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RAO Bulletin Update
15 February 2008
 
 
THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

== Economic Stimulus Package -------------------- (Impact on Vets)
== Economic Stimulus Package [01] -------------------- (File Early)
== Economic Stimulus Package [02] ---------------- (Vet Eligibility)
== Senior Citizen Benefit Cost ----------------------------- (Up 24%)
== Postal Rates ---------------------------------- (APO/FPO Discount)
== Wyoming Veterans Home ------------------------------ (Overview)
== Iowa Veterans Trust Fund ----------------- (Law to Expand Use)
== Retiree Appreciation Days ---------------------------------- (2008)
== U.S. Savings Bonds [03] -------------------------- (Online Access)
== VA Minority Veterans Panel -------------------------- (Overview)
== AFRH [03] ------------------------- (Adverse Reports Overblown)
== WW1 Vet Search [03] --------------------------- (Memorial Plans)
== Tomb of the Unknowns ------------------- (Replacement on hold)
== Ohio State Tax ------------------------------------ (Vet Exemptions)
== Medicare Fraud [01] -------------------------------- (Mereck & Co)
== National Salute to Hospitalized Veterans ------ (11 thru 17 FEB)
== Mobilized Reserve 13 FEB 08 ---------------- (Net Increase 491)
== Passport Obtainment [02] --------------------------- (Fee Increase)
== Passport Obtainment [03] ------------------- (New Passport Card)
== Philippines Air Carrier Concerns ---- (Aviation Safety Caution)
== CRSC [37] ----------------------------------- (Chapter 61 Guidance)
== Tax Deductions ------------------------------ (11 Most Overlooked)
== VA Budget 2009 -------------------------- (President's Submission)
== VA Budget 2009 [01] --------------------- (Reactions to Proposal)
== Tricare User Fee [21] --------------------- (Proposed DoD Budget)
== VA Budget 2009 [02] --------------------------- (HCVA Concerns)
== VA Enrollment Fee [01] --------------------- (Proposed Increases)
== Medicare Part D [18] -------------------------- (Exception Request)
== Medicare Part D [19] --------------------------- (Appeal Procedure)
== VA Fraud [07] --------------------------------------- (Parachute CO)
== Windows Vista [02] -------------------- (Installing New Software)
== Vet Job [01] ---------------------------------------- (Job Fairs)
== Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI) ----- (Legislation Needed)
== Vet Emergency Care Fairness Act ------------- (Reimbursement)
== MHS 2008 Conference ---------------------------------- (Overview)
== Military Deaths [01] --------------------- (Faulty Statistics)
== State Vet Benefit Changes ---------------------------- (MA-IL-OH)
== Military Retiree Alert ---------- (DFAS Beneficiary Verification)
== CNGR Commission [03] ---------------- (Final Report Delivered)
== TFL Facts & Tips [01] ----------------------- (Features & Options)
== Prostate Problems [04] ----------------------- (Delayed Treatment)
== Veteran Legislation Status 14 FEB 08 -------- (Where We Stand)



ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE:  The House in late JAN, as part of an
 economic stimulus package, approved tax rebates of $600 and $1,200
 respectively for most individuals and couples, with another $300 per child. The
 Senate in considering its version made some additions to include
 low-income senior citizens as well as disabled veterans and survivors of
 veterans whose sole or primary income consists of VA compensation.  On a
 91-6 vote, the Senate added a provision to grant $300 payments to disabled
 veterans and veterans' widows who could show $3,000 in veterans'
 disability and/or Social Security benefits last year. Congress passed the
 $168 billion Economic Stimulus package (HR 5140) on 7 FEB.  The President
 is expected to sign the package, and rebate checks could be arriving
 as early as May. Even before Congress passed the stimulus package,
 identity thieves were using promises of tax rebates to trick people into
 revealing financial and personal data. Under one scheme, the IRS said,
 people are receiving phone calls telling them they can only receive a
 rebate if they provide bank account information for a direct deposit. The
 tax agency stressed that it does not collect information by telephone
 and that no legislation has been enacted that would allow it to provide
 advance payments to taxpayers or that specifies the details of those
 payments. The IRS also repeated past warnings of e-mails, supposedly
 coming from the agency, where people are asked to enter personal information
 on a form needed to obtain a tax refund.
 
    A new scam, it said, involves an e-mail notification that a
 person’s tax return will be audited with instructions to click on links to
 complete forms with personal and account information. Businesses and
 accountants are also getting e-mails with instructions to download
 information on tax law changes. Clicking on these links could download “malware”
 onto the recipient’s computer that gives the scammer remote access to
 the computer hard drive. In another telephone scam, a caller claims to
 be an IRS employee who says the taxpayer has not cashed a refund check
 and asks the person to verify his or her bank account number. On 29
 JAN, at a Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing for Douglas
 Shulman, the nominee to be IRS commissioner, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-NY)
 expressed concern that taxpayers would be victimized by tax preparers and
 lenders who charge high interest rates for short-term advances on their
 stimulus rebates. The IRS advised people not to click on any link from
 an e-mail purporting to come from the tax agency. People receiving
 questionable e-mails can contact the IRS through phishing@irs.gov. [Source:
 Associated Press Jim Abrams article 30 Jan 08 ++]


ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE UPDATE 01:   Under the economic-stimulus
 package approved by Congress last week, more than 130 million Americans
 will receive checks for at least $300 in late spring or by summer. The
 rebate is a credit against your 2008 tax bill, but it will be based on
 your 2007 tax return. Most single taxpayers will receive checks for $600,
 while married couples will receive $1,200. If you have dependent
 children younger than 17, you're eligible for an additional rebate of $300
 per child. But even if you don't earn enough money to owe income tax, you
 could be eligible for a rebate. If you received at least $3,000 in
 2007 from Social Security, veteran benefits, earned income or any
 combination of the three, you're eligible for a rebate of at least $300. If you
 meet that income threshold and have dependents, you're eligible for an
 additional $300 per child. The IRS is expected to use information from
 the Social Security Administration and the Department of Veterans
 Affairs to track down people who are eligible for the rebate. But
 identifying people who qualify for a rebate solely based on earned income will
 be much harder, says Mark Luscombe, federal tax analyst for CCH, a
 publisher of tax information and software. If you fall into that category it
 is recommended you file an income tax return this year, even if you
 don't make enough money to owe federal income tax. That will make it
 easier for the IRS to find you, he says.

     While more than 130 million Americans are expected to receive
 rebate checks, some people will come up empty-handed, while others will see
 their rebates reduced. Those individuals include:
 
• Single taxpayers with adjusted gross income of more than $75,000 and
 couples with AGI of more than $150,000. The phase-out will be 5% of the
 amount of your income that exceeds the threshold. Singles with AGI of
 more than $87,000 and couples with AGI of more than $174,000 won't
 receive any rebate.
• Under the law, anyone who was claimed as a dependent on someone
 else's 2007 tax return is ineligible for the rebate. That means that college
 students whose parents claimed them as dependents in 2007 are not
 eligible, even if they earned at least $3,000 in 2007, says Mel Schwarz,
 partner with Grant Thornton's national tax office. Their parents can't
 claim a $300 rebate for them, either; the rebate is limited to dependents
 under age 17.
• People who owe money to the IRS. If you owe back taxes, the IRS will
 withhold all or part of your rebate check to pay your debts, according
 to the Treasury Department.

     The rebates are designed to stimulate the economy by encouraging
 people to spend the money. So the Bush administration wants to get the
 rebates in taxpayers' hands as quickly as possible.  The IRS, though,
 must get through the 2007 tax season before it can start sending out
 rebate checks. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said last week that he
 expects the IRS to start issuing checks in May. Treasury spokesman Andrew
 DeSouza said in an e-mail the Treasury is considering using direct
 deposit to speed things along but is still working out the details, If
 you're eager to get your check, make sure to file your federal income tax
 return by 15 APR. Because the rebate will be based on your 2007 tax
 return, filing for an extension will delay your rebate. Taxpayers who
 receive an extension until 15 OCT might not receive their rebate until the
 end of the year.  The rebate won't be treated as taxable income on your
 2008 tax return. And taxpayers who don't qualify for a rebate based on
 their 2007 income will get a second chance when they file their 2008
 returns next year. Though the rebate will be based on your 2007 income,
 keep in mind that it's actually a credit against your 2008 taxes. So if
 your situation changes and you qualify for a rebate based on your 2008
 income — or become eligible for a larger rebate — you can claim the
 difference on your 2008 tax return.  On the other hand if -you receive a
 larger rebate based on your 2007 returns than you would have received in
 2008, the IRS won't make you give the money back.  President Bush
 signed the bill into law on 13 JAN 08. [Source: USA TODAY Sandra Block
 article 11 Feb 08  ++]


ECONOMIC STIMULUS PACKAGE UPDATE 02:   The president signed into law
 economic stimulus payments for all taxpayers. Included in the law is a
 special provision for veterans who are not taxpayers.  For answers
 regarding the stimulus program, you should visit the IRS website at
 www.irs.gov. Following is further clarification on vet eligibility:

•  In order to be eligible to receive the special stimulus payment, you
 must file a 2007 tax return.
•  If you need to amend a previously filed tax return to include
 benefits to reach the $3,000 qualifying income level. Adding these benefits
 on an amended tax return will not increase an individual’s tax liability
 but will establish eligibility for the stimulus payment. This means a
 taxpayer who had, for example, $500 in earned income and $2,500 in any
 combination of the qualifying benefits can count those benefit payments
 toward his or her qualifying income to reach the $3,000 earned income
 requirement, even though the individual would not otherwise owe taxes
 on such income. Taxpayers can use IRS Form 1040X to amend a tax return
 in order to qualify for the stimulus payment.
• The law allows for payments for select individuals who have no tax
 liability, such as those who receive Social Security benefits or
 veterans’ disability compensation, pension or survivor's benefits received from
 the Department of Veterans Affairs in 2007.  These taxpayers will be
 eligible to receive a payment of $300 ($600 on a joint return) if they
 had at least $3,000 of qualifying income.
•  Qualifying income includes Social Security benefits, certain
 Railroad Retirement benefits, veterans’ benefits (disability compensation,
 pension, survivors’ benefits) and earned income, such as income from
 wages, salaries, tips and self-employment.  If you received one or more of
 these benefits during 2007, you must file a 2007 return in order to
 receive a payment.
• Recipients of Social Security, certain Railroad Retirement and
 certain veterans’ benefits should report their 2007 benefits on Line 14A of
 Form 1040A or Line 20a of Form 1040.
• People are allowed to estimate their annual benefit by taking their
 monthly annual veterans’ benefit, multiplying it by the number of months
 they received benefits during the year, and entering the number on
 Line 20a of Form 1040 or Line 14a of the Form 1040A.
• Line 14A of Form 1040A (or Line 20A of Form 1040) says this is for
 reporting Social Security benefits but IRS advised you should use these
 lines even if your only benefits were Railroad Retirement or veterans’
 benefits.  If you receive more than one of these benefits, you should
 determine the annual amount for both benefits and then combine them and
 report the total on this line.

