David Kelly announced the creation of a new program
designed
to identify needed research involving recently returned
veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan and to increase awareness
of the
importance of safe driving among newly-demobilized veterans.
"VA is committed to helping our
returning heroes with world-class health
care and educational benefits, home loans, job training and now with a
specific
safe-driving program," said Secretary Peake. "Together with our
partners at DOT and DOD, we will be able to
collect and analyze data
that will be used to develop a comprehensive outreach initiative to
target veterans with
specific needs -- and ultimately to save lives."
Experts in transportation safety, veterans' health and
medical care, and
public health are identifying gaps in current knowledge and developing a
strategic plan for addressing
key research questions, in fields ranging
from epidemiology to psychology and biomechanics.
Participants
in the strategic planning process include scientists and
policy officials from VA, DOT, DOD and Department of Health
and Human
Services, as well as non-governmental experts. The resulting strategic
plan will lay out research
needs and identify priorities for the
initiative.
"Our returning combat veterans have already put themselves
in harm's way
to protect our way of life. Now it's our turn to take action," said
David Kelly,
Acting Administrator of the National Highway Transportation
Safety Administration (NHTSA). "NHTSA can offer
knowledge and expertise
to address challenges such as these. Working side-by-side with the
Department of Veterans
Affairs, we are committed to tackling this
problem and reducing the number of veterans killed and injured on our
nation's
roadways."
The safe-driving initiative strives to increase awareness of motor
vehicle crashes among veterans
and the importance of safe driving,
seatbelt and helmet usage, and other measures. To reach out to veterans
and their families, VA will create a national educational program using
the Department's network of medical centers,
community clinics, drop-in
counseling centers (Vet Centers), and veterans benefits offices.
The initiative
will also include outreach to mobilize national veterans
service organizations; the nation's governors and state
police, safety
officers, and state highway safety officials; and the private sector -
including employers; automobile,
motorcycle and sports vehicle dealers
and manufacturers; the motor vehicle insurance industry; and driving and
motorcycle
racing enthusiasts' organizations. NASCAR legend and safe
driving advocate, Richard Petty, will also be an
active partner in the
initiative.
"Richard Petty Driving Experience (RPDE) is thrilled to be working
with
VA, DOT and DOD on such a worthwhile project to save veterans' lives,"
said NASCAR legend Richard
Petty. "We want to bring more attention to
the continuing problem of veteran drivers and their safety through our
involvement. Last year alone, RPDE operated over 1,100 event days, ran
almost 1 million miles on track and had
a staff of professional drivers.
We have the commitment, the knowledge to teach, and the infrastructure
to take
this initiative to many markets."
According to the Department of Transportation, motor vehicle crashes are
the leading cause of death for all Americans between the ages of eight
through 34. Men constitute about 70 percent
of all traffic deaths. In
the past decade, both deaths and injuries from motor vehicle crashes
have gone down
in the United States, due to increases in seat-belt use
and decreases in alcohol involvement, among other factors.
Nonetheless, motor vehicle accidents remain a major concern in the
military and among veterans as the greatest
cause of accidental
fatalities. Several studies have reported an increase in
post-deployment deaths among
military personnel who served in a combat
zone compared to their non-deployed counterparts, who are in the
military
but not deployed to a war, after both the Vietnam War and the
1991 Gulf War. Preliminary evidence also indicates
this is the case
with veterans from the Global War on Terror.
For more information regarding the Department
of Veterans Affairs and
the Department of Transportation's safe driving initiative for veterans,
please visit
www.safedriving.va.gov <http://www.safedriving.va.gov/> .
VA Announces $22 Million for Rural Veterans
Peake: Down Payment on Expansion of Services
WASHINGTON
(January 9, 2009) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
has provided $21.7 million to its regional health care systems
to
improve services specifically designed for veterans in rural areas.
"This
special allocation is the latest down payment on VA's
commitment to meet the needs of veterans living in rural areas,"
said
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "VA will take to our
rural veterans the health care
services they have earned."
Within the last year, VA has launched a major rural health
initiative. The Department has already created a 13-member committee to
advise the VA secretary on issues affecting
rural veterans, opened three
rural health resource centers to better understand rural health issues,
rolled out
four new mobile health clinics to serve 24 predominately
rural counties, announced the opening of 10 new rural outreach
clinics
in 2009 and launched a fleet of 50 new mobile counseling centers.
The extra
funding is part of a two-year VA program to improve the
access and quality of health care for veterans in geographically
isolated areas. The program focuses on several areas, including access
to health care, providing world-class
care, the use of the latest
technology, recruiting and retaining a highly educated workforce and
collaborating with
other organizations.
More specifically, the new funds will be used to increase the
number of mobile clinics, establish new outpatient clinics, expand
fee-based care, explore collaborations with federal
and community
partners, accelerate the use of telemedicine deployment, and fund
innovative pilot programs.
The new funds will be distributed according to the proportion of
veterans living
in rural areas within each VA regional health care
system, called VISNs, for "Veterans Integrated Service Networks."
VISNs with less than 3 percent of their patients in rural areas
will receive $250,000.
Those with population of rural veterans between
3 percent and 6 percent will receive $1 million each. And VISNs
with
more than 6 percent of their veterans population in rural areas will
receive $1.5 million.
Special
VA Funding for Rural Health
(By VISN number and VISN Headquarters)
#1. Bedford, Mass., $1 million
#2.
Rochester, N.Y., $1 million
#3. New York, N.Y., $250,000
#4. Wilmington, Del., $1 million
#5. Baltimore, Md.,
$250,000
#6. Durham, N.C., $1.5 million
#7. Atlanta, Ga., $1.5 million
#8. Bay Pines, Fla., $1 million
#9.
Nashville, Tenn., $1.5 million
#10. Cincinnati, Ohio, $1 million
#11. Ann Arbor, Mich., $1 million
#12. Chicago,
Ill., $1 million
#15. Kansas City, Mo., $1.5 million
#16. Jackson, Miss., $1.5 million
#17. Arlington, Texas,
$1 million
#18. Mesa, Ariz., $1 million
#19. Denver, Colo., $1 million
#20. Vancouver, Wash., $1 million
#21. Palo Alto, Calif., $1 million
#22. Long Beach, Calif., $250,000
#23. Lincoln, Neb., $1.5 million
VA Launches Partnership for NGO Outreach
Peake: VA Tapping the
Power of Communities
WASHINGTON (Jan. 7, 2009) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has
announced a
new partnership to help non-government organizations (NGOs)
plan, improve and carry out their own programs on behalf
of veterans,
their families and their survivors.
"VA has a track record of success in working with non-profit
groups and
businesses that have their own programs for veterans, but we can do
more" said Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "By tapping
into the power and resources of NGOs, we can ensure more veterans,
families
and survivors receive not only VA services, but also other
assistance in their own communities."
Under
the new NGO Gateway Initiative, launched today with the Veterans
Coalition Inc., a non-profit organization formed more
than two years ago
by several major national veterans groups, the Veterans Coalition is
available to assist NGOs
in identifying the unmet needs of veterans,
families and survivors, working with VA to help minimize duplication of
effort and confusion among NGOs with programs for veterans. In
addition, the program will encourage continuous
feedback from NGOs on
issues such as physical and mental health, employment, and satisfaction
with government services
and benefits affecting veterans.
"The Veterans Coalition is dedicated to marshalling energy and resources
from all communities to better serve service members, veterans and their
families", said Harry Walters, chairman
of the Veterans Coalition and
former administrator of the Veterans Administration. "Together we can do
a better
job than any of us can do alone."
VA will provide a senior-level, career federal employee to serve as an
ombudsman to assist NGOs with their programs to serve veterans. To
ensure a cooperative relationship, VA's
deputy secretary will serve as a
non-voting advisory liaison to the group's board of directors.
VA has
a long tradition of working with national veterans service
organizations on programs benefitting all veterans.
VA also has had
close relationships with private-sector groups, churches, charities and
other non-profit organizations
that provide housing for homeless
veterans. This new gateway initiative is one more way to extend
services
to our veterans.
_______________________________________________
VA Assisting Veterans with Health
Care Costs
WASHINGTON (Jan. 6, 2009) -- For veterans struggling financially due to
a job loss or decreased
income, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
offers an assortment of programs that can relieve the costs of health
care or provide care at no cost.
"With the downturn in the economy, VA recognizes that many veterans
will
feel the effects," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B.
