Memo's of Interest
1 of 8
Recent VA News Releases
To view and download VA news release, please visit the following
Internet address:
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel
VA Honors Little Caesars Founder for Supporting Veterans in
Business
WASHINGTON (Sept. 17, 2007) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs
Jim Nicholson today presented a Secretary's Award to Little
Caesars founder
Michael Ilitch in recognition of his advancement of veterans in business
through pizza franchise discounts.
Ilitch's restaurant franchise has a program to aid any veteran
interested in starting a Little Caesars restaurant and also offers
special opportunities with additional deep discounts, credit, training,
and marketing support for those veterans who are service-disabled.
"Michael Ilitch recognizes the value of veterans in business,"
said Nicholson. "VA's Center for Veterans Enterprise will assist
veterans seeking to become Little Caesars franchise owners and looks
forward to helping veterans translate the leadership skills they learned
while in uniform to business ownership and expansion."
In conjunction with the award ceremony, Ilitch, who is a former
Marine, served pizza to homeless veterans at the VA headquarters in
Washington from Little Caesars' "Love Kitchen," a pizza kitchen on
wheels that travels across the U.S. and
Canada to feed the homeless and
disaster survivors.
To assist service-disabled veterans who want to open a Little
Caesars restaurant, the program waives a $20,000 franchise fee on the
first store, provides $10,000 credit on the initial equipment order, and
provides a variety of marketing support and financing options and other
benefits, which can total $68,000. For other veterans, the fee is
reduced by $5,000 and the credit extended for equipment is $5,000.
Veterans are offered business opportunities by a variety of
franchisers through the International Franchise Association's VetFran
program. More information about the companies' special benefits
for
veterans is available at
www.franchise.org
and the VA Center for
Veterans Enterprise's resource site to assist veteran entrepreneurs at
www.vetbiz.gov.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2006
VA Secretary Announces Agreement on Data Breach Analysis
ID Analytics to Provide Services to Department
WASHINGTON -- Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson today announced the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has entered into an agreement with a company that will provide free data breach analysis services to VA to ensure that information contained on computer equipment stolen in May from a VA employee’s home – and later recovered by law enforcement – was not compromised.
ID Analytics, a California-based company, will conduct the analysis across multiple industries to detect patterns of misuse and determine whether or not there is any suspicious activity specifically related to this computer equipment theft. The company will provide VA an initial analysis, and will then continue to offer its assessments on a quarterly basis.
“Protecting veterans from fraud and abuse remains an important priority for VA,” said Secretary Nicholson. “Data breach analysis will provide VA with additional assurances that veterans’ personal information remains unharmed.”
On July 13, the FBI indicated it is highly confident the data stored on the recovered computer equipment was not accessed or compromised. On August 5, Montgomery County, Md., Police announced the arrests of two men they believe are responsible for the theft. According to law enforcement authorities, the arrested men did not specifically target the computer equipment. Authorities also provided reassurances that the information was not compromised.
Prior to the arrests, VA indicated that, out of an abundance of caution and to further safeguard the recovered information, the Department would conduct data breach analysis. VA’s agreement with ID Analytics fulfills this commitment.
- More -
Data Analysis 2/2/2/2
ID Analytics’ real-time system comprises more than three billion identity elements contributed by its members, which include the largest U.S. industry leaders from across the credit card, wireless telecommunications, and instant lending industries. ID Analytics’ services are used daily by more than half the credit and retail card issuer market in the United States, as well as leading wireless and online consumer finance companies.
Secretary Nicholson also reiterated VA’s commitment to improving the Department’s information technology and cyber security policies and procedures.
“VA remains unwavering in its resolve to become the leader in protecting personal information, training and educating our employees in best practices, and establishing a culture that always puts the safekeeping of veterans’ personal information first,” Nicholson said.
# # #
People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe at the following Internet address:
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/opalist_listserv.cfm
Polytrauma Network Sites
|
VISN 1 |
VA Boston HCS- West Roxbury Campus |
|
VISN 2 |
Syracuse VA Medical Center |
|
VISN 3 |
VA New York Harbor Health Care System- New York Campus |
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VISN 4 |
Philadelphia VA Medical Center |
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VISN 5 |
Washington DC VA Medical Center |
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VISN 6 |
Richmond VA Medical Center |
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VISN 7 |
Augusta VA Medical Center |
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VISN 8 |
Tampa VA Medical Center |
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VISN 9 |
Tennessee Valley Health Care System- Nashville Campus |
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VISN 10 |
Cleveland VA Medical Center |
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VISN 11 |
Indianapolis VA Medical Center |
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VISN 12 |
Hines VA Medical Center |
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VISN 15 |
St. Louis VA Medical Center |
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VISN 16 |
Houston VA Medical Center |
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VISN 17 |
VA North Texas Health Care System- Dallas VA Medical Center |
|
VISN 18 |
VA Southern Arizona Health Care System - Tucson VA Medical Center |
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VISN 19 |
VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System - Denver VA Medical Center |
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VISN 20 |
VA Puget Sound Health Care System - Seattle VA Medical Center |
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VISN 21 |
|
|
VISN 22 |
VA Greater Los Angeles Health Care System - West LA VA Medical Center |
|
VISN 23 |
Minneapolis VA Medical Center |
MEMORANDUM
10 July 2006
Subject: Meeting with Director, VAVS, 6 July 2006
Attendees: Ms. Laura Balun, VAVS Director, Ms. Cindy Ward, PM Rehabilitation SHG, Ms. Jill Manske, Director, VA Social Work Services, Father Paul Holt, Deputy Director VA Chaplain Service, RDML Tom Connelly, USN/Ret, Vice Chancellor, Archdiocese of the Military Services (AMS), Col Charles Gallina, USMC/Ret, Nationals VAVS Representative, Knights of Columbus (KofC)
Purpose: To discuss the appropriate level and kind of support the KofC VAVS volunteers can provide to the patients and their families at both Level 1 and Level 2 Polytrauma Centers.
Polytrauma Centers Level 1 (Inpatient Care)
- Established at the four VA Centers (Richmond, VA; Tampa, FL; Palo alto, CA; Minneapolis, MN) with an already establish Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Center to more efficiently deal with the complex rehabilitation of severely wounded active duty military where the brain injury influences all other areas of rehabilitation making it critical that patients receive TBI care prior to and/or in conjunction with rehabilitation for additional injuries.. These Centers provide the comprehensive, holistic, personalized rehabilitation and treatment required to help the injured service member or veteran achieve optimal function and dependence at home and within the community.
- During the lengthy rehabilitation period, patient families are deeply involved with all aspects of treatment, and are critical to recovery and release.
- In many, if not most, of the cases, these are very young families, with limited funds, and very young children, struggling with acceptance of the horrific wound suffered by their loved ones
- Active duty families receive some appropriated funds support from the military during this but movement of an active duty patient to the VA system can result in delay of funds receipt, creating immediate financial hardship trying to cope with lodging, food, and even daycare costs
- VAVS can provide a very nice “welcome” folder with dividers indicating type support, i.e. fill in the sections with information regarding:
Ø Transportation
Ø Lodging
Ø Restaurants
Ø Attractions
Ø Faith-based Support
Ø VA Contact Numbers
Ø Army, USMC Liaison Contact Numbers
Ø Emergency numbers
Ø Faith-based Assistance
- These categories, then, are the areas of support most needed and appreciated by the families of Polytrauma patients.
- Several of the Veteran Service organizations work with hotels, restaurants, etc to get discounts for family members; the local VAVS Director at the 4 Centers can provide KofC VAVS representatives information on this.
- One idea that might be considered is through coordination with the VAVS Director, KofC representatives could arrange for assemblies/councils to “adopt” a Polytrauma family.
- Other possible support could include support to the local “Fisher House”, i.e. the equivalent of a Ronald McDonald House—there are Fisher House at Minneapolis and Palo Alto in operation, the Tampa facility is under construction due to open his Fall, and plans to begin construction of a House at Richmond underway. (See my May NAC meeting report for Fisher House details). Coordination with the House Manager would provide re: support needed
- Fisher House operates a program called “Operation Hero Miles”, through which individuals may donate frequent-flyer miles, Fisher coordinates with the families and airlines. Details are on the www.fisherhouse.org website.
Polytrauma Centers Level 2 (Primarily Outpatient with admission if required)
- Post-discharge from a Level 1 Center, Polytrauma patients still require continued complex medical treatment and extensive rehabilitation. Some of these patients will still be on active duty; others will have been medically separated or retired.
- To allow the patient to continue treatment and rehabilitation closer to home, VA has established 21 Level 2 Centers, one per Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN). List of facilities is attached.
- Each Center will have professional staff, medical, social work, Chaplain Services, etc. to meet the complex needs of each patient.
- No appropriated funds are available to support the families of the patients during this period of treatment and rehabilitation.
- Since there is only one designated Center in each VISN, travel from some distance may be required, which could include the need for lodging, food, etc, same as outlined above.
- As with Level 1, while some KofC volunteers may directly support the patients during treatment and rehabilitation sessions, as dictated by the local needs and policy, support to the families should be the PRIMARY focus of KofC VAVS support.
- As with regularly scheduled volunteers at all VA Medical Centers, KofC volunteers to support Polytrauma patients and families MUST be officially associated with VAVS, i.e. receive the training and indoctrination required in accordance with established policies both to protect the volunteer and the patient/family. Training for handling TBI patients (e.g. driving a patient from home to treatment) is especially critical.
In attendance at this meeting was Father Paul Holt, Deputy Director of the VA Chaplain Service. In addition to types of support discussed in our forthcoming VAVS brochure, Father indicated that, from a Catholic standpoint, our VA Priests in the field need Eucharistic Ministers, and volunteers with computer skills to help with the administrative requirements the Chaplains, Catholic and other denominations, must satisfy. All support to the Chaplains does count towards VAVS credit if properly recorded.
With the growing number of severely wounded military men and women from OIF/OEF with severe TBI and multiple associated wounds, e.g. loss of limbs, blindness, auditory disorders and mental health concerns, and the sever affects on their families, a major emphasis for our KofC VAVS program is increased, direct, and comprehensive support to both Level 1 and Level 2 centers from those assemblies and councils in the vicinity of one of the Centers is warranted.
Masters MUST be cognizant of the need to have truly dedicated, motivated, and concerned KofC VAVS Representatives and Deputy Representatives assigned to coordinate programs and recruit/retain volunteers. “Family Volunteering” is a major objective of VAVS this year and an effective way of bringing to bear the talents of a whole family. Ages for youth volunteers will be dictated by local medical center policy.
KofC VAVS support to ALL VA Medical Centers is important and necessary. The new VAVS brochure soon to be available for distribution contains a comprehensive list of potential programs, support required, including support to our VA Catholic Chaplains assigned to the VA Chaplains Service.
Simply put, our valiant Warriors returning from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan who have suffered horrific, multiple wounds and their families, especially those young wives and children, at both Level 1 and 2 Polytrauma Centers need a level of support of greater intensity and comprehensiveness to carry them through this emotional and potentially financially devastating period. Without question, THE FAMILY IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO THE TREATMENT AND RECOVERY PROCESS; LIKEWISE, KOFC SUPPORT THROUGH VAVS IS CRITICAL TO THESE FAMILIES AND THEIR INJURED LOVED ONE. My Brother Sir Knights, this is the Challenge!!!
“VAVS, Human Beings Doing Positive Things” (Fr. Paul Holt, 6 July 2006)
Charles H. Gallina, Colonel/USMC, Ret,
National VAVS Representative
Assistant for Military Affairs
Poly Trauma Centers Chief, Chaplain Service and Catholic Chaplains
VISN1
VA BOSTON HEALTH CARE SYSTEM (523)
· 1400 VFW Parkway
West Roxbury, MA 02132 Tel: 857-203-6814
Chief Philip G. Salois, M.S. (JP) Roman Catholic Philip.Salois@med.va.gov
Office is on Boston Campus 857-364-4576.
