TREA Washington Update for February 29^th 2008

Happy Leap Year!

There was a great deal of drama this week in Washington (and Texas and Ohio) but not primarily about our issues. First the House Democratic leadership had to pull their new House ethics bill (HRes895) when it became clear that members of both the Democratic and Republican parties were against the idea of creating an outside ethics panel. (Bipartisan negotiations will now commence). On the Senate side after 2 days of debate the leadership pulled Senator Russ Feingold’s (D-Wis) bill from the floor. The bill, which bars funding for Iraq deployments 120 days after the bills’ enactment did not have enough supporters. The leadership intends to bring it up again in the spring, with General David H. Petraeus’ upcoming testimony and the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq War. So there will be more fireworks ahead.

From the Washington Office:

1) Amended Proposed GI Bill Submitted

2) More Information on This Year’s Tax Stimulus Payment

3) VA Announced 20 New Vet Centers

4) More Drugs Moved Into Third Tier $22 Co-Pay

From TREA HQ:

5) Retiree Appreciation Days (RADs)

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1) Amended Proposed GI Bill Submitted-On Thursday, Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) submitted his newly amended 21st Century GI (S22) to the Senate. This bill would give a WWII like education benefit to veterans; meaning it would cover the education costs of any college a veteran was able to enter. Last year the unamended bill had 32 co-sponsors but was very expensive. As amended the federal government would pay the cost of a 4 year degree in a state university and 50% of the delta between that tuition and the tuition of institution the veteran enters. However, the institution must be willing to provide the remaining 50% of the delta. It also would allow cumulative entitlement for reservists serving multiple active duty tours. On the Senate floor it was supported by 4 veterans: Senator Webb member of both the Senate Armed Services and Veterans Affairs Committees, Senator John Warner (R-VA) ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) member of both the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committees and Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE). More on this later but this is a bill to watch.

2) More Information on This Year’s Tax Stimulus Payment-For all of you calling about the tax stimulus payment here is some additional information. To qualify for a payment (up to $300 for an individual, $600 for a jointly filing couple and $300 for each minor child all you need to do is file a tax return (Form 1040 or 1040a) and report $3,000 of qualifying income. The IRS will calculate your payment from that. What is qualifying income? Wages, salaries, tips and self employment of course. But it also covers people who have no tax liability if they receive Veterans’ disability compensation, pensions or survivors benefits, Social Security payments and some Railroad Retirement benefits. But again you need to file a tax return to get the payment. The IRS says you should enter your VA and Social Security payments on line 14a if you are filing the 1040A form or on line 20a if you are filing the 1040 form. For more details and instructions, go to www.IRS.gov. Write the words “Stimulus Payment” across the top of the form you file.

3) VA Announced 20 New Vet Centers-The VA announced that they are approximately a year ahead of schedule in establishing 20 of their 23 new planned Vet Centers. The Centers, which will total 232 by the end of 2008, provide mental health screening and counseling to veterans and their families. They are established all over the country from N.Y. to California, from Florida to Texas. A full list of the new centers is included in the below press release. 

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Department of Veterans Affairs
For Immediate Release
February 27, 2008

VA Has Added 20 New Vet Centers
Peake: Expansion Comes a Year Early to Help Combat Vets

PHILADELPHIA – Secretary of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake today said an expansion by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) of its Vet Centers, which provide readjustment counseling and outreach services to returning combat veterans, is well ahead of schedule.

In February 2007, VA announced it would open 23 new centers during the next two years.  Fifteen of those centers are already operational, and five others are seeing patients in temporary facilities while finalizing their leases.  The other three facilities will begin operations later this year.

"Building on our past successes, 2008 will see a permanent increase in the number of Vet Centers, as we bring the remaining facilities on line to reach a record 232 Vet Centers by the end of the year," Peake said.

"To support this expansion and augment the staff at 61 existing Vet Centers, this year we are channeling a 44 percent increase in funding to the Readjustment Counseling Service, which operates the Vet Centers --nearly $50 million more than last year's budget," he added.