IRS will continue to update information on this program at www.irs.gov.
 If you cannot obtain the info on the website you are seeking you can
 call 1-800-829-1040.  However, you are urged to visit their website
 first to obtain information as it is expected their telephone service will
 be very busy. Veterans can get no cost tax help through the Volunteer
 Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program.  Call 1(800)906-9887 to locate the
 nearest VITA site.  For people over age 60, the Tax Counseling for the
 Elderly (TCE) program provides free tax help (1-800-829-1040).  IRS
 Free File allows you to electronically file or amend a tax return at co
 cost to users. [Source: IRS Fact sheet FS-2008-16 Feb 08 ++]


SENIOR CITIZEN BENEFIT COST:   The cost of government benefits for
 seniors soared to a record $27,289 per senior in 2007, according to a USA
 TODAY analysis. That's a 24% increase above the inflation rate since
 2000. Medical costs are the biggest reason. Last year, for the first time,
 health care and nursing homes cost the government more than Social
 Security payments for seniors age 65 and older. The average Social
 Security benefit per senior in 2007 was $13,184. The federal government spent
 $952 billion in 2007 on elderly benefits, up from $601 billion in 2000.
 It's the biggest function of the federal government. States chipped in
 $27 billion more in 2007, mostly for nursing homes. All three major
 senior programs Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid experienced
 dramatically escalating costs that outstripped inflation and the growth in
 the senior population. Benefits per senior are soaring at a time when the
 senior population is not. The portion of the U.S. population ages 65
 and older has been constant at 12% since 2000. The senior boom, however,
 starts big time in 2011, when the first baby boomers 79 million people
 born between 1946 and 1964turn 65 and qualify for Medicare health
 insurance. The oldest baby boomers turn 62 this year and qualify for Social
 Security at reduced benefits.
 
     USA TODAY used a variety of government data to calculate the cost
 of providing Social Security, medical benefits and long-term care to an
 aging population. Billions of dollars paid to non-seniors the
 disabled, children and others in the programs were removed to create an
 estimate that focuses exclusively on seniors. Findings include:

• Medicare experienced the most explosive growth from 2000 to 2007. The
 Medicare prescription-drug benefit, started in 2006, accounts for
 about one-fourth of the increase in Medicare, which provides health
 benefits for people 65 and older.
• Long-term care costs per senior have declined slightly in the past
 three years because of a move away from nursing homes to less expensive
 home care.
• The cost of senior benefits is equal to $10,673 for every non-senior
 household.
• About 35% of the federal budget is spent on senior benefits, up from
 32% in 2004.

Eugene Steuerle, a senior fellow at the non-partisan Urban Institute,
 notes that the full cost of senior benefits goes beyond Social Security,
 Medicare and Medicaid. A complete estimate would include other
 programs for retirees, such as military and civil servant pensions and medical
 benefits, he says. The Urban Institute estimates that kids receive an
 average of about $4,000 per child in benefits, including the child tax
 credit and other indirect assistance. Economist Dean Baker calls it
 "granny bashing" to focus on the cost of senior benefits. The elderly paid
 a designated tax for Social Security and Medicare taxes during their
 decades of working to support these programs when they retired, says
 Baker, co-director of the liberal Center for Economic Policy and Research.
  [Source: USA Today Dennis Cauchon article 14 Feb 08 ++]


POSTAL RATES:  Beginning 3 MAR Military families will get a price break
 on the U.S. Postal Service's flat-rate shipping boxes to send care
 packages around the globe. The discount applies only to the new "Priority
 Mail Large Flat-Rate Box," which normally carries a $12.95 price tag
 for shipping. However, when the 12-by-12-by-5.5-inch box is sent to an
 AFO or FPO address, a $2 discount applies, dropping the cost to $10.95.
  The new boxes will be available in post offices nationwide on 3 MAR.
 Those who can't wait to start packing the boxes, however, can order them
 from www.usps.com/supplies beginning 20 FEB. They're also available by
 calling 1(800) 610-8734. Some of the new boxes carry the America
 Supports You logo. America Supports You is a Defense Department program
 connecting citizens and companies with servicemembers and their families
 serving at home and abroad.  The boxes bearing the America Supports You
 logo will be available only online or at select post offices near
 military bases. All flat-rate boxes are available for international shipping,
 though the discount applies only to the large flat-rate box, and only
 if it's being shipped to an APO or FPO address.  [Source: American
 Forces Press Service 14 Feb 08 ++]


WYOMING VETERANS HOME:  The Veterans' Home Of Wyoming is an assisted
 living facility founded to meet the needs of the veterans and their
 spouses who have served in the armed forces of the United States. A limited
 number on non-veterans may also be eligible for admission. The 120 bed
 facility provides the resident with room and board and a community of
 caring people. It is located on the historic site of Fort McKinney. It
 is located three miles west of Buffalo, one-half mile south of Highway
 16, at the base of the majestic Big Horn Mountains. Clear Creek from the
 Big Horns runs through the center of the area surrounding the home and
 supplies the fresh water for the resident trout pond.  Eligibility and
 admission policy procedures are as follows:

1.  An applicant for admission must be a resident, in Wyoming, with a
 valid Wyoming address at the time of application.
2.  An applicant that has resided in Wyoming less than one year must
 declare his/her intent to reside permanently or indefinitely in the State
 of Wyoming.
3.  An applicant cannot be in transit or indicate temporary or seasonal
 residency in the state.
4.  A resident must be a veteran or qualified nonveteran.
5.  A nonveteran may be admitted when there is a 10% vacancy. A widow
 or widower of a veteran is considered a nonveteran.
6.  A resident must be able to maintain activities of daily living.
7.  All prospective residents are asked to visit the home for a
 personal interview with the nurse to review the application with an
 administration staff member.
8.  A veteran must include a copy of his/her Honorable Discharge with
 the completed application for admission.
9.  A resident cannot be gainfully employed.
10.  The federal government mandates that at least 75% of Veterans’
 Home of Wyoming residents are veterans.

Resident maintenance fees are based on ability to pay with the monthly
 maximums reviewed annually. Veterans receive a reduction from the
 maximum as a result of payments received on their behalf from the VA. A
 resident with assets less than $10,000.00 is charged according to a formula
 that is applied to the resident's gross monthly income as follows: a
 resident pays 85% of total monthly income reduced by $65.00 for personal
 use. A resident with assets exceeding $10,000 will pay the monthly
 maximum for either a veteran or a nonveteran. In addition to the
 aforementioned, residents will be billed on an after the fact basis for medical
 purchases made on their behalf by this home. Services rendered for the
 monthly maintenance fee include, but are not limited to, a furnished
 private room, meals, laundry service, nursing service, and limited
 transportation. There are weekly trips to the Sheridan Veterans Affairs
 Medical Center primarily for medical appointments for the residents. Planned
 activities in the home include bingo, movies, pool tournaments, and
 birthday and holiday celebrations. Outdoors activities include fishing in
 the trout pond on the grounds, picnics in summer, sightseeing trips,
 attending local events, and shopping trips in downtown Buffalo. Service
 clubs, churches, schools, and individual volunteers visit with and
 entertain the residents. There is a hobby shop, and the residents work with
 lapidary equipment, painting, woodworking, models, and kits of various
 kinds. The home is under the direction of the Wyoming Department of
 Health and is supervised by John R. (Jack) Tarter. For further
 information or application procedures call or write: Veterans’ Home of Wyoming,
 700 Veterans’ Lane, Buffalo, WY 82834-9402 Tel. (307) 684-5511/7686F or
 E-mail: jtarte@state.wy.us. [Source: Wyoming Veterans’ Commission
 Veterans Benefits Booklet Rev 2006 ++]


IOWA VETERANS TRUST FUND:   Some veterans could get more help paying
 for prescription drugs, in-home nursing care, car repairs and other
 expenses under legislation being considered by Iowa state lawmakers. More
 expenses would qualify for money from the state Veterans Trust Fund under
 Senate File 2124, which was approved 47-0 by the Iowa Senate on 12
 FEB. The trust fund has $5 million in it. Only the interest can be spent,
 and that amounts to about $250,000 to $300,000 a year. If the Iowa
 House also approves the bill in the coming weeks, it would allow veterans
 to apply for money to help pay for prescription drugs, as well as
 vision, hearing and dental care. Currently, trust fund money can't be used
 for these expenses. It would cover ambulance fees and emergency room
 expenses if a veteran has to go to a hospital other than a U.S. Department
 of Veterans Affairs hospital. If a lower-income veteran needs help
 paying for a vehicle repair, or an emergency home repair or temporary
 housing, he or she could get money from the trust fund. There's already
 money at the county level, but the idea is to provide the extra boost that
 keeps veterans from losing their jobs or becoming homeless. Right now,
 only travel expenses for a veteran getting follow-up medical care are
 covered by trust fund money. This bill would allow a spouse to be
 reimbursed for the expense of traveling to see a veteran in the hospital due
 to a service-related injury or illness. It would help pay expenses for
 veterans who need nursing care but want to remain in their homes. Right
 now, trust fund money can go only toward nursing home care. It also
 ends the practice of giving money to the children of veterans who are
 disabled or killed in action. Instead, there are other ways trust fund
 money can be used to assist a child in need.  [Source: Des Moines Register
 Jennifer Jacobs article 13 Feb 08 ++]


RETIREE APPRECIATION DAYS:   Retiree Appreciation Days and Military
 Retiree Seminars offer military retirees and their families a chance to
 learn current information about topics such as benefits, entitlements,
 health care, and special services available for them.  Since the day’s
 schedule of activities differ from location to location, it is best to
 check with the event’s point of contact for specific details. The Army
 maintains a current listing of activities for 2008 at
 http://www.armyg1.army.mil/rso/docs/rads.pdf.  The current listing
 includes:

Schweinfurt, Germany April 12 09721-96-7033
Dover AFB, Del.  April 12 (302) 677-4612
Stuttgart, Germany April 19 07031-15-2924
Fort Jackson, S.C. April 25-26 (803) 751-6715
Fort Wainwright, Alaska April 26 (907) 384-3500
McGuire AFB, N.J. April 26 (609) 754-2459
Vicenza, Italy May 30 0444-71-7262
Fort McPherson, Ga. June 21 (404) 464-3219
NAS Jacksonville, Fla. July 12 (904) 542-2766 Ext. 126
Orlando, Fla. Aug. 16 (912) 767-5013
Andrews AFB, Md. Oct. 25 (301) 981-2726
Heidelberg, Germany Oct. 18 06221-57-3347
Grafenwoehr, Germany Oct. 25 09641-83-8540
Fort Leavenworth, Kan. Nov. 1 (913) 684-2425
Bolling AFB, D.C. Nov. 8 (202) 767-5244
[Source: Afterburner Feb 08 ++]


U.S. SAVINGS BONDS UPDATE 03:   Retirees can buy U.S. Savings Bonds in
 electronic form and hold them directly with the U.S. Treasury over the
 Internet.  They can even convert their paper savings bonds into
 electronic form and hold them in an account with the government. Both are
 possible when people open a TreasuryDirect account, according to Defense
 Finance and Accounting Service officials. TreasuryDirect allows people to
 open an online account and buy savings bonds either through a payroll
 allotment or with money debited directly from a bank or credit union
 account.  Once the bonds are eligible for redemption, people can go
 online and schedule payment directly into a bank or credit union account.
 Electronic savings bonds carry the same interest rates and maturity
 periods as paper bonds, but, unlike paper bonds, people do not have to wait
 to receive them in the mail.  Instead, all people need is access to the
 Internet.  With a TreasuryDirect account, people can convert any paper
 bonds they own into electronic securities.  If the DFAS is holding the
 bonds, people can request the bonds and DFAS will mail them.  People
 can then send them, along with any paper bonds they may have at home, to
 the U.S. Treasury for addition to a TreasuryDirect account.  Because
 the U.S. Treasury requires people to submit the bonds with a signed
 manifest, DFAS cannot mail the bonds directly to the treasury. To learn
 more about converting bonds into electronic form, visit SmartExchange at
 http://www.treasurydirect.gov/indiv/research/indepth/smartexchangeinfo.htm.
 For more information, visit www.treasurydirect.gov.  [Source:
 Afterburner Feb 08 ++]


VA MINORITY VETERANS PANEL:   There are approximately 4.7 million
 minority veterans in the United States and its territories.  They make up
 nearly 19 % of the total veteran population.  The Advisory Committee  on
 Minority Veterans is an expert panel appointed by the Secretary of
 Veterans Affairs that advises him on issues involving these minority
 veterans.  Chartered on 30 JAN 95, the committee makes recommendations for
 administrative and legislative changes.  The committee members are
 appointed to one-, two-, or three-year terms. VA has minority veterans
 program coordinators at each VA medical
 center, regional office and national cemetery to assist minority
 veterans  with health and benefits issues. A list of the full membership of
 VA's Advisory Committee on Minority Veterans is attached follows:
   