Full Time
John J. Nichols (WR) Roman Catholic
Claudius S. Nowinski, M.S. (WR) Roman Catholic
VISN2 (Up State NY)
· 800 Irving Avenue Tel: 315-425-4400
Syracuse, NY 13210 Fax: 315 425 2463 (Pharmacy office)
Sr. Chaplain Richard Brown (315-425-6596) American Baptist
Full-time David James Roman Catholic
Fee Basis Wilfred F. Evans (315-425-2470) Roman Catholic
VISN3
VA NY HARBOR HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
· Manhattan Division Tel: 212-686-7500 x4640
423 E. 23rd Street FAX: 212-951-3375
New York, NY 10010
Chief Andrew Sioleti (CPE Supv.) Roman Catholic
Full Time Pasquale (Pat) Laghezza (Mnhtn) Roman Catholic
Fee-Basis James Musumeci (Mnhtn) Roman Catholic
VISN4
VA Medical Center (642) Tel: 215-823-5800 x6156
University & Woodland Avenues
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Chief James Ritchie Lutheran (ELCA)
Full-time Michael Lipareli x2776 Roman Catholic
Contract Edward V. Griffin Roman Catholic
James E. King Melkite-Greek Catholic (bi-ritual)
VISN5
VA Medical Center (688) Tel: 202-745-8143
50 Irving Street, NW FAX: 202-745-8530
Washington, DC 20422
Chief Clarence L. Cross, Jr. AME Zion
Full-time Jonathan Lao Roman Catholic
John A. Milewski Roman Catholic
Fee Basis Benjamin Opara Roman Catholic
VISN 6
Hunter Holmes McGuire Tel: 804-675-5125
VA Medical Center (652) FAX: 804-675-5223
1201 Broad Rock Boulevard
Richmond, VA 23249
Lead Chaplain C. William Wagner American Baptist
Contract Patrick D. Moore Roman Catholic
VISN 7
VA Medical Center (509) Tel: 706-823-2229
1 Freedom Way FAX: 706-823-1740
Augusta, GA 30910-6285
Manager T. Joseph Lusk United Methodist
Contract John Lyons Roman Catholic
VISN 8
James A. Haley Veterans Hospital (673) Tel: 813-972-7530
13000 Bruce B. Downs Boulevard FAX: 813-903-4864
Tampa, FL 33612
Chief James R. Taylor Pentecostal
Lead Chaplain Edward Lamp Roman Catholic
VISN 9
VA TENNESSEE VALLEY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
· 1310 24th Avenue S. Tel: 615-327-4751, x5362
Nashville, TN 37212-2637 FAX: 615-321-6350
Chief Thomas H. Phillips (CPE) United Methodist
Part time James Norman Miller Roman Catholic
VISN 10
· 10701 East Boulevard Tel: 216-791-3800
Cleveland, OH 44106 FAX: 216-707-5919
Chief Joseph Hilton, III United Methodist
Full-time Thomas G. Sarnecki Roman Catholic
VISN11
Richard L. Roudebush Tel: 317-554-0042
VA Medical Center (583)
1481 W. 10th Street
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Chief Joseph L. Kiene Roman Catholic
Full-time Charles Smith Roman Catholic
VISN 12
Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital (578) Tel: 708-202-2531
P. O. Box 5000 (125) e-mail: John.Prater2@med.va.gov
Hines, IL 60141
Chief
Full-time James Burnett Roman Catholic
Benjamin Chinnappan Roman Catholic
Contract Benedict Michalowski (Deacon) Roman Catholic
(VISN 13 and 14 were integrated and became VISN 23)
VISN 15
VA Medical Center (657) Tel: 314-894-6566
#1 Jefferson Barracks Drive FAX: 314-845-5033
St. Louis, MO 63125
Coordinator Robert B. Collingwood United Methodist
Intermittent Kevin Callahan Roman Catholic
John H. Schneider Roman Catholic
Patrick J. Christopher Roman Catholic
Contract Mark Rivituso Roman Catholic
VISN 16
Michael E. DeBakey Veterans Affairs Medical Center VA Medical Center (580) Tel: 713-794-7125
2002 Holcombe Boulevard
Houston, TX 77030-4298
Chief W. Douglas Ensminger Presbyterian
Full-time Paschal Odemokpa Roman Catholic
Clarito Rara Roman Catholic
VISN 17
VA NORTH TEXAS HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
· Dallas Division (549) Tel: 214-857-1070
4500 S. Lancaster Road FAX: 214-857-1079
Dallas, TX 75216
Chief Michael P. Carter Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
Intermittent Timothy A. Gollob Roman Catholic
VISN18
Southern AZ VA Health Care System (678) Tel: 520-629-1843
3601 South Sixth Avenue FAX: 520-629-1820
Tucson, AZ 85723
Coordinator of Pastoral Care John Zinck American Baptist
Part-time David H. Reinders Roman Catholic
VISN 19
VA Medical Center (554) Tel: 303-393-2802
1055 Clermont Street FAX: 303-394-5841
Denver, CO 80220
Supervisor Lee M. Thompson Dir., Voluntary and Pastoral Care Services
Contract Roland Freeman Roman Catholic
VISN 20
VA PUGET SOUND HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (663) Tel: 206-764-2023
· 1660 S. Columbian Way FAX: 206-768-5420
Seattle, WA 98108
Chief Fred D. Rietema Christian Reformed
Full-time L. David Mani Roman Catholic
Fee-basis Richard Gallagher Roman Catholic
VISN 21
VA Palo Alto Healthcare System (640) Tel: 650-493-5000 x1-65257/65532
3801 Miranda Avenue FAX: 650-849-0121
Palo Alto, CA 94304
Chief
Deputy Chief Kenneth (John) Coleman Roman Catholic
Full-time Augustine Koilparampil Roman Catholic
James Stump Roman Catholic
Fee Basis (Brother) Dwayne Crockett Roman Catholic
(Deacon) Louis C. Dixon, Jr. Roman Catholic
(Sister) Margaret Keeler, OSF Roman Catholic
VISN22
· West Los Angeles Healthcare Center Tel: 310-268-4676
West Los Angeles, CA 90073 Fax: 310-268-4743
Chief Michael A. Vasquez Nazarene
Full-Time Max Saldua Roman Catholic
Fee-Basis Thomas M. Acton Roman Catholic
Frederick K. Byaruhanga Roman Catholic
VISN 23
VA Medical Center (618) Tel: 612-725-2000 x (1487)
612-725-2027
One Veterans Drive FAX: 612-725-2126
Minneapolis, MN 55417
Chief Damien Schill (1487) Roman Catholic
Fee Richard J. Wolter Roman Catholic
Aloysius Callaghan Roman Catholic
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 10, 2006
VA Receives 2006 Innovations in Government Award
WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) model system of electronic health records, developed with extensive involvement of front-line health-care providers, has won the prestigious “Innovations in American Government Award.” The annual award, sponsored by Harvard University’s Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the Kennedy School of Government and administered in partnership with the Council for Excellence in Government, honors excellence and creativity in the public sector.
“This great honor is testimony to the vision of health care professionals throughout VA,” said the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “Our electronic health records are without peer and ensure that our nation’s veterans receive the best care this country can provide.”
While health-care costs in the United States continue to soar, VA is reducing costs and errors while increasing safety and efficiency.
Outside of VA, because patient records are not readily available, one out of seven Americans ends up hospitalized when outpatient care is all that’s needed. For the same reason, one out of five lab tests is needlessly repeated outside the VA system. And while the costs of health care continue to soar for most Americans, the VA is reducing costs, reducing errors, and becoming the model for what modern health care management and delivery should look like.
“The involvement of front-line providers, use of performance measures and universal use of electronic health records have enabled VA to set the national benchmark in quality of care” said Dr. Jonathan Perlin, VA Under Secretary for Health. “The electronic records system is called VistA, and it is an essential part of VA’s commitment to giving every patient safe, effective, efficient, compassionate health care.”
- More -
Innovations Award 2/2/2/2
VA’s complete adoption of electronic health records and performance measures have resulted in high-quality, low-cost health care with high patient satisfaction. A recent RAND study found that VA outperforms all other sectors of American health care across a spectrum of 294 measures of quality in disease prevention and treatment. For six straight years, VA has led private-sector health care in the independent American Customer Satisfaction Index.
Electronic health records also provide numerous other benefits in cost, quality and access to care. The cost of maintaining the system is $80 per patient per year, less than the cost of one unnecessarily repeated lab test. In the last 10 years, VistA’s efficiencies have offset cost increases associated with a 100 percent increase in the number of veterans receiving VA care.
For example, VistA has helped VA save 6,000 lives by improving rates of pneumonia vaccination among veterans with emphysema, cutting pneumonia hospitalizations in half and reducing costs by $40 million per year. Patient waiting times have declined while customer service improved, and access to care has increased because of on-line availability of health information.
In addition to saving money, VistA saves lives and ensures continuity of care even under the most extreme circumstances. Many of the thousands of residents who fled the Gulf Coast because of Hurricane Katrina left behind vital health records. Records for the 40,000 veterans in the area were almost immediately available to clinicians across the country, even though the VA Medical Center in Gulfport, Mississippi, was destroyed and the New Orleans VA Medical Center was closed and evacuated. Veterans were able to resume their treatments, refill their prescriptions, and get the care they needed because their medical records were immediately accessible to providers at other VA facilities.
VistA is one of seven government initiatives chosen from 1,000 applications to receive this year’s Innovations awards. Because the programs are models for government’s capacity to do good, and do it well, the $100,000 grant specifically supports sharing of program information with other organizations.
- More -
Innovations Award 3/3/3/3
VA plans to disseminate information and provide demonstrations of VistA at its medical centers across the country. Additional information is available by visiting the website
www.innovations.va.gov , calling 202-208-2393, sending an email message to innovations@va.gov or contacting a local VA medical center.
# # #
People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe at the following Internet address:
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/opalist_listserv.cfm
5 of 8
RAO Bulletin Update
1 July 2006
THIS BULLETIN UPDATE CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES:
== VA Data Privacy Breach [12] ------------- (Long term situation)
== VA Data Privacy Breach [13] --------------(Another revelation)
== VA Data Privacy Breach [14] ------------- (Vet compensation)
== VA Data Privacy Breach [15] ------------- (Cost to VA)
== VA Data Privacy Breach [16] ------------- (Free credit monitoring)
== VA Data Privacy Breach [17] ------------- (Who's at fault)
== NDAA 2007 [05] --------------------------- (White House concerns)
== NDAA 2007 [06] --------------------------- (Highlights)
== NDAA 2007 [07] --------------------------- (Conference committee)
== Army Enlistment Age [01] ---------------- (Raised to 42)
== Phony War Heroes -------------------------- ($100,000 fine)
== VA Gravesite Locator [02] ---------------- (Online site maps)
== Tricare Data Breach (TriWest) [01] ------ (Current(Status)
== DACMC [02] -------------------------------- (Sweeping changes)
== Military Discounts -------------------------- (July 4th offers))
== Flag Legislation ---------------------------- (No ban on burning)
== VA AFGE Suit ------------------------------ (Physician pay dispute)
== Tricare Uniform Formulary [12] ---------- (Jun/Jul changes)
== Navy Personal Data Breach ---------------- (When will it stop)
== AF Retiree Council ------------------------- (Recommendations)
== ID Card Numbers [01] --------------------- (SSN removal)
== COLA 2007 Update 03 -------------------- (2.9% May increase)
== VA Phishing Alert -------------------------- (Another scam)
== Tricare User Fees [14] --------------------- (DoD still wants)
== Government Data Protection -------------- (What to do)
== SGLI [06] ------------------------------------ (Premium changes)
== VA Mental Health Care -------------------- (Availability questioned)
== VA SAH [02] -------------------------------- (Increased benefits)
== Veterans' Preference [04] ------------------ (Post 911 )
== Military Legislation Status ---------------- (Where we stand)
VA DATA PRIVACY BREACH UPDATE 12: Government auditors on 14 JUN told a
congressional panel that long-standing weaknesses in the Veterans
Affairs
Department's information security systems were responsible for a massive
data
breach last month and its systems remain at risk. Since fiscal 1997, the
VA's
Inspector General Office has cited weak information security controls at
the
department. Both the IG and Government Accountability Office officials
testified
at the House Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing that the department has
failed
repeatedly to fully implement recommendations for improvement. Michael
Staley,
VA assistant inspector general for auditing, told lawmakers that his
office will
be issuing a report in July regarding the scope of the early May
incident.
Previously, he said, individual IT centers within the department focused
on
resolving IG suggestions, but those recommendations were never
implemented
department-wide. GAO, the IG office, and former administration officials
have
long recommended that the VA pursue a more centralized approach to
managing
technology, a suggestion that has been a source of contention on Capitol
Hill
and within the department. The department's federated IT management
model,
adopted last year, gives the chief information officer line-item budget
control,
but critics, including House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Steve
Buyer
(R-IN) argue that the department needs to move toward a centralized
model.
Linda Koontz, GAO's director of information management issues, said in
her
testimony that the department's CIO needs veto authority over department
procedures that just don't make sense. Buyer said Congress may need to
strengthen the enforcement side of the law governing federal computer
security
(the 2002 Federal Information Security Management Act) because there are
no
consequences for noncompliance. "This is not something that can be
quickly
fixed," Buyer said. "The VA's internal controls have been grossly
inadequate for
a number of years." Last week, VA Secretary James Nicholson told
reporters that
the incident was a result of one person, by being careless, violating
our
procedures. Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) who has previously called for
Nicholson's
resignation because of the incident said the agency's response to the
data
breach has been pathetic and the incident has become the Katrina of the
Veterans
Administration.
The Defense Department will inform servicemembers who could be affected
by
the May theft of personal data from the VA through their monthly pay
statements.
DoD is in the middle of an analysis to determine exactly how many
active-duty,
Reserve and National Guard servicemembers could be affected by the data
loss.
When the analysis is completed the Defense Finance and Accounting
Service will
inform servicemembers who are determined to be vulnerable by putting a
note on
the bottom of their monthly leave and earnings statements along with
phone
numbers and website that will provide more information on identity theft
and
what troops can do to protect themselves. Note: The corrected Air Force
Personnel Center Web site addee where all active duty, Guard and Reserve
Airmen
can check to see if their data was compromised is
https://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/checker/. [Source:
www.firstgov.gov/veteransinfo.shtml 13 Jun & GOVEXEC.com 15 JUN 06 ++]
VA DATA PRIVACY BREACH UPDATE 13: Troubling audit results have prompted
the
Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to consider awarding an agency wide
contract for transcribing medical records. A report released earlier
this week
by the VA Department's inspector general revealed that a transcription
subcontractor in India threatened to release the medical records of
30,000
veterans over the Internet in 2005, amid a dispute over payments. The
report
came on the heels of a department data breach last month that
compromised the
personal information, including Social Security numbers, of 26.5 million
people.
