NAUS Weekly Update for September 14, 2007

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NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR UNIFORMED SERVICES

NAUS WEEKLY UPDATE FOR SEPTEMBER 14, 2007
www.naus.org

“I could never remain satisfied to remain inactive while my country is in such danger.”
~LtCol Richard S. Thompson, January 14, 1863 ~

WASHINGTON REPORT

General Petraeus Delivers Iraq Assessment
At the start of this week, General David Petraeus delivered his long-awaited assessment of the military and political situation America faces in Iraq.

In testimony to the House and Senate Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, General Petraeus told lawmakers that the “surge,” which began three months ago, is working. He also said that he believes our force levels can be reduced to the pre-surge level by next summer.

It is our hope that the ensuing debate on the often-fractious issue of “the best way forward” will not cause further stalemate on pending issues, such as the defense authorization and the defense appropriations, that keep the promises made to those in uniform, past and present.

Work on NDAA to Resume
The office of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) notifies NAUS that consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act (HR 1585), pulled from the floor in Aug., will resume on Monday. We expect that its consideration may take several weeks, as there are more than 300 amendments to be decided. Amendments include the SBP/DIC offset introduced by Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL), the free mail to deployed troops introduced by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and numerous other NAUS supported amendments. Please go to the NAUS website and use the CapWiz site to let your elected officials know how you feel about these measures and anything else that affects you and your family. Please encourage your family, friends and neighbors to become involved, too.

Defense Panel Approves Appropriations Bill for Full Senate Consideration
On Wednesday, Sept. 12, the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee completed action on a $459.3 billion Defense spending bill for fiscal year 2008, which begins Oct. 1. The Defense spending bill would be $39.7 billion more than fiscal 2007 enacted levels. The bill includes a 3.5 percent pay raise for the military, half a point more than wage inflation. The bill also includes $23.5 billion next year for military health care, $948.9 million more than requested to cover the rejection of new fees and copays requested by DoD. It is anticipated that the defense spending bill could come to the floor as soon as Sept. 24, but it is unlikely to be ready by the start of the fiscal year, and a continuing resolution will be necessary to fund operations beyond Sept. 30.

Top USPHS Officers Leave for Private Sector
Assistant Secretary for Health ADM John O. Agwunobi, USPHS, MD, MBA, MPH, resigned as the USPHS Commissioned Corps’ senior flag officer to take a position with WalMart. The unexpected resignation follows the scheduled departure of the Deputy (or Acting) Surgeon General RADM Kenneth Moritsugu at the end of Sept. Dr. James Holsinger, nominated as the nation’s next Surgeon General, awaits Senate confirmation. NAUS fully expects Congress and the Administration to act quickly to fill these key Commissioned Corps leadership positions at the Agency.

New Ranking Member Announced
On Tuesday, Republican members of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs selected Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) as the new ranking member of the committee. He replaces Senator Larry Craig (R-ID) who agreed to give up all of his leadership posts on August 29.

Senator Burr served five terms in the House before being elected to the Senate in 2004. On being informed of the Committee’s decision, Burr said, "I am committed to ensuring that veterans … receive the best health care and services we can provide.”

NAUS looks forward to working with Senator Burr in his new position as the Ranking Minority Member on this important committee.

Nebraska Senator Hagel to Retire
On Monday, Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) announced that he would retire from the Senate in 2008. The second-term senator was elected with a resume that included a tour in combat in Vietnam where he earned two Purple Hearts as a combat soldier.

Constitution Day
Monday, Sept. 17, marks the 220th anniversary of the initial signing of the U.S. Constitution. It is a time to celebrate our greatest treasure and reflect on the freedoms and rights it has granted the citizens of our great nation.

U.S. Air Force Milestone Reached
Tuesday, Sept. 18, the United States Air Force celebrates its 60th anniversary. Happy Birthday!

POW/MIA Recognition Activities
Local POW/MIA ceremonies will be held across the country throughout POW/MIA Recognition Week, Sept. 16-22, culminating with the national ceremony in Washington, DC on POW/MIA Day, Sept. 21. Please take a moment to remember those who never came home and pray for those who remain in captivity and those who await their return.

HEALTH CARE NEWS

Guard and Reserve Members Must “Make the Switch” to Restructured TRS
National Guard and Reserve members currently in the TRICARE Reserve Select (TRS) health care plan must sign up for the restructured TRS by Sept. 30, 2007, in order to continue their coverage.

Effective Sept. 30, the “old” TRS ceases to exist. A restructured TRS begins Oct. 1.

“Don’t forget to make the switch” should be the motto of the day as current TRS participants are automatically disenrolled on Sept. 30, 2007.

Continued coverage under TRS is not automatic. By law, enrollees must attest that they are not eligible for, or currently covered under, the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) when they submit a new TRS request form.

As of early September only 15 percent of the approximately 11,000 current members had completed the new TRS request forms and sent them in to their regional managed care contractor.

To continue TRS coverage, all current members must follow the instructions at https://www. dmdc.osd. mil/appj/ trs/ to print out, sign and return a new TRS request form to their regional contractor by Sept. 30. If payment is usually made by check, the first month’s payment must also be included. Those members who are paying electronically do not need to include a payment – if they meet the Sept. 30 deadline in submitting a new TRS request form.


Under the restructured TRS starting Oct. 1, there are only two qualifications. First, the member must be a Selected Reserve member of the Ready Reserve. Second, the member must not be eligible for the Federal Employee Health Benefits program or currently covered under FEHB (either under their own eligibility or through a family member). They must attest to this on the new TRS request form.