* Diego E. Hernandez, Puerto Rican, Miami, Fla., a retired Navy vice
 admiral, currently is an active consultant to private and public
 companies.
* James H. Mukoyama, Jr. (Chair), Japanese American, Glenview, Ill.  A
 retired Army Reserve major general, currently the executive vice
 president and chief operating officer of Regal Discount Securities in
Chicago.
* Julia J. Cleckley, African American, Washington, DC.  A retired Army
 brigadier general, currently is the director of armed forces education
  with the University Alliance.
* Dr. Doris Browne, African American, Washington, DC.  A retired Army
 colonel, currently the senior scientific officer of the Breast and
 Gynecologic Cancer Research Group, Division of Cancer Prevention, National
 Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Md.
* Reginald Malebranche, Haitian American, Alexandria, Va.  A retired
 Army colonel with over thirty-five years of expertise in policy, planning
 and program management.
* Kerwin E. Miller, African American, Washington, DC.  A retired Navy
 commander, currently serves as the first director of the
 newly-established District of Columbia office of veterans affairs, within the
 executive office of the mayor.
* Joe C. Nuñez, Mexican American, Littleton, Colo.  A retired Air Force
 lieutenant colonel, currently works for the Department of Health and
  Human Services as a Regional Director.
* Dr. Irene M. Zoppi, Hispanic American, Crofton, Md.  An Army Reserve
 lieutenant colonel, currently an adjunct professor at the College of
 Notre Dame, Strayer University, and the Command General Staff College.
* Furnie Lambert, Jr., American Indian of the Lumbee Tribe, Maxton,
 N.C.  A retired Marine master gunnery sergeant, currently serves as the
 chairman of Veterans Affairs Committee for the Lumbee Tribe of North
 Carolina.
* John W. Jelks, African American, Dale City, Va.  A retired Air Force
 senior master sergeant, currently the coordinator for National
 Geospatial Intelligence Agency.
* Debra L. Wilson, Lakota Sioux, Tahlequah, Okla.  A former Marine
 Corps staff sergeant, currently works as a compliance officer for the
 Cherokee Nation gaming commission.
* Nelson N. Angapak, Sr., Alaskan Native, Anchorage, Ala.  An Army
 veteran, currently is the executive vice president of the Alaska Federation
 of Natives.
* Shoshana N. Johnson, Black Hispanic American, El Paso, Texas.  A
 retired Army specialist who is the first black female POW in the U.S.
 history and currently conducts speaking engagements across the country
 discussing her experience as a POW in Iraq.
* Alexander Y. Chan, Asian American, Fairfax Station, Va.  A Navy
 veteran, currently a senior enforcement officer and certified internal
 auditor in the Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau.
* James T. McLawhorn, Jr., African American, Columbia, S.C.  Currently
 the president and chief executive officer of the Columbia Urban League
 in South Carolina.
[Source: VA News release 12 Feb 08 ++]


AFRH UPDATE 03:  A report from the Defense Department’s inspector
 general says allegations of serious health care problems at the Armed Forces
 Retirement Home are overblown. The Government Accountability Office
 asked the Pentagon last year to investigate reports of a rising death
 rate, filthy rooms and veterans suffering from bedsores. But the inspector
 general’s report says investigators found that the death rate at the
 home declined between 2004 and 2006. It also could not document
 allegations that poor care caused an unusual number of residents to be sent to
 the hospital. The report confirmed that one patient was found with
 maggots in a leg wound in 2006. The home acknowledged the incident last
 year and eight employees were fired. [Source: The Associated Press 12 Feb
 08 ++]


WW1 VET SEARCH UPDATE 03: Of the 2 million American soldiers sent to
 the trenches during World War I, only Frank Woodruff Buckles is still
 alive. The retired Army corporal, who turned 107 this month, is all that
 prevents the First World War from slipping into the secondhand past.
 Harry Landis, the only other known WWI veteran, died at 108 last week in
 Tampa, Fla. We're about to "lose a living touchstone of history," says
 Bob Patrick, director of the Library of Congress's Veterans History
 Project. Yet the United States has no firm or official plans to mark the
 passing of its last WWI veteran. "Frankly, we're trying to keep the focus
 on the living," says Phil Budahan, director of media relations for the
 Department of Veterans Affairs. Britain plans to hold an elaborate
 ceremony at Westminster Abbey when the last of its three remaining WWI
 veterans die. Canada and France, which each have one remaining veteran,
 have also announced plans to hold a state funeral. In fact, America's
 plans are more akin to those of its wartime enemy, Germany, whose last
 veteran died last month at 107 without official fanfare.

     In America, the First World War remains a largely forgotten
 conflict. It has no national monument on the Washington Mall, no blockbuster
 film, no iconic image equivalent to soldiers' raising the flag on Iwo
 Jima. There wasn't even a reliable list of living veterans until a
 writer, researching a book about the war's place in the shadows, tallied one
 for himself in 2004. "Nobody—not the Department of Veterans Affairs,
 or the Veterans of Foreign Wars or the American Legion—knew how many
 there were," says Richard Rubin, author of the forthcoming book "The Last
 of the Doughboys." As far as he could tell, "that chapter of history
 was closed." For now, the primarily privately funded World War One Museum
 in Kansas City, Mo., is the only national institution with plans to
 commemorate the end of the Doughboy generation. "We just don't know what
 that means yet," says Denise Rendina, a spokeswoman for the museum. The
 VA says that all plans must come from Congress, while the White House
 Commission on Remembrance, the agency officially tasked with honoring
 "America's fallen," says it will invite Buckles to join a national
 flag-raising tour that began in December. There's just one problem: the
 touring flag is from a World War II memorial. [Source: Newsweek Tony
 Dokoupil article 9 Feb 08 ++]


TOMB OF THE UNKNOWNS:   Congress has blocked the possible replacement
 of the cracked Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery,
 deciding instead to study repairs to the existing marble monument. A
 defense bill President Bush signed into law 28 JAN included an amendment to
 prevent replacement of the tomb, pending a report to Congress. The
 cemetery had been leaning toward replacing the monument, which was installed
 in 1931, to maintain its dignity. But now that replacement of the
 stone has been stalled, the cemetery plans to make repairs to the monument
 later this year, said John Metzler, the cemetery's superintendent. The
 last repairs were made in 1989. The work (with guidance from National
 Park Service stone conservators) involves replacing the existing
 grouting on the monument and cleaning the stone with water and a soft brush.
 Millions of people visit the tomb each year, where soldiers guard the
 sculpted sarcophagus at all times. It overlooks Washington from across
 the Potomac River in Arlington and is the scene of Memorial Day
 wreath-laying ceremonies by the president. A crypt beneath the monument holds
 the remains of three unidentified servicemen killed in the two world wars
 and the Korean War. A Vietnam War veteran buried there was later
 identified through DNA testing and removed.  [Source: Associated Press
 article 9 Feb 08 ++]



OHIO STATE TAX:  Recently passed Ohio legislation exempts military
 retirement pay from Ohio personal income tax and exempts estates of armed
 forces members who died while serving in combat zones from probate fees.
 The legislation also extends the 20% credit available to certain
 military persons on civil service examinations to any member of the National
 Guard or a reserve component of the U.S. Armed Forces who has
 completed more than 180 days of active duty service pursuant to an order of the
 President or an act of Congress. H.B. 372 Laws 2007, effective 24 DEC
 07.  [Source: Clark, Schaefer, Hackett & Co Tax Update 9 Feb 08 ++]


MEDICARE FRAUD UPDATE 01:   Federal prosecutors on 7 FEB reported that
 in one of the biggest U.S. health care fraud settlements ever, Mereck &
 Co. will pay $671 million to settle claims it overcharged the
 government for four popular drugs and bribed doctors to prescribe its drugs,.
 The alleged overcharges, dating back to the mid-1990s, involved Medicaid
 programs in the District of Columbia and every state but Arizona, as
 well as federal health-insurance programs at agencies including the
 Department of Defense and Veterans Administration. A nationwide
 investigation by federal prosecutors, triggered in 2000 by a former Merck
 salesman-turned-whistleblower and broadened by a Louisiana doctor who also
 exposed overcharging, resulted in the two settlements announced. In
 Philadelphia, prosecutors said Merck agreed to pay $399 million for improper
 calculation of Medicaid rebates and bribing doctors. In New Orleans,
 prosecutors said the drugmaker agreed to pay $250 million for its rebate
 practices. With interest, that totals $671 million.

     The settlement is the third largest ever for health care fraud,
 behind a $900 million case involving hospital operator Tenet Healthcare
 Corp. and a $730 million case involving hospital chain HCA, according to
 the group Taxpayers Against Fraud. Whitehouse Station, N.J.-based
 Merck said the settlements do not constitute an admission of any liability
 or wrongdoing.  “What we have here is a disagreement (over) the rules
 of the Medicaid rebate program,” said Merck spokesman Ronald Rogers.
 “These civil settlements were the best and most appropriate way to resolve
 these lengthy investigations.” Drug companies must report to the
 government the lowest price for their medicines to ensure that Medicaid
 programs get the same discounts or rebates on drugs they buy. Prosecutors
 said Merck was hiding steep discounts; up to 92% off the average price
 it gave hospitals that used a set amount of Merck products. From 1997 to
 2001, prosecutors said Merck had about 15 different programs used by
 its sales representatives to give doctors and other health professionals
 “illegal kickbacks,” disguised as fees for training or consultation,
 to induce them to prescribe Merck drugs.

     The Philadelphia case involved pricing programs for the
 cholesterol drugs Zocor and Mevacor and the painkiller Vioxx, which Merck pulled
 from the market in SEP 04 because Vioxx doubled the risk of heart
 attack and stroke. Those programs ran from 1996 through 2006. The Louisiana
 case involved pricing for heartburn drug Pepcid, from mid-1996 to APR
 01, when it was sold only by prescription. Federal prosecutors said
 Merck ended those practices and started a program to comply with government
 pricing rules in 2001, before learning prosecutors were investigating
 allegations raised in 2000 by former Merck salesman H. Dean Steinke.
 Steinke filed a whistleblower lawsuit in federal court in Philadelphia
 and notified the U.S. attorney’s office there of his allegations of Merck
 overcharging the government and giving doctors improper payments, said
 Virginia Gibson, chief of the office’s civil division.  About four
 years later, Steinke filed a similar whistleblower lawsuit in Nevada,
 where the U.S. attorney’s office there instituted its own probe.
 Massachusetts, Delaware and Illinois also joined in. Meanwhile, Dr. William St.
 John LaCorte, a geriatrics specialist, sued Merck in late 1999 after
 discovering that some of his patients, while hospitalized, had been
 switched to Pepcid from other heartburn drugs he prescribed.

