Groups Seek Recognition at Native American Museum Veterans Memorial
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VA’s Benefits Delivery at Discharge Page 3 WWW.COAUSPHS.ORG COAUSPHS.ORG SALUS POPULI SUPREMA LEX ESTE VOLUME 59, ISSUE 4 | MAY 2021. from the Groups Seek Recognition at Executive Native American Museum Director Veterans Memorial Jacqueline Reprinted with permission. Originally published by The Washington Post on April 24, 2021. Rychnovsky, PhD, RN, CPNP, FAANP Captain (ret.), Nurse Corps, US Navy Recent Wins and Losses As the saying goes, “You win some, you lose some, but you live to fight another day.” This adage holds true for the many advocacy issues at COA. It is sometimes difficult to be patient because you work hard and deserve benefits offered to other uniformed services! In this month’s column I would like to share a few recent victories, along with a few defeats. In the end, please know that A section of the National Native American Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. COA is here to be your voice. by Dana Hedgpeth ago for the National Native American Recent Wins Veterans Memorial, the USPHS and Reprinted with permission. Originally Women Veteran’s Leading the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric published by The Washington Post on Way Campaign Administration Commissioned Officer April 24. Corps should have been included. In March, I received a news release A group that represents Public Health from the Veterans Administration Service officers who have assisted The memorial, which opened in (VA) announcing the 27 winners during natural disasters, in overseas November, includes the seals of the Navy, of the 2021 VA Center for Women fights against Ebola and recently on the Army, Air Force, Coast Guard and Marine Veterans (CWV) Trailblazers front lines of the coronavirus pandemic Corps. The lawsuit, filed in March in U.S. program. The purpose of this is seeking recognition on a veterans District Court in D.C., seeks to have campaign is to celebrate the memorial at the Smithsonian Institution’s the seals of the commissioned officers’ contributions of women Veterans National Museum of the American Indian, groups added. representing all “military uniformed arguing its members were unfairly left out. services branches,” by showcasing Not being on the memorial makes public the impact these women have The Commissioned Officers Association of health service members who are Native made in the areas of education, the U.S. Public Health Service alleges that American feel “marginalized, unimportant, see EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR on page 18 when the design was completed years see RECOGNITION continued on page 17 COA Member Benefits Capitol Hill Representation Efforts on Capitol Hill continually support all Commissioned Corps officers – active duty and retired Local Representation COA Local Branches provide venues for meeting fellow officers and a forum for the discussion of issues within the Commissioned Corps Newsletter Newsletter reports on monthly activities and items of interest about the Corps & Legislative Update COA Ribbon COA Seeks Equal Access to Authorized to be worn on the PHS uniform by members in good standing National Parks for USPHS when attending COA functions by Judith Rensberger, MS, MPH In gathering facts and building our case Insurance Programs As the pandemic drags on, many of to support a possible legislative “ask,” we Low-cost insurance programs that may our fellow citizens find themselves are seeking first-hand accounts from COA continue as long as your membership in housebound, stressed-out, over-worked members. It helps to be able to cite our COA remains current or desperately looking to entertain school- members’ experiences when we make the age children. They may also be looking USF Online Programs case for treating them as they treat armed for relaxation and a change of scenery in services personnel. Please let us know if Discounted degree and certificate one of our country’s great national parks. you and your family have been welcomed programs like PhD, DrPH, MPH, MSPH, PHS officers and their families may well be or disparaged in any way. Please identify MHA among them. the park, or parks, and provide any The National Park System offers multiple NYMC Online MPH additional information you think would 50 percent discount for the online MPH good deals, which they call “America be helpful as COA builds its case. Please and certificate programs the Beautiful Passes,” to several groups: Veterans and Gold Star Families, send information to me at jrensberger@ Scholarship Program seniors, 5th graders, 4th graders, and coausphs.org College scholarships for children and “current U.S. military members and their In concluding on a positive note, I spouses of COA members dependents in the Army, Navy, Air Force, want