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ALABAMA COUNCIL OF MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FEBRUARY 2012 Compiled by LTC Jim Wallace, USAR (ret) Vice President and Legislative Chairman,
Date January 22, 2012
1. The pending 27.4 % cut in Medicare/TRICARE physician payments still has not been resolved. The extension of the “doc fix problem” expires on February 28, 2012. This important problem requires a permanent solution by revising the Sustained Growth Rate formula that drives these cuts annually. This matter could hurt as many as 10 million military families who rely on TRICARE. Please ask your elected officials to resolve this problem before February 28, 2012.
2. The former Maine Governor John Baldacci, who was appointed to provide the review and an independent assessment of the military health system recently stated, “We need to bring things under control and change the way we are doing business.” He believes the design of the current military medical infrastructure has not kept pace with the rapid changes in healthcare delivery. He also stated “ In stead of placing the rising costs of TRICARE and military medicine onto the beneficiary, the system inefficiency should be addressed first.” MOAA finds this approach refreshing, but wants to see the final recommendations before jumping on board.
3. Our Legislators have a full plate in 2012 to resolve and come to a workable plan to reduce our countries debt. The debt reduction plan will likely dominate the proceedings of the 2nd session of the 112th Congress. If Congress can come to a debt reduction agreement this year it can stave off the automatic debt reduction trigger – sequestration-that would certainly lead to massive cuts in defense spending, and almost disproportionately whack the military community with brunt spending cuts.
4. The current bills before Congress that are of interest to the military are listed below. Co-signers of these bills are indicated in parenthesis. While some have been passed by the House, virtually all remain either in Senate or House committees. The uncertainties of our government’s financial condition may continue to result in slow action by Congress.
HR 178 (168) & S 260 (49) - The Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act- This bill would end deductions of DIC from SBP. This bill is stuck in committee.
HR 181 (71) & HR 1283 (40) – This bill would authorize reserve retirement age credit for all active service since September 11, 2001, and give full credit for active duty tours that span more than one fiscal year.
HR 803 (0) – Equity for Injured Veterans Act – This bill changes the period of eligibility for VA training and rehab for service connected veterans from 12 to 15 years after discharge and has children benefits. This bill is still in committee.
HR 812 (56) & S 1629 (3) - Agent Orange Equity Act of 2011- This bill expands ‘blue water’ coverage for presumption of service connection associated with herbicide agents. This bill is still in committee.
HR 1968 (15) & S 402 (4) - This bill would create a “Cold War Service Medal” for those serving from September 2, 1945 to December 26, 1991. This bill is still in committee.
HR 2074 – The Veterans Sexual Assault prevention and Health Care Enhancement Act – This bill passed by the House and is in the Senate committee. The bill also provides for flexibility in payment rates for nursing home care in state nursing homes; improved rehabilitative services for TBI; and clarifies the use of service dogs on VA property.
HR 2349 was passed by the House and has moved to the Senate. This bill directs VA to assess the skills and training provided to claims processors and take disciplinary actions for individuals twice failing to receive satisfactory results in their claim processing. This bill is to improve the claim processing because the year 2011 started with a backlog of 764,476 VA claims pending and the year finished with 878,830 pending claims.
HR 1025 & S 491 – Honor America’s Guard and Reserve Retirees Act – This bill passed the House and came out of the Senate committee for vote and then sent back to the Senate committee. The bill was attached to one of the many budget proposals that were rejected.
5. VA Burial Benefit Update- Burial allowances are reimbursements of an eligible veteran’s expenses and/or funeral costs. The person who paid the veteran’s burial expenses may be reimbursed if the expenses were not paid by another government agency or someone else like the veteran’s employer. These expenses are divided into two categories. The first category is funeral and burial expenses. The second category is a plot (internment) allowance. For example, if the veteran had a service related death on or after September 11, 2001, the VA may pay $2,000. burial expenses. Additionally, if this same veteran is interned in a national cemetery, some or all of the transportation expenses may be paid. Most veterans, however, do not have a service related death. If the veteran was in receipt of VA Pension or VA Compensation, or if the veteran was hospitalized by the VA, or hospitalized under VA care at a non-VA hospital, or under VA care in a nursing home, the VA may reimburse burial expenses at a lower rate. For deaths on or after October 1, 2011, VA will pay up to $700 toward burial and funeral expenses (if hospitalized by VA at time of death), or $300 toward burial and funeral expenses (if not hospitalized by Page 3 of 4 VA at time of death), and a $700. plot interment allowance (if not buried in a national cemetery). If death happened while the veteran was in a VA hospital or under VA contracted nursing home care, some or all of the costs for transporting the veteran’s remains may be reimbursed.