     According to Mukasey’s office, the federal government will receive
 more than $360 million out of the total settlement, and more than $290
 million will go to the states and District of Columbia. Steinke will
 get $67 million from the federal and state shares, and a
 still-undetermined whistleblower reward will go to LaCorte. When Merck reported its
 fourth-quarter financial results 20 JAN, they included a $671 million
 charge for the anticipated resolution of federal and state civil probes
 into past sales and marketing practices, as the deal’s final details were
 being worked out.  Merck shares fell 1 cent to $45.70 Thursday. The
 shares have traded in a 52-week range of $42.32 to $61.62.  [Source:
 Associated Press Linda A. Johnson article 8 Feb 08 ++]


NATIONAL SALUTE TO HOSPITALIZED VETERANS:  Every day, some 98,000
 veterans are treated in Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers,
 outpatient clinics, domiciliaries, and nursing homes. And every year,
 during Valentine's Week, a call goes out to the public to visit and honor
 these hospitalized veterans during National Salute Week. This year, the
 event runs from 11 thru 17 FEB. During the National Salute, VA invites
 individuals, veterans groups, military personnel, civic organizations,
 businesses, schools, local media, celebrities and sports stars to
 participate in a variety of activities at the VA medical centers. The
 activities and events include special ward visits and valentine distributions;
 photo opportunities; school essay contests; special recreation
 activities and veteran recognition programs.  The week also provides an
 opportunity for the community to become acquainted with the volunteer
 opportunities within the medical center. Contact your nearest VA Medical
 Center and ask for Voluntary Service to discover the things you, your group
 or organization can do to salute America’s Heroes.  At present the VA
 maintains 1317 facilities nationwide.  You can locate the facility
 nearest you at http://www1.va.gov/directory/guide/home.asp?isFlash=1.
 [Source:  St. Cloud MN Times editorial 6 Feb 08 ++]


MOBILIZED RESERVE 13 FEB 08:  The Army, Air Force and Marine Corps
 announced the current number of reservists on active duty as of 13 FEB 08
 in support of the partial mobilization. The net collective result is 481
 more reservists mobilized than last reported in the Bulletin for 30
 JAN 08. At any given time, services may mobilize some units and
 individuals while demobilizing others, making it possible for these figures to
 either increase or decrease. The total number currently on active duty
 in support of the partial mobilization of the Army National Guard and
 Army Reserve is 73,769; Navy Reserve, 5,029; Air National Guard and Air
 Force Reserve, 7,128; Marine Corps Reserve, 8,703; and the Coast Guard
 Reserve, 343. This brings the total National Guard and Reserve personnel
 who have been mobilized to 94,972, including both units and individual
 augmentees. A cumulative roster of all National Guard and Reserve
 personnel, who are currently mobilized, can be found at
 http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Feb2008/d20080213ngr.pdf.   [Source:
 DoD News Release 13 Feb 08 ++]


PASSPORT OBTAINMENT UPDATE 02: On 1 FEB 08 the U.S. Government
 increased its fees for their U.S. citizen passport services. For adult
 applicants renewing a passport, the total fee is now $75. For first-time,
 applicants age 16 and over, the total fee increases to $100. The fee for
 minors under 16 years of age will be $85.  Effective 1 FEB 08 passport
 applicants who are U.S. citizen minors under the age of 16 must appear
 personally with their parents to establish identity, proof of citizenship
 and proof of relationship. For parental application permission, both
 parents must appear together and sign or one parent may appear to sign
 and submit the other parent’s notarized statement, or one parent may
 appear, sign, and submit primary evidence of sole authority. Minors age 16
 and 17 may apply in person with their own identification, but for
 security reasons, parental consent may be required. If your child does not
 have identification of their own, a parent will be required to accompany
 the child and present identification. Refer to the Department of
 State’s website at www.travel.state.gov for complete information on all new
 requirements, including downloadable revised forms that must be used as
 of 1 FEB, and the U.S. Embassy website at manila.usembassy.gov, for
 complete U.S. passport application instructions.  Americans traveling
 abroad should regularly monitor their Embassy’s and the U.S. Department of
 State's travel website at www.travel.state.gov , where the current
 Worldwide Caution, Travel Warnings, and Travel Alerts can be found. The
 U.S. Embassy also encourages U.S. citizens to review to "A Safe Trip
 Abroad," found at
 http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html , which
 includes valuable security information for those both living and traveling
 abroad. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may
 obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1(888)
 407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada, or outside the U.S. and Canada
 on a regular toll line at 1(202) 501-4444. Citizens living and residing
 in the Philippines are advised to register their presence in the
 country through the U.S. Department of State's automated online registration
 system, https://travelregistration.state.gov. U.S. citizens may also
 contact the Consular Section at the U.S. Embassy via e-mail or by calling
 (02) 301-2000. [Source: U.S. Embassy Warden msg 1 Feb 08 ++]


PASSPORT OBTAINMENT UPDATE 03:  U.S. citizens may begin applying in
 advance for the new U.S. Passport Card beginning 1 FEB 08, in anticipation
 of land border travel document requirements. It is expected cards will
 be available and mailed to applicants in spring 2008. The passport
 card will facilitate entry and expedite document processing at U.S. land
 and sea ports-of-entry when arriving from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean
 and Bermuda. The Department of State is issuing this passport card in
 response to the needs of border resident communities for a less
 expensive and more portable alternative to the traditional passport.  The
 passport card is by definition a passport and will be considered proof of
 U.S. citizenship. The card may not, however, be used to travel by air.
 The passport card will otherwise carry the rights and privileges of the
 U.S. passport book and will be adjudicated to the exact same standards.
 The card will have the same period of validity as the passport book:
 ten years for an adult (age 16 and older), and five years for children 15
 years and younger. If you already have a passport book, you may apply
 for the card as a passport renewal and pay only $20. The fee for a
 first-time adult applicant will be $45. The fee for a minor applicant under
 the age of 16 will be $35. [Source: U.S. Embassy Warden msg 1 Feb 08
 ++]


PHILIPPINES AIR CARRIER CONCERNS:  On 26 DEC 07 the U.S. Federal
 Aviation Administration (FAA) informed the Government of the Philippines that
 it has revised the Philippines’ aviation safety oversight category
 from Category 1 to Category 2 due to serious concerns about the Philippine
 Air Transportation Office’s oversight of air carrier operations.
 Category 2 indicates that the FAA has assessed the Government of the
 Philippines’ Civil Aviation Authority as not being in compliance with
 International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) safety standards for the
 oversight of Philippine air carrier operations. While in Category 2,
 Philippine air carriers will be permitted to continue current operations to
 the United States, but will be under heightened FAA surveillance. For
 more information, travelers may visit the FAA’s website at
 http://www.faa.gov/safety/programs_initiatives/oversight/iasa.

     Whenever possible, Americans traveling to and from the Philippines
 should fly to their destinations on international carriers from
 countries whose civil aviation authorities meet international aviation safety
 standards for the oversight of their air carrier operations under the
 FAA’s International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program.  The
 U.S. Embassy strongly encourages Americans in the Philippines, including
 short-term visitors, to register with the Embassy in Manila.
 Registration may be done on-line at https://travelregistration.state.gov.
 Information on registration procedures, all security-related Travel Warnings
 and Public Announcements, and recent Embassy warden messages are posted
 on the Embassy’s website at http://manila.usembassy.gov.  The U.S.
 Embassy is located at: 1201 Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Philippines, tel.
 63-2-301-2000. The Consular American Citizen Services (ACS) section's fax
 number is 63-2-301-2017. [Source: U.S. Embassy Warden msg 1 Feb 08 ++]


CRSC UPDATE 37:   The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
 was signed into law on 29 JAN 08. The NDAA expanded Combat-Related
 Special Compensation (CRSC) eligibility to include those who were medically
 retired under Chapter 61with less than 20 years of service, effective 1
 JAN 08. A Chapter 61 retiree is anyone who was medically retired from
 military service.  Chapter 61 is a new component for CRSC. Medically
 retired Veterans must still provide documentation that shows a causal link
 between a current VA disability and a combat-related event.  CRSC will
 not begin processing claims until the DoD provides program
 implementation instructions.  Potentially eligible retirees can begin to gather
 the required documentation (VA rating decision, DD214, medical records)
 needed to submit their claim. Required documentation includes a signed
 claim form and:
1.  Copy of Chapter 61 Board results (Chapter 61 claimants only).
2.  Copies of ALL VA rating decisions which include the letter and the
 narrative summaries
3.  Copies of ALL DD214's
4.  Medical records that support "HOW" the injury occurred for each
 claimed disability that meets the criteria for combat-related. Refer to
 CRSC website to learn what combat-related is.

The CRSC website www.crsc.army.mil will be kept updated with program
 guidance and claim information.  For questions and further guidance send
 email to crsc.info@us.army.mil or contact the CRSC call center at
 1(866) 281-3254. [Source:  U.S. Army Wounded Warrior Program Northeast Team
 Ayandria Barry input 5 Feb 08 ++]


TAX DEDUCTIONS:   Many disabled veterans and disabled people in general
 think that there is no reason to file any taxes.  However, even though
 VA comp is non-reportable, in many states you can still get a rebate
 back on sales tax property tax, and the likes.  Every year, the IRS
 dutifully reports the most common blunders taxpayers make on their returns.
 And every year, at or near the top of the list, is forgetting to enter
 a Social Security number or making a mistake when entering the nine
 digits that identify us to IRS computers.  Who knows how many people
 forgot-or never knew about-a deduction that could save them money?  The
 opportunity for mistakes is almost unlimited. The most recent numbers show
 that about 46 million of us itemized deductions on our 1040s-claiming
 nearly one trillion dollars’ worth of deductions. Another 85 million
 taxpayers claimed more than half a trillion dollars’ worth of standard
 deductions. Some of those who took the easy way out probably shortchanged
 themselves. Years ago, the head of the IRS told Kiplinger’s Personal
 Finance magazine that he figured millions of taxpayers overpaid their
 taxes every year by overlooking just one of the following money-savers
 listed:

1. State sales taxes. This write-off makes sense primarily for those
 who live in states that do not impose an income tax. You must choose
 between deducting state income taxes or state sales taxes and, for most
 citizens of income-tax states, the income tax deduction usually is a
 better deal. IRS has tables for residents of states with sales taxes showing
 how much they can deduct. But the tables aren’t the last word. If you
 purchased a vehicle, boat or airplane, you get to add the state sales
 tax you paid to the amount shown in IRS tables for your state, to the
 extent the sales tax rate you paid doesn’t exceed the state’s general
 sales tax rate. The same goes for home building materials you purchased.
 These items are easy to overlook. The IRS even has a calculator on its
 Web site to help you figure out the deduction, which varies by your
 state and income level.

2. Reinvested dividends. This isn’t really a deduction, but it is a
 subtraction that can save you money; this is the break former IRS
 Commissioner Fred Goldberg told Kiplinger’s that lots of taxpayers miss. If,
like most investors, you have mutual fund dividends automatically
 invested in extra shares, remember that each reinvestment increases your
 “tax basis” in the fund. That, in turn, reduces the taxable capital gain
 (or increases the tax-saving loss) when you redeem shares. Forgetting to
 include the reinvested dividends in your basis-which you subtract from
 the proceeds of sale to pinpoint your gain-means overpaying your tax.

3. Out-of-pocket charitable contributions. It’s hard to overlook the
 big charitable gifts you made during the year, by check or payroll
 deduction. But the little things add up, too, and you can write off
 out-of-pocket costs you incur while doing good works. Ingredients for casseroles
 you regularly prepare for a nonprofit organization’ s soup kitchen,
 for example, or the cost of stamps you buy for your school’s
fundraiser count as a charitable contribution. If you drove your car
 for charity in 2007, remember to deduct 14 cents per mile.

4. Student loan interest paid by Mom and Dad. Until recently, if
 parents paid back a student loan incurred by their children, no one got a tax
 break. To get a deduction, the law held that you had to be both liable
 for the debt and actually pay it yourself. But now there’s an
 exception. If Mom and Dad pay back the loan, the IRS treats it as though they
 gave the money to their child, who then paid the debt. So, a child who’s
 not claimed as a dependent can qualify to deduct up to $2,500 of
 student loan interest
paid by Mom and Dad.

5. Moving expense to take first job. Job-hunting expenses incurred
 while looking for your first job are not
deductible, but moving expenses to get to that first job are. And you
 get this write-off even if you don’t itemize. If you moved more than 50
 miles, you can deduct the cost of getting yourself and your household
 goods to the new area, including 20 cents per mile (plus parking fees
 and tolls) for driving your own car.