Jonathan Perlin, VHA health undersecretary, concurred with the IG
findings and
recommendations, and said standardizing contracts for transcription
could help
protect patient medical information. A report on the feasibility of a
nationwide transcription contract and rollout of speech-recognition
technologies
is expected from the agency's Prosthetics and Clinical Logistics Office
1 OCT.
A VA spokesman said the agency is using speech-recognition technology
more often
to enter text summaries into patients' electronic health records. Perlin
said
the department also has inserted language into its business agreements
forbidding the transfer of veterans' health information outside the
United
States, and is providing additional training to improve oversight of
contractors.
The medical records incident came to light when, beginning 23 FEB 05 the
subcontractor sent the IG's Hotline Division e-mails claiming that a
U.S.-based
contractor failed to pay more than $28,000 for transcribing medical
records. The
subcontractor threatened to release data from five VHA facilities onto
the
Internet if it didn't receive payment. The IG report which can be viewed
at
www.va.gov/oig/52/reports/2006/VAOIG-04-00018-155.pdf did not give the
name of
the contractor, the subcontractor or the VHA facilities involved. A VA
spokesman said the contractor provided the medical information to the
subcontractor without the agency's knowledge or approval. Aggressive
action was
taken to ensure that the contractor paid the subcontractor and that the
records
were destroyed. But the IG report stated that there was no way of
validating
that the patient records were actually destroyed, or of knowing whether
other
offshore subcontractors or individuals possessed such records.
The VHA held 147 medical transcription contracts with 43 companies,
worth a
total of $30 million, in fiscal 2004, according to the report. That
year, the
agency spent another $16 million on salaries for in-house
transcription-related
jobs. The IG estimated that $6.2 million could be saved if VHA
facilities
uniformly negotiated for transcription services at the lowest rate
currently
paid for the various contracts.
The report also found that 113 out of 129 VA facilities surveyedfailed
to
remove patients' personal identifiers before allowing contractors to
access the
information and 82 contracts did not limit access to VHA data at
contractor
facilities. Seventy contracts lacked requirements that the transcription
services take place in the United States, and 45 failed to specify
requirements
for erasing VHA data from contractor computers. The incident has raised
the ire
of several members of Congress concerned about the agency's lack of
controls of
sensitive data after last month's massive breach involving the theft of
personal
information on many of the nation's veterans and military service
members from
the home of a VA employee. Rep. John Salazar (D-CO) with the support of
45
co-sponsors, has introduced legislation H.R.5588 that would require VA
to
implement stronger data security procedures and to provide identity
theft
services to veterans whose personal information is at risk because of
last
month's breach. [Source: GOVEXEC.com Daily Briefing 16 Jun 06 ++]
VA DATA PRIVACY BREACH UPDATE 14: The House Judiciary Committee took a
step on
21 JUN toward compensating veterans who might be victims of identity
theft
because of the loss of millions of Veterans Affairs Department personnel
records. On a voice vote, the committee approved the legislation,
clearing the
way for likely House approval An Office of Veterans Identity Protection
Claims
would be established to process claims of veterans who might have their
identities stolen by thieves who steal money or run up credit card
bills.
Democrats complained the legislation was not strong enough. It is a
"half-hearted way" to address the problem, said Judiciary ranking member
John
Conyers (D-MI). He said the bill tells 26.5 million veterans to deal
with the
problem themselves. The bill sets up a system of filing claims that
might
require hiring an attorney.
A Conyers substitute that would require the VA to provide numerous
services, including credit monitoring and fraud alerts, was ruled out of
order
by Judiciary Chairman James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) on grounds it
interfered with
the jurisdiction of the House Financial Affairs Committee. A Conyers
amendment
to raise the maximum attorneys' fees under the bill from 10% of the paid
claim
to 25% failed on a 19-13 roll call. Democrats argued 10% t was too low
to
attract lawyers. An amendment by Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA) for a $2
million per
year authorization for five years for a Justice Department probe of the
computer
file theft was accepted on a voice vote. A Scott amendment also was
adopted by
voice vote to extend the time for a veteran to file a claim to two years
from
the time a problem is identified. [Source: GOVEXEC.com Daily Briefing 22
Jun 06
++]
VA DATA PRIVACY BREACH UPDATE 15: The Veterans Affairs Department is
burning
through $200,000 a day to operate a call center for veterans and
active-duty
service members seeking information on last month's data breach. As of
20 JUN
in addition to the more than $7 million spent operating the call center
since
the department announced the breach, a mailing to 17.5 million veterans
cost the
department about $1 million for printing and another $6 million-plus for
postage. VA freed up the money by reprogramming funds with the consent
of the
House and Senate appropriations committees. The department contracted
out the
call center through the General Services Administration. Scripted
responses to
anticipated questions were written for the call centers and a VBA
employee has
been assigned to provide assistance at each center. While VA concluded
that the
May 3 incident compromised personal information for 26.5 million people,
only
17.5 million records contained complete, accurate data. About 7 million
records
lacked Social Security numbers, making it impossible for the agency to
track
addresses for those veterans. In some other cases, people were deceased.
VA has prepared to shift up to $25 million of its fiscal 2006 funding to
handle the initial expenses linked to the theft. VA officials told
lawmakers
that they would not speculate on whether fiscal 2007 funds would be
tapped to
handle the ongoing response. The White House is preparing to formally
ask
Congress for $160 million -- with offsets -- to fund the VA's response.
The
supplemental request is expected to cover the costs of one year of free
credit
monitoring for affected veterans. Steps taken to date by VBA to improve
data
securities are:
- A list has been compiled of all VBA databases holding sensitive
information and a workgroup will provide recommendations for improving
the
protection of that data.
- All telework has been suspended and the agency has been considering
various ways of protecting sensitive data that is moved from the office
to an
alternative worksite, often an employee's home.
- New encryption technology has been purchased for all agency laptop
computers
- Consideration of increasing the use of network servers for accessing
information to reduce the amount of information employees store locally
their
computers.
- Discussion on changing its reliance on Social Security numbers as
unique
identifiers. However, that might not be a workable solution since the
Defense
Department and other agencies also use Social Security numbers for that
purpose
and VA interacts with those agencies.
Michael Staley, VA assistant inspector general for auditing, told
lawmakers that
even if all IG recommendations were followed, he could not say for sure
that the
data breach would have been averted.
A draft report on the agency's fiscal 2005 Federal Information Security
Management Act audit from the IG office includes 17 recommendations for
improving information security practices, including encrypting sensitive
information on the agency's networks and setting policies on employee
background
checks.
Also testifying before the subcommittees was the director of information
security issues at the Government Accountability Office, Gregory
Wilshusen, who
said while VA's initial steps appeared to be helpful in addressing
information
security weaknesses, they are not in themselves sufficient to establish
a
comprehensive information security program. The true test will be
whether the VA
can implement the policies over the long-term. In related news, Sens.
George
Allen (R-VA) & Larry Craig (R-ID) & Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)
introduced an
amendment to the fiscal 2007 Defense Authorization bill S.2766 19 JUN
that would
require VA to contract with a private sector firm to provide credit
monitoring
and data theft protection services to veterans and armed service
members.
[Source: GOVEXEC.com Daily Briefing 21 & 26 Jun 06 ++]
VA DATA PRIVACY BREACH UPDATE 16: Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James
Nicholson announced 21 JUN that VA will provide one year of free credit
monitoring to people whose sensitive personal information may have been
stolen
in the 3 MAY incident. The service will be offered to 17.5 million
veterans only
since the remainder of the 26.5 million are deceased or did not have
Social
Security numbers or addresses compromised. VA staff said sending the
letters to
17.5 million veterans, once a contractor is hired, would cost about $7
million,
as that was the cost to print and mail the initial letters to veterans
confirming news reports of the security breach. VA has conducted
extensive
market research on available credit monitoring solutions, and has been
working
to determine how VA can best serve those whose information was stolen.
He noted
thatfree credit monitoring will help safeguard those who may be
affected, and
will provide them with the peace of mind they deserve. The Secretary
said VA
has no reason to believe the perpetrators who committed this burglary
were
targeting the data, and Federal investigators believe that it is
unlikely that
identity theft has resulted from the data theft. This week, VA will
solicit
bids from qualified companies to provide a comprehensive credit
monitoring
solution. VA will ask these companies to provide expedited proposals and
to be
prepared to implement them rapidly once they are under contract.
After VA hires a credit monitoring company, the Department will send a
detailed letter to all those whose sensitive personal information may
have been
included in the stolen data. This letter will explain credit monitoring
and how
eligible people can enroll or "opt-in" for the services. Individual who
choose
to sign up for the credit monitoring service, including the insurance,
will not
be asked or required to relinquish any legal claim that he or she might
have
against VA in order to receive the credit monitoring and insurance that
VA will
offer. The Department expects to have the services in place and the
letters
mailed by mid-August. He also announced VA is soliciting bids to hire a
company
that provides data-breach analysis, which will look for possible misuse
of the
stolen VA data. The analysis would help measure the risk of the data
loss,
identify suspicious misuse of identity information and expedite full
assistance
to affected people. As part of VA's efforts to prevent such an incident
from
happening again, the Secretary previously announced:
* A series of personnel changes in the Office of Policy and Planning,
where the
breach occurred;
* The hiring of former Maricopa County (Ariz.) prosecutor Richard Romley
as a
Special Advisor for Information Security;
* The expedited completion of Cyber Security Awareness Training and
Privacy
Awareness Training for all VA employees;
* That an inventory be taken of all positions requiring access to
sensitive VA
data by 30 JUN 06 to ensure that only those employees who need such
access to do
their jobs have it;
* That every laptop in VA undergoes a security review to ensure that all
security and virus software is current, including the immediate removal
of any
unauthorized information or software;
* That VA facilities across the country - every hospital,
Community-Based
Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), regional office, national cemetery, field
office and
VA's Central Office - observe Security Awareness Week beginning June 26.
The VA has learned the hard way that the cost of not securing sensitive
personal information is clearly very high. It's not just in terms of
monetary
costs, but reputation and the overall drag it has on the confidence
people and
businesses have on the Internet, computers and our digital society.
Gartner, a
security research firm, has estimated the average cost of a data breach
at $90
per person. You can encrypt information far more cheaply than what is
now under
way at the VA. Avivah Litan recently told the House Veterans Affairs
Committee
that a company's cost to encrypt 10,000 accounts would be as little as
$6 per
customer. Congress really has an opportunity now to put in a national
standard
for securing personal information. They have been staring at several
bills for
more than a year and the VA incident may be just the motivator to put
one in
place. The bills include S. 1326, S. 1408, S. 1789, H.R. 3997, H.R. 4127
and
H.R. 5318.
In the interim a class action lawsuit against the VA is blocking the
implementation of a security directive requiring review of all agency
laptop
computers to ensure that virus software is updated and appropriate
encryption
programs are installed. The temporary restraining order from the Federal
District Court of Eastern Kentucky issued 23 JUN as part of the lawsuit
prevents
VA also bars the department from publicizing its free credit-monitoring
offer to
veterans whose personal data was stolen. [Source: VA News Release 21 Jun
06 ++]
VA DATA PRIVACY BREACH UPDATE 17: On 29 JUN it was announced that the
stolen
laptop and external, hard drive containing personal data on 26.5 million
vets
had been recovered. A preliminary review of the equipment by FBI
computer
forensic teams determined that the database remains intact and has not
been
accessed since it was stolen. A thorough forensic examination is
underway, and
the results will be shared as soon as possible. House VA Committee
Chairman
Steve Buyer stated he has been made aware of two other incidents of
stolen VA
data, one in Minneapolis in 2005 and one in May of this year in
Indianapolis.
During further questioning from committee members later in the hearing,
Nicholson revealed that VA had compiled a ten page list of additional
breeches
of computer data security. The acting top Democrat on the House
Veterans'
Affairs Committee Rep. Bob Filner (D-CA) holding hearings on the theft
said,
"From the start, the VA has acted as if the theft was a PR problem that
had to
be managed, not fully confronted. They're trying to pin it on this one
guy, but
I think it is other people we need to be looking at." Now, newly
discovered
documents show that the VA analyst blamed for losing the laptop had
received
permission to work from home with data that included millions of Social
Security
numbers and other personal information on veterans and military
personnel.
The department said last month it was in the process of firing this data
analyst, who is now challenging the dismissal. VA officials have said
the firing
was justified because the analyst violated department procedure by
taking the
data home. They also said he was grossly negligent in handling sensitive
information. However, the documents obtained by The Associated Press
show that
the data analyst had approval as early as 5 SEP 02 to use special
software at
home that was designed to manipulate large amounts of data. A separate
agreement, dated 5 FEB 02 from the office of the assistant secretary for
policy
and planning, allowed the worker to access Social Security numbers for
millions
of veterans. A third document, also issued in 2002, gave the analyst
permission
to take a laptop computer and accessories for work outside of the VA
building.
One of the documents noted that this data was protected under the
Privacy Act.
The analyst referred to is the lead programmer within the Policy
Analysis
Service and as such needed access to real Social Security numbers.
