The American Legion Washington DC Office HOT ISSUES Wednesday June 4th, 2013

The American Legion Washington DC Office

HOT ISSUES

Wednesday June 4th, 2013

ACTIONS -

• Staff attended the Veterans Benefits Administration/VSO meeting.  The main topic of this meeting is the "new" Standardized Notice of Disagreement" form.

At previous meetings with VBA Senior Leadership, and during the last VSO Quarterly meeting, The American Legion staff identified concerns with the latest NOD form that was being sent out to veterans.

After staff stated concerns about the NOD form, the VFW, VVA, PVA and AMVETS stated they echo the concerns of The American Legion

The VA requested veterans to fill the NOD form out and submit directly back to the local VA Regional Office

At the next VSO Bi-Weekly Meeting, Mr. Ron Burke, SES, Director of AMC will introduce the "new" Standardized Notice of Disagreement form.  At this time, we will provide feedback and concerns.

Please see attached Two Year Old Claim Initiative Document that explains concerns with the current form.

• The Veterans Benefit Management System (VBMS) will finally be fully implemented within VBA.  All Regional Offices are scheduled to have VBMS installed and running by the end of this month.

The American Legion Appeals Representatives are being introduced to VBMS and how it will relate to their daily operations by VA staff.

Still no word on when VBMS will be introduce to the Pension Management Centers

• Staff  MEB/PEB Representative is visiting and assisting Wounded Warriors at Walter Reed/Bethesda Naval Medical Center this week.  Staff is also meeting with one soldier to assist as the soldier is currently going through the MEB/PEB process.

Staff will visit and assist the service members at Fort Meade providing information on their current MEB/PEB process.

• On June 3, Time Magazine released an article, "The Rise (and Fall) of the VA Backlog".   The article points out reasons, according to a former VA communications official, that the backlog increased and addresses concerns raised by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) claims that Post 9/11 veterans have increased the backlog. 

Some of the areas that contributed to the backlog according to the article include: Reducing the backlog of claim inventory standard down from 180 days to 125 days, allowing new Agent Orange presumptive conditions, rollout of VBMS, reducing the stressor requirement for PTSD disability claims, etc.

Key quote from the article: 

"And herein lies perhaps the biggest fallacy of the VA claims backlog as portrayed in the media. The myth is that the VA claims backlog has much to do with veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan—that it is, for the most part, related to a crush of returning war veterans. This myth is perpetuated by interest groups like Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) and echoed by many in the media. For example a pre-Memorial Day Miami Herald editorial is representative of the pervasive misinformation floating in the media. It discusses the VA backlog almost solely in terms of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans—even though 80% of backlogged claims belong to veterans of other eras.In fact, claims filed by Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are only a small portion of VA's inventory and backlog. Currently, they make up 20% of VA's pending inventory. They represent 21% of the backlog. Only 10% of first-time claims in the backlog belong to Iraq or Afghanistan veterans. This is crucial to understand because it demonstrates that Iraq and Afghanistan veterans are not central to this problem." http://nation.time.com/2013/06/03/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-va-backlog/

