Top 10 News for Veterans from Around the Country – 07-29-08

1. Veterans Groups Ask Appeals Court To Expedite PTSD Care.
2. House To Consider Several Veterans-Related Bills  
3. Peake Defends Plan To Replace Denver Facility.  
4. Peake’s Korean Counterpart To Visit Korean War Memorial In Massachusetts.  
5. Few Complaints Heard About Accessibility At Wheelchair Games. 
6. Review Expected To Result In Payments To Disabled Vets.  
7. VA Pays For Veteran’s "Revolutionary" Foot Prosthetic.  
8. Surviving Spouses Of Veterans Fight To Eliminate Offset.  
9. Jailed Veterans In Utah Receiving Assistance.  
10. Arkansas Governor Makes Appointment To Veterans Task Force.  

     1.                Veterans Groups Ask Appeals Court To Expedite PTSD Care.   The Washington Times (7/29, Hudson) reports, "Two veterans groups have asked a federal appeals court to force the Department of Veterans Affairs" to "expedite disability claims and treat troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The groups — Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth Inc. — filed a notice Monday" with the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco to overturn a lower court ruling in their lawsuit, which "claims that the VA system that identifies and processes sufferers of PTSD has collapsed." US District Court Judge Samuel Conti "rejected the lawsuit on June 25, saying the claims were outside of the court’s jurisdiction." The Times notes that Monday’s "appeals court notice comes on the heels of a new report that 22,000 veterans have called a new suicide prevention hot line installed last year — a rate of nearly 250 a day."
      CQ (7/29, Johnson) reports that in his June ruling, Conti "wrote…that the veterans groups should take their grievances to ‘Congress, the secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, the adjudication system within the VA, and the Federal Circuit,’ which hears appeals in such cases." VA Secretary James P. Peake’s office "declined to comment on the appeal or Conti’s ruling because the department has a policy against discussing pending litigation." The Army Times (7/29, Kennedy), which also notes the appeal, said the veterans groups "have requested an expedited hearing, citing new statistics that show a veterans’ suicide hotline receives 250 calls a day."

2.    House To Consider Several Veterans-Related Bills.   CQ (7/29, Johnson) reports, "The House is expected to consider a bundle of measures that provide new protections and services to…veterans." One measure "scheduled for consideration would require the Veterans Affairs Department…to remind all contractors of its goal of working with small businesses owned by veterans whenever possible." The bill "would also…require the department to conduct a five-year pilot program testing work-study programs for veterans." The House will "also…vote on a bill" that would "expand the VA’s authority to provide counseling for family members of veterans." A third measure "would establish a three-year pilot program allowing ‘highly rural’ veterans enrolled in four of the VA’s 21 health care networks to receive covered health services through outside providers." Another bill, meanwhile, would authorize the VA "to fund veteran involvement in the Paralympic Program" of the US Olympic Committee. Finally, one other bill up for consideration in the House "would establish an ombudsman within the VA to provide patient advocacy and serve as a central source of information for veterans."

3.        Peake Defends Plan To Replace Denver Facility.   In a Rocky Mountain (CO) News (7/29) op-ed, Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake discussed the agency’s latest plan to replace the Denver Medical Center. The plan, which does not call for a stand-alone facility, has been "the subject of much controversy throughout the region," but Peake says it is in line with his "goal for the VA is to provide veteran-centric care: care that provides the services veterans need, in locations closer to where veterans live." A shorter version of this same op-ed appeared in the Billings (MT) Gazette (7/23).

4.      Peake’s Korean Counterpart To Visit Korean War Memorial In Massachusetts.   The Worcester (MA) Telegram & Gazette (7/29, Caywood) reports, "The list of Korean dignitaries who have traveled to" Worcester "to pay their respects at the new Korean War Memorial on Foster Street will gain another distinguished name" Tuesday "with the arrival of Yang Kim, the Republic of Korea’s minister for Patriots and Veterans Affairs." Kim, "who serves the same role for his country" as US Secretary of Veterans Affairs James B. Peake, "is scheduled to lay wreaths at the monument" Tuesday "morning and later meet with area veterans of the Korean War."

