Recently both the House and the Senate have considered and approved broad measures to ensure that the new generation of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are provided with adequate medical care, transition services, housing and education and employment benefits. On July 11, the House Veterans’ Affairs Health Subcommittee approved a measure (HR 2874) to enhance support for Servicemembers as they readjust to civilian life. The Veterans Health Care Improvement Act would provide $2 million a year between fiscal 2008 and 2011 in the form of grants to non-profits providing therapeutic readjustment counseling to veterans of conflicts beginning with the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Other portions of the bill would improve access to dental and medical care for homeless veterans and provide grants to organizations that help homeless veterans. Other provisions include financial assistance for veterans whose household incomes are less than 50 percent of the median income for their geographical area and a transportation grants to assist veterans who live in remote areas. The bill now passes to the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee.

A further four bills were approved by the House Veterans Affairs Economic Opportunity Subcommittee in late June, and will be considered by the full committee in July. One measure (HR 1315) would provide funds for adaptive housing to disabled veterans who are staying in a family member’s house. Discharged Servicemembers would have increased protection from mortgage foreclosure through HR 1750. A third bill (HR 1240) would create a scholarship program for students seeking careers in rehabilitation of the blind and who agree to give three years of service to the VA. Last, HR 1632 would require the Departments of Labor, Defense, and Veterans Affairs to execute annual studies on the status of veterans’ re-employment rights.

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs and Armed Services Committees have also passed a host of legislation to help veterans. The Veterans Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation Act (S 1233) would expand and enhance VA programs to identify and treat Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It also extends the eligibility period for VA health care for all combat veterans from two to four years to five years to ensure adequate time to diagnose Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). Another notable provision of this bill is one that would rescind the 2003 law prohibiting Priority 8 veterans from receiving VA medical care. Priority 8 veterans are those who have no service–connected disability and do not meet the VA’s low-income threshold.

Other legislation approved by the Committees include a bill (S 1315) to expand veterans’ life insurance and to define Filipino World War II veterans as US veterans for the purpose of receiving VA care, a bill (S 1163) to provide extra benefits to veterans with vision loss, and a measure (S 423) to adjust benefits for cost-of-living. Another action (S 479), which is similar to a House bill (HR 327) which passed in March, would require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a suicide prevention outreach program to veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan and their families.



Bill Proposes Change to DIC Law Governing Age Threshold for Remarriage
A new bill (HR 704) would reduce the age limit at which a military survivor can remarry and retain Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from 57 to 55. Currently, military survivors who remarry before age 57 have their Dependency and Indemnity Compensation payments suspended. Payments are restored if the marriage ends in annulment, divorce, or death. The bill would bring DIC age threshold for remarriage into line with the threshold for
DoD Survivor Benefits. The House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, heard testimony on the bill on June 19.

TRICARE Medical Benefit Enhanced to Assist Dental Patients with Special Needs
TRICARE will implement coverage for anesthesia services and associated costs for dental treatment for beneficiaries with developmental, mental or physical disabilities, and children age 5 or under beginning July 1, 2007. The National Defense Authorization Act of 2007 authorized the change, and TRICARE revised the regional contracts to expand coverage for the services. The services do require preauthorization through the regional TRICARE contractors.
[Source: http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=293]

TRICARE Pilot Allows Beneficiaries to Substitute OTC Medications for No Copay
A two-year test authorized by the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act allows TRICARE beneficiaries to substitute over-the-counter (OTC) versions of certain prescription drugs without a copayment. The drugs eligible for an OTC substitution include a class of drugs known as “proton pump inhibitors” which treat gastro-intestinal disorders. Under the test, beneficiaries receiving a prescription proton pump inhibitor are eligible to receive Prilosec OTC, the only proton pump inhibitor available over the counter. The Department of Defense Pharmacy and Therapeutic Committee found there is no significant clinical difference between Prilosec OTC and its prescription-only counterparts. Beneficiaries must have a prescription to receive the OTC medication and, at present, the test is limited to drugs ordered through the mail order pharmacy program. TRICARE encourages beneficiaries who haven’t used the mail order pharmacy in the past, but are taking medications included in the test, to get information on how to sign up at http://www.tricare.mil/pharmacy/tmop.cfm. [Source: http://www.tricare.mil/pressroom/news.aspx?fid=297

Department of Labor Provides Grants to Veterans for Job Training
The Department of Labor will provide 94 grants, totaling nearly $27 million, to provide approximately 17,000 veterans with job training through the U.S. Department of Labor's Veterans' Workforce Investment Program (VWIP) and Homeless Veterans Reintegration Program (HVRP). The funds will be awarded on a competitive basis to state and local workforce investment boards, local public agencies and nonprofit organizations, including faith-based and community organizations. For more information, go to the DOL-VETS website at http://www.dol.gov/vets.



Small Business Administration Launches Patriot Express Loan Initiative
The U.S. Small Business Administration has announced the SBA’s Patriot Express Pilot Loan Initiative for veterans and members of the military community wanting to establish or expand small businesses. Eligible military community members include veterans, service-disabled veterans, Active-duty Servicemembers eligible for the military’s Transition Assistance Program, Reservists and National Guard members, current spouses of any of the above, and the widowed spouse of a Servicemember or veteran who died during service or of a service-connected disability. The pilot, which is based on the successful SBA Express Program, offers a streamlined loan process through SBA’s network of approved lenders. Loans are available up to $500,000 and have enhanced guarantees and interest rates. The SBA and its resource partners will also be offering counseling and training to augment the loan initiative. Learn more at http://www.sba.gov/patriotexpress.

VA Plans Suicide Prevention Hotline for Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will establish a 24-hour, national suicide prevention hot line to assist veterans with mental health crises. The hot line, which is scheduled to begin operations by August 31, 2007, will be based at the Canandaigua VA Medical Center in New York state. Staffed by mental health professionals, it will operate seven days a week, 24 hours a day. In addition to staffing the hot line, the suicide prevention coordinators will take part in training clinicians and non-clinicians on warning signs for suicide, guide veterans into care, and work within facilities to identify veterans at risk for suicide. [Source: http://www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=1352]

Bugles Across America Honors Veterans
The playing of taps is a hallmark of a military funeral but, since World War II, budget constraints have limited the number of military buglers available to attend veterans’ funerals. To make up for that shortfall, Bugles Across America recruits volunteers from high schools, colleges, honor guards and drum-and-bugle corps to be buglers. Volunteers now play taps at about 1,000 funerals a month. For more information, including to request a bugler or to volunteer to be one, visit http://xeml.buglesacrossamerica.org/index.xeml. Further information about eligibility requirements for military funerals is available from the DoD website: http://www.militaryfuneralhonors.osd.mil/eligpage.html

Military Families May Owe Money for Unpaid FSGLI Premiums
In 2001, the Veterans Opportunities Act established Family Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (FSGLI) for spouses and children of active duty Servicemembers and members of the Reserve Component. Enrollment is done automatically based upon the information provided by the Servicemember in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Coverage can only be declined or reduced by filing a SGLV Form 8286A with a personnel center. In some cases, where Servicemembers have not updated their family status in DEERS, premiums have not been paid. As a result, Servicemembers who did not know that they were enrolled or that they were liable to pay the premiums may now owe the Department of Veterans Affairs unpaid premiums backdated to November 2001 or when they first became FSGLI eligible unless they can prove that they declined the coverage. The problem may be more common among dual military couples because they are less likely to register their spouse in DEERS. The Stars and Stripes reports that although the DoD has been aware of this situation for a while it has only recently directed that the services identify Servicemembers who owe premiums in order to collect unpaid fees.
[Source: http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54521&archive=true]