• On Monday, June 3, the VA&R Health Care Policy Unit staff attended a meeting with Dr. Kendra Weaver, Senior Consultant, Clinical Operations and Dr. Ira Katz, Senior Consultant, Program Evaluation with the VA Office of Mental Health Operations.  The purpose of the meeting was to obtain an overview of the office's 2013 goals and priorities and to discuss ways our offices could work together on sharing of best practices and concerns.   The Office of Mental Health Operations is charged with "execution, monitoring, implementation, and integration of mental health policies within the Veteran Integrated Service Network (VISN) offices and facilities."  During the meeting, the TBI and PTSD Ad Hoc Committee, System Worth Saving Task Force upcoming focus and VA's announcement on June 3 that they had completed the hiring of 1,600 mental health professionals authorized in 2012 were discussed.
• The Health Care Policy Unit is working with the Magazine Division to review and edit the 2013 System Worth Saving Report on Women Veterans.  15 VA Medical Center site visit reports are being consolidated into a publication and staff is currently composing the executive summary of the guide with the Task Force's findings and recommendations.  The report will be printed and distributed at the 2013 American Legion National Convention. 
• On Tuesday, June 4, the VA&R Health Care Policy Unit is meeting with the VA Office of Quality, Safety and Value. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the System Worth Saving 2012 report on Quality of Care and Patient Satisfaction and to obtain an action plan and response to each of the report recommendations.
• Congressman Mike Michaud of the House Veterans Affairs Committee discussed his concerns and frustration with Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel's decision to pursue a commercial IT platform in an media article released on May 23  http://bangordailynews.com/2013/05/23/politics/mike-michaud-criticizes-va-move-for-private-sector-bid-in-integrated-hospital-records-system/.  The crux of the problem is DoD/VA has been working for over 10 years to achieve a single, interoperable joint record and billions of dollars have been spent by DoD and VA with no clear decision or adoption of a single record.  The latest decision by Secretary Hagel is to pursue a commercial IT platform that will connect with VA's IT platform. The alternative and preferred decision was for Secretary Hagel to adopt VA's IT platform and share in upgrade and modernization costs since the VA's IT platform is open-sourced and government owned and well liked by DoD and VA clinicians alike.    According to the article, "a bipartisan group of House representatives sent a letter Wednesday to President Barack Obama urging him to intervene and "end the back and forth" between the two departments. "Select a system, pick a path, and move forward," said the letter, signed by committee chairman Jeff Miller, R-Fla., ranking Democrat Mike Michaud of Maine and 18 other committee members."

• Staff will be meeting with Kevin Schmiegel, Executive Director, Hiring Our Heroes, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, to discuss the upcoming American Legion national convention job fair and training workshop.
• Staff will be meeting with members of National Coalition for Homeless Veterans to begin discussions on possible homeless veteran training at interested American Legion post's across the nation as a joint initiative.
• Economic Division staff will be attending and participating as a panel member at the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities 2013 Annual Convention & Expo. Below are the following panels that the Economic Division will be speaking to at the convention.

STUDENT SERVICES

APSCU Best Practices for Military & Veteran Education
Jeff Cropsey, Grantham University
Jim Hendrickson, Colorado Technical University
Joe Wescott, National Association of State Approving Agencies
Ryan Gallucci, Veterans of Foreign Wars of the U.S.
Mike Dakduk, Student Veterans of America
Steve Gonzalez, American Legion

When the media, Capitol Hill, the Administration, and many veteran service organizations (VSOs) began to question some private sector colleges and universities commitment to providing a quality education to military and veteran students and the protection of military and veteran education benefits emerged as a top, legislative priority, APSCU made a calculated risk to pursue a proactive, thoughtful course of action. Consequently, APSCU released the "Five Tenets of Veteran Education," which, among other things, established APSCU's Blue Ribbon Taskforce. Comprised of APSCU and non-APSCU members, the Taskforce released the culmination of their efforts in a February 2013 Report entitled, "Report of the APSCU Blue Ribbon Taskforce for Military and Veteran Education." The Report provides an overview of the military and veteran student, a recommendation for measuring the academic outcomes of these populations, and, notably, Best Practices in Military and Veteran Education.

Implementation of the Principles of Excellence and H.R. 4057
Rob Worley, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
Mike Dakduk, Student Veterans of America
Steve Gonzalez, American Legion

In 2012, President Obama signed an Executive Order to strengthen oversight, enforcement, and accountability of military and veteran educational benefit programs by the U.S. Departments of Defense, Education, and Veterans Affairs. During the 112th Congress, legislation (H.R. 4057) supported by APSCU and other veteran education stakeholders to improve outcomes for veteran students was signed into law. This session allows key agency representatives to provide an update on the implementation of the EO and P.L. 112-249.