5.      Few Complaints Heard About Accessibility At Wheelchair Games.   The Omaha (NE) World-Herald (7/29, Grace, Sloan) reports organizers of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, currently taking place in Omaha, Nebraska, "said that they’ve heard few complaints" about wheelchair accessibility problems. Omaha organizer Craig Enenbach "said organizers worked hard to make what they could control as accessible as possible." And where "snags have arisen so far, Enenbach said, organizers have tried to work with the city to address them." The World-Herald added that participants in the games "praised local volunteers for offering assistance whenever needed."
      Near-Record Number Of Volunteers Registered For Games.   On its website, KCSR-AM Chadrad, NE (7/28, Jakusz) reported, "Volunteers from Omaha and the Heartland reached near-record numbers" at the games. Nearly "4,000 volunteers are registered," and coordinators "said this is the second-largest volume of volunteers in the 28-year history" of the games. However, additional volunteers "are still needed after the event ends on Wednesday," when the athletes "will depart Omaha’s Eppley Airfield."
      The second story in the Lincoln (NE) Journal Star’s (7/29) "Area News" column also notes the large number of volunteers at the games, as does the KXKT-FM Omaha, NE (7/28) website, which pointed out that the games "will wrap Tuesday with closing ceremonies." 6.      Review Expected To Result In Payments To Disabled Vets.   The Army Times (7/28, Maze) reported, "More than 1,600 severely disabled veterans could receive retroactive traumatic injury insurance payments as a result of a newly released review of how benefits have been paid under" a supplemental benefits program. The payments could be made "as early as this fall as a result of discussions between the Department of Veterans Affairs, which runs the program, and doctors who are treating severely wounded combat veterans. The average retroactive payment would be $32,000, according to the review." Officials "said the report offers 11 recommendations to expand definitions of traumatic injury for insurance purposes, and all are expected to be included in a revised regulation likely to be issued by VA this fall."

7.      VA Pays For Veteran’s "Revolutionary" Foot Prosthetic.   The Norristown (PA) Times Herald (7/28, Puleo) reported disabled veteran Gary Gallagher is currently using the Ossur Proprio, a "revolutionary" foot prosthetic. The "latest newfangled devices usually don’t come cheap, and the Proprio is no exception. No insurance company currently ‘foots the cost’, but Veterans Affairs was happy to take care of" Gallagher’s "roughly $30,000" bill. Gallagher said that if it were not for the VA, he could note have afforded the Proprio. Gallagher praised the agency, saying it "does everything it can to bring the most up-to-date equipment to veterans in every capacity."

8.      Surviving Spouses Of Veterans Fight To Eliminate Offset.   The El Paso (TX) Times (7/28, Roberts) reported a group called the Gold Star Wives has "been at the forefront" of an effort to change a law that "allows the government to significantly cut," and "in many cases eliminate," Defense Department insurance payments after military retirees die if the retirees’ surviving spouses elect to receive Veterans Affairs benefits "established to compensate for the loss of a family member whose death was service-related." Called an "offset," the cut "was created to limit how much compensation payments cost the government," but almost "57,000 surviving spouses of military retirees argue that the benefits are separate." Eliminating "the offset between the Defense Department Survivor Benefit Plan, or SBP, and the VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or DIC, is estimated to cost between $6 billion and $8 billion over the first 10 years, an argument used by some people who oppose eliminating the offset."

9.      Jailed Veterans In Utah Receiving Assistance.   The Deseret (UT) Morning News (7/28, Speckman) reported the Department of Veterans Affairs "is actively involved in trying to help vets leaving prison make a smooth transition into the community." On the other end, meanwhile Utah corrections officials "work to help veterans still behind prison walls receive needed treatment and counseling from the VA prior to their release." Utah VA Executive Director Terry Schow "said vet benefits earned by most who served between 1968 and 1975 are set in stone, regardless of what they did after their service."

10.    Arkansas Governor Makes Appointment To Veterans Task Force.   The Benton County (AR) Daily Record (7/28) reported Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe recently announced that Northwest Arkansas Community College President Dr. Becky Paneitz has been named an ex-officio member of an Arkansas Yellow Ribbon Task Force. Paneitz "will join 19 other Arkansans appointed to the task force focusing on issues faced by veterans."