Rep. Filner noted that the employee had informed supervisors of the
theft
immediately after the crime, while supervisors waited nearly three weeks
to
inform the public on 22 MAY. VA Secretary Nicholson himself was not
informed
until May 16. "The gross negligence in this case is the people above
him," said
Filner. On 29 JUN the chief information security officer for the VA
Department
Pedro Cadenas submitted his resignation. Cadenas, who has been involved
with the
forensic investigation of the data breach from the start, tried to
resign two
weeks ago but was talked out of it at the time by the VA. Veterans
groups and
lawmakers from both parties have criticized the VA for the theft and
noted years
of warnings by auditors that information security was lax. Some veterans
also
have filed suit in federal court, seeking $1,000 in damages -- or up to
$26.5
billion total -- for privacy violations. [Source: VVA Government
Relations
Department 29 Jun 06 ++]
NDAA 2007 UPDATE 05: As the Senate began floor debate on the Defense
Authorization Bill in mid-JUN, the White House sent Senate leaders a
Statement
of Administration Policy peppered with objections to benefit fixes put
in the
bill by the Armed Services Committee. The June 14 statement applauded
the
Committee's action in supporting a 2.2% across-the-board active duty pay
raise
(a half-percent less than the House-passed 2.7%). But it expressed
disappointment and opposition to several initiatives endorsed by the
Committee,
including:
* Barring most of the DoD-proposed TRICARE fee increases for retirees
under age
65. Not allowing these changes to proceed will result in at least $735
million
in unbudgeted costs in FY 2007, and $11.2 billion from FY 2007 through
FY 2011.
* Capping premium increases for Selected Reserve health coverage at the
same
percentage as the military pay raise;
* Repealing the requirement to deduct VA survivor benefits from Survivor
Benefit
Plan annuities when the member's death was caused by military service.
DoD
estimates that eliminating the SBP offset for all widows entitled to DIC
would
cost the Military Retirement Fund between $6 and $8 billion over 10
years. This
is strongly opposed because the administration rationalizes the current
offset
approved by Congress avoids duplication of two fully funded Federal
Government
benefits and is consistent with benefits provided in the private sector.
The
current compensation package for survivors-which includes SBP, DIC, an
enhanced
death gratuity, and increased life insurance benefits-provides a
reasonable
level of income.
* Increasing minimum manpower levels for the Army and Marine Corps.
On the positive side the letter also expressed concern that the Armed
Services Committee neglected to adopt a Pentagon recommendation to
prohibit
courts from forcing divorced servicemembers to pay their former spouses
a share
of their theoretical retired pay while still on active duty -- before
they
actually retire from service. Congress should clarify the law to protect
such
members, many of whom are, in effect, blocked by the courts from serving
beyond
the 20-year point. You can view the full text of the Administration
statement
at www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/109-2/s2766sap-s.pdf. [Source:
MOAA
Leg Up 16 Jun 06 ++]
NDAA 2007 UPDATE 06: When the Senate's version of the FY2007 Defense
Authorization Bill (S. 2766) came to the floor for debate they quickly
adopted
several groups of amendments that Senate leaders had agreed to approve
without
debate. A number of them involve huge issues for many of the military
community.
Some selected highlights of the amendments adopted which now are
included in the
Senate's version of the NDAA are:
* Concurrent Receipt: Sen. Harry Reid's (D-NV) amendment would implement
full
concurrent receipt for the 20,000 retirees deemed 100% disabled with IU,
retroactive to 1 JAN 05. Another amendment addressing concurrent receipt
for
retirees retired with less than 20 years service was not approved.
* Guard/Reserve Retirement Age: Sen. Saxby Chambliss's (R-GA) amendment
would
reduce the normal age-60 requirement by three months for each 90 days
mobilized
since 9/11.
* Guard/Reserve GI Bill: Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D-AR) amendment would
allow
Guard/Reserve members to use their mobilization GI Bill benefits for up
to 10
years after leaving Selected Reserve status.
* Abusive Lending Practices: Sen. James Talent's (R-MO) amendment would
significantly tighten laws governing so-called "payday lenders," who now
entice
servicemembers into loan schemes involving 300-400% interest rates.
* SSAN on ID Cards: Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's (R-TX) amendment would
require
a Pentagon report on the feasibility of removing Social Security account
numbers
from military ID cards.
* Family Assistance Program: Sen. Wayne Allard's (R-CO) amendment would
authorize $5 million for a new program to coordinate assistance for
military
families at selected sites around the country.
* Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP): Sen. Mike DeWine's (R-OH) amendment would
expand eligibility of survivors (whose sponsors died in active service
after
Oct. 1, 2001) to transfer SBP eligibility to children, if any.
* Guard/Reserve Transition Assistance: Sen. Hillary Clinton's (D-NY)
amendment
would establish various requirements to assist Guard and Reserve members
who
served in Iraq or Afghanistan in successfully transitioning to civilian
employment, with particular emphasis on those who suffered traumatic
injuries.
[Source: MOAA Leg Up 23 Jun 06 ++]
NDAA 2007 UPDATE 07: Now that both the House and Senate have passed
their
respective versions of the FY2007 Defense Authorization Bills early in
the year,
the two chambers' leaders can start negotiating to resolve their
differences to
come up with a final, compromise defense authorization act. Last year,
when the
Senate started so far behind the power curve, many issues got dropped in
final
negotiations (at least in part) because the legislators just ran out of
time at
the end of the year. An early start on negotiations doesn't necessarily
mean
House and Senate leaders will reach a deal before the 1 OCT start of the
new
fiscal year. In four of the last six years, the defense bill didn't get
finished until December. In the other two years, it was 24 NOV and 28
OCT. So
chances are we won't have final decisions on the issues for many months.
But an
earlier start this (election) year means that, just maybe, there's a
shot at
more timely action.
In the interim Congress has moved on to other issues before their AUG
recess. Both the House and the Senate failed to include anythingon the
following:
- 188,000 Chapter 61 medical disability retired military career veterans
with less than 20 years who fund their disabilities pay with their
earned
longevity for retirement.
- 375,000 retired military career veterans with less than 50% disability
who continue to fund their disabilities with their earned retirement
pay.
When congress returns from recess the following key issues will have to
be
resolved before the bills can be returned to their respective floors for
a final
approval vote:
- Concurrent receipt: The only issue still left on the table this year
is
the Senate provision recommending full payment, retroactive to 1 JAN 05
for the
20,000 disabled retirees designated by the VA as unemployable. There's
nothing
on this in the House bill.
- Paid-Up SBP: The Senate defense bill would implement 30-year paid-up
SBP as of 1 OCT 06 (rather than waiting until 2008 under current law)
for the
275,000 retired military career veterans who have aged at least 70 years
and who
have made at least 30 years of SBP premium payments. There's nothing in
the
House bill on this.
- SBP/DIC Offset: The Senate defense bill would end the deduction of the
VA's Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) from SBP for 55,000
widows when
the member's death was caused by service. There's no such provision in
the
House bill.
- Guard/Reserve TRICARE Coverage: The House bill would provide all
members and families of the Selected Reserve the same option for TRICARE
coverage, and get rid of the higher premium requirements for members who
haven't
been mobilized since 9/11. The Senate bill would make only a minor tweak
to the
current three-level premium system, which is too expensive for most
members who
haven't been mobilized.
- Guard/Reserve Retirement Age: The Senate plan would reduce the
retirement age by 3 months for each 90 days mobilized since 9/11, but
there's
nothing on this in the House bill.
- Guard/Reserve GI Bill: The Senate bill would authorize portability of
educational benefits earned on active duty, but the House does not
address the
issue.
Here is a list of 24 designated Senate conference committee members for
anyone
wanting to voice their concerns with them on issues that are now on the
table to
be resolved. House list not yet available: Warner; McCain; Inhofe;
Roberts;
Sessions; Collins; Ensign; Talent; Chambliss; Graham; Dole; Cornyn;
Thune;
Levin; Kennedy; Byrd; Lieberman; Reed; Akaka; Nelson FL; Nelson NE;
Dayton;
Bayh; & Clinton.
[Source: MOAA Leg Up 23 Jun 06 ++]
ARMY ENLISTMENT AGE UPDATE 01: The U.S. Army announced that it has
raised the
maximum enlistment age for both the active Army and Army Reserve from 40
to 42.
This change was made possible under provisions of the Fiscal Year 2006
National
Defense Authorization Act. The Army raised the active duty age limit to
40 in
January as an interim step while it worked out the additional medical
screening
requirements for recruits age 40 to 42. Prior to January, an applicant
could
not have reached his or her 35th birthday. The Army Reserve age limit
was
raised from 35 to 40 in March 2005. More than 1,000 individuals over age
35
have enlisted in the Army and Army Reserve since the age limits were
raised.
Raising the maximum age for Army enlistment expands the recruiting pool,
provides motivated individuals an opportunity to serve, and strengthens
the
readiness of Army units. All applicants must meet eligibility standards,
to
include passing the same physical standards and medical examination,
however
those 40 to 42 will be given additional medical screening. The program
applies
to both men and women. Older applicants are eligible for the same
enlistment
bonuses and other incentives available to younger applicants. Experience
has
shown that older recruits who can meet the physical demands of military
service
generally make excellent Soldiers based on their maturity, motivation,
loyalty,
and patriotism. U.S. Army Recruiting Command has achieved its active
Army
enlistment goals for the past 12 calendar months, and is ahead of its
year-to-date goals for the Army Reserve. To learn more about active Army
and
Army Reserve opportunities, contact your local Army recruiter. [Source:
Army
News Service Jun 06]
PHONY WAR HEROES: The FBI is cracking down on phony war heroes, who
often
obtain medals and wear them at public events. This year, federal agents
have
launched a dozen investigations against people allegedly masquerading as
decorated veterans. At that pace, the FBI would open about twice as many
cases
as it did last year. The cases are sometimes difficult to prosecute
because the
phony heroes have to be caught wearing the medal. Also, Unauthorized
Wearing of
Military Medals and Decorations is classified as a misdemeanor with a
small
penalty. Of the 58 cases that were opened by the FBI in the past six
years, 20
are pending. Of the other 38, almost 60% ended in convictions.
Support in Congress is growing for the "Stolen Valor Act," which would
stiffen penalties for falsely claiming to have received any medal. Since
it was
introduced last year, the number of co-sponsors has doubled. Senate bill
S.1998
currently has 26 sponsors and House bill H.R.3352 has 101. The bills
would make
it a crime to merely claim the medal was earned. It would also increase
punishment. Today, only those who fraudulently wear Medals of Honor face
up to a
year in jail and a $100,000 fine. The bill would increase penalties for
wearing
other medals to the same level. Offenders are people who buy Purple
Hearts,
Bronze Stars or even Medals of Honor on the Internet or at flea markets
and play
the role of war hero at military funerals, banquets and benefits. FBI
Special
Agent Thomas Cottone, a violent crimes investigator who took on phony
war hero
cases as a personal crusade 10 years ago said, "They do it for the
attention.
They want to get noticed ... these people, by wearing those medals, are
literally stealing the valor and recognition of those who legitimately
did the
act. And this is absolutely disgraceful." The most recent conviction was
Theodore Bantis age 59 of Dunlap IL. He pled guilty 20 JUN 06 to posing
as a
Marine Corps officer who had won the Navy Cross, the second-highest
Marine valor
award. He admitted he never served in the military. [Source: USA TODAY
Gregg
Zoroya article 21 Jun 06 ++]
VA GRAVESITE LOCATOR UPDATE 02: The grave locations of more than three
million
veterans and dependents buried in national cemeteries can be found more
easily
now because the Department of Veterans Affairs has added maps of burial
sections
online that can be printed from home computers and at national cemetery
kiosks.
The latest improvement builds upon a service begun two years ago, in
which a VA
online feature permits family members to find the cemetery in which
their loved
one is buried. This new map feature makes it easier for families,
friends and
researchers to find the exact location of a veteran's grave in all
national
cemeteries and some state veterans cemeteries. The gravesite locator
http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov finds the cemeteries where veterans are
buried.
With the new online feature, people enter a veteran's name to search,
click on
the "Buried At" (burial location) link and a map of the national
cemetery is
displayed, showing the section where the grave is located. In a related
development, VA recently added to its database the cemeteries in which
1.9
million veterans were buried with VA grave markers. These are mostly
private
cemeteries.
This addition brings the number of graves recorded in the locator to
approximately five million. Those with maps are in VA national
cemeteries and in
state veterans cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery if burials
were since
1999. Beyond the five million records now available, VA continues to add
approximately 1,000 new records to the database each day. VA also plans
to add
to its online database the exact locations of veterans' gravesites in
the
remaining state veterans' cemeteries. In the midst of the largest
cemetery
expansion since the Civil War, VA operates 123 national cemeteries in 39
states
and Puerto Rico and 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites. More than
three
million Americans, including veterans of every war and conflict from the
Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror are buried in VA's
national
cemeteries on more than 16,000 acres of land.
Veterans with a discharge other than dishonorable, their spouses, and
eligible dependent children may be buried in a national cemetery. Other
burial
benefits include a burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate, and a
government headstone or marker regardless of where they are buried.
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 at 1(800)
827-1000.
Anyone wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases
and
updated fact sheets can subscribe to the VA Office of Public Affairs
Distribution List at
www1.va.gov/opa/pressrel/opa_listserv.asp. [Source: VA Press Release 20
Jan 06]
TRICARE DATA BREACH (TRIWEST) UPDATE 01: On 14 DEC 02 TriWest
experienced a
theft similar to the recent VA incident. This should not be confused
with the
incident from the recent disclosure that hackers stole personal data
from a
Tricare Management Activity server containing information on more than
14,000
participants of a Tricare Healthcare Fraud Conference AUG 01 in San
Diego.