6. Military reservists’ travel expenses. If you are a member of the
 National Guard or military reserve, you may deserve a deduction for travel
 expenses to drills or meetings. To qualify, you must travel more than
 100 miles and be away from home overnight. If you qualify, you can
 deduct the cost of lodging and half the cost of your meals, plus 48.5 cents
 per mile (and any parking or toll fees) for driving your own car. You
 get this deduction whether or not you itemize.

7. Child care credit. A credit is so much better than a deduction-it
 reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar. So missing one is even more
 painful than missing a deduction that simply reduces the amount of income
 that’s subject to tax. But it’s easy to overlook the child care credit
 if you pay your child care bills thorough a reimbursement account at
 work. Until a few years ago, the child care credit applied to no more than
 $4,800 of qualifying expenses. The law allows you to run up to $5,000
 of such expenses through a tax-favored reimbursement account at work.
 Now, however, up to $6,000 can qualify for the credit, but the old
 $5,000 limit still applies to reimbursement accounts. So, if you run the
 maximum $5,000 through a plan at
work but spend more for work-related child care, you can claim the
 credit on up to an extra $1,000. That would cut your tax bill by at least
 $200.

8. Estate tax on income in respect of a decedent. This sounds
 complicated, but it can save you a lot of money if you inherited an IRA from
 someone whose estate was big enough to be subject to the federal estate
 tax. Basically, you get an income tax deduction for the amount of estate
 tax paid on the IRA balance. Let’s say you inherited a $100,000 IRA and
 the fact that the $100,000 was included in your benefactor’s estate
 added $45,000 to the estate tax bill. As you withdraw the money from the
 IRA and pay tax on it, you also get to deduct a proportional amount of
 the estate tax paid. If you withdraw $50,000 in one year, for example,
 you get to claim a $22,500 itemized deduction on Schedule A.

9. State tax you paid last spring. Did you owe tax when you filed your
 2006 state tax return in the spring of 2007? Then remember to include
 that amount with your state tax deduction on your 2007 return, along
 with state income taxes withheld from your paychecks or paid via quarterly
 estimated payments.

10. Refinancing points. When you buy a house, you get to deduct points
 paid to obtain your mortgage in one fell swoop. When you refinance a
 mortgage, though, you have to deduct the points over the life of the
 loan. That means 1/30th a year if it’s a 30-year mortgage-that’ s $33 a
 year for each $1,000 of points you paid. And, in the year you pay off the
 loan-because you sell the house or refinance again-you may get to
 deduct all the as-yet-undeducted points. You do unless you refinance with
 the same lender. In that case, you add points on the latest deal to the
 leftovers from the previous refinancing and deduct the expense ratably
 over the life of the new loan.

11. Jury pay paid to employer. Some employers continue to pay
 employees’ full salary while they are doing their civic duty, but ask that they
 turn over their jury fees to the corporate treasury. The only problem
 is that the IRS demands that you report those fees as taxable income.
 You’ve always had a right to deduct the amount, so you weren’t taxed on
 money that simply passed through your hands.
[Source:  Gulf War Resource Center Jim Bunker input Feb 08 ++]


VA BUDGET 2009:  President Bush is seeking a budget of $93.7 billion in
 fiscal year 2009 for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), with
 health care and disability compensation receiving most of the funding.  If
 Congress accepts the White House’s budget request, VA’s budget would
 be $3.4 billion more than the current spending level and nearly double
 the budget in effect when President Bush took office seven years ago.
 The budget proposal calls for $47.2 billion in discretionary funding,
 mostly for health care.  It also would provide $46.4 billion in mandatory
 funding for compensation, pension, educational assistance, home loan
 guaranties and other benefit programs.  This proposed budget will allow
 VA to continue implementing the recommendations of the President’s
 Commission on Care for America’s Returning Wounded Warriors (Dole-Shalala
 Commission).  Included in the $93.7 billion request are funds to/for:

•  Research projects ($252 million) specifically focused on veterans
 returning from service in Iraq and Afghanistan.  This includes research
 in traumatic brain injury, polytrauma, spinal cord injury, prosthetics,
 burn injury, pain, and post-deployment mental health.
• Acquire greater access to DoD’s online medical information, by
 working to reduce the Department’s reliance upon paper-based claims folders
 and by aggressively hiring new staff.  By the beginning of 2009, VA
 expects to complete a two-year effort to hire 3,100 new staff.
• Operations and maintenance for the National Cemetery Administration
 ($181 million) and an additional $5 million to begin interment
 operations at six new national cemeteries—Bakersfield CA, Birmingham AL;
 Columbia-Greenville SC; Jacksonville FL; Sarasota FL; and southeastern PA.
 Major construction funding of $105 million to support the VA’s burial
 program including resources for gravesite expansion and cemetery
 improvement projects at three national cemeteries—New York (Calverton, $29
 million); Massachusetts ($20.5 million); and Puerto Rico ($33.9 million).
 Expand access to its burial program by increasing the percent of veterans
 served by a national or state veterans cemetery within 75 miles of
 their residence to 88% in 2009.  VA expects to perform 111,000 interments
 in 2009.
• Cyber-security program ($93 million) to uphold to support the
 commitment to make the Department the gold standard in data security within
 the federal government.
• Medical services ($34.08 billion), medical facilities ($4.66
 billion), and resources from medical care collections ($2.47 billion).
•  Provide resources to treat nearly 5.8 million patients, including
 about 3.9 million veterans who are VA’s highest priority
 patients-veterans returning from service in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation
 Enduring Freedom (OEF), veterans with service-connected disabilities,
 those with lower incomes, and veterans with special health care needs.
• Treatment of about 333,000 OIF/OEF veterans in 2009.  Medical care
 funding for these patients will climb to nearly $1.3 billion in 2009, or
 21% more than in 2008.
• Resources for VA to virtually eliminate the patient waiting list by
 the end of 2009.
• Resources for mental health care ($3.9 billion).
• Non-institutional long-term care ($762 million). The number of
 patients receiving this type of care, as measured by the average daily
 census, is expected to reach 61,000.
• Resources for CHAMPVA ($1 billion +).
• $1.5 billion to support the increasing workload associated with the
 purchase and repair of prosthetics and sensory aids to improve veterans’
 quality of life.
• $83 million for facility activations where needed to purchase
 equipment and supplies for newly constructed and leased buildings as VA
 completes projects from the Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services
 (CARES) program.
• Investments in VA’s capital infrastructure including the continued
 development of new hospitals in Orlando FL ($120 million) and Denver CO
 ($20 million), and beginning three new projects to enhance mental health
 and polytrauma care at the Palo Alto CA ($38 million), Bay Pines FL
 ($17 million) and Tampa FL ($21 million) medical centers.
• Expansion of the telehealth program to improve access to health care
 for veterans living in rural and remote areas.
• $442 million for Medical/Prosthetic research in nearly 2,000
 high-priority research projects.
• Disability compensation payments to 234,000 more service-disabled
 veterans and their survivors in 2009 than were made in 2007.  Total
 disability compensation payments will increase by $6 billion.
• Improve the delivery of compensation and pension benefits.  The
 volume of claims is projected to reach 872,000 in 2009.
• Vocational rehabilitation and employment benefits for
 service-disabled veterans will increase by $14 million in 2009.
• Resources to improve the timeliness with which compensation and
 pension claims are processed— average days to process these claims will be
 145 days.  The number of claims processed will grow to over 940,000. The
 number of pending claims for compensation and pension benefits will
 fall to 298,000 by the end of 2009.
• Resources to improve original education claims processing to 19 days
 and supplemental education claims to 10 days in 2009.
• Resources for VA and the DoD to complete the pilot of a new
 disability evaluation system at major medical facilities in the Washington,
 D.C., area.
•  Specially adapted housing grants ($35.9 million).
• Expand access to its burial program by increasing the percent of
 veterans served by a national or state veterans cemetery within 75 miles of
 their residence to 88% in 2009.  That’s a 4.6 percentage point
 increase above the performance level at the close of 2007.
• Provide more than $2.4 billion for the Department’s IT program.
• $23.8 million to complete the transition of compensation and pension
 payment processing from the current system to VETsNET.
• $284 million for development and implementation of the Veterans
 Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (HealtheVet-VistA)
 program. 
[Source: VA News Release 4 Feb 08 ++]


VA BUDGET 2009 UPDATE 01:  Some say budget request would not meet VA's
 requirements. Following are some of the media/congressional comments
 regarding the Bush proposal:

•  Congressional Quarterly reported, "The Veterans Affairs Department
 (VA) would receive only a modest boost for veterans' medical needs in
 fiscal 2009, which Democrats said would not meet the agency's
 requirements." The White House's budget request contains a total of $91.2 billion
 for the VA, including $44.8 billion in discretionary spending. The
 proposed discretionary spending is a modest increase over the $43.1 billion
 appropriated to the department through the fiscal 2008 omnibus
 spending law. And, while VA Secretary James B. Peake said the budget request
 builds on VA's past successes in providing veterans with timely,
 accessible delivery of high-quality benefits and services earned through their
 sacrifice and service in defense of freedom some Democrats said the VA
 medical budget could fall short of projected needs.
• Tim Johnson (D-SD), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Military
 Construction-VA Subcommittee, said, "The administration has proposed an
 increase in funding for the VA, but I'm concerned the need will outpace
 the increase."
• The AP reported Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) said the budget proposal is
 about as out-of-touch with Montana values as you can get. It racks up
 nearly a trillion dollars in new debt while containing nearly $2 billion
 in new fees on veterans who want to use the VA. We need a budget that
 prioritizes working families, rural America, infrastructure, veterans and
 health care, especially for our children. If President Bush isn't
 going to prioritize these things in his budget, Congress will in ours.
• USA Today said that with its budget request, the Bush administration
 is again seeking to charge health care enrollment fees to veterans with
 no service injuries and incomes above $50,000, along with charging a
 hike in prescription-drug co-payments from $8 to $15. Congress, however,
 has denied both before. USA Today added that outlook in Congress for
 the request can best be summed up by Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), the head
 of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Akaka called the proposal
 inadequate: 'It's just not enough.'"
• The New York Times added, "The president proposes to raise $2 billion
 from new enrollment fees and higher pharmacy co-payments for certain
 veterans receiving health care from the Department of Veterans Affairs."
• The Marine Corps Times  reports VA Secretary Peake praised the White
 House request for VA funding, saying, "If you look at health care, it's
 more than double what it was seven years ago." The Times added, "One
 of the biggest issues facing VA is overwhelmed case workers who can't
 keep up with the thousands of new benefits claims that continue to pour
 in,"
•  Rita Reese, principal deputy assistant secretary for management,
 said VA plans to increase the number of fulltime case workers. She added
 that the budget plan aims to reduce the disability claims backlog to
 298,000 by the end of fiscal 2009, a drop of 24%. Reese also said the
 average length of time required to rule on an initial benefits claim will
 drop from the current 180 days to about 145 days, a 21% improvement over
 2007.
• UPI added that President Bush's 2009 budget pushes for implementation
 of recommendations from the Commission on Care for America's Returning
 Wounded Warriors. The VA budget, unveiled Tuesday, seeks $41.2 billion
 for medical care, which Bush said was more than double the amount the
 department received when Bush took office. Picking up themes from his
 State of the Union address last week, Bush said the administration also
 would seek enactment of commission recommendations, including
 modernizing of disability compensation systems, expanding treatment for
 post-traumatic stress disorder and strengthening support for families.
• The Wall Street Journal reported a major expansion included in the
 proposed budget was a 28% increase to $348 million for the Veterans
 Affairs Department.
• Government Executive reported, "The Veterans Affairs Department would
 see a nearly 18% jump in its information technology budget if Congress
 approves President Bush's fiscal 2009 budget request." The
 administration earmarked $2.53 billion for VA's tech budget in 2009, up from $2.15
 billion in 2008.
• VA officials said the bulk of the $380 million increase will be
 allocated to programs to enhance veteran services, to cover inflationary
 cost increases, replace aging equipment, build new facilities and add
 services."
[Source:  News from Around the Country 5 Feb 08 ++]