Peake. "Therefore, it is important
that eligible veterans learn of the
many ways VA has to help them afford the health care they have earned."
Veterans whose previous income was ruled too high for VA health care may
be able to enter the VA system based upon
a hardship if their current
year's income is projected to fall below federal income thresholds due
to a job
loss, separation from service or some other financial setback.
Veterans determined eligible due to hardship can avoid
copays applied to
higher-income veterans. Qualifying veterans may be eligible for
enrollment and receive health
care at no cost.
Also eligible for no-cost VA care are most veterans who recently
returned from a combat
zone. They are entitled to five years of free VA
care. The five-year "clock" begins with their
discharge from the
military, not their departure from the combat zone.
Each VA medical center across the country
has an enrollment coordinator
available to provide veterans information about these programs.
Veterans may also
contact VA's Health Benefits Service Center at
1-877-222 VETS (8387) or visit the VA health eligibility website at
www.va.gov/healtheligibility .
VA Sends Latest Gulf War Illness Report to IOM for Review
WASHINGTON
(Dec. 1, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has
sent the October 2008 report from the VA Research Advisory
Committee on
Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses to the National Academy of Sciences'
Institute of Medicine (IOM)
for review and recommendations.
The October report from the advisory committee identified potential
causes
for -- and asserted that research supports the existence of -- a
multi-symptom condition resulting from service in the
1990 - 1991 Gulf
War, which the committee identified as Gulf War Illness (GWI).
Because VA has traditionally
and by law relied upon IOM for independent
and credible reviews of the science behind these particular veterans'
health issues, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake has
asked IOM to review the advisory committee's
report before VA officially
responds to the report's conclusions.
"I appreciate the committee's
work on this report, and I am eager to see
the results of further independent study into their findings," Peake
said. "Of course, VA will continue to provide the care and benefits our
Gulf War veterans have earned through
their service, as we have for more
than a decade."
VA has long recognized conditions, granted benefits
and provided health
care to Gulf War veterans suffering from a broad range of symptoms, even
though these conditions
have not been scientifically recognized as a
specific disease or injury or GWI.
These include chronic fatigue,
persistent rashes, hair loss, headaches,
muscle pain, joint pain, neurologic symptoms, neuropsychological
symptoms
(such as memory loss), respiratory system symptoms, sleep
disturbances, gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiovascular symptoms,
abnormal weight loss and menstrual disorders.
New information concerning VBA Policy on Management of
Veterans' and other Governmental Paper Records
VBA Letter 20-08-63
Dated 14 Nov 2008
________________________
FYI UPDATE: VA RESPONDS TO SERVICE ORGS'
RECOMMENDATIONS
ON DOCUMENT HANDLING --
UPDATE: VA RESPONDS TO SERVICE ORGS'
RECOMMENDATIONS ON DOCUMENT HANDLING
--
VA developing policy that affords veterans the benefit
of the doubt as to whether they had a document
or evidence lost or improperly handled.
All stories regarding the VA's shredder and document
handling scandal can be found on this page... click here...
http://www. vawatchdog. org/VAshredderscandal. htm
See below:
by Larry Scott
On Wednesday,
November 5, 2008, officials of the Veterans' Benefits Administration (VBA) of the Department of Veterans' Affairs
(VA) met with leaders of a number of veterans' service organizations (VSOs).
The VSOs had made recommendations
to VBA about document handling, shredding and the general mess currently at VBA's Regional Offices (VAROs). All articles
about VA shredding and document handling are here...
Put on your reading glasses, because we have a number of documents.
1. List of recommendations and the VA response.
2. The draft of the VBA's new policy on
document handling. Original of #1 and #2 is here...
3. A letter from VA Secretary Peak to Senators regarding the
shredder scandal. Original of #3 is here...
Below is the list of recommendations and VA's response.
Recommendations from Meeting with Veterans Service Organizations
Recommendation 1: VA should
develop an informal process to accept late-flowing documents subject to a review board.
VA Response: The
Compensation and Pension Service is developing a policy for handling assertions from claimants and veterans' representatives
that a claim or evidence was submitted to the VA and not properly considered. The policy will provide for a relaxed evidentiary
burden for a limited period of time.
Recommendation 2: VA should conduct a stand-down to search for loose
documents.
VA Response: Procedures have been developed regarding the disposition and disposal of all documents
in VBA's custody. These procedures will include a search for loose documents.
Recommendation 3: VA should
research how other organizations have encountered similar incidents.
VA Response: VA is developing a policy
that is consistent with the law and regulations, yet affords veterans the benefit of the doubt as to whether they had a document
or evidence lost or improperly handled.
Recommendation 4: VA should expand the search for shred mail to the
Office of General Counsel (OGC) and the Board of Veterans Appeals (BVA).
VA Response: VBA has informed OGC
and BVA of this recommendation.
Recommendation 5: VA should consider notifying claimants of the evidence
in VA's possession prior to rendering a decision on their claim.
VA Response: VA does not concur with
this recommendation as the Rating Decision clearly lists the evidence considered in the decision. Further, claimants have
one year from the date of the VCAA notice to submit new evidence and they have one year from the date of the decision notification
letter to file a Notice of Disagreement. Both of these protections afford claimants an opportunity to ensure that all of the
evidence in support of their claim was considered.
Recommendation 6: Add a paragraph in the award notification
letter informing claimants that they should review the evidence considered in their Rating Decision.
VA Response:
Concur.
Recommendation 7: VA should inform claimants in the VCAA Notice letter that they should keep a copy
of claims and evidence submitted to VA in support of their claim.
VA Response: Concur in principle, however
VA is considering whether this poses an undue hardship on claimants.
Recommendation 8: Issue press release
informing claimants that they should review the evidence used to render a decision on their claim.
VA Response:
VA will issue a press release informing veterans about this incident and what they should do.
Recommendation
9: VA should develop a rights and responsibilities pamphlet.
VA Response: VA is exploring this recommendation.
Recommendation 10: VA should review Public Contact logs when attempting to corroborate a claimant's assertion
that they previously submitted a claim or evidence that was not considered.
VA Response: Concur.
Below is the draft of VBA's new policy on document handling.
DEPARTMENT
OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
Veterans Benefits Administration
Washington, D.C.
20420
November XX, 2008 DRAFT DRAFT
VBA Letter 20-09-XX
Director (00)
All Regional Offices and Centers
SUBJ: VBA Policy on Management
of Veterans' Paper Records 1.
Purpose
This letter establishes additional policies for the maintenance,
review, and appropriate destruction of veterans' paper records located in all VBA facilities and worksites, including
VBA Headquarters facilities, all regional offices and centers, outbased sites, and briefing locations, as well as for approved
work-at-home or telecommuting sites. These policies are for immediate implementation.
The moratorium on shredding
remains in place at each facility/work site until the regional office director certifies to his/her area director that the
policies outlined in this letter have been fully implemented.
Directors will ensure all VBA employees, contractors,
co-located employees of other federal and state agencies (e.g., DOL employees), volunteers, and veterans service organization
(VSO) staff located within their facilities and under their areas of organizational responsibility receive a copy of this
policy letter and fully implement it.
2.
New Positions/Responsibilities
Two new positions
are established to ensure the appropriate management and safeguarding of veterans' records as follows:
a. Records
Management Officers (RMOs) will be responsible for overseeing all programs established for the management of veterans'
records. Enclosure 1 is the standardized RMO position description. Further description of RMO duties and responsibilities
is provided in enclosure 2. Directors will immediately designate a full-time Acting Records Management Officer pending hiring
a permanent RMO. Requests to establish more than one RMO must be approved by your area director. Also, small offices must
receive approval from their area director if they propose to establish the RMO position as less than full-time. The Associate
Deputy Under Secretary for Management will determine the appropriate number of RMOs for the Headquarters organization.
b. Division Records Management Officers (DRMOs) will be designated by directors through delegations of authority.
DRMO duties will be collateral. It is recommended that one DRMO be designated for every 15 employees in the division. The
director will determine the appropriate number of DRMOs at a regional office or other VBA facility to fully carry out the
DRMO responsibilities. Further description of DRMO duties and responsibilities is provided in enclosure 3. All Headquarters
Service and Staff Office Directors will designate the appropriate number of DRMOs for their organization.
3.
Document Destruction Policy for All VBA Benefit Programs
a.
Individual Employee Shredding Envelopes
Each employee will be given a red Optional Form 65 (OF65) envelope that will be used as a "shredding envelope."