Following is a summary of the actions and activities related to the
TriWest
theft -
The DCIS investigation into the 14 DEC 02 theft of hard drives from its
corporate facilities in Phoenix containing the personal information of
550,000
Tricare beneficiaries to date has not identified the perpetrators or
their
motives. Nor has a report of the outcome of the investigation been made
available to TriWest or the public. What DCIS has released is that there
have
been no confirmed instances of anyone's personal information being
misused as a
result of the theft. The possibility that information could be misused
was the
motivator behind TriWest's prompt action to inform customers about the
fact that
their personal information had been compromised as a result of the theft
and to
educate them about the steps they needed to take toprotect themselves.
On
learning of the nature of the theft, the company began coordinating with
the
DoD, and state, local and federal authorities, in an attempt to identify
the
perpetrators and protect its customers. Once a list of affected
individuals was
compiled from backup tapes, TriWest began working with the leadership of
the DoD
and the Military Health System to create and implement an integrated
comprehensive communication and outreach plan. The plan employed a
three-prong
approach:
- First, it began with TriWest contacting the media to broadcast the
theft
and stress the need for individuals to protect themselves.
- Second, DoD working through military commands, disseminated
information
to every installation, worldwide.
- Third, the communication plan included a letter campaign that
contacted
every beneficiary affected by the theft, and included information on
steps they
could take to protect themselves against misuseof their personal
information.
TMA recently completed a review of the security procedures implemented
by
TriWest as part of the DoD Information Technology Security Certification
and
Accreditation Process (DITSCAP). The report can be accessed through the
TMA
security officials. TriWest's position is that any organizational
leader, be
they in the public or private sector, whose organization suffers the
theft of
customers' personal information has an absolute obligation to take
reasonable
measures to inform those customers of such an event and help them
understand
what they can do to protect themselves against the misuse of that
information.
In the months after the theft, TriWest's leadership did this and
vigorously
advocated tougher legislation to combat identify theft. In early JUN 06
the
Secretary of the Veterans Administration and the House Committee on
Veterans
Affairs both asked TriWest President and CEO to advise them about how
they
should respond to the recent theft of information potentially impacting
26.5
million veterans. At present he is lending TriWest's experience to the
VAD in
hopes that it will assist in guiding the steps that might be taken to
successfully protect the veterans whose information has been put at risk
as a
result of the theft. [Source:
Michelle Harris, PAO, TMA Communications response to the MRGRG Tricare
BAP
representative inquiry Jun 06 ++]
DACMC UPDATE 02: The Defense Advisory Committee on Military Compensation
after
spending the past year studying the military compensation system is
recommending
sweeping changes that, if approved, would bring military compensation
more on
par with private-sector compensation. The proposed package includes two
major
ideas. These include revamping the retirement system so servicemembers
receive
more pay throughout their careers rather than at their completion, and
basing
pay on performance rather than longevity and other factors. Their final
report
titled, "Completing the Transition to an All-Volunteer Force: Report of
the
Defense Advisory Committee on Military Compensation," which can be found
at
www.dod.mil/prhome/docs/dacmc_finalreport.pdf. These findings and
recommendations will be analyzed as part of the10th Quadrennial Review
of
Military Compensation, which was chartered on 2 AUG 05, to review of the
principles and concepts of the compensation system. [Source: DoD News 8
Jun 06]
MILITARY DISCOUNTS: To honor America's military, Lowe's is offering all
active
duty personnel, reservists, retired military, veterans and their
immediate
family members a 10% discount on in-store purchases made during the
Independence
Day holiday. The discount is available 29 JUN & 4 JUL 06 on all in-stock
purchases up to $5,000. Excluded are special order sales, online sales,
previous sales, installation fees, purchases of gift cards, Fisher &
Paykel
appliances, Dyson vacuums, John Deere products, and Krups small
appliances. To
obtain the discount, show valid military identification or discharge
papers.
The Home Depot is offering all active duty personnel, reservists,
retired
military, veterans and their families a 10% discount off their purchases
in
honor of Independence Day. The offer is valid on purchases of up to
$2,000 for a
maximum of $200 discount between 29 JUN & 4 JUL 06 at all Home Depot
stores,
Home Depot Floor Store locations, Home Depot Landscape Supply stores and
EXPO
Design Center locations. To qualify, individuals must present proof of
military
service to the Special Services desk at any store where they will
receive a
coupon that is redeemable at any cashier's checkout register. Discount
coupons
are valid on a single receipt, in-store purchase only. Details and
exceptions
are printed on the coupon. [Source: NAUS Update 30 Jun 06 ++]
FLAG LEGISLATION: With a count of 66 ayes and 34 nays, the proposed
amendment
to the NDAA by Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, to authorize Congress to
legislate
against desecrating the U.S. flag failed to meet the required two-thirds
vote.
To find out how your senator voted on the Flag amendment refer to
www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=1
09&session=2&vote=00189. The amendment would have read, "The Congress
shall
have power to prohibit the physical desecration of the flag of the
United
States." The vote on June 27 was the closest to passage in four Senate
votes
since the Supreme Court ruled in 1989 that flag burning was a form of
speech
protected by the First Amendment. The house passes such legislation
almost
annually and did so last year by 286-130. If the amendment had been
approved by
the Senate, it would have required ratification by at least 38 states
within
seven years in order to become the Constitution's 28th amendment.
Supporters say
that more than 38 states already have endorsed an amendment. On the
positive
side the House of Representatives on 27 JUN passed Representative Roscoe
Bartlett's HR42 denying the power of Home Owners Associations and
Condominiums'
and Cooperatives' Boards of Directors from barring the flying of the
American
flag on individuals residential property. The bill has been referred to
the U.S.
Senate and is awaiting action. [Source: TREA Leg Up 30 Jun 06 ++]
VA AFGE SUIT: A union representing doctors and dentists in the Veterans
Affairs
Department is considering legal action after the agency refused to
release data
used to set their pay. In APR 06 the Veterans Health Administration
denied a
January Freedom of Information Act request from the largest federal
employee
union, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE). The union
wants
to see the market surveys the agency is using to set new pay ranges for
medical
workers covered under a 2004 law that removed them from the General
Schedule,
which is the standard pay system for federal employees. VHA officials
initially
said they could not release the market surveys, which were purchased
from four
survey companies and used to set national base pay, because of copyright
restrictions, but an appeal from AFGE is still under consideration in
the
general counsel's office. The survey companies are being contacted and
given a
chance to object to the information's disclosure. Congress changed the
rules
for paying VA doctors and dentists to attract and retain more of the
high-demand
employees. The new system includes local, market-sensitive pay and
performance
components in addition to base salary. Performance standards have not
been put
into place yet, but local market decisions are in the process of being
finalized. AFGE legislative representative Marilyn Park said secrecy
over the
surveys, and how they would be used in each location, is disturbing. VHA
has not
included AFGE in the decision-making process. [Source: GOVEXEC.com Daily
Briefing 27 Jun 06]
TRICARE UNIFORM FORMULARY UPDATE 12: Four classes of drugs reviewed by
Tricare
have one or more drugs moving to the non-formulary beginning late June
through
the end of July. These classes include Gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) -
Analog
Agents, Antidepressants, Overactive Bladder Agents, and Antihypertensive
Agents.
Gamma-aminobutyric (GABA) - Analog Agents
Formulary First-Tier: Gabapentin generic only
Formulary Second-Tier: Gabitril
Non-Formulary: Lyrica (effective June 28, 2006)
Antidepressants
Formulary First-Tier: Buproprin, Buproprin SR, Citalopram, Fluoxetine,
Fluvoxamine, Mirtazapine, Nefazadone, Paroxetine, and Trazadone
Formulary Second-Tier: Effexor, Effexor XR, Pexeva, and Zoloft
Non-Formulary: Cymbalta, Lexapro, Paxil CR, Prozac Weekly, Sarafem,
Wellbutrin
XL (effective July 19, 2006)
Overactive Bladder Agents
Formulary First-Tier: Oxybutin generic only
Formulary Second-Tier: Detrol LA, Ditropan XL, Enablex Sanctura,
Vesicare
Non-Formulary: Detrol, Oxytrol, Sanctura (effective July 26, 2006)
Antihypertensive Agents
Formulary First-Tier: Clonidine/chlorthalidone generic only, Clonidine
generic
only, Guanabenz generic only, Gunnadrel generic only, Guanethidine
generic only,
Guanfacine generic only, Hydralazine generic only, Hydralazine/HCTZ
generic
only, Methyldopa generic only, Metyrosine generic only, Minoxidil
generic only,
Reserpine generic only
Formulary Second-Tier: Catapres TTS, Inversine, Lotrel, Minizide
Non-Formulary: Lexxel, Tarka (effective July 26, 2006)
Beneficiaries currently on non-formulary (third-tier) medications may
consult
their health care providers about changing to a first ($3) or
second-tier ($9)
alternative or ask their provider if establishing medical necessity for
the
non-formulary (third-tier) medication is appropriate for them. If
medical
necessity for a non-formulary (i.e. third-tier) $22 medication can be
established, co payments revert to second-tier price of $9.
Non-formulary
(third-tier) medications will NOT be available at military treatment
facility
(MTF) pharmacies unless medical necessity has been established and an
MTF
provider writes the prescription. Not all first-tier and second-tier
medications
are available at MTF Pharmacies. For more information on Tricare
pharmacy
programs refer to: www.tricare.osd.mil/pharmacy. For more information
regarding
the Tricare Drug Formulary refer to
www.moaa.org/controller.asp?pagename=serv_healthcare_drug_formulary.
[Source:
MOAA News Exchange 21 Jun 06]
NAVY PERSONAL DATA BREACH: U.S. Navy officials discovered 22 JUN 06 that
personal information on nearly 28,000 sailors and family members was
compromised
when it appeared on a civilian website, fueling more concerns about the
security
of sensitive information belonging to federal employees.
Five spreadsheet files of data - including names, birth dates and Social
Security numbers of sailors and their relatives were found exposed on a
website.
The initial discovery was made by the Navy Cyber Defense Operations
Command,
which routinely monitors the Internet for such problems. Lt. Justin
Cole, a
spokesman for the chief of naval personnel, said the material was
removed from
the website within two hours and that there was no indication it was
being used
for illegal purposes.
Officials are unsure how the information ended up on an insecure
Website,
and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is looking into whether the
person
who posted it was supposed to have access to the data. It is possible
the
information was posted inadvertently. Navy spokesman declined to
identify the
web site because of an ongoing investigation. But he said it was not a
web log
or site operated by an individual.
The Navy plans to contact the people affected and urge them to closely
monitor
bank and credit card accounts for fraudulent activity. Sailors may
contact the
Navy Personnel Command call center (866) 827-5672.to determine whether
their
names were on the compromised list. There has been no decision made yet
on
whether the Navy will pay for credit monitoring. Information on how to
watch for
suspicious activity can be found at the Navy Personnel Command's Web
site,
www.npc.navy.mil.
The potential security breach is one of several losses of important
personal data reported in Washington, D.C. in recent weeks, part of an
unusual
string of thefts and Internet hacks that have compromised information
belonging
to millions of federal workers. In additionto the latest Navy incident
and the
theft of a laptop containing personal data on 26.5 million veterans,
five other
agencies and the Washington, D.C., city government have reported similar
problems since the beginning of May 06.
- The Government Accountability Office (GAO) said it removed from its
website archival records with names and Social Security numbers on fewer
than
1,000 government workers.
- The Agriculture Department (USDA) reported that data on as many as
26,000 employees had been compromised by a hacker.
- A laptop containing data on 13,000 Washington, D.C., workers and
retirees was stolen last week.
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) officials said a laptop containing
names,
Social Security numbers and fingerprints of 291 employees and
applications
computer was lost during transit on an airline flight in the western
United
States last May.
- Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported two of its laptops were stolen
from a car. The laptops contained personal information on 110 people
gathered
in law enforcement investigations and included, variously, names,
addresses,
Social Security numbers, dates of birth, and in some instances,
financial
account numbers.
In a letter Friday to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one member of
Congress
asked for details on the Navy incident and questioned whether the
Defense
Department will make sure free credit help is provided for people
affected. Rep.
Edward Markey (D-MA) said he had asked Rumsfeld two years ago about the
implications of federal agencies outsourcing data collection and
processing
activities. While there is no indication that outsourcing was the
problem in the
Navy case, Markey said he wants to know what effect that would have on
the
security of information on military personnel.
The VA incident and the subsequent fallout over its delayed reporting to
Congress have made other government departments more prone to report
them. On 9
JUN the Energy Department (DOE) reported to Congress that in JUN 04 a
hacker
accessed personnel records for 1,500 employees at the National Nuclear
Security
Administration (NNSA). Only now have they started notifying affected
employees.
The big question is how many of us have been exposed to identity theft
through
unreported data breaches of other government agencies. President Bush in
May
ordered the creation of an Identity Theft Task Force to increase efforts
to find
and prosecute offenders, improve public outreach and boost safeguards
over
personal data held by federal agencies. The members of the group, which
will be
chaired by Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and include the secretaries
of
Treasury, Commerce, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs and
Homeland
Security, have 180 days to prepare a strategic plan to improve the
effectiveness and efficiency of the federal government's activities in
the areas
of identity theft awareness, prevention, detection, and prosecution.
