Healthcare

Forward Observer — Let’s Get the Toxic Exposure Research Act Passed

LVMAC Poster Art 2005The subject of the effect of hazardous, toxic exposures of military veterans has milled around in the houses of Congress for far too many years.  Involved is our our obligation to our veterans to find the root causes of birth defects, learning disabilities, and cancers afflicting too many of their children and grandchildren.  Therefore, “mill around mill” is not a Congressional virtue on such a topic.

Unfortunately, for years certain public officials have insisted and held sway on the issue without sufficient research to back their claim.  Their claim seems to revolve around the assertion that male veterans exposed to Agent Orange can not transmit genetic defects to their children.  While the VA has made provision for the children of Vietnam War Vietnam women veterans for certain diagnoses (without acknowledging the effects of Agent Orange, we might add), it has made absolutely none for the children of its male veterans.  In our opinion that is an awkwardly strange position and a discriminatory one. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — The Veterans Choice Program Drama Continues: Getting Bugged by the Private Healthcare’s Debt Collectors?

VA Announces Community Care Call Center to Help Veterans with Choice Program Billing Issues

LVMAC Poster Art 2005The joy of encountering the American private medical systems’  debt collectors has been taken on by the Department of Veterans Affairs in effort to make right with their veterans.  On 14 March 2016, the VA announced the opening of yet another call center – this time to resolve debt collection issues resulting from problems created by the Veterans Choice [Card] program.  Veterans have been experiencing adverse credit reporting or debt collection resulting from inappropriately billed Choice Program claims.  The VA is now acknowledging that delayed payments and inappropriately billed claims are unacceptable and have caused stress for veterans and providers alike. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Out of Bad Comes Good In A Strange Way

New Heptatitis-C Drugs Now Available to All Veterans Who Need It

LVMAC Poster Art 2005In a past articles we have written about the current abortion of a program known as Veterans Choice  which Congress itself helped to create in trying to make the VA’s healthcare system more responsive to veterans living in the current era  (In the coming year we should expect to see major improvement.)   Ironically, an immediate good has resulted from this failure because funds were transferred from the program to overcome a critical budgetary crisis, partially caused by the cost of a certain breakthrough, hepatitis drug.  Furthermore, the issue of hepatitis care was not then forgotten.   This is important news to those among the estimated 200,000 veterans who heretofore have been awaiting the lifesaving medicine now available – sofosbuvir, sold as Sovaldi and Harvoni. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Announces New One-Number, Call Center

On 17 February, in an effort to improve contact between the serviced veterans and their assigned clinical teams, Patient Aligned Care Teams (PACT), the Wilkes-Barre VAMC has announced the opening of a one-stop call center with a one-call number (1-877-928-2621) beginning 19 February 2016.   It is intended to help those using the Medical Center and their Community-Based Outpatient Centers (CBOC) — the Lehigh Valley has two of these, one in Allentown and another in the Bangor area; and it will provide veterans with a direct line of contact to schedule or cancel appointments, relay messages to their provider, request medication refills, or have their calls routed to the appropriate service. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

Forward Observer — Change 2 to the Veterans Choice Program – Further Tinkering This Time …

But Expect More to Come

LVMAC Poster Art 2005On 1 December, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it again was making changes to its Veterans Choice Program after “learning from our stakeholders what works and what needs to be refined …” It is the second major announcement, since the program began on 5 November 2014.  As previously reported, the “as the crow flies” 40 mile rule was changed to actual driving distance on 24 April 2015.  A back story to this last announcement has been barely noticed. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC News — The Region’s Top Healthcare Providers and LVMAC March On With Their Healthcare Alliance

Positive gains made, more to come

LVMAC HOC LogowithcirclelessTiltedAt a press conference on November 11 at Bethlehem’s City Council Chamber, President of LVMAC, Gerald Still, Retired Major General (USAF), announced the Healthcare in Our Community (HOC) alliance has remained strong and viable and has grown going into its fifth year. Still said, “The commitment of the CEOs of the participating organizations in this working alliance has been remarkable and necessary. Our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, continue to return to an environment where there are no major military medical facilities close to home. It is absolutely critical that we continue to work with one another and the local VA to meet the short- and long-term needs of our military veterans.” (more…)

By LVMAC, ago

LVMAC Tidbit — Something Unusual from LVHN — an Offer of a Free Introductory Yoga Class to Honor Those Who Serve Our Country

It’s been all the rage lately in veterans’ circles: the benefits of one of the Americanized versions of yoga.  Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN) evidently is experimenting with it.  This article is from them:

LVHN LogoTo honor and thank those who serve our country – as well as those who support them – LVHN invites veterans, active military personnel, their families and other supporters to a free introductory yoga class Nov. 9 from 6-7 p.m. at LVHN Fitness-One City Center, 707 Hamilton Street, Allentown. (more…)

By LVMAC, ago