The envelope will be labeled with the employee's name. Regional offices are to purchase sufficient quantities of red OF65
envelopes for all employees under their jurisdiction. Envelopes shall be either the 10X13 or 12X16 size.
b.
Documents Requiring Two Signatures
Documents identified for destruction that could potentially affect benefit
entitlement require the employee's signature, as well as the signature of the employee's supervisor, before they can
be destroyed. These documents would under most circumstances be duplicates of documents already of record in the claims file.
Documents requiring two signatures before destruction include all application forms, as well as supporting evidence
submitted by the claimant or the claimant's representative, all evidence received from third parties in support of a claim,
and other VA claims records (e.g., Capri records, copies of medical examinations, etc.). Additionally, all computer-generated
writeouts that could potentially result in an adjustment to a veteran's or other beneficiary's award must have two
signatures before destruction.
The following steps will be taken when employees identify claims-related documents
for destruction meeting the above criteria:
1. Documents will be bundled by beneficiary name.
2. Employee
will initial, date, and annotate the reason for destruction, (e.g., "duplicate record").
3. Employee
will hand carry the document, along with the claims folder (if needed to determine the appropriateness of the destruction)
to his/her supervisor for review and approval.
4. Supervisor will review and, if destruction is approved, initial
and date the document· If destruction is determined inappropriate, the supervisor will provide additional records management
training to the employee.
5. The employee will place the document(s) in the red OF65 envelope.
Each
day (or other frequency as determined appropriate by the
director) the OF65 envelope will be hand carried to the Division
Records Management Officer (DRMO).
6.
The DRMO will review the envelop for appropriateness of destruction
and forward appropriate materials in the envelop to the RMO.
7. The RMO will place the materials in the shredding
bin, as appropriate.
c.
Internally Generated Papers Not Requiring Signature
Screen or award
prints and other system-generated prints and work papers that are not appropriate for inclusion in the claims record must
be placed in the OF65 shred envelope. It is not required that these be initialed or dated, but they are subject to review
by the DRMO and the RMO and must be shredded.
d.
All Other Paper in Employees' Work Environment
In order to effectively control and manage the document destruction process, all paper in VBA employees' work
environment, even if it does not contain any PII and it is not related to any specific claim, will be placed in the OF65 for
shredding. There will be no separate recycling bins for paper. Papers will not be placed in trash receptacles. All paper must
be shredded and then recycled as appropriate.
4.
Procedures for Outbased Locations and Work-at-Home
Employees
Outbased locations are authorized to have shredders that comply with VA standards. Staff members at these
locations are required to follow the same document-destruction procedures outlined in paragraph 3 above. Local supervisors
must be the designated DRMO and the officer-in-charge the RMO.
Outbased locations staffed by only non-supervisory
employees and work-at-home employees are not authorized to destroy any paper documents. Claims-related documents must be initialed
and dated by the employee and annotated with reason for destruction. All paper must be brought to the regional office or sent
to the regional office via Federal Express on a regular schedule for review and disposition by the Records Management Officer.
5.
Guidance on Method of Shredding
Paper recycle bins are no longer authorized at VBA facilities.
All paper will first be shredded, and then recycled as appropriate.
The use of shredding service contracts
is preferred unless a contract is not available or it is operationally inefficient to use a contract due to special local
conditions. If a shredding service contract is used to dispose of VA documents, the facility Records Management Officer must
witness the destruction. Material should not be transported away from the VA office before destruction. The destruction of
restricted records must be completed by pulping, macerating, shredding, or otherwise definitively destroying the information
contained in the records.
Access to shredders, shredder bins, or other methods of document destruction will
be strictly controlled and limited to senior management, RMOs, and DRMOs at all VBA locations. Shredders and shredder bins
are to be kept secure with locks or in locked rooms.
6.
How to Handle Destruction of Sensitive Materials
Sensitive records maintained by supervisors, human resources, union representatives, and veterans service organizations
should be delivered directly to the RMO in a sealed envelop, with the source and type of documents clearly identified on the
outside, and signed by the appropriate official.
7.
Maintenance of Government Records in the Workplace
All official claims folders and claims-related documents must be stored in open areas on desks, in clearly marked
claims file banks, or unlocked file drawers specifically provided to employees for storage of cases under their jurisdiction.
Enclosures 4 and 5 provide more detailed guidance and also provide guidance for employees working at home, employees engaged
in outreach activities where claims or evidence is received and employees engaged in off-site activities.
Supervisors
are responsible to ensure adherence to all aspects of this policy, to include inspection of employee work stations.
8.
VA National Rules of Behavior
VA Handbook 6500, Appendix G, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
National .Rules of Behavior, dated September 18, 2007, must be signed annually. The Rules of Behavior (ROB) establish responsibilities
and expected behavior of all employees regarding the appropriate use and protection of information that is used to support
VA's missions and functions. These guidelines also state clearly the consequences of behavior that is not consistent with
these rules of behavior.
All employees must sign the VA National Rules of Behavior (see enclosure 6) . The
employee must initial and date each page of the ROB, complete the information requested on the last page, sign and date it,
and return to their supervisor by November 7, 2008.
9.
Questions
Questions may be directed
to the Associate Deputy Under Secretary for Management or to your area director.
P. W.
Dunne
Under
Secretary for Benefits
And, below is VA Secretary Peake's letter to Senators about the shredder
/ document problems at VBA.
THE SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
WASHINGTON
October 31,
2008
United States Senate Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator
I am writing to advise you of the actions
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is taking to address the Office of Inspector General's (OIG's) findings that
veterans' claims documents had been improperly identified by VA regional offices for shredding. This problem was uncovered
by the OIG during an audit to determine if the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) regional offices have effective controls
for the accurate and timely processing of claims-related mail. VA regional offices receive approximately 25 million claims-related
documents through the mail every year.
The OIG audited four regional offices (Detroit, St. Louis, St. Petersburg,
and Waco) and discovered documents had been inappropriately placed in the shred bins, affecting between two and five veterans
at each office. VBA immediately ceased all shredding activities while a nationwide review was conducted of all documents in
shred bins. Approximately 500 documents that could potentially affect a claimant's entitlement to benefits were found
improperly placed in shred bins at various regional offices. These regional offices are taking appropriate action on all of
the documents found.
I am deeply concerned that improper actions by VA employees could have caused any veterans
to receive less than their full entitlement to the benefits they earned through their service to our Nation. I have directed
that immediate action be taken to address this most serious issue. Document shredding will not be resumed until we ensure
measures are in place to prevent future incidents of employees inappropriately discarding veterans' paperwork.
Our action plan includes establishment of a special Records Control Team that is currently meeting to strengthen our
policies and procedures for the protection of veterans' records and the proper handling and disposal of documents. Our
new procedures will require employees to date and initial all claims-related documents they have determined are appropriate
for shredding. Employees will forward all claims documents identified for shredding to their supervisor for approval.
This
two-person review and approval process will be required prior to the destruction of any claims document·
Employees
will maintain all documents to be shredded in a special receptacle, which will be open to spot checks by their supervisor.
We also are creating a Records Control Officer at every regional office to strengthen oversight of all records management
and disposal activities. Reviews of documents identified for shredding will be integrated into the site visits performed by
Headquarters program offices and area offices. Regional offices will also be subject to unannounced site visits.
Special training is being conducted this week on the proper handling and disposal of documents. The training emphasizes
every employee's responsibility for protecting the documents and records entrusted to our care by those we serve. Directors
are required to certify to their Area Director that all employees completed the training by November 3, 2008. Additionally,
a separate training module on ethics will be developed and administered in November.
A workgroup convened
this week to determine how to handle, in the fairest manner possible, the claims from veterans and their families who may
have been affected by inappropriate destruction of documents. This workgroup will confer with the veterans service organizations,
with whom we have already been in dialog, and our oversight committees in Congress before finalizing our policy.
The OIG is continuing its investigation of those cases where inappropriate shredding may be traceable to a specific
employee or employees. I assure you that legal and disciplinary action will be pursued to hold accountable any employee who
has acted improperly.
VBA briefed the majority and minority staff members of both the Senate and House Veterans'
Affairs Committees on this situation. A briefing has been also provided to the six largest veterans service organizations.
We will continue to frequently update you and the other members of our oversight committees, as well as our other stakeholders,
on our ongoing actions to ensure we are fulfilling our obligations to protect and serve our Nation's veterans.
