NAUS Weekly Update for July 18, 2008

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National Association
for Uniformed ServicesŽ®Weekly Update July 18, 2008
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"Character is doing the right thing when nobody's looking"

~J.C. Watts ~

WASHINGTON REPORT

Congress Overrides President's Veto
As he promised, President Bush vetoed H.R. 6331 on Tuesday. In his veto statement, the President agreed with the intent of Congress to eliminate the drastic cut in Medicare reimbursements to physicians, but he did not agree with the plan to fund the measure by reducing payments to Medicare Advantage plans.

Tuesday afternoon the House took up the process of overriding the veto and after a short debate period passed the bill by a vote of 383-41. The bill was immediately sent to the Senate for consideration. Again after a period of debate, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 70-26.

NAUS is pleased that the cuts for Medicare reimbursements were avoided for now. Congress will again have to take up the problem in 18 months. Hopefully the formula that produces these cuts will have been fixed long before the time limit. And without the blatant partisanship that marked this bill and the debates. We can only hope that Congress will rediscover some measure of civility before then and remember that they are working for all America and not just their own interests.

Passing of Medical Pioneer Dr. Michael DeBakey
Last Friday, a long time friend and associate of VA and military medical care, Dr. Michael E. DeBakey, 99, died in Houston.

A pioneer in the field of cardiac surgery, Dr. DeBakey is credited with developing mobile Army surgical hospitals during World War II, which became the foundation for bringing specialized medical care closer to troops on the battlefield which dramatically reduced combat deaths.

In the late 1940s, he was instrumental in establishing the VA facility in his hometown of Houston as one of the premier medical facilities in the country. In December 2003, President Bush signed into law a measure naming VA's Houston medical center after DeBakey.

In April, VA named a conference room in the Department's headquarters after DeBakey and Congress awarded him the Congressional Gold Medal, one of the nation'shighest awards for civilian service.

NAUS offers condolences to the family and friends of Dr. DeBakey. He will be missed.


Future of FY 2009 Appropriations Bills in Doubt
Infighting within the House Appropriations Committee brought the annual funding process within the House to a complete standstill in late June. Since then, House leadership has indicated there are no plans to finish work on any of the 12 appropriations bills before a continuing resolution or some other funding measure must be considered.

Things aren't any better in the Senate where the chamber's leadership anticipates completing just a couple of the bills before considering a stopgap measure to keep the government running into early 2009. No overt disagreements here, just unwillingness on the part of the Senate leadership to do anything until the November elections are over.

This is exactly the type of obstructionist behavior that contributes to Congress's record low ratings in public opinion polls. It's unacceptable and indicative of a dysfunctional legislative body.

Instead of putting the appropriations bills on the back burner or holding them hostage for personal whim, Congress should do the job they were elected to do and get them passed before leaving town at the end of September.

HEALTH CARE NEWS

Spinal Procedures Approved
TRICARE beneficiaries with pain from fractured vertebrae may be pleased to know that two minimally invasive back surgeries, Percutaneous Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty, are now covered under TRICARE. Either one can be used in lieu of spinal fusion, an invasive surgical procedure for treatment of fractured vertebrae. This policy change is retroactive to Mar 1, 2007. For further information, Click Here.

Flexible Prescription Refill Provisions for Those Impacted by Midwest Flooding

Express Scripts, the TRICARE mail order pharmacy contractor, has been authorized to add provisions for early refill of medications for TRICARE beneficiaries and families in the seven Midwest States affected by recent flooding. To view the full release, please visit this website.

Dental Reminder
Brushing twice a day for two minutes and flossing at least once a day help to prevent the majority of dental caries and periodontal disease. These two preventative measures combined with seeing your dentist at least twice a year are key to maintaining good dental health. As NAUS once heard, "You only have to floss the teeth you want to keep."

