New Legislation Introduced in Congress

H.R.32    Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act
Sponsored by Rep Joe Wilson, South Carolina
Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act – Repeals certain provisions which require the offset of amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation from Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) annuities for the surviving spouses of former military personnel who are entitled to military retired pay or who would be entitled to retired pay except for being under 60 years of age.
Prohibits requiring repayment of certain amounts previously paid to SBP recipients in the form of a retired pay refund.
Repeals the optional authority of (and instead requires) the Secretary of the military department concerned to pay an annuity to a member’s dependent children when there is no eligible surviving spouse.
Directs the Secretary concerned to restore annuity eligibility to a surviving spouse who earlier agreed to transfer such eligibility to a surviving child or children of a member

H.R. 153   Veterans  Outreach Improvement Act of 2013
Sponsored by Rep. Mike McIntyre, North Carolina
Veterans Outreach Improvement Act of 2013—Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish, maintain, and modify as necessary procedures for ensuring the effective coordination of outreach activities of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) between and among the Office of the Secretary, the Office of Public Affairs, the Veterans Health Administration, the Veterans Benefits Administration, and the National Cemetery Administration.Directs the Secretary to give priority to state and county outreach assistance in locations that: (1) have relatively large concentrations of veterans; or (2) are experiencing growth in veteran populations. Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to state or county veterans agencies for state and local outreach services.

S. 6   Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013
Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Nevada
Putting Our Veterans Back to Work Act of 2013 —  This bill would  renew the VOW to Hire Heroes Act by reauthorizing the veterans retraining assistance program extending authority of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide rehabilitation and vocational benefits to members of Armed Forces with severe injuries or illnesses, extending additional rehabilitation programs for persons who have exhausted rights to unemployment benefits under State law, and would reauthorize collaborative veterans’ training, mentoring, and placement program.
It builds on the Hire Our Heroes Act by creating a unified employment portal for veterans, gives grants to hire veterans as first responders, and makes employment of veterans an evaluation factor in the awarding of Federal contracts.
This bill also enhances enforcement of rights of members of uniformed services with respect to States and private employers, makes suspension, termination, or debarment of contractors for repeated violations of employment or reemployment rights of members of uniformed services possible, gives subpoena power to Special Counsel in enforcement of employment and reemployment rights of members of uniformed services with respect to Federal executive agencies, and allows for issuance and service of civil investigative demands by the Attorney General.

 A Reminder:  New Co-Pays for TRICARE Pharmacy Customers

New co-payments for prescription drugs covered by TRICARE will go into effect soon. The Fiscal Year 2013 National Defense Authorization Act requires TRICARE to increase co-pays on brand name and non-formulary medications that are not filled at military clinics or hospitals.

There is no increase to co-pays for generic medications. Increases will be effective sometime in February, depending on when system changes can be made, and the publication of a required Federal Notice.

TRICARE Pharmacy co-pays vary based on the class of drug and where beneficiaries choose to fill their prescriptions. The co-pay for generic medications stays at $5 when a prescription is filled at a network pharmacy. There is no co-pay when generic prescriptions are filled through TRICARE Home Delivery. The new co-pay for a 30-day supply of a brand name medication purchased at a retail network pharmacy will be $17, up from the current $12. Beneficiaries using TRICARE Home Delivery will pay $13 for brand name drugs, up from $9; however, the Home Delivery price is for a 90-day supply.

The greatest change in co-pays applies to non-formulary medications. The $25 co-pay for these drugs increases to $44 at retail pharmacies and $43 through Home Delivery. The TRICARE Uniform Formulary is a list of all the medications TRICARE covers.

For fiscal 2014 and beyond, the new law directs that co-pays increase annually by the same percentage as retiree cost-of-living adjustments. In years when a COLA increase would total less than a dollar, it will be delayed a year and combined with the next adjustment so increases will always be $1 or more.

Pharmacies at military hospitals and clinics will continue to provide medications with no co-pays. Visit http://www.tricare.mil/Costs/PrescriptionCosts.aspx for more details. (Courtesy of TRICARE Communications)

 Free Tax Return Preparation for You by Volunteers

The IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) and the Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) Programs offer free tax help for taxpayers who qualify.

VITA
The VITA Program generally offers free tax help to people who make $51,000 or less and need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation with electronic filing to qualified individuals in local communities. They can inform taxpayers about special tax credits for which they may qualify such as Earned Income Tax Credit, Child Tax Credit, and Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled. VITA sites are generally located at community and neighborhood centers, libraries, schools, shopping malls, and other convenient locations.