The shredding of documents that affect the benefits of veterans cannot be excused. As I have testified, we must move
rapidly to the paperless processing of claims. There is no excuse for failing to leverage industry standards and technology
in support of our veterans.
Sincerely yours,
James B.
Peake,
NVS Weekly Updates – October 31, 2008 Fast Letter 08-34, 10/10/2008. Revised Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Worksheet, Effective immediately, a revised TBI disability examination worksheet is
available for national use. Fast
Letter 08-33, 10/10/2008, Updated Audio Compensation and Pension Examination Worksheet. As a result of the Martinak v. Nicholson
decision, the requirement for the audiologist to comment on the effects of the condition on occupational functioning and daily
activities has been reinstated. It replaces the requirement for the audiologist to comment on the situation of greatest
difficulty. In addition the questions for tinnitus have been revised to clarify what is required. Fast
Letter 08-32, 10/8/2008, Agent Orange Outreach Letter
An outreach letter is being sent to approximately 28,000 Vietnam veterans. This letter
provides information about the presumptive conditions for "in-country" Vietnam veterans. The letter lists
the presumptive conditions and provides information on how to apply for compensation and/or pension benefits. This outreach
campaign will result in additional compensation claims from Vietnam veterans as well as increased inquiries on the topic of
Agent Orange. Rescinds Fast Letter 01-100, Call Up and Identification
of Cases of Gulf War Veterans with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)/Lou Gehrig's Disease, dated December 19, 2001. An interim final rulemaking establishing a presumption of service connection
for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for any veteran who develops the disease at any time after separation from service
was published in the Federal Register on September 23, 2008 at 73 FR 54691. This rulemaking is necessary to implement
a decision by the Secretary to establish such a presumption based primarily on a November 2006 report by the National Academy
of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the association between active service and ALS. ALSO ATTACHED IS THE LATEST INFO ON TBI AND SCARS RATING. PLEASE
READ!!! 38 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Part 3 Changes New pages to Part 3 of 38 CFR can be found at: http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOOKb/supple-b-82.pdf These changes should be reviewed as they will have a direct
impact on processing future claims. 38 Code of Federal Regulations
(CFR) Part 4 Changes New pages to the Rating Schedule may be found at: http://www.warms.vba.va.gov/regs/38CFR/BOOKc/supple-c-45.pdf These changes reflect changes in the Rating Schedule as to Diagnostic
Codes and rating percentages. This Update is a service provided by the National Veterans Service of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
It is intended as a summary of items of potential interest to and use by Department Service Officers and their staff.
Readers are encouraged to thoroughly review the original documents which are the source of items found in this Update.
Release No. 10-14-08 Oct. 30, 2008 DOD announces 2009 retired, annuitant pay
adjustments WASHINGTON
(AFRNS) -- Based on the increase in the U.S. Consumer Price Index, there will be a cost-of-living adjustment increase for
retired pay and Survivor Benefit Plan annuities effective Dec. 1, according to Pentagon officials. Retirees being paid on an account where the retiree
first became a member of the uniformed services before Sept. 8, 1980 and retired before Jan. 1, 2008 will receive the full
COLA increase of 5.8 percent. Retirees being paid on an account where the retiree first became a member of the uniformed
services before Sept. 8, 1980 and retired Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2008 will receive a COLA increase of up to 5 percent. The COLA increase for retirees being paid on an account
where the retiree first became a member of the uniformed services on or after Sept. 8, 1980 will be as follows: -- 5.8 percent for those retiring before Jan.
1, 2008 -- 5 percent
for those retiring in the first quarter of calendar 2008 -- 3.8 percent for those retiring in the second quarter of calendar 2008 -- 1.2 percent for those retiring in the third
quarter of calendar 2008 --
No increase for those retiring in the fourth quarter of calendar 2008 Retirees who first became a member of the uniformed services on or after Aug.
1, 1986, elected to receive a Career Status Bonus, and retired before Jan. 1, 2008, will receive a COLA as follows: -- 4.8 percent for those retiring before Jan.
1, 2008 -- 4.2 percent
for those retiring in the first quarter of calendar 2008 -- 3.3 percent for those retiring in the second quarter of calendar 2008 -- 1 percent increase for those retiring in
the third quarter of calendar 2008 -- No increase for those retiring in the fourth quarter of calendar 2008 The COLA increase will be reflected in the Jan. 2 payment.
For more information, contact
the Defense Finance and Accounting Service at (800) 321-1080, or visit the DFAS Web site at www.dfas.mil/index.html.
New Law Authorizes Veterans' Salutes during National Anthem
WASHINGTON (Oct. 30, 2008) -- Veterans and active-duty military not in
uniform can now render the military-style
hand salute during the playing
of the national anthem, thanks to changes in federal law that took
effect this month.
"The military salute is a unique gesture of respect that marks those who
have served in our nation's
armed forces," said Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "This provision allows the application
of
that honor in all events involving our nation's flag."
The new provision improves upon a little
known change in federal law
last year that authorized veterans to render the military-style hand
salute during the
raising, lowering or passing of the flag, but it did
not address salutes during the national anthem. Last year's
provision
also applied to members of the armed forces while not in uniform.
Traditionally, members of the
nation's veterans service organizations
have rendered the hand-salute during the national anthem and at events
involving the national flag while wearing their organization's official
head-gear.
The most recent
change, authorizing hand-salutes during the national
anthem by veterans and out-of-uniform military personnel, was sponsored
by Sen. Jim Inhofe of Oklahoma, an Army veteran. It was included in the
Defense Authorization Act of 2009, which
President Bush signed on Oct.
14.
The earlier provision authorizing hand-salutes for veterans and
out-of-uniform military personnel during the raising, lowering or
passing of the flag, was contained in the National
Defense Authorization
Act of 2008, which took effect Jan. 28, 2008.
NVS Weekly Updates – October
29, 2008 New VA
Home Loan Guaranty Provisions On October 10, 2008, the
President signed S. 3023, the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. Following are the three major impacts to the
VA Home Loan Guaranty Program:
1. Authority to guarantee adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) and hybrid adjustable
rate mortgages (HARMs) has been extended through September 30, 2012.
2. The maximum guaranty for cash-out refinance
loans has been made the same as purchase loans - they are no longer limited to $36,000. In addition, cash-out refinance loans
may now be made up to 100% of the appraised value of the home.
3. The temporary increase to the maximum guaranty
has been extended through December 31, 2011. When combined with new locality-based Freddie Mac conforming loan limit in January
2009, VA's maximum county “loan limit” will be $1,094,625 ($1,641,937.50 in Alaska, Guam, Hawaii, and the
Virgin Islands). This results in unique county "loan limits" for VA. Note: The significance of number 2, above, is that veterans with adjustable rate (and other) mortgages may
be able to refinance through the VA for the first time with no money down. VA Issues Interim Final Rule on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Effective October 29, 2008, VA eliminated the requirement that in-service stressors must be verified
in cases where a diagnosis of PTSD was made during service. This amendment is necessary to facilitate
the proof of service connection in such claims. By this amendment, VA intends to reduce claim-processing time for such claims. More information on this interim rule may be found at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-25735.htm. Loss of Control Puts Vets Documents at Risk VA's inspector general initiated an investigation in October after discovering more than 10 veterans’
documents in shredder room bins at VA regional offices in Detroit, St. Louis, St. Petersburg, FL, and Waco, TX. VA ordered
an immediate freeze on further document shredding while its officials tried to determine if the problem was more widespread.
It was. On October 23, VA told VFW that nearly 490 documents
had been recovered from its 57 regional offices. Sixty percent of the documents recovered were found in shredder bins in Columbia,
SC, St. Louis and Cleveland. VA is still checking to see if some of those documents were duplicates already present
in claims files. Note: VFW is working
with VA to ensure that veterans with missing records are not adversely effected by this problem. Suggest to veterans
that they: ·
Submit all claims and evidence through your office; · Keep copies of all claims and evidence they submit directly to VA; · Note dates
documents were mailed to VA ·
Let you know if they hear nothing from VA within 45 days of filing a claim with
VA since VA should acknowledge all claims within 30 days. Security
of Claimant Information Regional Office and the VFW Policy and Procedure
clearly state that information concerning a claimant may not be released to another person or organization without the express
written authorization of the claimant. This means that VFW service
officers, claims consultants and staff may not provide any individually identifiable information to a county or state service
officer without the claimant’s express written consent. This Update is a service provided by the National Veterans Service of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
It is intended as a summary of items of potential interest to and use by Department Service Officers and their staff.