ACTIVE DUTY NEWS

First Four-star Nominated to Lead the Guard
Lt. Gen Craig McKinley, Air National Guard director, has been nominated to take over as Chief of the National Guard Bureau and become the first 4-star general to lead the Guard - a new rank mandated by the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. Lt. Gen Steven Blum, current NGB Chief, has been nominated as Deputy Commander of Northern Command. "The elevation of the National Guard chief to four stars recognizes the importance of the Guard to America's overall national defense," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates at a news conference announcing the nominations. Of the 462,000 members currently serving in the Army and Air National Guard, more than 50,000 are deployed on active duty.

Connecticut Offers Free Tuition
The State of Connecticut offers FREE tuition at any of its State colleges or universities to eligible active duty military personnel and veterans. For more information about the education benefit, Click Here.

Snapshot of the Air Force
The Air Force Personnel Center recently published its demographics report. This data is current as of Jun. 30, and can be found Here.

Coast Guard Cutter Visits Africa
The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter DALLAS (WHEC 716) concluded a three-day visit to the West African nation of Equatorial Guinea last weekend with an at-sea exercise with several Equatorial Guinean naval vessels. Dallas, a 378-foot cutter home ported in Charleston, SC, is about midway through a four-and-a-half month deployment in support of U.S. Naval Forces Europe's Africa Partnership Station (APS) initiative, conducting maritime safety and security exchanges with countries along the central and west coasts of Africa. The goal of the Africa Partnership Station is to help African nations improve their economic security and stability thus enhancing maritime security throughout the world.

VETERANS NEWS

VA Announces On-Line Claims Applications
(VA Press Release) The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced Wednesday 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, applications received through the Veterans Online Application (VONAPP) website will now be processed without the claimant's signature. The electronic application will be sufficient authentication of the claimant's application for benefits.

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. Click Here to link to the on-line application.

For more information about VA benefits, go to VA's website at www.va.gov or call the toll-free number at 1-800-827-1000.

MTV Looking For Veterans
Early this week a producer who works for the cable channel MTV contacted NAUS looking for several veterans who have been diagnosed or treated for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) to appear on their show MTV True Life.

This show is aimed at a younger audience and will follow three young veterans over a 3-month period as they attempt to treat or live with PTSD.

True Life is a series that has been on MTV for 10 years. Several of their earlier shows include "I'm Home From Iraq," "I Have Autism," and "I Have Schizophrenia. "

The producer promises that MTV will fully respect the privacy of anyone who is interested in speaking with us, and won't use his or her story in any way until they go through a lengthy approval process. For more information please click on this link to our website.

DFAS to Reprocess Records
Responding to recent reports that DFAS was very short of personnel to adequately process records looking for retirees who are eligible for back pay and that DFAS did not properly screen over 28,000 records, it was announced this week that they will review all records that had been denied back pay. Although you may have received a letter saying you are not eligible for any back pay, your record may be one to be reviewed for errors. No indications were given as to when this review would be completed. We will continue to monitor the situation and pass on any new information we receive.

Wheelchair Games in Omaha
The 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, scheduled to take place July 25-29 in Omaha, Neb., will attract more than 500 veterans with disabilities. It has become the largest annual wheelchair sports competition in the world. Veterans from conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq will again join their fellow veterans in 17 competitive events.

For more information about the National Veterans Wheelchair Games or to volunteer during the week, visit the Games Website.

PA Bill Encourages Buglers
NAUS commends the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for encouraging students across the state to learn to play "Taps." The chamber recently approved a resolution calling on the State's Secretary of Education to direct school districts to train students to play the military bugle call. A local paper, The Philadelphia Inquirer, covered the story, which you can read by Clicking Here.

NAUS NEWS

NAUS on the Road
Today, NAUS Legislative Director Rick Jones will be presenting the keynote address at the Hill, AFB, Utah, Retiree Appreciation Day.

Saturday, July 19, NAUS President MG Matz and his wife Linda will be at the Buckley, AFB, Colorado, Retiree Appreciation Day. MG Matz will be the keynote speaker. If you are in the area, please stop by and say hello.
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