Bulletin 131201 (PDF Edition)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
RAO BULLETIN 1 December 2013 PDF Edition THIS BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES Pg Article Subject | *D0D* | 03 == DoD 2014 Budget [05] -------- (CBO Provides Options for Congress) 04 == DoD Benefit Cuts [23] ------------------- (Who Moved the Goal Post?) 05 == DoD Benefit Cuts [24] -------- (CBO Vet Deficit Reduction Options) 07 == DoD Benefit Cuts [25] -- (Conus Commissary Closing Plan Request) 08 == DoD Benefit Cuts [26] ----------- (Stars & Stripes/Pentagon Channel) 09 == DoD Audits ----- (Pentagon's Bosses Thwart Accurate DFAS Audit) 12 == DoD Medical Countermeasures -- (DoD Duplicating Effort by HHS) 13 == DoD Project Paperclip Lawsuit [02] ----- ( Case Heads to 9th Circuit) 14 == DoD Mobilized Reserve 20 NOV 2013 ---------- (Decrease of 2,344) 14 == DoD/VA Seamless Transition [19] ---- (Program Sputtered to a Halt) 15 == UN Disability Treaty ------------------ (DoD/VA Secretaries Endorse) 16 == Whistleblower Defense Hotline Program -- (31K Contacts Last Year) 17 == Arlington National Cemetery [45] --- (Section 60 Memento Dispute) 17 == NDAA 2014 [04] ------ (Senate Acts on Military's 2014 Budget Bill) 18 == BRAC [34] ---------------- (Officials Say DoD Needs More Closures) | *VA* | 19 == VA Burial Benefit [28] --- (S.1471 Approved and Passed to House) 19 == VA Loans [09] ------------------------------------------- (Practical Uses) 20 == VA Health Care Utilization -- (OEF/OIF/OND Vet Usage Reports) 21 == VA Facility Use (PTSD) ----- (Recent Veterans with PTSD Report) 22 == VA ID Card [02] ----------------------- (Susceptible to Identity Theft) 22 == VA Advance Funding [02] ----- (HVAC/SVAC Move on Approval) 23 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse [82] --- (Reported 15 thru 30 Nov 2013) 24 == VAMC Top Performers ------------ (32 Named in TJC 2013 Report) 25 == VAMC Augusta GA --------(Gastrointestinal Program Turnaround) 27 == VAMC Columbia SC [01] -- (Delays & Dust at Hospital Resolved) 27 == VAMC Jackson MS [01] ---- (Congressional Hearing on Problems) 29 == VAMC St. Louis MO [04] ----------(Vet Wins $8.3 million Lawsuit) 29 == Legionnaires Disease [05] ------- (No Criminal Charges Warranted) 30 == PTSD [155] --------------------------- (VA EMDR Trauma Treatment) 1 31 == Pennsylvania Vet Cemetery [06] ----- (WA Crossing Honor Guard) | *Vets* | 33 == Doolittle's Raiders [02] ------------- (Final Toasting Ceremony Held) 35 == Vet Charity Watch [40] --- (Wounded Warrior Project, Inc Review) 36 == Vet Charity Watch [41] --- (Cody Convicted in $100M Fraud Case) 37 == Vet Service Dogs [12] ---------- (Does VA Maintain as Equipment?) 38 == Vet Service Dogs [13] ------------- (VA to Restart Suspended Study) 39 == Vets Moving Forward Program ----------- (1st Jail to Offer Program) 39 == Vet Crowdfunding Site -------------------- (A Way to Help Veterans) 40 == Vet Jobs [131] ----------------------- (Warriors 4 Wireless Launched) 41 == Vet Jobs [132] ------------------- (Starbucks, AT&T, Subway & ASP) 42 == Vet Job Interviews [02] --------------------- (HR Professional Myths) 44 == Vet Hiring Fairs ------------------------- (1 Dec 2013 thru 31 Jan 2014) 44 == Vet North Korea Trips ---------- (Department Issues Travel Warning) 46 == Homeless Vets [49] ---------------------- (24% Reduction Since 2010) 47 == WWII Vets 53 ---------------------------------------------- (Chester Nez) 48 == OBIT | Charles Durning --------------------------------- (24 DEC 2012) 49 == OBIT | Lou Brissie ---------------------------------------- (25 Nov 2013) 51 == Montana Vet Cemetery [03] ---- (Headstone/Marker Policy Change) 52 == State Veteran's Benefits & Discounts ------------------ (Oregon 2013) | *Vet Legislation* | 52 == Vet Education Legislation ------------(2013 SERVE Act Introduced) 53 == Homeless Vets [50] ---- (Vulnerable Veterans Housing Reform Act) 53 == Veteran Legislation 113th Congress ------------ (As of 29 Nov 2013) 56 == Veteran Hearing/Mark-up Schedule ------------ (As of 29 Nov 2013) | *Military* | 56 == Military Family Immigration -- (Illegal's Deportation Use Clarified) 57 == Navy PEP ------------------------------- (Personnel Job Swap Program) 57 == Medal of Honor Citations --------------------- (Pease, Harl, Jr. WWII) 60 == POW/MIA [65] ---------------------- (Identified 15 thru 31 Nov 2013) 61 == China's Military Buildup --- (Congressional Advisory Panel Report) 63 == Military Lingo/Jargon/Slang ---------------------------------------- (022) | *Military History* | 64 == Aviation Art ------------------------------- (Last Voyage of the Yamato) 65 == WWII PreWar Events ---------------- (Bombing of Barcelona in 1938) 65 == Military History --------------------------------- (Battle of Triangle Hill) 66 == Military History Anniversaries -------------------------- (1 thru 31 Dec) 66 == American Battle Monuments Commission [01] -------- (Video Series) 67 == Spanish American War Image 67 -------------- (Position Near Manila) 67 == Faces of WAR (WWII) --------- (Washington DC Parade May 1942) 68 == Military Trivia --------------- (Historical Look at Diesel Boat Service) | *Health Care* | 69 == Tricare OTC Demo Project [03] ----- (Extended Until 30 Nov 2016) 69 == Tricare Dental Program [06] -----------------------------(2014 Changes) 70 == Tricare Typhoon Haiyan Response ------------------ (Why the Delay?) 