Department of Veterans Affairs

LVMAC Tidbit — Healthcare for Veterans: “It Takes a Village”

Local Hospitals Continue Making Progress

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On 20 June 2013 at Northampton Community College (NCC) in Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley Military Affairs Council (LVMAC) hosted the second annual Executive Steering Committee Conference on the subject of local military veteran healthcare.  All the hospital networks in the Lehigh Valley were represented, including the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center, the local supporting Veterans Health Administration (VHA) network. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — TRICARE For Life Users Face Potentially Higher Costs When Using the VA

LVMAC Poster Art 2005In an August 14,  2013 News Release, TRICARE announced that its TRICARE For Life (TFL) beneficiaries may incur higher costs for treatment when using a VA healthcare facility effective October 1 – if the condition for which they are being treated is not related to their service-connected disability.

It states that after October 1, 2013, “as part of the intake process at VA facilities … TFL beneficiaries will be asked if they’re using their VA or TFL benefit or if they have other health insurance (OHI).  When electing to use their TFL benefit at the VA, they will also be informed they must pay the remained bill after TRICARE pays its portion of the TRICARE-allowable charge. They may be asked to sign a form indicating they understand their responsibility.” (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Adalberto Morales Introduces Us to Suicide Prevention Services

LVMAC Poster Art 2005Adalberto Morales, one of two Suicide Prevention Coordinators at Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center (VAMC), gave an outstanding talk to the Council at its 15 May business meeting.  His sole purpose is to help those contemplating suicide to get to needed help, no matter where – within the VA system or within the community. Together with Denise Carey, they operate 24/7 and are busy.

Morales affirmed suicide has become a serious problem for veterans and it is a problem for more than those who have more recently served, the focus of most media articles.  He has witnessed an increase among Vietnam era veterans as they retire also. As a result, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates since 2010, a suicide occurs every 11 to 15 minutes (or about 105 suicides daily).  Consequently, suicide has risen from the fifteenth to the tenth leading cause of death in the United States.

Making matters worse, the Lehigh Valley and Northeastern Pennsylvania are already known for their high suicide rates in their populations. The Wilkes-Barre VAMC has 35 active cases currently being closely monitored, but over the last year, there have been six ‘completions’ and more than 60 “serious attempts” at suicide have occurred – “ideations” being in the hundreds.  Therefore, the Wilkes-Barre VAMC Coordinators alternate to provide a 24/7 service, the only ones in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) system to do so other than those in the national Crisis Call Center. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC News — Veterans, Reservists and the National Guard Should Worry About a Pennsylvania Payday Lending Bill

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In this Issue

Pending Payday Lending Legislation: A Debt Trap for Military Veterans
General Announcements
Homelessness
Scholarship Program
Community Educational Outreach
PTSD Booklet for Families
Healthcare in Our Community
Veterans Supportive Colleges Initiative
DoD/VA News

Pending Payday Lending Legislation: A Debt Trap for Military Veterans

Go to the Forward Observer article on payday lending to read what Kerry Smith told the Council at its 20 March business meeting. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC News — Dr. Bhatia Speaks About the VA’s Mental Health Efforts

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WILKES-BARRE VA MEDICAL CENTER SAYS IT IS PAYING MORE ATTENTION TO MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY

Dr. Aruna Bhatia, Chief of Mental/Behavioral Health Services spoke to the Council at its business meeting on  19 December on the advances in care by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In an honest and straightforward talk, she stated there has been a focus on mental health over the last decade and a lot of work done in recovery,  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and suicide prevention, albeit with some stumbling along the way. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Cutting the Red Tape from Veterans’ and Survivors’ Pensions — Somewhat

VBA CHANGES EVR REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

LVMAC Poster Art 2005Besides seeming to signal lately the transition in nomenclature from the poorly named Disability Pension and the Death Pension to the terms Veterans’ Pension and Survivors’ Pension  respectively, the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA) has gone on to do something truly significant in this benefit area which is worthwhile to our veterans and their survivors: preventing the unnecessary interruption of monthly payments over the failure to file a report on time. The new procedure also applies to Parents Dependency Indemnity Compensation (Parents DIC) because it too is income-based and is, therefore, essentially a pension in the VA’s lingo. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Heads Up … VA Seeks to Expand TBI Benefits

VA SEEKING TO PROMULGATE A REGULATORY CHANGE IN HOW IT HANDLES SECONDARY ILLNESSES

LVMAC Poster Art 2005On 7 December 2012 (Pearl Harbor Day), the Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing to change its disability compensation rating rules to  add five diagnosable illnesses which are secondary to service-connected Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). It would improve the timeliness of decisions.  To accomplish this, the VA proposes to add a new subsection to its adjudication regulation by revising 38 CFR 3.310 to state that if a Veteran who has a service-connected TBI also has one of the five illnesses, then the illness will be considered service connected as secondary to the TBI. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC News — McKenrick Talks About a New VA Regional Office

Newspaper Logo 70%In This Issue:

  • The New Director of the Philadelphia VA Regional Office Introduces Himself to the Council
  • Community Educational Outreach’s Journey of Discovery Reaches Its End
  • Changing Our Stripes in Employment
  • Health Care in Our Community is at a Critical Stage in Its Development
  • Adam Keys Smart Home Build May or May Not Continue
  • A New Program Director Has Been Found for the Visitation Program
  • LVMAC is on a Mission to Recruit All the Area’s Universities and Colleges
  • Finally, Something Significant Out of State Government

The New Director of the Philadelphia VA Regional Office Introduces Himself to the Council

Robert McKenrick, the relatively new Director of the newly reorganized Philadelphia VA Regional Office of the Veterans Benefits Administration, spoke to the Council at its business meeting on 21 November. He brought along Eileen Kostic, Manager of the Veterans Service Center, and Leroy Saunders, a Military Services Coordinator.  Mr. McKenrick is a current war veteran from the Army Reserve.

Recently what was known as the VA Regional Office and Insurance Center (VARIOC) split (more…)

By LVMAC, ago