Readers are encouraged to thoroughly review the original documents which are the source of items found in this Update.
COLA boost higher than pay raise
With inflation running at a rate of 5.4 percent a year, military retirees and disabled
veterans are getting a 5.8 percent pay increase — while active-duty service members and reservists are getting a 3.9
percent pay increase. Although current service members may feel cheated, there’s really nothing wrong with this
picture. The two annual increases became set for the end of the year after two events that came just days apart: •
President Bush signed the 2009 Defense Authorization Act on Oct. 14 that includes the 3.9 percent pay increase, an amount
that would have been 3.4 percent if Congress had not backed a bigger increase than what the White House originally proposed. The
3.9 percent military raise, which applies to basic pay and drill pay, takes effect on Jan. 1 and should first appear in mid-January
paychecks. • Two days later, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics announced the September results
of its monthly survey of the cost of goods and services that allowed the calculation of the automatic cost-of-living adjustment
in military and federal civilian retired pay, military survivor benefits and Social Security. The 5.8 percent retiree
COLA is based on a comparison of consumer prices in the third quarter of the fiscal year — July, August and September
— to the third quarter of the previous fiscal year. Veterans’ disability pay, dependency and indemnity compensation
for survivors, and pensions for low-income veterans, don’t automatically increase each year, but Congress traditionally
orders that these veterans’ benefits increase by the same amount. The 5.8 percent increase takes effect on Dec. 1, and
first appears in Jan. 1 checks. The fact that current and former service members are not getting the same increase should
come as no surprise, said retired Air Force Col. Steve Strobridge of the Military Officers Association of America, a former
director of compensation for the Air Force. “The pay raise and the retiree COLA are based on different things,
and it would be unbelievably rare for them to be the same,” Strobridge said. In fact, over the last 40 years,
the two amounts have never been the same. Pay raises since the start of the all-volunteer force in 1971 have been designed
to keep military wages competitive with the private sector, he said. The federal government skimped on raises in 1980s and
’90s, which some military advocates say allowed a gap to grow between military and private-sector raises that peaked
at 13.5 percent in 1999. The pay gap has been shrinking since 2000 because annual military raises have been slightly larger
than private-sector increases. The pay gap today is 3.4 percent, and it will fall to 2.9 percent after the Jan. 1 raise. Retired
pay increases have a different purpose, Strobridge said. “The idea here is to protect the value of retired pay so the
purchasing power of your check remains the same as it was on the day you retired,” he said. Big COLAs —
and the 5.8 percent hike is the biggest since 1982 — are not necessarily good news, Strobridge said. “When
people get big COLAs, they are getting them because there have been big increases in prices,” he said. “Since
most military retirees do not live on their retirement check alone, that means they are not fully protected.” Anticipating
complaints from active-duty service members that they are being cheated by getting a smaller raise, Strobridge said the two
different formulas generally work out fine for both groups. “One is bigger one year, the next is bigger another
year,” he said. Since 1970, military raises have outpaced retirement COLAs 23 out of 40 times, including in seven
of the last 10 years. But retiree COLAs have been larger than military raises in three of the last four years, he said.
Enhanced VA Mortgage Options Now Available for Veterans
Of Potential Benefit to Those in Financial Distress
WASHINGTON (Oct.24) -- Veterans with conventional
home loans now have
new options for refinancing to a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
guaranteed home loan.
These new options are available as a result of
the Veterans' Benefits Improvement Act of 2008, which the President
signed into law on October 10, 2008.
"These changes will allow VA to assist a substantial number
of veterans
with subprime mortgages refinance into a safer, more affordable, VA
guaranteed loan," said Secretary
of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake.
"Veterans in financial distress due to high rate subprime mortgages are
potentially the greatest beneficiaries."
VA has never guaranteed subprime loans. However,
as a result of the new
law VA can now help many more veterans who currently have subprime
loans.
The new law makes changes to VA's home loan refinancing program.
Veterans who wish to refinance their subprime
or conventional mortgage
may now do so for up to 100 percent of the value of the property. These
types of
loans were previously limited to 90 percent of the value.
Additionally, Congress raised VA's
maximum loan amount for these types
of refinancing loans. Previously, these refinancing loans were capped
at
$144,000. With the new legislation, such loans may be made up to
$729,750 depending on where the property is located.
Increasing the loan-to-value ratio and raising the maximum loan amount
will allow more qualified
veterans to refinance through VA, allowing for
savings on interest costs or even potentially avoiding foreclosure.
Originally set to expire at the end of this month, VA's authority to
guaranty Adjustable Rate
Mortgages (ARMs) and Hybrid ARMs was also
extended under this new law through September 30, 2012. Unlike
conventional
ARMs and hybrid ARMs, VA limits interest rate increases on
these loans from year to year, as well as over the life of
the loans.
Since 1944, when home loan guaranties were offered with the original GI
Bill, VA has guaranteed
more than 18 million home loans worth over $911
billion. This year, about 180,000 veterans, active duty servicemembers,
and survivors received loans valued at about $36 billion.
For more information, or to obtain help
from a VA Loan Specialist,
veterans may call VA at 1-877-827-3702 or visit www.homeloans.va.gov
<http://www.homeloans.va.gov/> .
VA Announces "In House" Option to Implement IT Aspects of New GI
Bill
WASHINGTON (Oct. 10, 2008) -- The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced today that it will rely
upon its own workforce to set up the
information technology programs needed to implement the educational
benefits
of the new Post-9/11 GI Bill.
The Department's announcement came after VA officials did not receive
enough
proposals from qualified private-sector contractors to create an
information technology program that implements the new
benefit. At no
time did VA consider contracting out responsibility for actually
administering this educational
assistance.
"Many private contractors were apparently reluctant to offer proposals
because of external
misconceptions as to the scope of the work involved.
While it is unfortunate that we will not have the technical expertise
from the private sector available to assist us in developing the
information technology solution, the VA can and will
deliver the
benefits program on time," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James
B. Peake.
"The
Post-9/11 GI Bill is unusually complex, with payments being
tailored to tuition costs and going to both students and
educational
institutions," said Patrick W. Dunne, the Under Secretary for Benefits.
"Some benefits are
determined by a school's zip code, and others by
in-state rates for tuition."
Dunne said the Department
would have been remiss if it had failed to
assess the ability of the private sector to assist VA to set up the
technology
aspects of the program's implementation.
The Post-9/11 GI Bill will provide educational assistance to veterans,
military members, reservists and National Guard members who have served
since Sept. 11, 2001. By law, the new
benefits are scheduled to start
on Aug. 1, 2009.
VA Secretary Establishes ALS as a Presumptive Compensable Illness
Cites Association between Military Service and Later
Development of ALS
WASHINGTON (Sept. 23, 2008) - Veterans with amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS) may receive
badly-needed support for themselves and
their families after the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced
today
that ALS will become a presumptively compensable illness for all
veterans with 90 days or more of continuously active
service in the
military.
"Veterans are developing ALS in rates higher than the general
population,
and it was appropriate to take action," Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake said.
Secretary
Peake based his decision primarily on a November 2006 report
by the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine
(IOM) on the
association between active-duty service and ALS.
"We are extremely grateful to Secretary
Peake, Congressman Henry Brown
and Senator Lindsey Graham for standing on the side of veterans with ALS
across the
country," said Gary Leo, president and CEO of The ALS
Association. "Thanks to their leadership, veterans with
ALS will receive
the benefits and care they need, when they need them. Thanks to their
efforts, no veteran
with ALS will ever be left behind."
The report, titled Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Veterans: Review
of
the Scientific Literature, analyzed numerous previous studies on the
issue and concluded that "there is
limited and suggestive evidence of an
association between military service and later development of ALS."
"ALS is a disease that progresses rapidly, once it is diagnosed," the
Secretary explained.
"There simply isn't time to develop the evidence
needed to support compensation claims before many veterans
become
seriously ill. My decision will make those claims much easier to
process, and for them and their families
to receive the compensation
they have earned through their service to our nation."
ALS, also called Lou
Gehrig's disease, is a neuromuscular disease that
affects about 20,000 to 30,000 people of all races and ethnicities
in
the United States, is often relentlessly progressive, and is almost
always fatal.
ALS causes
degeneration of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that
leads to muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, and spontaneous
muscle
activity. Currently, the cause of ALS is unknown, and there is no
effective treatment.