TCE
The TCE Program offers free tax help for all with priority assistance to people who are 60 years of age and older, specializing in questions about pensions and retirement issues unique to seniors. IRS-certified volunteers who provide tax counseling are often retired individuals associated with non-profit organizations that receive grants from the IRS.

Self-Help Tax Preparation
In addition to traditional face-to-face tax preparation, the IRS is offering a self-assistance service at many VITA and TCE locations. If individuals have a simple tax return and need a little help or do not have access to a computer, they can visit one of the participating tax preparation sites and an IRS-certified volunteer will guide them through the process.
Find a VITA Site Near You
There are thousands of VITA sites located across the country. You may find a site near you between January and April using the VITA Locator Tool or call 1-800-906-9887.

Find a TCE or AARP Tax-Aide Site Near You
A majority of the TCE sites are operated by the AARP Foundation’s Tax Aide Program. To locate the nearest TCE site or AARP Tax-Aide site between January and April use the AARP Site Locator Tool or call 888-227-7669.
Note: Majority of the VITA and TCE sites are open annually from late January/early February to April 15. During this time, you can locate a site near you using the above locator tools.
Items you need to bring
To have your tax return(s) prepared at a VITA or TCE site you need to bring the following information with you:

  • Proof of identification – Picture ID
  • Social Security Cards for you, your spouse and dependents or a Social Security Number verification letter issued by the Social Security Administration or
  • Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) assignment letter for you, your spouse and dependents
  • Proof of foreign status, if applying for an ITIN
  • Birth dates for you, your spouse and dependents on the tax return
  • Wage and earning statement(s) Form W-2, W-2G, 1099-R, 1099-Misc from all employers
  • Interest and dividend statements from banks (Forms 1099)
  • A copy of last year’s federal and state returns if available
  • Proof of bank account routing numbers and account numbers for Direct Deposit, such as a blank check
  • Total paid for daycare provider and the daycare provider’s tax identifying number (the provider’s Social Security Number or the provider’s business Employer Identification Number) if appropriate
  • To file taxes electronically on a married-filing-joint tax return, both spouses must be present to sign the required forms.

It is extremely important that each person use the correct Social Security Number. The most accurate information is usually located on your original Social Security card. If you do not have an SSN for you or a dependent, you should complete Form SS-5, Social Security Number Application. This form should be submitted to the nearest Social Security Administration Office.

If you or your dependent is not eligible to get a Social Security Number, you may need an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).

 VA Announces New Online Resources for Funeral Directors

Last week the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the availability of the new online funeral directors resource kit. Funeral directors nationwide may use the kit when helping Veterans and their families make burial arrangements in VA national cemeteries.

“We recognize that Veterans and their families need compassion when they approach funeral directors for help,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “We want to assist directors by giving them the information and tools they need to aid these families.”

The website was created to enable funeral directors to find the most pertinent information to help families plan burials and apply for VA memorial benefits quickly. It has links about eligibility, benefits and services plus videos and information regarding services offered with and without military funeral honors. The videos are available in English and Spanish. The website is available at http://www.cem.va.gov/cem/funeraldirector.asp.

VA maintains 3.2 million gravesites in 131 VA national cemeteries and interred more than 118,000 Veterans and family members in fiscal year 2012. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Internet at www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 800-827-1000. To make burial arrangements at the time of need at a VA national cemetery, call the National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 800-535-1117.

 Military Kids Website Also Helps Parents, Educators

From a National Center for Telehealth and Technology News Release
JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash., Jan. 22, 2013 – The Defense Department website for military children has added new features to help parents and educators explain difficult topics of the military lifestyle to children.

Since its launch in January 2012, MilitaryKidsConnect.org has served more than 125,000 visitors and won five industry excellence awards. To mark the one-year anniversary, the website added new content designed for children, parents and educators, officials said.

The new features include:
— Military culture videos and lesson plans for teachers, school counselors, and educators to better understand the differences between military and civilian youth;
— Graphic novels and mini-documentaries by military kids sharing their experiences;
— New modules for children and parents on handling grief, loss and physical injury.

The website, created by the Defense Department’s National Center for Telehealth and Technology, known as T2, uses innovative ways to help military youth cope with the unique strains of military life. In addition to disruptions from parents deploying to assignments away from home, military children are affected by moving frequently, changing schools and making new friends. They also have to live with readjustment issues when a parent returns from deployments. These issues may include post-traumatic stress and physical disabilities.