National Guard and Reserve members can find out more about the restructured TRS through the “My Benefits” portal at www.tricare. mil. Monthly premiums are $81 for the service member and $253 for member-and-family coverage. TRS offers coverage comparable to TRICARE Standard and Extra.


National Guard and Reserve members can contact their Reserve Component points of contact to be found at http://www.defensel ink.mil/ra/ html/tricare. html if they have additional questions about their eligibility for TRS.

ACTIVE DUTY NEWS

MGIB Monthly Rate Increase
Beginning Oct. 1, the MGIB fulltime student payment rate increases to $1,101 a month. The overall value of this important education benefit will be $39,636. Additional information about the Montgomery GI Bill including new rates for other programs may be found on the VA web site at Information about the Montgomery GI Bill is located on the VA web site at http://gibill. va.gov.

VETERANS NEWS

VA Distorts Report to Congress on Patient Wait Times, Says Inspector General
NAUS shares the concerns expressed by Sen. Daniel Akaka, Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, about a report from the Department of Veterans Affairs Inspector General (OIG) that says VA repeatedly understated data on waiting times for injured veterans seeking medical care.

Chairman Akaka said that the Inspector General’s report demonstrates VA “continues to skew” information reported to Congress that nearly all primary and specialty care appointments were scheduled within 30 days or less. He called the report on patient waiting times “disturbing,” especially in light of the fact that a similar report on wait times was issued by the OIG in 2005.

The OIG report contradicts VA claims that 96 percent of all veterans seeking primary care and 95 percent of all veterans seeking specialty care were seen within 30 days of their desired dates. The OIG found that veterans waited 30 days or less for only 75 percent of them.

Additionally, OIG found VA’s electronic waiting lists were incomplete, with 10 facilities understating lists by more than 53,000 veterans, of whom 62 percent had waited more than 30 days for a scheduled appointment.

NAUS is determined to work with the Chairman and other champions of veterans health care to resolve the appointment problem, eliminate lengthy waiting times and improve access for sick and disabled veterans. And we fully agree with the Chairman’s statement, “VA’s underreporting of waiting times and backlog volumes makes it harder to identify problem facilities and allocate resources effectively.”

The OIG examined 700 outpatient appointments for primary and specialty care scheduled for October 2006 at 10 VA medical facilities in the following cities: Atlanta; Birmingham; Columbia; San Antonio; Dallas; Temple, Texas; Cincinnati; Detroit; Indianapolis; and Chillicothe, Ohio.

Read the OIG report at www.va.gov/oig.

Vietnam Memorial Damage
On Friday, Sept. 7, the United States Park Police was notified of some substance being thrown, squirted or smeared on numerous panels of the Vietnam Memorial on the nation’s mall in Washington, D.C. Along the foot of the wall, the oily substance covered a stretch of almost two-thirds of the entire Monument. An investigation is underway as maintenance personnel began cleanup of the defacement.

Today, Sept. 14, National Park officials told NAUS that the incident remains under active investigation. Park officials add that expect to complete the cleanup with no sign of permanent damage.

Among the first groups to break news of the incident was Gathering of the Eagles, an organization led by Col. Harry Reilly. GOE is in town Saturday, Sept. 15, to represent “the soul of the Nation” in support of America, our troops and the protection and honor of the sacred monuments and war memorials in the nation’s capital. Additional information about their “boots on the ground” effort can be found on TheEagles Landing web site www.eaglesup. us.

Keep Retired Pay Records Current
It is important to review your retired pay account information to ensure that it is current; items such as your mailing address, marital status and designated beneficiaries should be kept up to date. Failure to update retired pay records when the retiree married, divorced, remarried, became widowed or related family changes could result in SBP, life insurance or other benefits being denied or going to an unintended recipient.

In the case of divorce with SBP coverage involved, there is a one-year notification period to DFAS for benefits to stay in force for a former spouse. Make sure your spouse or designated beneficiaries know what benefits to expect by maintaining a file of information that will be needed upon your death.

Some account information can be updated yourself through myPay. Other changes and notifications should be mailed or faxed to:

Defense Finance and Accounting Service
U.S. Military Retirement Pay
P.O. Box 7130
London, KY 40742-7130
Fax: (800) 469-6559 or (800) 982- 8459

Please include your Social Security number or that of deceased member and sign the request.

NAUS NEWS

NAUS on the Road at Retiree Appreciation Days and Expos
On Saturday, September 15, NAUS Garden State Chapter, NJ-2 President Merle Stouffer, Vice President for Legislation- 3rd Congressional District, Frank Pannone, and Vice President for Legislation- 4th Congressional District William Fellows will represent NAUS at the Fort Dix Retiree Appreciation Day. Stop at the NAUS Information Table and greet the NJ-2 chapter officers. Bring along a friend to sign up as a NAUS member.

President MG Matz and his wife Linda will attend the Retiree Expo at Camp Pendleton, California, on Saturday, September 15. MG Matz will be the keynote speaker at this event.

Legislative Director Rick Jones will be the keynote speaker at the Camp Lejeune, NC, Retiree Activity Day on September 22. Hal Grant, Deputy Legislative Director and Director of Chapter Management, will be on hand as well manning the NAUS information table. Stop by and give a “shout” to Hal at the table. And bring a friend.

Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines and Coast Guardsmen stand in harm’s way around the globe to defend our nation and our cherished liberties. NAUS asks you to please pray for their continued strength and protection—and pray as well for their families, who daily stand in support of their spouses, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, and brothers and sisters.

GOD BLESS AMERICA

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