TRICARE USER FEE UPDATE 21:    In the proposed FY09 budget DoD included
 the “Task Force for the Future of Military” recommendations to
 dramatically raise the TRICARE enrollment fees, co-pays and deductibles for
 working age military retirees and their families. They estimate a savings
 to them (and a cost to the retirees) of $1.2 billion. On 7 FEB,
 representatives from The Military Coalition testified against these proposals
 before the House Armed Service Committee’s personnel subcommittee. The
 increases proposed for 2009 are as follows:

•  For retirees with retired pay from $0 to $19,999 for TRICARE Prime
 (presently $230 for an individual and $460 for a family) up to $364 for
 an individual and $728 for a family.
• For TRICARE Standard (presently there is no yearly enrollment fee and
 the deductible is $150 for an individual and $300 for a family) there
 will be an enrollment fee of $32 for an individual, $64 for a family, a
 deductible of $209 for an individual and $407 for an family.
• For retirees with retired pay from $20,000-$39,000 for TRICARE Prime
 (presently $230 for an individual and $460 for a family) up to $444 for
 an individual and $888 for a family.
• For TRICARE Standard (presently there is no yearly enrollment fee and
 the deductible is $150 for an individual and $300 for a family) there
 will be an enrollment fee of $32 for an individual, $64 for a family, a
 deductible of $252 for an individual and $503 for an family.
• For retirees with retired pay from $40,000 and above for TRICARE
 Prime (presently $230 for an individual and $460 for a family) up to $594
 for an individual and $1,188 for a family.
• For TRICARE Standard (presently there is no yearly enrollment fee and
 the deductible is $150 for an individual and $300 for a family) there
 will be an enrollment fee of $32 for an individual, $64 for a family, a
 deductible of $337 for an individual and $675 for an family.
• The present co-pays in retail for a 30 day supply are $3 for a
 generic drug, $9 for a brand name and $22 for a non-formulary drug. Under
 this proposal it would increase to $15 for a generic; $25 for a brand name
 and $45 for a non-formulary drug.
•  Mail order for 90 day supply co-pays are presently $3 for a generic,
 $9 for a brand and $22 for a non-formulary. Under the proposal the
 generic they would have $0 co-pay generic, $15 for the brand and $45 for
 the non-formulary.
[Source: TREA Washington Update 8 Feb 08 ++]


VA BUDGET 2009 UPDATE 02:  On 7 FEB, the House Committee on Veterans’
 Affairs, led by Chairman Bob Filner (D-CA), held a hearing to address
 the Administration’s budget request for the Department of Veterans
 Affairs (VA) for fiscal year 2009.  Chairman Filner said, “The request for
 veterans’ funding for 2009 is simply not adequate. Although the request
 includes a 5.5%increase for health care, this increase barely covers the
 cost of medical inflation and does not keep up with the
 ever-increasing demand for VA health care.  I believe that no veteran should have to
 wait for a health care appointment simply because the VA does not have
 the resources to care for that veteran.  The VA must make sure that
 resources are in place to meet the needs of our servicemembers returning
 from Iraq and Afghanistan, especially in the areas of mental health care
 services and traumatic brain injury care, and that we provide the
 benefits and services promised to previous generations of veterans.  The
 service and sacrifice of our veterans is real, and the budget for the VA
 must provide realistic funding levels to meet these needs – and I’m
 afraid that the Bush budget for veterans does not make the grade.”  
 
    The Administration request calls for a $2 billion increase for VA
 medical care, and an overall increase of $1.7 billion for VA
 discretionary funding.  The budget, released on 4 FEB, increases veterans’
 spending in FY 2009 but afterwards calls for slashing veterans’ programs from
 2009-2013 by $20 billion below the levels needed to maintain what the
 VA is doing today.  The Chairman said, “I am concerned that this budget
 proposal contains only modest increases for veterans’ health care while
 paying for this slight increase with cuts in other veterans’ programs
 below the historic levels this Congress provided for in this fiscal
 year. It is hard for me to believe that the VA is serious about providing
 the finest health care possible to our veterans when the Bush
 Administration slashes funding for building new health care facilities and
 reduces our investment in VA medical and prosthetic research – we need to
 keep our promises to veterans and invest in their futures.”  For the
 sixth year in a row, the budget proposal raises health care costs on 1.4
 million veterans by proposing an enrollment fee and calling for nearly
 doubling the amount paid by some veterans for prescription drugs.   “This
 is simply the Bush Administration’s attempt to raise taxes on veterans
 and discourage them from seeking the health care they need, and have
 earned,” said Chairman Filner.  He added, “There are too many uninsured
 veterans who need medical care and cannot afford it.  I am extremely
 disappointed that the VA has once again submitted a budget that assumes
 the continuation of the enrollment ban on Priority 8 veterans – this
 continued ban on an entire class of veterans is especially egregious when
 we look at our faltering economy.  We face the very real prospect of
 more and more of our veterans facing economic hardships and losing access
 to medical care.” [Source:  House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs News
 Release 7 Feb 08 ++]


VA ENROLLMENT FEE UPDATE 01:  The President’s proposed 2009 VA budget,
 once again, calls for an annual enrollment fee for veterans in priority
 7 and 8 and an increase in the pharmacy co-pays. Fortunately, unlike
 DoD the VA did not budget the “savings” that adoption of such proposals
 would bring into to the healthcare budget. Therefore, if the Military
 Coalition is once again successful at stopping these proposed increases
 there will not be a hole in the VA’s healthcare budget.  The Budget as
 submitted presently includes the following tiered annual enrollment
 fees based on veteran’s family income (Priority 7/8):

Family Income            Annual Enrollment Fee
Under $50,000                      None
$50,000 -$74,999                $250
$75,000 -$99,999                $500
$100,000 and above            $750

It also calls for an increase in pharmacy co-payments from $8 to $15
 (Priority 7/8). Last year Congress passed historic increases in the VA
 budget; $3.7 billion additional funding was given to the VA in emergency
 funding for this year. Hopefully, permanent additional funding can be
 added to this already increased budget. [Source: TREA Washington Update
 8 Feb 08 ++]


MEDICARE PART D UPDATE 18:   To get your Medicare drug plan to pay for
 a drug they have declined to pay for or lower the cost you must ask for
 an exception. This has to be done by a formal, written request to your
 plan asking that it pay for a drug you need that is not on its
 formulary or asking it to lower the price of a drug you need that is on its
 formulary but it costs too much. The process for asking a plan to cover a
 drug for you is the same whether you are in a Medicare private health
 plan with drug coverage (MA-PD) or stand-alone private drug plan (PDP).
 Normally, you will not know it is necessary to do this until after you
 try to fill your prescription at the pharmacy. The steps to follow
 when asking for an exception are:

1.  Get a supporting statement from your prescribing doctor: You or
 your doctor can request an exception. However, you will still need a
 supporting letter from your doctor certifying that the drug prescribed is
 medically necessary because other drugs are not as effective or may be
 harmful for you. If it is an emergency—your “life, health or ability to
 regain maximum function” are at risk—your doctor can ask the plan to
 respond quickly (expedited exception).

2.  Find out where you should file for an exception: To find out where
 to fax the letter and whether you need any other forms, you or your
 doctor should call your plan. In most plans, you should ask for the
 “Clinical Review or Pharmacy Department.”

3.  Make sure your plan responds when it should: If you do not get an
 answer, call until you do.
Plans must respond within 72 hours of receiving your doctor's written
 statement explaining why the drug is medically necessary for you. If it
 is an emergency, plans must respond to expedited requests within 24
 hours. These are clock hours not business hours. Your plan should contact
 you with a decision, but if you do not hear from them in the proper
 timeframe, you should call and ask for the plan’s decision.

4.  Exception request denied:  If a plan denies an exception request,
 you can appeal the plan's decision. Your plan should respond to you in
 writing with a letter titled “Notice of Denial of Medicare Prescription
 Drug Coverage.” The letter will tell you how to appeal.
[Source:  Dear Marci Medicare Rights Center 4 Feb 08 ++]


MEDICARE PART D UPDATE 19:  Before you can begin the appeals process,
 you must have already asked for an exception and been officially denied
 in writing. A “no” at the pharmacy is not an official denial. The
 process for appealing is the same whether you are in a Medicare private
 health plan with drug coverage (MA-PD) or stand-alone private drug plan
 (PDP). If your exception has been denied, the first step is to go back to
 your plan and ask for a “redetermination.” The notice you received
 denying your exception request will tell you why you have been turned down
 and how to ask for a redetermination (this notice is generally called a
 “Notice of Denial of Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage”). Following
 are the appeal steps you are entitled to and the time frames in which
 they must be responded to:

Redetermination: You must ask for a redetermination within 60 days.
 You, your prescribing doctor or a representative acting on your behalf can
 make the request (a representative can be someone authorized under
 state law to act for you, such as a legal guardian, or someone you appoint
 in a written statement to Medicare). You should call your plan’s
 “Grievance and Appeals” department to make sure you understand what you need
 to do to ask for a redetermination. (Under certain circumstances, you
 may be able to file after 60 days, for example, if you were in the
 hospital and therefore unable to make the request). If it is not an
 emergency, you can file a standard request for a redetermination. If your
 doctor is filing on your behalf, he will need to have you sign a client
 “representative form.” This form must be submitted with the
 redetermination request. The plan must respond no later than seven calendar days from
 the date it receives the request.

Expedited Redetermination: If it is an emergency you or your doctor can
 ask for an “expedited” redetermination. Your doctor will not need a
 representative form in this case (but it may be a good idea to submit one
 anyway). The plan must respond within 72 hours. If the plan fails to
 act within this time frame, it must forward the appeal to the
 Independent Review Entity (IRE) within 24 hours of the missed deadline. Plans
 must expedite appeals if your doctor certifies that your health requires
 it. If the plan decides to overturn its initial decision, it must
 process the request for coverage within seven calendar days (72 hours for an
 expedited appeal) from the date it received the request for
 redetermination. If the redetermination request involved payment (including
 reimbursement), the plan must authorize it within seven calendar days and pay
 within 30 calendar days from the date it received the request for
 redetermination.

Independent Review Entity (IRE): If the plan denies coverage after a
 redetermination request, you can request a review by the IRE within 60
 days of getting the notice of denial. That notice should also explain how
 to appeal to the IRE (sometimes referred to as a Qualified Independent
 Contractor or QIC). The IRE is an independent agency that contracts
 with Medicare to handle these appeals and is not affiliated with any
 Medicare private drug plan. The IRE must get the input of the prescribing
 doctor either orally or in writing and respond no later than seven
 calendar days after receiving the reconsideration request (72 hours for an
 expedited appeal).

Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) hearing: If you disagree with the IRE’s
 decision, or if the IRE fails to act, you can request an ALJ hearing
 within 60 days of the IRE’s decision if the amount in question meets the
 minimum amount that Medicare sets each year ($120 in 2008). Multiple
 appeals can be consolidated to meet this amount, allowing you to project
 the cost of the drug to include all of the refills you will need for
 the calendar year. The ALJ has a 90-day time limit within which to
 consider your appeal.

 Medicare Appeals Council (MAC): If you disagree with the ALJ’s
 decision, you can appeal within 60 days to the MAC. The MAC can also review
 the ALJ decision on its own initiative. The MAC has 90 days to respond.

Judicial Review: If you disagree with the MAC’s decision or if the MAC
 denied the request for appeal, and the amount in question meets the
 minimum amount that Medicare will announce annually ($1,180 in 2008), you
 can request judicial review in federal court.