“After watching the interaction with kids on MilitaryKidsConnect this past year, we saw many conversations about trying to understand the issues they live with,” said Dr. Kelly Blasko, T2 psychologist. “We developed the added features to help parents and teachers answer the questions the kids were sharing with each other.”

Blasko said the website is continuing to add features and information to military children with the special challenges of living in a military family. Separations, moving and changing friends frequently may be unusual for civilian children, but it’s a normal lifestyle for military children. The website helps them live in that world and, hopefully, makes it more fun for them, Blasko added.

The National Center for Telehealth and Technology serves as the primary Defense Department office for cutting-edge approaches in applying technology to psychological health.

 VA Working Hard on Veterans’ Eye Problems

285,000 Vets have Glaucoma
The best resolution a Veteran could make this year is to get an eye check-up.
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month and a perfect reminder to all Veterans to take action now to prevent this sight-stealing disease.

An estimated 1.5 million Veterans have a vision-threatening eye disease, including 285,000 with glaucoma.

African-American Veterans should especially get their eyes checked regularly as glaucoma is six-to-eight times more common in African-Americans than Caucasians. Also, among Hispanic populations, Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness.

The highest risk group is those Veterans over 60.

What is glaucoma? Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases in which the optic nerve, a bundle of over 1 million nerves that convey vision from the eye to the brain, slowly becomes damaged over time. In many cases, blood flow to the optic nerve is reduced, and may be further reduced by increased fluid pressure inside the eyes slowly rising, leading to vision loss or even blindness.

Glaucoma usually starts without any symptoms. Later, there is some loss of side vision. Objects straight ahead are seen clearly, but objects to the side are missed. As the disease worsens, the ability to see objects on the side is increasingly lost, and eventually the center of vision is affected.

The test for glaucoma is painless. Your VA doctor will test the pressure in your eye by placing an instrument on its surface. If there is a suspicion for glaucoma, the appearance and function of the optic nerve are tested with a visual field test and a special retina camera, both of which can detect damage to the optic nerves.

Glaucoma is treated with eye drops, but in some cases, eye surgery is necessary to optimally lower the eye pressure. These treatments work to either make less fluid, or to improve its drainage out of the eye.
Glaucoma is a life-long problem. Veterans should have regular check-ups by an ophthalmologist to watch for changes in pressure and side vision.

VA Researches New Approaches for Treatment

VA is working hard to help prevent Veterans’ eye problems at the Iowa City VA Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss.
The Center conducts cutting-edge research in the diagnosis of visual loss, and works to understand the underlying mechanisms and causes of visual loss. With this research, the Center can study new approaches toward rehabilitation and treatment of visual loss, while improving education and clinical care of our nation’s Veterans.

According to Dr. Randy H. Kardon, Director of the Center, “Glaucoma is one of the silent causes of vision loss.

Patients are unaware that they are slowly losing vision until it is too late, at which time the loss is permanent. That is why it is so important for Veterans to have regular eye exams to check for any sign that glaucoma is developing and to be treated.”

VA invests significant effort toward detecting and monitoring of treatment of vision loss, requiring approximately five million visits per year, which is increasing.

The Center of Excellence for the Prevention and Treatment of Visual Loss is helping to solve this problem through new methods of detection, understanding the underlying mechanisms of disease, developing new treatment strategies and telemedicine initiatives.

 New VA IG Report Says VA Routinely Overpays Veterans

According to USA Today, a new report out by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ Office of the Inspector General claims that VA overpaid 12,800 veterans $943 million from 1993 to 2009.  Claims examiners have repeatedly failed to seek follow-up exams in situations where veterans temporarily receive a 100% disability rating while undergoing surgery or recovering from tough illnesses such as cancer.

The VA recognizes that there is a problem and says that they are working to correct it; the House Veterans Affairs Committee plans to hold a hearing on the issue next month.

The problem stems from the fact that claims examiners often fail to seek a follow-up medical exam to determine if the veteran’s condition has improved and the temporary 100% disability rating should be reduced, according to reports. When the follow-up exam is not performed, veterans who improve or recover can receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in compensation over a number of years for a level of disability they no longer have.

Further, the 100% rating legally bars the VA from recouping overpayments that inspectors say have occurred, according to the VA.

One of the reasons these failures are taking place, according to the IG’s report, is the workload for claims examiners. The VA currently has a roughly 900,000 claim backlog.

According to the VA, fixes were put in place last July to help ensure follow-up exams are scheduled. In addition, the claims process is to become fully automated this year and claims examiners will automatically be alerted that exams may be necessary. VA claims examiners handled 1.1 million compensation requests last year and took an average of 260 days to complete cases.