[Source:
Washington AP 23 Jun 06 ++]
AF RETIREE COUNCIL: The Air Force Retiree Council meets once a year and
can be
reached at HQ AFPC/CCU, 550 C Street West, Suite 11, Randolph AFB TX
78150-4713
year round. After each meeting they recommend actions on retiree matters
directly to the USAF/CC. The Council consists of a minimum of 16
centrally
selected Air Force retiree volunteers from geographic areas that span
the globe.
They normally serve a four year term and serve as the Air Force Chief of
Staff's
personal liaison with the Air Force retiree community. Members help the
Air
Force improve the Retiree Activities Program by keeping abreast of
programs and
policies that affect the retiree community and informing retirees of
same. In
accomplishing this they determine independently and/or solicit topics
suitable
for RetireeCouncil consideration. When a vacancy occurs Air Force
retirees who
wish to self nominate can submit an application to the commander of the
nearest
Air Force installation in the vacancy area
The Council met 9 to 12 MAY 06 and reviewed 35 issues submitted from the
retiree community. These will be forwarded to the appropriate Air Staff
or
outside agency for their information and/or action. They have requested
that
the entire retiree community lend support to the following three:
1. Health Care Cost-Shifting to Military Beneficiaries. The Defense
budget
submission for FY 2007 proposes to precipitously increase health costs
for
beneficiaries over three years, beginning 1 OCT 06: RECOMMENDATION: The
AF
Retiree Council recognizes the need for adjusting fees annually based on
the
Consumer Price Index, but seeks to maintain current health benefits
without
precipitous rate increases and creating class-differences among
beneficiaries
(officer or enlisted).
2. Military Postal Support for Retirees Overseas. DoD limits military
postal system privileges for retirees residing overseas to mail weighing
less
than 16 ounces. While the 16-ounce limit has always impacted the well
being of
retirees overseas, in this age of increasing use/dependence on internet
purchases and subsequent mail delivery for countless "everyday" items,
the
limitation now increasingly affects the day-to-day quality of life of
the
retiree overseas. RECOMMENDATION: The AF Retiree Council, in conjunction
with
the Chief of Staff of the Army's Retiree Council, supports raising the
weight
limit to five pounds for mail sent/received by retirees overseas through
the
military postal system.
3. Loss of Contact with Retirees: The DoD has until 15 SEP 07 to begin
closing and realigning more than 800 installations identified in the
2005 Base
Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC). The process must be completed
by 15
SEP 11. Four previous BRAC rounds - in 1988, 1991, 1993 and 1995
--resulted in
97 major closures, 55 major realignments and 235 minor actions. With
each of
these closures, more retirees and annuitants lose contact with military
installations and the benefits and services they offer. These include,
health
care, exchanges, commissaries, ID card renewals, Retiree Activities
Offices,
etc. This void is further compounded by the loss of communication, i.e.,
newsletters, base newspapers, Open Houses, Retiree Days, etc. Example:
Driving
north from the nation's capital to the Canadian border, there are three
active
Air Force bases -- Dover, McGuire and Hanscom AFBs. There are none in
seven
northeastern states. Similar voids are found across the northern plains.
There
are more than 760,000 Air Force retirees and annuitants. Most have
direct
deposits of their monthly checks, offering but 1-2 computer-generated
"informational"letters annually. Probably fewer than half of the
retirees
receive at least one RAO newsletter each year. The strongest link is The
Afterburner and its continuation by mail is shaky after 2006. The Air
Force has
an interest in maintaining contact with its retiree community with
information
on matters pertaining to their lifestyle and heritage. Additional means
of
expanding channels of communication need to be explored. The Retiree
Activities
Offices should be in the forefront of any such planning. RECOMMENDATION:
While
costs continue to decrease as more retirees move toward electronic
communication, the AF Retiree Council supports an Air Force commitment
to
maintaining non-electronic communication for those retirees without
computer
access.
[Source: AF136-1306 30 Jul 04 & Council Report 14 Jun 06 ++]
ID CARD NUMBERS UPDATE 01: Saying the federal government must be
pro-active
when it comes to protecting military members from identity theft, Sen.
Kay
Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) convinced the Senate in Late JUN to press the
Defense
Department to stop putting Social Security numbers on military
identification
cards. Hutchison's plan, approved by voice vote as an amendment to the
2007
defense authorization bill, does not force any immediate change.
Instead, it
requires a report from the Pentagon explaining what it would take to
remove
Social Security numbers and how quickly this could be done. This makes
the
Senate bill similar to the House version of the defense measure, which
also asks
for a study on why Social Security numbers remain on ID cards without
demanding
removal of the number, which is a crucial piece of information for
someone
trying to illegally steal an identity. The feasibility study proposed
has a
reasonable finish date of six months from enactment, and would give DoD
ample
time to study this issue and find a self-imposed solution.
Hutchison pointed out that when the Department of Defense began using
Social Security numbers on identification cards in 1967, identity theft
was not
a problem most Americans were worried about. Electronic transactions
were, for
the most part, nonexistent and we did not have the kind of access to
personal
records that we have today. By simply gaining access to someone's Social
Security number, a malicious person could attempt to open a line of
credit,
obtain a false driver's license or completely steal another person's
identity.
It should not be hard to accomplish. Social Security numbers are not
included on
driver's license or passports. Colleges and universities are using
generic
numbers for student identification rather than Social Security numbers.
It is
time DoD provides this important safeguard to our military community.
Defense
officials have indicated they plan to drop the Social Security number
from ID
cards but have not said when this might happen. [Source: Navy Times Rick
Maze
article 26 Jun 06 ++]
COLA 2007 UPDATE 03: In mid-June, the Bureau of Labor Statistics
announced the
May 2006 monthly Consumer Price Index (CPI), which is used to calculate
the
annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for military retired pay, VA
disability
compensation, survivor annuities, and Social Security.
The CPI continued its upward trend, rising 0.5% in May for a total of
2.9%
growth so far this fiscal year. A 2.5% increase in energy costs played a
key
roll in the jump. Last year, the CPI had risen 2.7% through the month of
May and
ended the year at 4.1%. With inflation running only slightly ahead of
last
year's pace so far, it would seem likely that we'll end this year in the
same 4%
ballpark. But there's plenty of CPI roller-coaster left to navigate in
the next
four months, and that outlook could change in a hurry.Month-by-month
figures and
historical inflation data are available at
www.moaa.org/lac/lac_issues_list/lac_issues_fully_retired/lac_issues_second_care
er_cola.htm. [Source: MOAA Leg Up 23 Jun 06 ++]
VA PHISHING ALERT: Recently the National Association of County Veterans
Service
Officers (NACVSO) whose membership covers over 1000 counties nationwide
distributed a copy of a VA Phishing alert to all of its members. The
alert,
issued by the Chief Network Security & Support Section of the Hines
Information
Technology Center, is applicable to all veterans with internet access.
Their
report indicates that the Philadelphia VA's Network Support Staff is
seeing
increasing reports of veterans receiving email from the address abuse@vba.va.gov
which asks them to check an account by clicking on a link provided in
the email.
This email is a phishing scam, an attempt to gain personal information.
The
email address abuse@vba.va.gov is fake and the link in the email is to a
web
site in Asia. Recipients of this email are warned not to open the
website link
provided and to delete the email. This is just one in a series of
ongoing
attempts to use the VA as a medium for harassing or stealing from
veterans.
Similar past attempts include:
- VA look-a-like website "Veterans Affairs Services" www.vaservices.org
gathering personal information on veterans.
- Company called "Patient Care Group" asking for credit card numbers to
verify VA patient's prescription orders
- Offering lump sum payment in exchange for vets future
disability/pension
checks.
- Falsely reporting Congress authorizing a bill to pay dividends based
upon veterans prior years of service
To report suspected fraud, waste or abuse in VA programs or operations
refer to
www.va.gov/oig/hotline/hotline.htm. To learn more about how to avoid
being taken
advantage by this or any other scams visit the Federal Trade
Commission's
Identity Theft website www.consumer.gov/idtheft. Here you can:
- Learn what steps you need to take to avoid being victimized.
- Learn the immediate steps to take if victimized.
- Learn how to deal with specific problems the theft has caused.
- Determine when and how to file a complaint with the FTC.
- Locate additional resources/agencies to assist you in your problem.
[Source: Linda Kintz, CISSP VBA SIO & NSC Coordinator NACVSO Notice Jun
06 ++]
TRICARE USER FEES UPDATE 14: In spite of congressional opposition and an
outcry
from retirees the Pentagon's top health affairs official Dr. William
Winkenwerder Jr., assistant secretary of defense for health affairs,
continues
to insist that increasing health care fees for more than 3 million
working-age
military retirees and their family members is the only way to stabilize
the
rising costs of the military health care system. He told Air Force Times
editors
and reporters in a 12 JUN meeting thatthe phased changes, when put in
context
with annual increases in military retired pay, would not be as painful
as they
have been portrayed by some. He contends that when Tricare was created
in 1995,
the program had a built-in expectation that beneficiary costs would be
adjusted
incrementally over time. That did not happen, partly because the
military's
overall health care costs rose relatively modestly in the late 1990s.
But costs
rapidly changed with the 2001 introduction of Tricare for Life, the
program for
military retirees and family members age 65 and older. Since then, the
Pentagon's total health care budget has roughly doubled, to $38 billion
this
year, and at current rates would hit $65 billion by 2015. The point
that's been
lost in the debate is that retiree pay increases each year with COLA. As
it goes
up it will more than cover any increased health care contribution..
Some critics of the Pentagon proposal said such comparisons are flawed,
because annual increases in retired pay are designed only to roughly
keep pace
with inflation. Annual retired pay increases that are reduced by new
health
care fees do not translate into real pay increases. Retired pay and
retiree
health care are not two separate things. It is devaluing the benefit if
retired
pay only keeps up with cost-of-living increases and doesn't take health
care
into account. Data provided by the Pentagon show that a large chunk of
projected
increases in retired pay would be eaten up by proposed Tricare fee hikes
in the
first two years of the plan:
- Officers who retired 10 years ago and now have their families enrolled
in Tricare Prime, for example, are drawing an average of $3,511 in
monthly
retired pay this year. With current inflation trends, that would rise to
$3,606
next year, an increase of $95 per month. Under the Pentagon plan, their
monthly
health care premiums would jump from $38 this year to $83 next year,
eating up
nearly half of their monthly retired pay increase.
- E-7s and above who retired 10 years ago and now have their families
enrolled in Tricare Standard draw an average of $1,702 in monthly
retired pay,
which is projected to rise to $1,748 next year. Tricare Standard
currently has
no monthly premiums. Under the Pentagon plan, retired E-7s and above
would pay
$17 per month in premiums next year âEUR" erasing about 37 percent of
their
monthly gain in retired pay.
Heavy and steady criticism of the Pentagon plan has led the House and
Senate
Armed Services committees to put on the brakes. Both have placed
one-year
moratoriums on any hikes in co-payments, deductibles and enrollment fees
for
Tricare Standard and Tricare Prime. But Winkenwerder said some form of
cost
increase is inevitable if the quality of the health care benefit is to
be
sustained. One feature of the Pentagon plan that has rankled many
retirees is
that much of the projected savings would come not from increased fees
but from
the expectation that large numbers of retirees would opt out of Tricare
altogether and use the health insurance provided by their second-career
employers. Most of their plan was based on the idea that if we make it
expensive
enough, then the retirees who have other insurance available to them
will take
it. Currently two bills have been introduced in the House and Senate
that
address this issue. H.R.4949 with 158 sponsors which would amend title
10,
United States Code, to prohibit increases in fees for military health
care and
S.2617 which would amend title 10, United States Code, to limit
increases in the
costs to retired members of the Armed Forces of health care services
under the
TRICARE program. [Source: Air Force Times 26 Jun 06 ++]
GOVERNMENT PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION: A former White House cyber-security
adviser to President Bush and former President Clinton has offered a
prescription to federal agencies and companies searching for ways to
prevent
security breaches. Richard Clarke said during a speech 20 JUN to
government
officials and companies that the security breaches at the Energy and
Veterans
Affairs departments and Internal Revenue Service show a crisis in data
security.
He sympathized with the VA employee who wanted to work extra from home
and
questioned if the fault was with the employee or his department which
was
negligent were for not putting in place a system to protect the data. He
pointed out that there are available relatively cheap, relatively easy,
relatively user friendly technologies today that can solve so many of
these
problems and offered a four-step plan to solve the typical problems:
1. The ability to remotely tell a laptop to stop working would solve the
problem of stolen laptops. These devices essentially would telephone
home when
such laptops connect to the Internet and then get a command to stop
working.
2. With sensitive data like e-mail, whole disks or data at rest should
be
encrypted.
3. Cards to allow network access should be issued. DoD is presently
working
toward giving all government employees, dependents and contractors such
cards to
access buildings and computers.
4. Incorporate enterprise-rights management. This concept allows an
agency or department to control data at all points. For example, the
department,
not the author, could decide who gets to read, print, copy or e-mail a
document.
The other feature tracks the data, and can tell who has it and what they
are
doing with it -- or trying to do.