If the IRE, ALJ, MAC or Judicial Review decides the plan must cover the
 drug you need, the plan must process the coverage within 72 hours (24
 hours for an expedited appeal) from the date the plan received the
 decision. If the case involves a reimbursement request, the plan must
 authorize it within 72 hours and pay within 30 calendar days from the date
 it received the request. [Source:  Dear Marci Medicare Rights Center 4
 Feb 08 ++]


VA FRAUD UPDATE 07:   A rural route carrier for the U.S. Postal Service
 has been accused of stealing medication from mail intended for
 veterans. Thirty-8-year-old Leta May McDaniel of De Beque CO was arrested
 Thursday on suspicion of 2 counts of unlawful possession of a controlled
 substance. She is free on a personal recognizance bond. The Postal
 Service says McDaniel resigned from her job earlier this month. Investigators
 say a number of people had complained they weren't receiving their
 medications. Authorities say the suspect was believed to have taken
 medicine from mail coming from the Veterans Administration Hospital in Grand
 Junction. McDaniel has an unlisted phone number and could not be
 reached for comment. [Source: Parachute CO Post Independent AP article 3 Feb
 08 ++]


WINDOWS VISTA UPDATE 02:   With Windows Vista, it you can encounter a
 whole array of issues every time you try to install a new piece of
 software, a new utility, a new driver or anything else for that matter. And
 those problems are usually caused by one of three things:
1.) A conflict between the new program and one you already have
 installed on your computer.
2.) A problem within the new application itself.
3.) An improper installation or problems with the installation.

There are some solutions! If, after you install a new program, you're
 having trouble with your overall computer or even with some of the other
 programs you already have on your PC, the first thing you should do is
 uninstall the program and try it again. There could have been some
 complications with the initial install and a fresh start may be just what
 your computer needs. Also, when you're going through the install, just
 make sure you are following the directions exactly and not missing any
 important information along the way. If the first install messed up
 your computer so much that you can't even boot into Windows, you'll need
 to try booting into Safe Mode. By doing that, you'll be able to
 troubleshoot and figure out exactly what's causing the problem. You should then
 be able to boot up normally and try the install again. If neither of
 those suggestions worked for you, there is something else you can check
 on. When you're installing a new piece of software, you should always
 ensure that you have the latest version and all of the new updates. If
 the program has updates, you won't be able to install it correctly until
 you get them. You can get the updates by visiting the manufacturer's
 Web site. The same goes if you're trying to install a new piece of
 hardware that needs updated drivers. You also need to make sure the program
 you're installing is Vista compatible. A lot of the older programs you
 have may not work with Vista and if you're having trouble installing
 them, that's probably why. When Microsoft designed Windows Vista, they
 didn't really account for a lot of the older programs most of us use, so
 you have to do a lot of trial and error when you're installing new
 applications. Programs that worked just fine with Windows XP may be
 completely different with Vista.  [Source: Bits & Pieces Jack Gallimore Input
 4 Jan 08 ++]


VET JOB UPDATE 01:  Some upcoming Military Job Fairs scheduled for
 southern California are listed below.  For additional info refer to
 http://hirepatriots.com/:

February 28, San Diego Naval Base, Anchors Club, 10:00-14:00.
July 10, Camp Pendleton Marine Base, So. Mesa Club, 10:00-14:00.
July 31, San Diego Naval Base, Anchors Club, 10:00-14:00.
October 23, Camp Pendleton Marine Base, So. Mesa Club, 10:00-14:00.
November 6, San Diego Naval Base, Anchors Club, 10:00-14:00.
December 4, Miramar Marine Air Station, Officers Club, 10:00-14:00.
[Source:  Patriotic Hearts Winter Newsletter Feb 08 ++]


VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE (VSI):  There is a group of disabled
 veterans on the DOD payroll that are totally excluded from the benefits of
 the restoration of concurrent receipt: those separated under provision
 of title 10 US Code Sec 1175 - Voluntary Separation Incentive (VSI)
 that was used in conjunction with Temporary Early Retirement Authority
 (TERA, PL 102-484 Sec 4403(f)) to reduce the size of the military
 establishment during 1992 through 2001. Beginning 31 DEC 92, VSI was offered
 to service members having at least 6 but less than 20 years of service.
 They receive an annual amount funded by the Department of defense that
 equals the multiplication product of four factors: (1) their base pay
 at separation, (2) number of years of service, (3) 12 and (4) 2.5%. Note
 that while the annual amount is identical to the 12 times the monthly
 amount they would have received if retired for the same length of
 service, the VSI amount is not considered retirement pay. If the VSI
 recipient later qualifies for VA compensation for service connected
 disability, the same title 38 US Code sections that require a $1 for $1 offset of
 military retired pay also require the same offset of the VSI amount.

     While the 2003 NDAA included TERA retirees under Concurrent
 Retirement Disability Pay (CRDP, 10 USC 1414) it excludes VSI recipients
 because they are not “retired.” The 2008 NDAA includes Chapter 61 medical
 disability retirees under the Combat Related Special Compensation (CRSC,
 10 USC 1413a) but not CRDP. Regardless, one can be retired under
 Chapter 61 with a minimum of 30 days active service. Extending CRSC to
 Chapter 61 restores their retirement pay (based on 2.5% x length of service
 x base pay) that is offset by VA disability compensation. Thus there is
 some form of relief of the VA disability compensation offset extended
 to TERA and Chapter 61 retirees, but absolutely no relief for VSI
 recipients. Those interested in seeing legislation to correct this omission
 should contact their legislators and request his/her sponsorship of a
 bill. For sure, the 2009 NDAA should include VSI recipients in
 concurrent receipt. A suggested editable letter with automatic transmission
 means can be found at
  http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=10921911&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]
 to assist in this endeavor. [Source: USDR Action Alert 3 Feb 08 ++]


VETERANS EMERGENCY CARE FAIRNESS ACT:   When a veteran needs emergency
 medical treatment, the VA allows that veteran to go to the nearest
 private or community hospital. Once the veteran is stabilized, the veteran
 must then be transferred to a VA hospital for any necessary continued
 care. The problem arises when there is a wait for a bed in a VA
 hospital. Current law does not require the VA to reimburse the hospital for the
 care given after the point of stabilization. In rural areas, the
 problem with the current law is particularly pronounced. Often, a patient
 may be deemed stable but is not necessarily stable enough to make
 ambulance trips traveling long distances. More specifically, the Veterans
 Emergency Care Fairness Act of 2007:

• Requires (under current law, authorizes) the Secretary of Veterans
 Affairs to reimburse certain veterans without a service-connected
 disability enrolled as active participants of the Department of Veterans
 Affairs (VA) health care plan for the cost of emergency treatment received
 in a non-VA facility until such time as such veterans are transferred to
 a VA facility.
• Requires (under current law, authorizes) the Secretary to reimburse
 certain veterans with a service-connected disability or a
 non-service-connected disability associated with or aggravating a service-connected
 disability for the value of emergency treatment for which such veterans
 have made payment from sources other than the VA.

Thus, HR 3819 would simply close that loophole and require the VA to
 reimburse the private hospital for care. Those interested in seeing this
 legislation become law should contact their legislator and request
 his/her support of the bill. A suggested editable letter with automatic
 transmission means can be found at
 http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=10912651&queueid=[capwiz:queue_id]
 to assist in this endeavor.  [Source: USDR Action Alert 1 Feb 08 ++]


MHS 2008 CONFERENCE:   On 28 JAN 07, the 2008 Military Health System
 (MHS) "Caring for America 's Heroes" conference began. The goal of this
 year's conference was to illustrate the MHS' role in global healthcare
 delivery, while featuring plenary sessions aligned with the MHS
 strategic plan, goals and objectives. The event brought together over 3,500
 military and civilian health professionals, contractors, and veteran
 advocates.  In his opening remarks, Assistant Secretary of Defense for
 Health Affairs Dr. S. Ward Casscells called on everyone to share lessons
 learned to make the care of wounded, injured and ill even better Dr. James
 B. Peake, Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA), also addressed the
 group, promising greater collaboration between the two departments in the
 months to come. One of the major issues discussed was the need to make a
 single seamless pathway for our military from point of illness to, and
 through the VA system. The electronic personal health record is
 essential, said Dr. Casscells, to clearing a seamless pathway between DoD and
 VA as well as a critical element to maintain healthcare costs by
 tracking the progression and treatment of chronic disease. For years DoD and
 VA have been developing individual systems that were not
 interchangeable. More recently, the two departments have undertaken a series of
 initiatives that will allow data to move rapidly between the two agencies.
  Another item receiving heavy emphasis during the conference was
 accession and retention of health care professionals. The need for physicians,
 clinicians and nurses has been a continuing concern for the military
 services. Health care leaders pledged to take a serious look at this
 area and hope to increase incentives for these critical healthcare
 providers. Unlike previous years, the issue of retiree health care and the
 possibility of Tricare fee increases were not on the agenda. [Source: NAUS
 weekly Update 1 Feb 07 ++]


MILITARY DEATHS UPDATE 01:  The claim that there were more U.S.
 military fatalities during the Bill Clinton administration than there have
 been to date under George W. Bush is false. Moreover, that erroneous
 conclusion was based on falsified statistics. Using the actual figures from
 the Congressional Research Service report on the subject which can be
 seen at http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32492.pdf, the total
 military deaths under each of the two administrations are Bill Clinton (1993 -
 2000) 7,500 deaths and George W. Bush (2001 - 2006) 8,792 deaths.
  Moreover, of the 7,500 fatalities that occurred on Clinton's watch, only
 76 were attributable to hostile action; the rest were the result of
 accidents, homicide, illness, self-inflicted injuries, or unknown causes.
 For the record, here are the accurate totals for the past 26 years:

U.S. Active Duty Military Deaths 1980-2006
1980 .... 2,392
1981 .... 2,380
1982 .... 2,319
1983 .... 2,465
1984 .... 1,999
1985 .... 2,252
1986 .... 1,984
1987 .... 1,983
1988 .... 1,819
1989 .... 1,636
1990 .... 1,507
1991 .... 1,787
1992 .... 1,293
1993 .... 1,213
1994 .... 1,075
1995 .... 1,040
1996 ....... 974
1997 ....... 817
1998 ....... 827
1999 ....... 796
2000 ....... 758
2001 ....... 891
2002 ....... 999
2003 .... 1,228
2004 .... 1,874
2005 .... 1,942
2006 .... 1,858
[Source: Urban Legends http://urbanlegends.about.com/ 26 Jan 08 ++]


STATE VET BENEFIT CHANGES:   Illinois, Ohio, and Massachusetts have
 recently passed legislation to help veterans transition back into civilian
 life. Veterans in Massachusetts are entitled to bonuses through the
 State's Welcome Home Program. Massachusetts veterans should call the
 State Treasurer's office at (617) 367-9333, ext. 859, to request bonus
 application materials. In Illinois, a new tax law known as the Returning
 Veterans Homestead Exemption provides a one-time $5,000 reduction to
 their home's equalized assessed value. For more information, visit the
 Illinois Department of Revenue website. Ohio’s governor signed a law that
 exempts military pensions from State income tax and also prevents
 discrimination against veterans. [Source: NAUS weekly Update 1 Feb 07 ++]


MILITARY RETIREE ALERT:   Military retirees need to check their
 beneficiary information on the reverse side of their Military Retiree Account
 Statement. Some retirees have reported an unauthorized beneficiary name
 change. The Defense Finance and Accounting Service said it has no way
 of ascertaining whose identity may have been stolen, resulting in a
 beneficiary change. If this becomes a widespread issue, they most likely
 will put out at notice.  Those retirees that have the wrong beneficiary
 on their statement should contact DFAS immediately to change their
 beneficiary, and let them know it was changed without their authorization.
 The DFAS number is: 1-800-321-1080. [Source: VetJobs Veteran Eagle 1
 Feb 08 ++]


CNGR COMMISSION UPDATE 03:   The independent Commission on the National
 Guard and Reserves (CNGR) is charged by Congress to recommend any
 needed changes in law and policy to ensure that the Guard and Reserves are
 organized, trained, equipped, compensated, and supported to best meet
 the national security requirements of the United States. The Commission
 was established by the Ronald W. Reagan National Defense Authorization
 Act for Fiscal Year 2005. On 31 JAN 08 it recommended sweeping changes
 to the way U.S. military reserve forces have been structured and have
 operated for more than a half century and delivered to Congress and
 Pentagon officials its final report, which includes 95 recommendations on
 how to transition the reserves into a feasible and sustainable
 operational reserve.
 