The
new interim final regulation applies to all applications for
benefits received by VA on or after September 23, 2008,
or that are
pending before VA, the United States Court of Appeals for Veterans
Claims, or the United States Court
of Appeals for the Federal Circuit on
that date.
VA will work to identify and contact veterans with ALS, including
those
whose claims for ALS were previously denied, through direct mailings and
other outreach programs.
To view the entire regulation published in the Federal Register today,
go to: www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2008-21998_PI.pdf. For
more information on VA's disability compensation program, go to
www.va.gov or contact 1-800-827-1000.
NVS Weekly Updates – Sep 24, 2008 VA
Publishes Interim Rule on Presumption of Service Connection for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Federal Register, September 23, 2008 (Volume 73,
Number 185 – FR Doc E8-21998) published the interim final rule to establish a presumption of service connection for
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This document amends the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA)adjudication regulations to establish a presumption of service connection for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
(ALS) for any veteran who develops the disease at any time after separation from service. This amendment is necessary to implement
a decision by the Secretary to establish such a presumption based primarily on a November 2006 report by the National Academy
of Sciences Institute of Medicine (IOM) on the association
between active service and ALS. You are encouraged to read the entire document
at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-21998.htm. VA Publishes Final Rule on Schedule for Rating Disabilities; Evaluation
of Scars Federal Register, September 23, 2008 (Volume 73,
Number 185 – FR Doc E8-21980) published the final rule on schedule for rating disabilities; evaluation of scars.
This amendment shall apply to all applications for benefits received by VA on or after October 23, 2008. A veteran whom VA
rated before such date under diagnostic codes 7800, 7801, 7802, 7803, 7804, or 7805 of 38 CFR 4.118 may request review under
these clarified criteria, irrespective of whether his or her disability has worsened since the last review. The effective
date of any award, or any increase in disability compensation, based on this amendment will not be earlier than the effective
date of this rule, but will otherwise be assigned under the current regulations regarding effective dates, 38 CFR 3.400, etc. You are encouraged to read the entire document at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-21980.htm. VA Publishes Final Rule on Schedule for Rating Disabilities; Evaluation
of Residuals of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Federal Register, September 23, 2008 (Volume 73,
Number 185 – FR Doc E8-22083) published the final rule on schedule for rating disabilities; evaluation of residuals
of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). The amendment shall apply to all applications for benefits received by VA on or after
October 23, 2008. The old criteria will apply to applications received by VA before that date. However, a veteran whose
residuals of TBI were rated by VA under a prior version of 38 CFR 4.124a, diagnostic code 8045, will be permitted to request
review under the new criteria, irrespective of whether his or her disability has worsened since the last review or whether
VA receives any additional evidence. The effective date of any increase in disability compensation based solely on the new
criteria would be no earlier than the effective date of the new criteria. The effective date of any award, or any increase
in disability compensation, based solely on these new rating criteria will not be earlier than the effective date of this
rule, but will otherwise be assigned under the current regulations governing effective dates, 38 CFR 3.400, etc. The rate
of disability compensation will not be reduced based solely on these new rating criteria. You are encouraged to read the entire document at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-22083.htm. NOTE: Attached is a news release from the Department of Veterans affairs (VA)
concerning the above Federal Register articles Information on Dependents Indemnity Compensation
(DIC)Benefits One
of our fellow service officers shared an interesting situation in a widow’s claim that had VACO concurrence. The
veteran had a total disability rating for more than 10 years but died as a result of a nicotine-related disorder. Normally,
the issue of cause of death would bar payment under the provisions of 38 CFR 3.300. However, the widow was found entitled
to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. 1318. In such a case, the relevant
fact is the total disability in existence for 10 years or more and not the cause of death. Provided there is no obvious
misconduct, the Compensation and Pension Service stated the plain language in 38 U.S.C. 1318 supports the recognition of entitlement
to DIC benefits. The DIC is payable regardless of the existing SC condition or the cause of death. If you have
any questions on this matter, you may contact Rick Hirst, NVS Manager of Training and Quality Assurance, at (202) 608-8368
or rhirst@vfw.org. This Update is a service provided by the National Veterans Service
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. It is intended as a summary of items of potential interest to and use by Department
Service Officers and their staff. Readers are encouraged to thoroughly review the original documents which are the source
of items found in this Update.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September
23, 2008 VA Announces Changes to the Disability Rating Schedule for Traumatic Brain Injuries
and Burn ScarsIncreased Compensation Possible for
Some Veterans WASHINGTON – The
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) today announced changes in the way VA will evaluate traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and
burn scars for purposes of determining the appropriate level of compensation veterans receive for these injuries. “These important regulatory changes will allow VA decision makers to better assess the consequences
of these injuries and ensure veterans are properly compensated for their residual effects,” stated Secretary of Veterans
Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. VA has revised the Disability Rating Schedule in light of current scientific
and medical knowledge in order to provide VA employees with more detailed and up-to-date criteria for evaluating and compensating
veterans with these injuries. Two groups of veterans may be affected by these changes. The
first group includes veterans who will be awarded disability compensation for TBI and burn injuries in the future. The
second group includes veterans already receiving compensation for these injuries whose disabilities are reevaluated under
the new criteria. The effects of blast injuries resulting from roadside explosions of improvised
explosive devices have been common sources of injury in the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan and appear to be somewhat different
from the effects of trauma seen from other sources of injury. As
of September 2008, there are more than 22,000 veterans being compensated for TBI, of whom more than 5,800 are veterans of
the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Traumatic brain injuries result in
immediate effects such as loss or alteration of consciousness, amnesia and sometimes neurological impairments.
These abnormalities may all be transient, but more prolonged or even permanent problems
with a wide range of impairment in such areas as physical, mental, and emotional/behavioral functioning may occur. More than 90 percent of combat-related TBIs are closed head injuries, with most servicemembers sustaining a mild TBI
or concussion. Difficulties after TBI may include headache, sleep difficulties, decreased memory and attention,
slower thinking, irritability, and depression. To view the entire regulation published today in the Federal
Register, go to: www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2008-22083_PI.pdf. For more information about VA disability compensation, go to www.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000.
VA Loans Remain a Strong Option for Veterans September 19, 2008
Agency Sees Significant Increase in
Loan Volume over Past Year WASHINGTON – More servicemembers and veterans are using their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
home loan guaranty benefit, as VA’s loan program remains a strong option in today’s housing market. VA is experiencing a significant increase in home loan volume, with more than 162,000
home loan guaranties provided this year, an increase of more than 31 percent over the same period last year. “VA attributes this increase to the favorable terms traditionally offered with
VA loans and the elimination of many no-downpayment products in the conventional mortgage market,” said Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. No-downpayment loans are
increasingly difficult to obtain with conventional financing. Under recently enacted legislation, VA now uses a
locality-based approach in determining ceilings on its no-downpayment home loans. VA no-downpayment loans are available
for as much as $729,000. Larger VA loans may be obtained with relatively small down payments. Not only is the VA program one of the few remaining no-downpayment programs in the market
today, but lenders and veterans using the program are finding that it provides a timely and user-friendly product. Focus in recent years on improvements in information technology has helped streamline
the loan process and has made the program more accessible. Veterans no longer need to obtain a VA Certificate
of Eligibility prior to contacting a lender. Lenders
can access the program’s web portal to use VA’s online Automated Certificate of Eligibility (ACE) system and obtain
the certificate for the veteran. Many times, lenders can receive the certificate within seconds. VA lenders have the authority to process and approve veterans’ loan applications.
Lenders can order appraisals online, review and determine the appraised value of the property themselves, electronically submit
the information VA needs to process a loan guaranty, and then receive the guaranty electronically within 24 hours. VA’s is also revolutionizing its loan servicing activity through implementation
of a new web-enabled and rules-based ‘smart’ system called VALERI (VA Loan Electronic Reporting Interface). Standardized
servicing criteria on par or ahead of industry norms and instant access to acquisition and claim payment status make it easier
for servicers to work and communicate with VA. It also allows servicers to help veterans who are experiencing financial
difficulty avoid foreclosure. VA-guaranteed home loans are made to
eligible veterans, servicemembers, and surviving spouses through private mortgage lenders throughout the United States.