Michael Smith, a Harvard computer science professor, agreed that
policies
protecting the data should move with the data. While Microsoft and Adobe
offer
solutions to protect their own documents, only a few companies offer
such
security compatible with various document types. Clarke had some advice
to
federal workers on how they can get heard to make security changes: Try
meeting
with top officials. Most Cabinet members haven't met their chief
information
security officer and most Cabinet members do not even know they have a
CISO. If
that does not work, he added, there are always the department or agency
inspectors general.
The four largest data losses -- at the Navy, the VA, the Energy and
Agriculture departments -- occurred within agencies that all received Fs
on the
House Government Reform Committee's (HGRC) annual cybersecurity report
card,
which is based on compliance with the 2002 Federal Information Security
Management Act (FISMA). Former VA CIO Harold Gracey said, "The root of
preventing data breaches is in the enforcement of policies. The whole
government
needs to become aware of how transportable data is and how powerful it
can be.
The VA has very strict laws dating back to the pre-IT era about how
veterans'
information is handled. If that had been effectively carried forward
into the
modern age, this wouldn't be possible." Bruce Brody and associate deputy
assistant secretary for cyber and information security at the VA from
2001 to
2004 noted that agencies with low grades all have decentralized IT
management
structures, where no one person is in control of security. HGRC
spokesman Rob
White said the incidents could push them to place more emphasis on their
information security efforts. According to White the Committee Chairman
Tom
Davis (R-VA) is looking to change FISMA to include specific protocols
for the
disclosure of data breaches, including how to reveal breaches and how
quickly to
do so. Notification would become a specific responsibility for the OMB
director
and the heads of agencies. [Source: GOVEXEC.com Daily Briefing 21 & 26
Jun 06
++]
SGLI UPDATE 06: Effective 1 JUL 06 premium rates for Servicemembers'
Group Life
Insurance (SGLI) will increase and rates for the Family SGLI (FSGLI)
will
decrease. The new monthly premium rate for SGLI will be 7 cents per
month per
$1,000 of coverage. For a member with maximum coverage of $400,000, the
monthly
total premium will increase from $27.00 to $29.00. This premium includes
an
additional $1.00 per month for Traumatic Injury Protection coverage (TSGLI),
which is mandatory and added to any premium rate automatically. SGLI
premiums
are increasing because the current SGLI premium rate is below the "break
even"
point and therefore is insufficient to cover the cost of peacetime
claims.
(Note: The cost of wartime SGLI claims is borne by the uniformed
services, not
by service members.) The premiums for the first $150,000 of coverage for
servicemembers deployed in support of OEF and OIF will still be covered.
Family
SGLI premiums will be reduced as of 1 JUL 06. FSGLI premiums are
decreasing
because of favorable claims experience. What this means is that the
actual
number of claims received for FSGLI benefits has been less than
expected. These
lower premium rates will better reflect the claims experience of the
program for
each age group. For premium charts and further information about the
various
Group Life Insurance programs, visit the VA website
www.insurance.va.gov/sgliSite/SGLI/sgliPremiums.htm. [Source: NMFA
e-News 20
Jun 06]
VA MENTAL HEALTH CARE: Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), a member of the Senate
Veterans Affairs (VA) Committee, sent a letter on 16 JUN to Senate VA
Committee
Chairman Larry Craig (R-ID) and Ranking Member Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI)
requesting a hearing of the Committee on the status of mental health
services
provided by the VA. Murray said, "We need real answers from the VA and
the Bush
Administration. No gimmicks. No game I am requesting ahearing on the
mental
health services provided by the VA so we can learn more about the need
for
mental health care, how to meet that demand, and what changes need to be
made to
provide our veterans with the care they need and deserve." Murray's
called for
a hearing following an article in the May edition of Psychiatric News in
which
Frances Murphy, M.D., Undersecretary for Health Policy Coordination at
the VA,
indicated that the agency is ill-prepared to serve the mental health
needs of
our nation's veterans. In the article, Dr. Murphy notes that some VA
clinics
don't provide mental health or substance abuse care, or if they do,
waiting
lists render that care virtually inaccessible. It is estimated one third
of the
1.3 million Americans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan will be in
need of
some form of mental health care. Murray is concerned that they are not
or will
not receive the services they need. The full text of Senator Murray's
letter to
Sen. Craig and Akaka can be seen at www.vawatchdog.org. [Source: Larry
Scott
VA News Flash 19 Jun 06]
VA SAH UPDATE 02: Legislation to help servicemembers and veterans with
their
Special Adaptive Housing (SAH) and other benefit needs was signed into
law 15
JUN 06 by President Bush. The bill known as the 'Veterans' Housing
Opportunity
and Benefits Act of 2006' (1235) introduced by Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID)
had been
adopted with unanimous support in both the House and Senate. Among its
many
provisions is one which authorizes VA to make grants available to assist
with
housing adaptations at a family member's home in which a severely
disabled
servicemember is temporarily residing. The grants range from between
$2,000 and
$14,000. Formerly, severely disabled veterans had to own their own homes
to
qualify for adapted housing grant assistance from VA. The legislation
will also
allow servicemembers, those who havebeen legally determined to be
totally
disabled at the time of their separation from the military, to have up
to two
years from their separation date to apply for premium-free
Servicemembers' Group
Life Insurance coverage. More importantly, the legislation will enable
them to
convert their coverage to Veterans' Group Life Insurance, or an
individual plan
or policy, during the same two-year period. The bill also includes
language
crafted by Craig's Idaho colleague, Rep Mike Simpson (R-ID), to help
veterans
gain employment. The Act reflects a compromise agreement reached between
House
and Senate Committees on Veterans' Affairs on a host of veterans'
benefits
provisions cleared by either body of Congress during the first session
of the
109th Congress. [Source: http://veterans.senate.gov 16 Jun 06 ++]
VETERANS' PREFERENCE UPDATE 04: Military personnel who have served in
the
post-Sept. 11 period now qualify for preference in hiringfor federal
jobs. The
Office of Personnel Management issued a regulation (i.e.
www.opm.gov/fedregis/2006/71-060906-33376-a.pdf ) giving hiring
preference to
anyone who served on active duty for at least 180 days, any part of
which was
between Sept. 11 and whenever Operation Iraqi Freedom ends, either by
presidential proclamation or law. Military personnel need not have spent
time in
Iraq or Afghanistan to qualify. The last period designated for veterans'
preference was the Gulf War, specifically for military members who
served
between 2 AUG 90 & 2 JAN 92. Without this designation, the rules are
much
stricter for military members to benefit from veterans' preference, and
can
require 24 months in service, permanent positions and a campaign badge.
OPM has not completed any formal studies on the number of job applicants
that the new rule, which implements part of the fiscal 2006 National
Defense
Authorization Act, may bring. Mark Doboga, the agency's deputy associate
director for talent and capacity policy, said he believes it will have a
substantial impact, depending on agency hiring budgets and other
external
factors. The broadened rules qualify members of the National Guard and
Reserves
for veterans' preference, though none of the 180 days can be spent in
training.
In an uncommon move, the rules announced by OPM in the Federal Register
went
into immediate effect. Usually agencies publish draft rules and give
stakeholders a few months to comment before finalizing them. Agencies,
individuals and outside groups still can submit comments until 8 AUG and
OPM can
change the rules after that point. Members of the Guard or Reserves who
are
already federal employees cannot use veterans' preference for in-house
promotions, although it would give them leg up during agency reductions
in
force. [Source: GOVEXEC.com Daily Briefing 15 Jun 06]
MILITARY LEGISLATION STATUS UPDATE: Following is current status on some
Congressional bills of interest to the military community. 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. At
http://thomas.loc.gov you can determine if your legislator is a sponsor
of the
bill you are concerned with. The key to increasing cosponsorship is
letting your
representative know of your feelings on these issues. At the end of each
of the
below listed bills is a web link that can be used to do that:
H.R.994: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal
civilian
and military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis
and to
allow a deduction for TRICARE supplemental premiums. The following
sponsor was
added to this bill giving it a total of 333: Rep Charles Pickering
(MS-03), Rep
Rick Renzi (AZ-01), & Rep Corrine Brown (FL-03). To support this bill
send a
message to your Representative at --
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/bills/?bill=7761876
H.R.1366: To amend title 10, United States Code, to expand eligibility
for
Combat-Related Special Compensation paid by the uniformed services in
order to
permit certain additional retired members who have a service-connected
disability to receive both disability compensation from the Department
of
Veterans Affairs for that disability and Combat-Related Special
Compensation by
reason of that disability.
The following sponsors were added to this bill giving it a total of 46:
Rep.
John Kline (R-MN-2) & Rep. Ben Chandler (D-KY-6). To support this bill
send a
message to your Representative at --
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/bills/?bill=7718711
To support Sen. Reid's amendment to the 2007 NDAA bill S.2766 send a
message to
your Representative at --
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=8371516&type=ML
H.R.2962: To amend title 38, United States Code, to revise the
eligibility
criteria for presumption of service-connection of certain diseases and
disabilities for veterans exposed to ionizing radiation during military
service,
and for other purposes. The following sponsor was added to this bill
giving it
a total of 52: Rep. Shelley Berkley (D-NV-1). To support this bill send
a
message to your Representative at
--http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/bills/?bill=7784066
H.R.4992: To provide for Medicare reimbursement for health care services
provided to Medicare-eligible veterans in facilities of the Department
of
Veterans Affairs. The following sponsor was added to this bill giving it
a
total of 16: Rep. Jon Porter (R-NV-3). To support this bill send a
message to
your Representative at -- http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/bills/?bill=8670886
S.185: To amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the requirement
forthe
reduction of certain Survivor Benefit Plan annuities by the amount of
dependency
and indemnity compensation and to modify the effective date for paid-up
coverage
under the Survivor Benefit Plan. The following sponsors were added to
this bill
giving it a total of 35: Sen Conrad Burns (MT). To support this bill
send a
message to your Representative at --
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/bills/?bill=7709421
S.2617: A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to limit increases
in the
costs to retired members of the Armed Forces of health care services
under the
TRICARE program, and for other purposes. The following sponsor was added
to
this bill giving it a total of 8: Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) To support
this bill
send a message to your Senator at --
http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/alert/?alertid=8675066&type=CO
S.2658: A bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to enhance the
national
defense through empowerment of the Chief of the National Guard Bureau
and the
enhancement of the functions of the National Guard Bureau, and for other
purposes. The following sponsor was added to this bill giving it a total
of 38:
Sen Robert Bennett (UT), Sen Thomas Carper (DE), Sen Susan Collins (ME),
Sen
Dianne Feinstein (CA), Sen Orrin Hatch (UT), Sen Robert Menendez (NJ),
Sen John
Rockefeller (WV), Sen Olympia Snowe (ME), & Sen Debbie Stabenow (MI). To
support
this bill send a preformatted or edited message to your Senator by using
the
"Write to Congress" feature at -- www.ngaus.org.
S.2694: A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to remove certain
limitation on attorney representation of claimants for veterans'
benefits in
administrative proceedings before the Department of Veterans Affairs,
and for
other purposes. The bill has a total of 7 sponsors. Last activity on
this bill
was in the Committee on Veterans' Affairs where it was ordered it to be
reported
without amendment favorably. To express support or nonsupport of this
bill send
a message to your Senator at -http://capwiz.com/usdr/issues/bills/?bill=8835631
Current status and bill text can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov.
There
has been no change in sponsorship on the following bills since last
reported on
in the Bulletin:
H.R.303: To amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain
additional
retired members of the Armed Forces who have a service-connected
disability to
receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans
Affairs for
their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of
military
service or Combat-Related Special Compensation and to eliminate the
phase-in
period under current law with respect to such concurrent receipt.
H.R.808: To amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the offset
from
surviving spouse annuities under the military Survivor Benefit Plan for
amounts
paid by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs as dependency and indemnity
compensation (DIC).
H.R.968: To amend title 10, United States Code, to change the effective
date for
paid-up coverage under the military Survivor Benefit Plan from October
1, 2008,
to October 1, 2005.
H.R.995: To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the
payment of
Combat-Related Special Compensation under that title to members of the
Armed
Forces retired for disability with less than 20 years of active military
service
who were awarded the Purple Heart
H.R.2076: To amend title 10, United States Code, to permit certain
retired
members of the uniformed services who have a service-connected
disability to
receive both disability compensation from the Department of Veterans
Affairs for
their disability and either retired pay by reason of their years of
military
service or Combat-Related Special Compensation.
H.R.4949: To amend title 10, United States Code, to prohibit increases
in fees
for military health care.
S.407: The 'Keep Our Promise to America's Military Retirees Act' to
restore
health care coverage to retired members of the uniformed services and
their
eligible dependents.
S.484: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow Federal
civilian and
military retirees to pay health insurance premiums on a pretax basis and
to
allow a deduction for Tricare supplemental premiums. The following
sponsor was
added to this bill giving it a total of 62: Sen. Mike Crapo (R-ID).
Note: 129 days until Election Day. Make your vote count. Be sure you are
registered to vote.
[Source: USDR Action Alerts 15-30 Jun 06 ++]
6 of 8
|
Department of Veterans Affairs VHA DIRECTIVE 2006-041 |
|
Veterans Health Administration |
|
Washington, DC 20420 June 27, 2006 |
VETERANS HEALTH CARE SERVICE STANDARDS
1. PURPOSE: This Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Directive provides the policy for promoting and supporting a unified and comprehensive set of Veterans Health Care Service Standards (VHSS). NOTE: This is in compliance with the requirements of Executive Order 12862, entitled "Setting Customer Service Standards," which calls for agencies to post customer service standards and measure results against those standards.