71 == Long Term Care w/Medicad [01] ------------------------- (Who Pays?) 72 == Asbestos Related Diseases ------ (Veterans Guide To Mesothelioma) 73 == Diagnostic Errors ------------------- (Most Common Medical Mistake) 2 | *Finances* | 75 == Payday Loans ----------(CFPB Begins Accepting Loan Complaints) 76 == Payday Loans [01] - (Cash America International to pay $5M Fine) 77 == Pension Loans -------- (ASSURE Act Targets Retiree Exploitation) 78 == SNAP [02] ------------ (40% of New York City Vets Going Hungry) 79 == Saving Money ------------------------------------------------ (Water Bill) 80 == Typhoon Haiyan Scam --------------------------------- (How it Works) 81 == Job Hunt Scam --------------- (Veterans are Particularly Susceptible) 82 == Tax Burden for District of Columbia Retirees ----- (As of Nov 2013) 83 == Michigan Vet Property Tax ------- (New 100% Disabled Exemption) | *General Interest* | 84 == Notes of Interest --------------------------------------- (15 -30 Nov 2013) 84 == Washington Redskins ------------------------------ (Name Controversy) 85 == Commemorative Coin Program [01] ----------------- (5-Star Generals) 86 == Banking in Europe --------- (New Auto Pay Policy as of 1 FEB 2014) 86 == Candy ----------------------------------------------------- (Choose Wisely) 87 == Car Safety ------------------------------------------- (Small Overlap Test) 88 == Photos That Say it All -------------------- ("Son, a grateful Nation...." ) 88 == Have You Heard? --------------------------------------------- (New Lexus) 89 == Interesting Ideas ------------------------------ (Hiding a spare house key) 89 == Car Insurance [03] ---------------- (Can They Cancel Your Insurance?) | *Attachments* | Attachment - Veteran Legislation as of 29 NOV 2013 Attachment - Oregon Vet State Benefits & Discounts 2013 Attachment - Military History Anniversaries 1 thru 31 Dec Attachment - Military History Battle of Triangle Hill Attachment - Historical Look at Diesel Boat Service *DoD* DoD 2014 Budget Update 05 ► CBO Provides Options for Congress As Congress negotiates a FY 2014 budget in hopes of avoiding another government shutdown, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a new report, "Options for Reducing the Deficit, 2014-2023" dated NOV 2013 that includes an array of spending cuts and revenue increasing options for FY 2014 and the beyond. Some of the options outlined in CBO's report would affect the American population at large, including: Raise the age of Medicare eligibility to 67 Increase Medicare Part B premiums for all beneficiaries 3 Raise the full retirement age and the earliest eligible age for Social Security Reduce Social Security benefits for new beneficiaries by 15 percent Change the COLA formula for adjusting Social Security benefits Others are aimed more specifically at military and veterans’ programs. We've identified some of the alternatives that CBO published in its budget-option package: Significantly reduce all services manpower Cap annual military pay raises at 0.5 percent below the average American's. ** Raise out-of-pocket costs for TRICARE-for-Life by up to $6,000 a year per married couple ** Dramatically raise TRICARE fees for beneficiaries under age 65 ** Bar working-age retirees and families from using TRICARE Prime Eliminate concurrent receipt of VA disability compensation and military retired pay ** Change the COLA formula for military and federal civilian retired pay and VA compensation ** Replace military personnel with civilians in certain positions (** Refer to DoD Benefit Cuts Update 24 for more details) Many of these proposals have been around for years, and have been rejected by Congress before. Others are new – most notably the proposal to end concurrent receipt of VA disability compensation and military retired pay for disabled military retirees. But in this political and budget environment, legislators pressed to come up with a budget package quickly may be disposed to simply grab some off-the-shelf options and worry about any potential consequences later. That means we could see some of these proposals surface in the next few months. The proposals to cut COLAs and raise TRICARE fees are ones to keep a particularly close eye on. To review the CBO report go to http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/44715-OptionsForReducingDeficit.pdf.