Since 1944, when home loan guaranties were first offered with the original GI Bill, VA has guaranteed more than 18 million
home loans worth over $965 billion. Last year, about
135,000 veterans, servicemembers and surviving spouses received loans valued at nearly $24 billion. More than 90
percent of VA loans were made without any down payment. To obtain
more information about the VA Loan Guaranty Program, veterans can call VA at 1-877-827-3702. Information can also
be obtained at www.homeloans.va.gov.
VFW
WASHINGTON WEEKLY
July 25, 2008 In This Issue
1. Guard/Reserve Access to VA
2.
Agent Orange Bill
1. Guard/Reserve Access to VA: The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee
held an oversight hearing this week on Guard and Reserve access to VA benefits. The hearing focused on a recent VA audit report
on outreach and transition assistance programs to veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. According to the IG report
- entitled "VBA: Transition Assistance for Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom Service Members and Veterans" -
VA is not meeting its obligation to inform new veterans of the benefits they may have earned, and more than half of those
left out are Guard and Reserve veterans. Committee Chairman Daniel Akaka (D-HI) relayed his concerns to the VA panel and other
witnesses, and asked them to look into why Guard and Reserve members are not receiving the same level of support from VA.
Panelist Sgt. Roy Meredith, Maryland National Guard, offered his personal insight and told senators that to be effective in
providing Guard and Reservists with information and access to their benefits; a formal and defined program with proper oversight
at the state level is critical.
A copy of the IG report is at http://www.va.gov/oig/52/reports/2008/VAOIG-06-03552-169.pdf
Hearing information is at http://veterans.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?pageid=16&release_id=11732&view=all
2. Agent Orange Bill: VFW attended a Wednesday press conference held by House Veterans Affairs' Committee
Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA). The press event introduced VFW-supported legislation HR 6562, "The Agent Orange Equity Act
of 2008." The bill would clarify the laws related to VA benefits provided to Vietnam War veterans suffering from Agent
Orange exposure. Currently, VA requires Vietnam veterans to prove "foot on land" in order to qualify for the presumptions
of service-connection for herbicide-exposure related illnesses. If enacted, this bill will make it easier for VA to process
Vietnam War veterans' claims for service-connected conditions that scientists have linked to toxic exposures during the
Vietnam War. It will also provide coverage and compensation to "Blue Water Navy" veterans and those who flew within
Vietnamese airspace.
For more, go to http://veterans.house.gov/news/PRArticle.aspx?NewsID=288
NVS
WEEKLY UPDATES – July 23, 2008 No Presumption of Service Connection
for Gulf War Veterans Exposed to Sarin In
the Federal Register, July 21, 2008 (Volume 73, Number 140), the Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has
determined that there is no basis to establish a presumption of service connection for any of the diseases, illnesses, or
health effects discussed in the August 2004 report of the National Academy of Sciences, titled ``Gulf War and Health: Updated
Literature Review of Sarin,'' based on exposure to sarin during service in the Persian Gulf during the Persian Gulf
War. You can find more information at: http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/E8-16525.htm. VA/DFAS Retro Payment Update Tens of thousands
of veterans may not have been paid money owed them by the government because of hasty efforts to clear a massive backlog of
claims. In mid-2006, DFAS had hired Lockheed Martin to help it work through the long list of cases. The government identified
some 133,000 veterans who were eligible for money through its "VA Retro" program. The list quickly grew by another
84,000 names because newly retired veterans or those with a changed disability status were being added. Officials finally
cleared the backlog this summer, several months after the original deadline. According to a House of Representatives
investigation, officials reached their goal only after lowering their standards. DFAS, the Pentagon's accounting arm,
was concerned about the number of errors in Lockheed Martin's work, but eventually suspended quality control procedures
to prevent further program delays. A
reminder that anyone who has been denied a Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC) pay or a DFAS retro payment by DFAS,
may appeal such a decision by using DD Form 149 (Application for Correction of Military Record), and forwarding the
completed form to the respective Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR) listed on the reverse of the form. VA’s On-line Application
Website (VONAPP) now Accepts Claims without Claimant’s Signature The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced
that on-line applications are now accepted from veterans, survivors and other claimants filing initial applications for disability
compensation, pension, education, and vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits without the additional requirement
to submit a signed paper copy of the application. Effective immediately, VA will now process applications received through its on-line
application website (VONAPP) without the claimant's signature. The electronic application will be sufficient authentication
of the claimant's application for benefits. Normal development procedures and rules of evidence will still apply
to all VONAPP applications. VONAPP (www.va.gov/onlineapps.htm) is a Web-based system that benefits both
internal and external users. Veterans, survivors and other claimants seeking compensation, pension, education, or vocational
rehabilitation benefits can apply electronically without the constraints of location, postage cost, and time delays in mail
delivery. VONAPP reduces the number
of incomplete applications received by VA, decreasing the need for additional development by VA claims processors. The
on-line application also provides a link to apply for VA health care benefits and much more. This Update is a service provided by the National Veterans Service of the Veterans
of Foreign Wars. It is intended as a summary of items of potential interest to and use by Department Service Officers
and their staff. Readers are encouraged to thoroughly review the original documents which are the source of items found
in this Update.
Fully
Paid Outward Bound Wilderness Excursions for OEF/OIF Veterans Outward Bound, an international non-profit outdoor education program, is offering fully funded outdoor adventure
excursions to all OEF/OIF veterans. It doesn’t matter what your current military status is (active, inactive,
discharged, retired) – you’re eligible to attend as long as you deployed in support of OEF/OIF combat operations
while in the military.
These five-day
excursions offer adventure activities such as backpacking, rock climbing, canyoneering, canoeing, and dog sledding in beautiful
wilderness areas in Maine, Texas, Colorado, California, and Minnesota. Scheduled courses from Sep 08-Feb 09 are listed
below, and future courses will be scheduled soon. All expedition costs for lodging, equipment, food, and instruction
are completely funded by a multi-million dollar Sierra Club grant, including the participants’ round-trip transportation
between home and the wilderness site. The excursion is offered at no cost to the participant. To sign up for one
of the prescheduled courses, please contact Doug Hayward at 1-866-669-2362, ext. 8387, or simply e-mail him at
obvets@outwardbound.org. To learn more about the OEF/OIF program, visit the website at www.outwardboundwilderness.org/veterans.html. You can also contact two of our retired Judge Advocates, Joe and Amy Frisk, who are working
for Outward Bound on this incredible program at vetsor@outwardbound.org, or at (303) 968-4420. OPEN ENROLLMENT COURSES
FOR 2008/2009
OUTWARD
BOUND OEF/OIF WAR VETERANS EXPEDITIONS
Leadville, Colorado: Backpacking
and Rock Climbing in the
Colorado Rockies · September 3-7, 2008
· October 4-8, 2008 Newry, Maine: Backpacking and
Canoeing ·
October 7-11, 2008
· October 19-23,
2008 Big Bend, Texas: Back packing and Cayoneering ·
November 2-6, 2008
· November 15-19,
2008 Joshua Tree National Monument, California: Backpacking and Rock Climbing ·
December 3-7, 2008
· December 14-18,
2008 Ely, Minnesota: Dog Sledding ·
February 3-7, 2009
VA, Monster Partner for Veteran Job Seekers
Veteran-Owned Businesses Listed
WASHINGTON (July 22, 2008)- In
a new plan to help veterans find jobs,
the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has partnered with Monster
Government
Solutions, a division of Monster Worldwide, Inc., a company
that markets online employment services to employers and
job seekers.
Part of VA's mission is to assist veterans to gain employment. Monster,
in partnership
with VA's Center for Veterans Enterprise, provides
veteran-owned small businesses the opportunity to post job openings
for
veterans, including service-disabled veterans, at a large price
discount. Monster will post the job openings
for 60 days, twice as long
as for other employers.
"This government-corporate partnership represents
the best kind of
effort to help those who gave up time in their lives to serve their
country and return to an economic
community that may not recognize their
skills," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake. "The
program should make it easier for employers to find qualified job
candidates as well as veteran suppliers and service
contractors."
To participate in Monster job listings, veteran business owners must be
listed in VA's
online Vendor Information Pages (VIP) maintained by the
Department's Center for Veterans Enterprise at http://www.VetBiz.gov.
In addition to helping veteran owners get business from other companies
and prospective veteran employees
find jobs, VA's VIP pages will give
Monster a source for purchasing services itself and VA will refer
appropriate,
listed suppliers to Monster.
The VA-Monster agreement is initially for two years and provides for
extensions.
