Just announced on 17 March 2015 and effective as of 2015, the VA has eliminated the use of net worth as a determining factor for both health care programs and copayment responsibilities. The intention is to make the program more accessible to low-income veterans. The VA estimates this may affect only 190,000 Veterans over a five year period, but VA estimates can be wrong. (more…)
While little mention of it has occurred locally, it is important for some veterans to know, as of 1 December 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), under the authority from the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 (aka VACAA or Public Law 113-146; and the same authority which introduced Veterans Choice Cards) has expanded eligibility for military veterans, male or female, in need of mental health care due to sexual assault or sexual harassment that occurred during their military service, now commonly referred to as military sexual trauma (MST). Dr. Adelman, the new Director of the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center Network, assures us the program is fully operating in his network.
The change in policy primarily affects Reservists and National Guard members participating in weekend drills, (more…)
About September 2014, the Allentown Outpatient Clinic began offering Home Based Primary Care (HBPC) according to Dr. Adelman, the new Director of the Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center. He announced it during an 18 December meeting of the Veterans Advisory Group at the clinic.
The mission of HBPC is to provide comprehensive, interdisciplinary primary care in the homes of veterans with complex medical conditions when routine, clinic-based care would not be effective or practicable. Consequently, the program focuses on the frail and chronically ill who require interdisciplinary care and ensures the necessary continuity and coordination of the care occurs at home as much as possible. (more…)
Are you the spouse or child of a Veteran? You may qualify for the Civilian Health and Medical Program of VA (CHAMPVA), which can reimburse you for doctor’s visits, mental health care, prescriptions, and many other services. Wilkes-Barre VA Medical Center would like you to know that on Wednesday, December 17, 2014, from 7–8 p.m. Eastern, VA and Blue Star Families (a nonprofit organization not related to Blue Star Mothers) will host a Facebook chat about VA benefits for Veterans’ spouses, dependents, and survivors. Anyone with a Facebook account can take part and it is not too late to sign up. The instructions follow: (more…)
Among the wounds of war are those brought home by the troops of the Vietnam War is one that has received scant attention over the years – genetic injuries to their progeny. And now, it seems, genetic injuries are being passed on to their grandchildren and great grandchildren. (more…)
Long awaited, the Department of Veterans Affairs recently and relatively silently launched its airborne hazards and burn pit registry on its mobile health website only (as of this writing), https://veteran.mobilehealth.va.gov/AHBurnPitRegistry/#page/home. The registry is intended to be an epidemiological research tool with examinations helping to enhance VA’s understanding of any identified long-term adverse health effects of exposure to burn pits and other airborne hazards during deployment —ultimately leading to better health care. (more…)
As the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) enters the twenty-first century of healthcare, it is getting smarter in its uses of the electronic databases of other federal agencies to the benefit of our veterans and their own work processes.
Effective March 2014, almost all veterans enrolled in the healthcare system are no longer required to file an annual VA Form 10-10EZR, a change in policy which affects many veterans in the system. Instead, the VA will automatically match income information obtained from the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration. The new “means test” policy is more customer-centric and ensures healthcare eligibility is kept up to date. (more…)
On 19 March 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that veterans and active-duty military personnel with service-connected Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, are now presumed medically eligible for the VA’s Specially Adapted Housing (SAH) grants, which help pay for the costs for building, Read more…
VA Announces Rollout of Secure Veteran Health Identification Cards
On 20 February, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) ay announced a phased rollout of its newly designed and more secure veteran identity card in response to their present identity card calamity. The VA has responded more quickly than it originally anticipated.
In addition to being more secure, the card has been redesignated as the Veterans Health Identification Card (VHIC) – replacing the Veteran Identification Card (VIC) introduced in 2004.
Walk-in Service to TRICARE Service Centers within the United States is ending 1 April, this year. TRICARE service centers overseas are not affected. Joint Base Dix-Maguire-Lakehurst’s service center is among the 189 facilities affected. (more…)