6. DD-214s are now on line- The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following web site for veterans to gain access to their DD-214’s
http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/
This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of his DD-214 for employment purposes or utilizing the VA benefit of a VA Home Mortgage. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the standard form 180, which can be downloaded from the on-line web site. Because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized. The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center mail room and processing time.
7. Recently, we have been blasted by the news media about the video of the Marines’ Incident. Congressman Allen West (R-FLA), a former Army Lieutenant Colonel, sends the media an email commenting on the Marines’ video. He states “ I have sat back and assessed the incident with the video of our Marines urinating on Taliban corpses. I do not recall any self-righteous indignation when our Delta snipers Shugart and Gordon had their bodies dragged through Mogadishu.”
“Neither do I recall media outrage and condemnation of our Blackwater security contractors being killed, their bodies burned, and hung from a bridge in Fallujah.”
“All these over-emotional pundits and armchair quarterbacks need to chill. Does anyone remember the two soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division who were beheaded and gutted in Iraq?” “The Marines were wrong. Give them a maximum punishment under field grade level Article 15 (non-judicial punishment), place a General Officer level letter of reprimand in their personnel file, and have them in full dress uniform stand before their Battalion, each personally apologize to God, Country, and Corps videotaped and conclude by singing the full US Marine Corps Hymn without a teleprompter.”
“As for everyone else, unless you have been shot at by the Taliban, shut your mouth, WAR IS HELL!’’
Page 4 of 4 8. Small Businesses want Lawmakers held accountable for votes on economic issues. The vast majority of small businesses think our country is on the wrong track and nearly two out of three do plan to hire in the year ahead, according to a poll conducted for the U. S. Chamber of Commerce. “The policies coming out of Washington are only exacerbating the economic uncertain that small businesses continue to cite as their greatest challenge,’’ said U. S. Chamber President and CEO Thomas J. Donohue. “Heading into an election year, our country‘s creators are speaking with a unified voice in saying that we need a change of course in Washington. With government spending and regulations out of control, small businesses don’t know what’s going to hit them next.”
The poll of 1,322 small business executives - conducted between December 30, 2011 and January 6, 2012 – found that more than eight out of ten (85%) now believe the U.S. economy is on the wrong track. The survey defined a small business as a company with fewer than 500 employees and annual revenues of less than $25 million. The economic financial backbone of our country is based upon small businesses profitability, and they did not receive federal support.
9. Our MOAA President Vice Admiral Norbert R. Ryan, Jr. having just returned from a trip to Afghanistan observed, “ The contrast between our troops in the field, with their courage, loyalty, and commitment, and our leaders at home is stunning. Our country has serious financial problems that warrant bold action. But targeting our troops and their families first – by slashing their health care and retirement benefits – is a callous, hypocritical, and shameful foul.” Instead of penalizing troops and their families, Ryan urged holding defense leaders accountable for their continuing failure to meet their own responsibilities for effective program oversight. Noting years of GAO and DoD IG reports have declared Pentagon bookkeeping so slipshod as to be un-auditable, he asked what corporate leaders would be able to escape consequences for such mismanagement.
10. My quote of the month comes from President Harry Truman, who I met as a boy, while visiting with him with my Mother and Father and suffering through his daughter’s recital.
“ THE BUCK STOPS HERE”
LTC Jim Wallace, USAR (Ret) Special Forces (Airborne)
Material compiled for this report is subject to copyright 2011 and 2012, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), Military.com, RAO, DAV, National Chamber of Commerce and all rights reserved. Except for MOAA affiliated organizations, it may not be used without written permission.
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