    Today's reserve components were designed as a strategic reserve
 during the Cold War era. "The Guard was part of that surge force that
 would be dusted off once in a lifetime," commission chairman retired Marine
 Maj. Gen. Arnold Punaro said. "That is absolutely not the situation we
 have today." Nearly 100,000 reserve troops are on active duty,
 according to DoD reports. In 2006, reserves forces provided 61 million "man
 days," or single days of duty, in support of the Defense Department.  It
 would not be feasible to add an equivalent number of forces to active
 duty, Punaro said in a news conference at the National Press Club. He
 called increasing active forces so significantly an economically
 unaffordable option that would cost a trillion dollars. Right now, for about 9%
 of the DoD budget, the National Guard and reserves provide 44% of
 manpower available to the Defense Department, Punaro said.  Six conclusions
 serve as the foundation for the 400-page report, which is based on 163
 findings, 17 days of public hearings, testimony of 115 officials
 witness and 800 interviews and site visits by commission members. It is the
 most comprehensive, independent review of the Guard and reserves in 60
 years, Punaro said.

     The commission proposed changes in laws and regulations that
 govern the reserves, as well as how reserve forces train, equip and approach
 medical readiness. The commission proposed an "integrated continuum of
 service" between reserve and active forces, offering the same pay,
 personnel, promotion and retirement systems.  The changes would allow a
 seamless transition by servicemembers over the course of a military
 career to transition from active to reserve, and to even leave the service
 temporarily for child rearing or to pursue higher education.  Now, when
 reservists move from one duty status, such as from active duty to state
 duty, they sometimes face pay problems and delays. The commission
 recommended moving from the current 29 duty statuses to only two: active
 duty or not.  For health care, a hot-ticket item for activated
 reservists, the commission proposed more specific, targeted information geared to
 reservists and their families. Many of those the commission
 interviewed expressed frustration with trying to understand the medical
 healthcare system quickly once their spouses were mobilized, commission members
 said.  In personnel changes, the commission recommended a
 competency-based promotion system that recognizes civilian skills and recruits and
 retains accordingly.

     Many of the changes could be implemented this year if supported by
 Congress and DoD, Punaro said. Some, though, could require years to
 debate and implement.  The commission also called for better support
 programs, funding and resourcing for families and defense officials to have
 an open dialogue with employers who suffer when employees depart on
 multiple employments. It also recommends expanding the role of the
 National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, which
 advocates on the behalf of servicemembers.  "During the past few years, DoD
 has initiated the largest set of changes in policy and statute since
 the inception of the all-volunteer force. This is transforming the Guard
 and Reserve from a purely strategic reserve to a sustainable
 operational and strategic reserve," Thomas F. Hall, assistant secretary of
 defense for reserve affairs, said today.  Defense Department officials said
 they are reviewing the report.  [Source: AFPS Fred W. Baker III article
 31 Jan 08 ++]


TFL FACTS & TIPS UPDATE 01:   Tricare for Life (TFL) is TRICARE's
 Medicare-wraparound coverage available to all Medicare-eligible Tricare
 beneficiaries, regardless of age, provided they have Medicare Parts A and
 B. Under TFL Medicare is your primary insurance and TRICARE acts as your
 secondary payer minimizing your out-of-pocket expenses.  Tricare
 benefits include covering Medicare's coinsurance and deductible. Key
 features of Tricare for Life include:

• Minimal out-of-pocket costs (aside from Medicare part B premium).
• No enrollment fees for TFL.  But, you must purchase Medicare Part B
 and pay monthly premiums to be eligible for TFL.
• Coordination of benefits between Medicare and Tricare.
• Tricare is the secondary payer for all services covered by both
 Tricare and Medicare.
• Tricare is the primary payer for those services covered only by
 Tricare.
• Additional steps may be required in order to coordinate benefits if
 you have other health insurance in addition to Tricare and Medicare.
• Freedom to manage your own health care.
• No assigned primary care manager.
• Visit any Medicare provider.
• Receive care at a military treatment facility on a space-available
 basis.
• No claims to file (in most cases).
• Your provider files your claim with Medicare. Medicare processes the
 claims and forwards them electronically to Tricare.
• Tricare pays similarly to Tricare Standard in those overseas
 locations where Medicare is not available.
• You can apply to suspend your FEHBP coverage by calling the Office of
 Personnel Management's Retirement Information line at 1-888-767-6738
 to obtain a suspension form.
• Although the age for full Social Security retirement benefits has
 increased, the age for Medicare entitlement has not changed; it continues
 to be age 65.

TFL is available to all Medicare-eligible Tricare beneficiaries,
 regardless of age, including retired members of the National Guard and
 Reserve who are in receipt of retired pay, family members, widows and
 widowers and certain former spouses. Dependent parents and parents-in-law are
 not eligible for TFL. If you're under age 65, have Medicare Part B, and
 live in a Tricare Prime service area, you have the option to enroll in
 Tricare Prime; Tricare waives your Tricare Prime enrollment fee. You
 should confirm that your Medicare status is current in the Defense
 Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS). Your uniformed services ID
 card and your Medicare card, which must reflect enrollment in Medicare
 Part B, are evidence of your TFL eligibility. To learn more about how
 TFL works for you, you can enter your profile at
 http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/index.jsp  and select "Tricare for
 Life" as your health plan.  For help in determining which plan options are
 available to you refer to
 http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/ProfileFilter.do?puri=%2Fhome%2Foverview%2FPlanWizard.jsp?
  After answering a series of questions, it will tell you which plan
 options you may be eligible for. If you are not sure which plan you are in
 now, or if you want to compare your options side by side refer to
 http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/ProfileFilter.do?puri=%2Fhome%2Foverview%2FComparePlans.
  [Source: http://www.tricare.mil/mybenefit/ Jan 08 ++]
 

PROSTATE PROBLEMS UPDATE 04:  Whether or not to treat prostate cancer
 is one of the biggest medical dilemmas today. The disease is the most
 common cancer in American men -- about 220,000 cases will be diagnosed
 this year -- but most tumors grow so slowly they never threaten lives.
 There is no sure way to tell which tumors will. Older men with early
 stage prostate cancer are not taking a big risk if they keep an eye on the
 disease instead of treating it right away, suggests the largest study
 to look at this issue since PSA tests became popular. Only 10% of the
 9,000 men in the study who chose to delay or skip treatment had died of
 prostate cancer a decade later. The vast majority were alive without
 significantly worsening symptoms or had died of other causes. Even the 30%
 who eventually sought treatment were able to delay it for an average
 of 11 years. Chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society Dr.
 Otis Brawley said, "It is important news. It may persuade some
 middle-of-the-roaders that we are over treating this disease," and that PSA
 testing may be amplifying the problem, he said. The PSA blood test to help
 detect tumors has been widely used since the 1990s.
 
   PSA tests can help find tumors many years before they cause
 symptoms, but routine screening of men at average risk of the disease is not
 recommended, because there is no proof it saves lives. Prostate cancer
 treatments are tough, especially on older men. Many men are left with
 sexual or bladder control problems. Some doctors instead recommend
 "watchful waiting" to monitor signs of the disease and treat only if they
 worsen, but smaller studies have given conflicting views of the safety of
 that approach. The new study looked at the natural course of the disease
 in men who chose that option. It is the first involving so many older
 men -- half were over 75 -- and so many whose tumors were found through
 PSA tests. Using the federal government's cancer database, researchers
 studied 9,018 men diagnosed from 1992-2002 with early-stage prostate
 cancer who did not get surgery, radiation or hormone therapy for at
 least six months. Most never got any treatment at all. A decade later, 3 to
 7% of those with low- or moderate-grade tumors -- rated by how
 aggressive the cells appear -- had died of prostate cancer, versus 23% of
 those with high-grade tumors. Overall, prostate cancer killed 10% of them.

     Grace Lu-Yao of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in New Jersey
 led the study and will report results at a cancer conference in FEB in
 San Francisco. “The great majority of patients ... are going to die of
 something else," so most older men with early-stage tumors could delay
 treatment, Lu-Yao said. "If people are younger or have more advanced
 disease, I wouldn't say this is a safe option," but most cases are
 diagnosed in men 68 or older, and most are early stage, she noted. Dr. Howard
 Sandler, a radiation and prostate specialist at the University of
 Michigan, cautioned, "there are exceptions to every rule," and some very
 active, healthy older men may do better having treatment right away, along
 with older men who have higher-grade tumors. Earlier this month, a
 scientific review published in the Annals of Internal Medicine concluded
 that evidence was too thin to recommend treatment over watchful waiting,
 or one treatment over another. Studies do show that prostate cancer
 surgery mostly helps men under 65, said Dr. Timothy Wilt of the
 Minneapolis VA Center for Chronic Disease Outcomes Research, who led the review.
 The new study shows that for men older than that, "observation is a
 very reasonable approach," he said. "Many men do quite well for a long
 period of time with no treatment." Although routine PSA testing is not
 recommended for all men, the cancer society does advise giving men
 information and the option to have it starting at age 50. Screening is
 recommended starting at age 45 for men with a family history of prostate
 cancer and for black men, because of their higher risk of the disease.
 [Source: Associated Press article 13 Feb 08 ++]


VETERAN LEGISLATION STATUS 14 FEB 08:   For a listing of Congressional
 bills of interest to the veteran community that have been introduced in
 the 110th Congress refer to the Bulletin’s House & Senate attachments.
  By clicking on the bill number indicated you can access the actual
 legislative language of the bill and see if your representative has
 signed on as a cosponsor. Support of these bills through cosponsorship by
 other legislators is critical if they are ever going to move through the
 legislative process for a floor vote to become law.  A good indication
 on that likelihood is the number of cosponsors who have signed onto the
 bill. A cosponsor is a member of Congress who has joined one or more
 other members in his/her chamber (i.e. House or Senate) to sponsor a
 bill or amendment. The member who introduces the bill is considered the
 sponsor.  Members subsequently signing on are called cosponsors. Any
 number of members may cosponsor a bill in the House or Senate. At
 http://thomas.loc.gov you can also review a copy of each bill’s
 content, determine its current status, the committee it has been assigned to,
 and if your legislator is a sponsor or cosponsor of it.  To determine
 what bills, amendments your representative has sponsored, cosponsored,
 or dropped sponsorship on refer to
 http://thomas.loc.gov/bss/d110/sponlst.html.  The key to increasing
 cosponsorship on veteran related bills and subsequent passage into law is
 letting our representatives know of veteran’s feelings on issues.  At
 the end of some listed bills is a web link that can be used to do that.
 Otherwise, you can locate on http://thomas.loc.gov who your
 representative is and his/her phone number, mailing address, or email/website to
 communicate with a message or letter of your own making.  [Source: RAO
 Bulletin Attachment 14 Feb 08 ++] 


HAVE YOU HEARD:  Evidence has been found that William Tell and his
 family were avid bowlers. However, all the Swiss league records were
 unfortunately destroyed in a fire, and we'll never know for whom the Tells
 bowled.


Lt. James “EMO” Tichacek, USN (Ret)
Director, Retiree Assistance Office, U.S. Embassy Warden & IRS VITA
 Baguio City RP
PSC 517 Box RCB, FPO AP 96517
Tel: (951) 238-1246 when in U.S. & Cell: 0915-361-3503 when in
 Philippines.
Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net Web:
 http://post_119_gulfport_ms.tripod.com/rao1.html
AL/AMVETS/DAV/FRA/NAUS/NCOA/MOAA/USDR/VFW/VVA/CG33/DD890/AD37 member
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