2. BACKGROUND: VHA's mission is to provide patient-centered health care that is comparable with, or better than, care available in the non-Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) sector. It is essential that veteran patients view VA as the best place to receive their health care and that VHA becomes their provider of choice.
a. Executive Order Number 12862, Setting Customer Service Standards, dated
September 11, 1993, called for Federal agencies to change how they do business by focusing on customer service. As part of the second phase of reinventing government, a Presidential Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies was issued on March 22, 1995, emphasizing the continuation of Government-wide efforts to integrate and restructure activities in order to improve customer service. The memorandum further directs that achieved results should be reported to the Agency’s customers.
b. In order to accomplish this objective, VHA created thirteen service standards derived from veteran-reported priorities for service covering both inpatient and outpatient care. These standards are intended to provide direction to all VHA Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs) and facilities to ensure that the highest quality care and services are made available to veterans, and by extension, their families and/or significant others.
c. The specific goal that applies to this Directive within VHA’s mission and vision is: “To continuously improve veteran and family satisfaction with VA care by promoting patient-centered care and excellent customer service.” Within this goal, the standards are:
(1) Staff Courtesy. VHA designs and maintains a health care environment where all veterans, their families, and significant others are treated with courtesy and dignity throughout every aspect of their treatment.
(2) Access and Timeliness. VHA provides veterans with timely and convenient access to health care.
(3) One Provider. One health care team is in charge of each patient’s care.
THIS VHA DIRECTIVE EXPIRES JUNE 30, 2011
(4) Respect for Patient Preferences. VHA involves patients, their families, and significant others in decisions about the patient's health care.
(5) Physical Comfort. VHA strives to meet its patients’ pain management and physical comfort needs.
(6) Emotional Needs. VHA provides support to meet its patients’ emotional needs.
(7) Overall Coordination of Care. VHA takes responsibility for providing seamless coordination of its patients’ care within other VA offices, as well as in non-VA facilities and organizations.
(8) Patient Education. VHA provides written and oral information and education about veterans’ health care that all veterans, their families, and significant others will understand.
(9) Family Involvement. VHA provides the opportunity to involve veterans’ families and significant others in the veterans' care when appropriate.
(10) Transition. VHA provides a smooth transition between veterans’ inpatient and outpatient care.
(11) Specialty Care. VHA provides veterans with timely and convenient access and referral to necessary specialist health care.
(12) Pharmacy Service. VHA provides veterans with timely and convenient access to pharmacy services both at the facility and through the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP).
(13) Visit Coordination of Care. VHA provides seamless coordination of all aspects of each episode of care.
NOTE: The preceding standards are to be used by each Network in developing a Network-level plan and should be the basis for which periodic assessments are made regarding the accomplishment and achievement of local veterans’ health care service initiatives.
d. The following National Timeliness Goals are in accordance with VHA's strategic Mission and Vision:
(1) Patients must have access to telephone care 7 days-per-week, 24 hours-a-day.
(2) New patients desiring routine care, must be scheduled as soon as possible, and within 30
days.
(3) Patients must be seen by a provider within 20 minutes of their scheduled appointment.
(4) Patients must be able to schedule a routine follow-up appointment with their primary care provider within 30 days.
(5) Patients must be able to schedule an appointment with a specialist within 30 days of referral.
(6) Patients must be able to schedule an appointment for a routine diagnostic test within 30 days of referral.
3. POLICY: It is VHA policy to comply with Executive Order 12862 and the Presidential Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies memorandum dated
March 22, 1995, by establishing a unified and comprehensive set of standards.
4. ACTION
a. Office of Quality and Performance (10Q). VHA's Office of Quality and Performance is responsible for:
(1) Publishing or making available biannually the monthly inpatient veteran feedback, and quarterly publishing or making available the monthly outpatient veteran feedback survey VHA-wide, Network, and facility-level results. NOTE: To assist Networks in communicating results to veterans, the Office of Quality and Performance Web page at http://vaww.oqp.med.va.gov can be used to create customer-friendly reports suitable for posting on bulletin boards or other publications designed for veterans and their families. Networks are encouraged to use the most appropriate and effective means possible to ensure that their patients understand and are aware of their facilities progress in meeting and exceeding VHA’s standards.
(2) Working with the Office of the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Health Operations and Management (10N) to ensure that elements contained in the strategic initiatives, performance measures, and performance monitors are considered for inclusion in the Surveys of the Health Experiences of Patients (SHEP).
b. VISN Director. The VISN Director, or designee, is responsible for ensuring that:
(1) The VISN integrates VHSS into the Network Strategic Plan and the appropriate timeliness goals are met (see subpar. 2c).
(2) The standards are the basis for which periodic assessments are made regarding the accomplishment and achievement of local standard initiatives and the coordination of all aspects of each episode of care (see subpar. 2c). NOTE: Each VISN needs to communicate to veterans, in language they can easily understand, each facility’s current level of compliance with each of the standards. These standards and local timeliness goals should be incorporated. It is very important that each Network and the facilities tailor the national timeliness goals to their unique setting (e.g., long-term care facility versus a tertiary referral hospital; rural versus urban considerations; or other mission-specific standards, needs, or local customs). VHA’s timeliness goals need to be consistent with Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requirements as they relate to patient rights and patient responsibilities.
c. Facility Director. The facility Director is responsible for reporting the results of the facility's performance in the VHSS to patients, and for posting those results at the facility, at least annually in a language readily understood by patients and their families. The results need to delineate the facility's achievements and areas for improvement, as well as any action plans to improve patient services. NOTE: Posting of results can be in the form of storyboards, newsletters to patients, and/or any other appropriate means.
5. REFERENCE: Presidential Memorandum for Heads of Executive Departments and Agencies, dated March 22, 1995.
6. FOLLOW-UP RESPONSIBILITY: The Office of Quality and Performance (10Q) is responsible for the contents of this Directive. Questions may be addressed to (919) 993-3035.
7. RESCISSION: VHA Directive 2001-006 is rescinded. This VHA Directive expires
June 30, 2011.
|
|
|
|
|
Jonathan B. Perlin, MD, PhD, MSHA, FACP |
|
|
Under Secretary for Health |
|
DISTRIBUTION: |
CO: |
E-mailed 6/29/2006 |
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FLD: |
VISN, MA, DO, OC, OCRO, and 200 – E-mailed 6/29/2006 |
7 of 8
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23, 2006
VA Expands Service by Opening 25 New Clinics
World-Class Health Care Brought Closer to More Veterans
WASHINGTON – To provide world-class health care closer to where more veterans live, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs today announced plans to open 25 new community-based clinics in 17 states and American Somoa.
“VA has established itself as one of the top health care organizations in the country,” said the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “By putting health care facilities in more communities, we’re enhancing veterans’ access to VA’s world-class health care.”
With 156 hospitals and more than 700 community-based clinics, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the largest integrated health care system in the country. VA’s health care budget of nearly $30 billion this year will provide health care to about 5.4 million people during nearly 600,000 hospitalizations and 55 million outpatient visits.
“Community-based medicine enhances preventative care, allows for closer doctor-patient relationships and makes it easier for follow-up for people with chronic problems,” said Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, VA’s Under Secretary for Health.
The new facilities, called community-based outpatient clinics, or CBOCs, will start becoming operational this year. Local VA officials will keep communities and their veterans informed of milestones in the creation of the new CBOCs.
A list of the new community clinics follows:
VA’s Proposed Sites for New Outpatient Clinics
Alabama -- Bessemer
American Samoa
Arizona – Miami-Globe, northwest Tucson, southeast Tucson
California – S. Orange County
Delaware – Dover
Georgia – Athens
Idaho – Canyon County
Iowa – Spirit Lake
Kentucky – Hazard, Florence
Minnesota – Bemidji
Nebraska -- Holdrege
Nevada -- Fallon
North Carolina – Franklin, Hamlet, Hickory
Ohio – Cambridge, Newark
Tennessee – Hamblen
Texas -- Conroe
Virginia – Lynchburg, Norfolk
Wisconsin – Rice Lake
8 of 8
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 21, 2006
Secretary Nicholson Announces VA to Provide Free Credit Monitoring
WASHINGTON – As part of the continuing efforts by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to protect and assist those potentially affected by the recent data theft that occurred at an employee’s Maryland home, Secretary of Veterans Affairs R. James Nicholson today announced that VA will provide one year of free credit monitoring to people whose sensitive personal information may have been stolen in the incident.
“VA continues to take aggressive steps to protect and assist people who may be potentially affected by this data theft,” said Nicholson. “VA has conducted extensive market research on available credit monitoring solutions, and has been working diligently to determine how VA can best serve those whose information was stolen.
“Free credit monitoring will help safeguard those who may be affected, and will provide them with the peace of mind they deserve,” he added.
The Secretary said VA has no reason to believe the perpetrators who committed this burglary were targeting the data, and Federal investigators believe that it is unlikely that identity theft has resulted from the data theft.
This week, VA will solicit bids from qualified companies to provide a comprehensive credit monitoring solution. VA will ask these companies to provide expedited proposals and to be prepared to implement them rapidly once they are under contract.
After VA hires a credit monitoring company, the Department will send a detailed letter to people whose sensitive personal information may have been included in the stolen data. This letter will explain credit monitoring and how eligible people can enroll or “opt-in” for the services. The Department expects to have the services in place and the letters mailed by mid-August.
Secretary Nicholson also announced VA is soliciting bids to hire a company that provides data-breach analysis, which will look for possible misuse of the stolen VA data. The analysis would help measure the risk of the data loss, identify suspicious misuse of identity information and expedite full assistance to affected people.
As part of VA’s efforts to prevent such an incident from happening again, Secretary Nicholson previously announced a series of personnel changes in the Office of Policy and Planning, where the breach occurred; the hiring of former Maricopa County (Ariz.) prosecutor Richard Romley as a Special Advisor for Information Security; the expedited completion of Cyber Security Awareness Training and Privacy Awareness Training for all VA employees; that an inventory be taken of all positions requiring access to sensitive VA data by June 30, 2006, to ensure that only those employees who need such access to do their jobs have it; that every laptop in VA undergo a security review to ensure that all security and virus software is current, including the immediate removal of any unauthorized information or software; and that VA facilities across the country – every hospital, Community-Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC), regional office, national cemetery, field office and VA’s Central Office – observe Security Awareness Week beginning June 26.
People who believe they may be affected by the data theft can go to www.firstgov.gov for more information. VA also continues to operate a call center that people can contact to get information about this incident and learn more about consumer-identity protections. That toll free number is 1-800-FED INFO (1-800-333-4636). The call center is operating from 8:00 am to 9:00 pm (EDT), Monday-Saturday as long as it is needed.
# # #
People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe at the following Internet address:
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/opalist_listserv.cfm
9
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2006
VA Adds Maps to Online Gravesite Locator
WASHINGTON – The grave locations of more than three million veterans and dependents buried in national cemeteries can be found more easily now because the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has added maps of burial sections online that can be printed from home computers and at national cemetery kiosks.
The latest improvement builds upon a service begun two years ago, in which a VA online feature permits family members to find the cemetery in which their loved one is buried.
“This new map feature makes it easier for families, friends and researchers to find the exact location of a veteran’s grave in all national cemeteries and some state veterans cemeteries,” said the Honorable R. James Nicholson, Secretary of Veterans Affairs. “It enhances VA’s service at national cemeteries, already highly regarded, and our commitment to them as national shrines and historical treasures.”
The gravesite locator (http://gravelocator.cem.va.gov), online since April 2004, helps veterans' families, former comrades-in-arms and others find the cemeteries where veterans are buried. With the new online feature, people enter a veteran’s name to search, click on the “Buried At” (burial location) link and a map of the national cemetery is displayed, showing the section where the grave is located.
In a related development, VA recently added to its database the cemeteries in which 1.9 million veterans were buried with VA grave markers. These are mostly private cemeteries. This addition brings the number of graves recorded in the locator to approximately five million. Those with maps are in VA national cemeteries and in state
- More -
Grave Locator Maps 2/2/2
veterans cemeteries and Arlington National Cemetery if burials were since 1999.
Beyond the five million records now available, VA continues to add approximately 1,000 new records to the database each day. VA also plans to add to its online database the exact locations of veterans’ gravesites in the remaining state veterans cemeteries.
In the midst of the largest cemetery expansion since the Civil War, VA operates 123 national cemeteries in 39 states and Puerto Rico and 33 soldiers' lots and monument sites. More than three million Americans, including veterans of every war and conflict — from the Revolutionary War to the Global War on Terror — are buried in VA’s national cemeteries on more than 16,000 acres of land.
Veterans with a discharge other than dishonorable, their spouses, and eligible dependent children may be buried in a national cemetery. Other burial benefits include a burial flag, Presidential Memorial Certificate, and a government headstone or marker – even if they are not buried in a national cemetery. Information on VA burial benefits can be obtained from national cemetery offices, from the Internet at http://www.cem.va.gov or by calling VA regional offices toll-free at 1 800-827-1000.
# # #
People wishing to receive e-mail from VA with the latest news releases and updated fact sheets can subscribe at the following Internet address:
http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/opalist_listserv.cfm