to thank CAPT Sara Newman USC Keck School of Medicine Marines, Coast Guard, and Space Force, for sharing this nugget: “This year Tuition discount for Master of Public as well as Reserve and National Guard celebrates the 100-year partnership Health degree members.” between the National Park Service and The Ohio State University Notice anyone left out? the U. S. Public Health Service. In 1921, In-state tuition for graduate nursing and For the USPHS, we could identify no the first director of the NPS asked the certification programs special breaks or discounts. Some park U.S. Surgeon General (RADM Hugh officials have kindly (but mistakenly) Cummins) to assign an officer to NPS allowed PHS officers into the parks for OFFICER D S A to inspect water, wastewater, and food E S greatly reduced fees, assuming they are N S O O I issues, and address disease prevention. S C “military” when in fact they are not. S I I A T Today, there are approximately 60 M I O O Understandably, COA members would like M N N O O USPHS officers assigned to NPS. This C C to see the USPHS included in the special access granted to members of the U.S. 100-year relationship is believed to be the military. Making that happen is one of oldest agreement between two federal O . F C T IN COA’s top priorities. agencies.” HE USPHS Benefits Delivery at Discharge by Retired CAPT Alan Echt, COA Board of Directors When I was preparing to retire, a friend suggested that I contact the military service coordinators from the Dayton Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center at the satellite VA/Department of Defense office in the Wright-Patterson Medical Center (WPMC) to ask about making a disability claim. One of the coordinators explained that by using the VA’s Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program, you can submit a disability claim 180 to 90 days before you leave active duty for an injury or illness you believe was caused or aggravated by your service. Using the BDD process may hasten the VA’s evaluation of your claim so you can get your benefits faster. Eligibility Process To use the BDD program, you must meet all these requirements: You can file a claim in person, online, or by mail. To finish the You must be a servicemember on full-time active duty, know your BDD process you will need to submit your medical records with separation date, which must be in the next 180 to 90 days, be your application and be available for a VA medical exam 45 days available for VA examinations for 45 days from the date of your from the date you apply and complete all phases of the medical claim submission, and be able to provide a copy of your service separation examination process before your release from the service. If you decide to do this, keep in mind that providers treatment records for your current period of active duty when you can’t charge active duty service members to copy their records. file your claim. Providers can submit a claim to Tricare to be reimbursed for You cannot use the BDD program if any of the following is true: photocopying and postage. • You need case management for a serious injury or illness, • You are terminally ill, Patience Bearing boxes of medical records on paper, disks, and flash • You are waiting to be discharged while being treated at a VA drives, I showed up at the VA office at WPMC in February 2020, hospital or military treatment facility, where a very patient Service Officer from AMVETS reviewed them • You are pregnant, with me and completed the application for disability compensation. I recommend you review your records ahead of time, so you • You are waiting the determination of your Character of know where to find the diagnoses. Then, the pandemic hit. I finally Discharge, returned in July 2020 for my examination. I received my rating • You can’t go to a VA exam during the 45-day period after you decision in November 2020 and my first payment in December. If a new condition or illness arises within a year of your separation, submit your claim, there is a presumption that it is service connected, and you may • You didn’t submit copies of your service treatment records for wish to file an additional claim. your current period of service, Here is more information about the BDD program. • You added a medical condition to your original claim when you BDD Fact Sheet: https://www.benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/ had less than 90 days left on active duty (added conditions will factsheets/general/BDDFactSheet.pdf be processed after your discharge), or Website: https://www.va.gov/disability/how-to-file-claim/ • You need to have a VA exam done in a foreign country, except if when-to-file/pre-discharge-claim/ the exam can be requested by the overseas BDD office in either Presumptive Disability Benefits: https://www.benefits.va.gov/ Landstuhl, Germany, or Camp Humphreys, Korea.