VFW
Washington Weekly
July 21, 2008 In This Issue:
1. FY2009 VA Funding Bill
2.
House VA Committee Action
3. VA Outreach Hearing
4. SECDEF Recommends New Guard Chief 1.
FY2009 VA Funding Bill: The Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously cleared its version of the 2009 VA Funding Bill. The
bill provides $72.7 billion in discretionary funding for military construction and Veterans Affairs. This is about $5 billion
more than the current fiscal year, and is in line with the House Appropriations Committee's recommendations. It includes:
$47.7 billion in total VA discretionary funding.
$41.1 billion for VA health care.
$1.2 billion for VA construction
projects, nearly double the president's request, and $1.1 billion for hospital maintenance and repairs.
$84 million
more than the president's request for medical and prosthetic research.
$350 million to help certain higher income
Category 8 veterans to begin enrolling in VA.
$250 million targeted to the care of rural veterans.
The bill now
moves to the floor of the Senate for a vote. 2. House VA Committee Action: The House Veterans
Affairs Committee cleared seven benefit-related bills which now move to the floor for final passage. Among the bills is HR
6445, which will eliminate co-payments for catastrophically disabled veterans. VFW Resolution 639 supports this action. The
VFW also supports other features of HR 6445 that would direct VA to develop and implement a comprehensive policy on the management
of pain, mandate the VA to centralize third party billing, and allow family members of veterans receiving non-service connected
treatment to be eligible for counseling. Some of the other bills passed by the committee
include:
HR 1527 would create a three-year pilot program to allow certain rural veterans to receive covered health services
through outside providers. The bill defines rural veterans as one who lives at least 60 miles from a VA facility that provides
primary care and 120 miles from an acute care provider.
HR 6225 would improve Servicemember Civil Relief Act and USERRA
protections by capping interest rates at 6% during deployments, requiring institutes of higher learning to refund tuition
and fees, as well as guarantee service members a place when they return to school. It will also allow service contracts to
be terminated or suspended without penalty while on deployment.
For the entire list of bills and the House VA Committee
press release, visit their website at: http://veterans.house.gov/ For more information on the bills, type the bill number into the search box at: http://thomas.loc.gov/ 3. VA Outreach Hearing: The House subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations talked to servicemembers,
marketing and policy experts on how the VA can increase awareness of its programs to the newest generation of veterans. Subcommittee
Chairman Harry Mitchell (D-AZ) believes that VA needs to reach out to current OIF/OEF veterans through Internet sites such
as Facebook and television advertisements. Iraq veteran and National Guard member Liz O'Herrin testified that e-mail and
other electronic modes of communication are critical today's veterans, whereas the VA still relies on mail, often to outdated
addresses. She suggested that VA allow veterans to use their e-mail address as a way of communication. She also suggested
that the creation of an electronic mail enrollment form by VA would enable veterans to select the areas they are interested
in learning about regarding disability, healthcare and education benefits. Lisette Mondello, assistant VA secretary for public
and intergovernmental affairs, said VA is looking into several types of advertising markets, including social marketing and
internet-based, nontraditional media, to help pass on its message. For more about the hearing, go to: http://veterans.house.gov/hearings/hearing.aspx?newsid=278
4. SECDEF Recommends New Guard Chief: Defense Secretary Robert Gates has recommended to the
president that Air Force Lt. Gen. Craig R. McKinley be nominated as the next Chief of the National Guard Bureau. McKinley
is presently serving as the Director of the Air National Guard. With his pending nomination and Senate confirmation comes
a promotion, as the FY2008 National Defense Authorization Act elevated the NGB chief to a four-star billet. Gates also announced
that he is recommending the current NGB chief, Army Lt. Gen. H. Steven Blum, take over as the first guardsman to be the deputy
commander of U.S. Northern Command, which oversees security in North America.
VA Announces New Sports Clinic for Newly Injured Veterans
WASHINGTON (July 16, 2008) - One hundred recently injured
veterans from around the country will participate in
a unique
rehabilitative sports experience this September in San Diego, the
National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic,
sponsored by the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA).
"This new rehabilitative event is a therapeutic
extension of the
superior health care veterans receive in our medical centers each day,"
said Dr. James B.
Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. "The sports
clinic will strengthen veterans battling back from injury,
improving
their mental and physical well-being."
The event is open to recently injured veterans who have
spinal
cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, certain neurological
conditions, amputations, other mobility impairments,
or post-traumatic
stress disorder. For many injured veterans, this event will provide
their first exposure
to recreational sports and other activities after
being injured.
The National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic
will take place Sept.
28 through Oct. 3 at several venues in the San Diego area. Events
include sailing, cycling,
surfing, kayaking and track and field events.
Admission for the public is free.
Sea World and the San Diego
Marriott Hotel and Marina will be
the site of the opening and closing ceremonies along with some of the
week's
events. Other events will be held at the U.S. Olympic Training
Center in Chula Vista, Kellogg Park in La Jolla
Shores, the Embarcadero
Marina Park and the Mission Bay Yacht Club.
Recreational sports can be an important
part of the therapy for
many disabilities. VA is a recognized leader in rehabilitation, with
therapeutic programs
available at VA health care facilities across the
nation.
The event will become the fifth national rehabilitation
event
offered by VA to promote the healing of body, mind and spirit, joining
the National Disabled Veterans Winter
Sports Clinic, the National
Veterans Wheelchair Games, the National Veterans Golden Age Games and
the National Veterans
Creative Arts Festival.
The VA San Diego Healthcare System is hosting the 2008 Summer
Sports Clinic.
Specific event activities offered will change each year.
For more information about the National Veterans Summer
Sports
Clinic or to volunteer during the week, visit the clinic Web site at
www.summersportsclinic.va.gov.
Media Inquiries:
* Jose Llamas, (202) 461-7549
* Cindy C. Butler, VA Local Public Affairs Coordinator,
(858)
552-4373
* Sandy Trombetta, VA Special Events Coordinator, (970) 242-0731
VA Announces On-Line
Claims Applications
WASHINGTON (July 16, 2008) - The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
announced today that
on-line applications are now accepted from
veterans, survivors and other claimants filing initial applications for
disability compensation, pension, education, and vocational
rehabilitation and employment benefits without the additional
requirement to submit a signed paper copy of the application.
Effective immediately, VA will now process
applications received through
its on-line application website (VONAPP) without the claimant's
signature.
The electronic application will be sufficient authentication
of the claimant's application for benefits. Normal
development
procedures and rules of evidence will still apply to all VONAPP
applications.
VONAPP
(www.va.gov/onlineapps.htm) is a Web-based system that benefits
both internal and external users. Veterans, survivors and other
claimants
seeking compensation, pension, education, or vocational
rehabilitation benefits can apply electronically without the
constraints
of location, postage cost, and time delays in mail delivery.
VONAPP reduces the number
of incomplete applications received by VA,
decreasing the need for additional development by VA claims processors.
The on-line application also provides a link to apply for VA health care
benefits and much more.
Over 3.7
million veterans and beneficiaries receive compensation and
pension benefits from VA and approximately 523,000 students
receive
education benefits. Approximately 90,000 disabled veterans participate
in VA's Vocational Rehabilitation
and Employment program.
For more information about VA benefits, go to VA's website at www.va.gov
<http://www.va.gov/> or call our toll-free number at 1-800-827-1000.
Summit Brings Renewed VA Drive for Women
Veterans
Peake: Reinventing to be "Women-Centric"
WASHINGTON (July 11, 2008) - An aggressive push
to ensure women veterans
receive the highest quality of care in VA medical facilities was pledged
by Secretary of
Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake at a recent VA
National Summit on Women Veterans' Issues.
Although
VA already has services for women patients equal to those men
receive, Peake told the audience of more than 400 women-veteran
advocates, "We are reinventing ourselves by expanding our women-centric
focus to initiate new programs that meet
the needs of women veterans."
Citing the demographic shift that brings increasing numbers of women to
VA for care and the need for changes, Peake announced formation of a
work group to focus on women's needs in prosthetics
and rehabilitation,
hiring women's advocates in VA medical centers, developing quality
measurements specifically
for women patients, purchasing more
state-of-the-art, specialized women's health care equipment, and
expanding
medical education in women's health for VA care providers.
Summit attendees also learned that VA recently established
a work group
whose goal is to ensure every female veteran enrolled in VA care has a
women's health primary care
provider, especially to meet gender-specific
needs.
The June 20-22 conference in Washington focused on ho
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