The community-based Vet Centers are a key component of VA’s mental health program, providing veterans with mental health screening and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) counseling, along with help for family members dealing with bereavement and loved ones with PTSD.

The 15 new Vet Centers that are open in permanent locations are in Binghamton, N.Y.; Middletown, N.Y.; Watertown, N.Y.; Hyannis, Conn.; DuBois, Pa.; Gainesville, Fla.; Melbourne, Fla.; Macon, Ga.; Manhattan, Kansas; Escanaba, Mich.; Saginaw, Mich.; Grand Junction, Colo.; Baton Rouge, La., Killeen, Texas; and Las Cruces, N.M.

Five additional Vet Centers are providing services in temporary space while they finalize their leases:  They are in Toledo, Ohio; Ft. Myers, Fla.; Montgomery, Ala.; Everett, Wash.; and Modesto, Calif.

The final three locations where Vet Centers will open for clients later this year are in Berlin, N.H., Nassau County, N.Y., and Fayetteville, Ark.

Vet Centers provide counseling on employment, plus services on family issues, education and outreach, to combat veterans and their families.  Vet Centers are staffed by small teams of professional counselors, outreach specialists and other specialists, many of whom are combat veterans themselves.

VA's Vet Centers have hired 100 combat veterans back from Iraq and Afghanistan as outreach specialists, often placing them near military processing stations, to brief servicemen and women leaving the military about VA benefits.

These outreach specialists meet with returning veterans, work through family assistance centers and visit military installations to carry the message that VA will be there for the troops and family members after discharge.

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4) More Drugs Moved Into Third Tier $22 Co-Pay-DOD has approved the moving of several drugs used in treating enlarged prostate, cardiovascular disorders, and immune  disease to the $22 co-pay/ third tier level. For prostate treatment DoD is also creating a new prior authorization requirement that requires a patient to try Uroxatral before Hytrin, Cardura, or Flomax. This requirement starts on April 16, but anyone who has a prescription for Hytrin, Cardura, or Flomax within the last 180 days is grandfathered in to the $9 co-pay. Otherwise there will be a $22 co-pay unless your doctor states there is a medical necessity for the patient to take one of the 3.

The changes for the cardiovascular drugs are even more complicated. Zebeta, Coreg, Toprol XL, and Lopressor, chronic heart failure drugs will remain on the formulary at Tier 1 and 2 with $3 or $9 copays. However, Exforge, a drug for high blood pressure, will move to the $22 co-pay. On the other hand Norvasc’s co-pay will drop from $22 to $9. All these changes will go into effect on April 16.

Drugs that treat immune diseases: Enbrel and Kineret which treat arthritis, psoriasis, Crohn's disease, and ulcerative colitis, will have a $22 co-pay on June 18^th  while the drugs Humira’s, Raptiva’s and Amevive’s will not change.

Finally both a contraceptive Lybrel, and a ADHD medication Vyvnase will be moved to the $22 co-pay level on April 16.

5. Retiree Appreciation Days (RADs): The following are the upcoming RADs.  If any TREA member (chapter member or MAL) is interested in manning a booth at the event, please contact TREA HQ at 800-338-9337 or editor@trea.org. We will put you in contact with John Moore, who is coordinating TREA’s RAD booths.

Date           RAD Location                                  TREA Contact

March 8     Fresno, CA-559/291-2774

April 12      Dover AFB, DE-302/677-4612        Arthur Cooper, Chapter 24

April 25-25 Ft Jackson, SC-803/751-6715

April 26      Ft Wainwright, AK-907/384-3500

April 26      West Point, NY-845/938-4217

April 26      McGuire AFB, NJ-609/754-2459

May 16      Ft Lewis, WA-253/966-5884

May 17      Ft Buchanan, PR-787/707-3842

June 7       Ft Ord, CA-831/242-6691

June 21      Ft McPherson, GA-404/464-3219

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