• The senior uniformed leaders from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard appeared together for the first time to discuss the military's widening sexual assault scandal at what promises to be a high-profile Senate Armed Services hearing on Tuesday. The gathering, which also featured testimony from each service's judge advocate general, comes just weeks before Armed Services marks up a fiscal 2014 defense authorization bill that will contain policy changes aimed at correcting the problem. A key pressure point remains whether to take prosecutorial decision-making out of the accused's chain of command for felony-level offenses.
• Staff urging senators to consider signing on as sponsors for the Flag amendment.  Senator  Hatch is going to introduce the Senate version next Friday, the 14^th of June – Flag Day.
• The first issue of the legislative Newsletter was published today.  Future editions will be published on Mondays 
• Defense Appropriations bill contains TRICARE increases – Legislative staff is preparing an aggressive response.
• Legislative staff is currently evaluating legislation concerning; Military Sexual Trauma – Zero Tolerance, Veterans Courts, 

HEARINGS-

June 4, 2013.  HVAC Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations will hold a hearing entitled, "How Secure is Veterans Private Information?"  2:00 P.M.; 334 Cannon

June 5, 2013. The Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs will hold a legislative hearing on VA's benefit programs and other purposes.  10:00 A.M.; Russell 418

The tentative bill list is as follows:

S. 6  Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013 (Reid)

S. 200  A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to authorize the interment in

national cemeteries under the control of the National Cemetery Administration of

individuals who served in combat support of the Armed forces in the Kingdom of

Laos between February 28, 1961, and May 15, 1975, and for other purposes

  (Murkowski)

S.257  GI Bill Tuition Fairness Act of 2013  (Boozman)

S.262  Veterans Education Equity Act of 2013  (Durbin)

S. 294  Ruth Moore Act of 2013  (Tester)

S. 373  Charlie Morgan Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act of 2013 

(Shaheen)

S. 492  A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to require States to

recognize the Military experience of Veterans when issuing licenses and

credentials to Veterans, and for other purposes  (Burr)

S. 430  Veterans Small Business Opportunity and Protection Act of 2013  (Heller)

S. 495  Careers for Veterans Act of 2013  (Burr)

S. 514  A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to provide additional

Educational Assistance under Post-9/11 Educational Assistance to Veterans

pursuing a degree in science, technology, engineering, math, or an area that

leads to employment in a high-demand occupation, and for other purposes 

(Brown)

S. 515  A bill to amend Title 38, United States Code, to extend the Yellow Ribbon G.I. Education Enhancement Program to cover recipients of Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David  Fry scholarship, and for other purposes.  (Brown)

S 572  Veterans Second Amendment Act  (Burr)

S. 629  Honor America's Guard-Reserve Retirees Act of 2013  (Pryor)

S. 674  Accountability for Veterans Act of 2013  (Heller)         

S. 690  Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2013  (Schatz)

S. 695  Veterans Paralympic Act of 2013--A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend the Authorization of appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to pay a monthly assistance allowance to Disabled Veterans training or competing for the Paralympic Team and the authorization of appropriations for the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide assistance to United States Paralympics, Inc., and for other purposes (Boozman)

S. 705  A bill to amend title 36, United States Code, to ensure Memorials commemorating the service of the United States Armed Forces may contain religious symbols, and for other purposes  (Burr)

S. 735  Survivor Benefits Improvement Act of 2013  (Sanders)

S. 748  Veterans Pension Protection Act  (Wyden)

S. 778  A bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to issue cards to Veterans that identify them as Veterans, and for other purposes.  (Burr)

S. 819  Veterans Mental Health Treatment First Act of 2013  (Burr)

S. 863  Veterans Back to School Act of 2013  (Blumenthal)

S. 868  Filipino Veterans Promise Act  (Heller)

S. 889  Servicemembers' Choice in Transition Act of 2013  (Boozman)

S. 893  Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2013  (Sanders)

S. 894  A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to extend expiring authority for work-study allowances for individuals who are pursuing programs of rehabilitation, education, or training  under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to expand such authority to certain outreach services provided through congressional offices, and for other purposes.  (Sanders)

S. 922  Veterans Outreach Act of 2013  (Sanders)

S. 927  Veterans Equipped for success During Transition Act of 2013  (Sanders)

S. 928  Claims Processing Improvement Act of 2013  (Sanders)

Also a number of draft bills will be considered.

Daniel S. Wheeler

National Adjutant

The American Legion

War-time veterans and military members dedicated to a strong

national security; compassionate care for veterans and their families;

community service; and the wholesome development of our nation's youth.