Veterans-For-Change NEWS

I hope everyone has had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa gave you all the toys and joy you could have hoped for and as we embark on a New Year, I’d like to wish you all a very Happy and Prosperous New Year!

During the past year, our readers and members have shown remarkable compassion and commitment to our Veteran’s. I want to thank you for your generous support and applaud you for your dedication to leaving no man or woman behind in their time of need and in support of our programs.

I know how much our Veteran’s depend on Veterans-For-Change, you and I will face a lot of challenges together as we support the men and women who have bravely served in our armed forces, who have made incredible sacrifices in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq and around the world.

Support our Veterans with your tax deductible gift to Veterans-For-Change today.

I know how much your generosity means to all of our Veterans. And on their behalf, I want to thank you for all you have done and all I am sure you will continue to do.

Thank you,

Jim Davis
CEO

Enhanced Enrollment Window for Some Non-Enrolled Combat Veterans Discharged

Prior to January 28, 2003 Set to Expire in January 2011

In January 2008 Congress increased Combat Veteran benefits by extending the period of enhanced health care enrollment eligibility from two to five years post discharge for Veterans who served in the theater of operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War, or in combat against a hostile force during a period of hostilities after November 11, 1998.

[Editor’s Note: This is a slightly edited version of material from Jim’s Newsletter, and Jim’s superb veterans’ site.]

In addition, Combat Veterans discharged from active duty before January 28, 2003 who had not enrolled in VA’s health care system were provided an enhanced enrollment window through January 27, 2011. This enhanced enrollment provides cost-free hospital care, medical services, and nursing home care for any illness determined to be possibly related to their combat service.

Veterans whose enhanced enrollment eligibility is about to expire are encouraged to enroll by either applying for enrollment on-line at www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez/, contacting VA at 1 877-222-VETS (8387), mailing an application to their local VA medical center or visiting the nearest VA health care facility to apply in person. For more information regarding enrollment, visit VA’s eligibility site at http://www4.va.gov/healtheligibility/.

Cut in TRICARE Dr. Pay Stopped

The Military Officers Association of America is reporting that Congress averted the 25 percent cut in TRICARE (and Medicare) doctor payments that was set for January 1 – by putting TRICARE on life support until Jan­u­ary 1, 2012.

Several groups, including Mil​i​tary​.com and MOAA members, pressured the House and Senate to agree to a one year stay of the 25 percent cut in TRICARE payments to doctors. Although the battle to keep the rates at current levels has been won, the war over TRICARE pay­ment cuts is far from over. The pay­ment rates drop by 30 per­cent on January 1, 2012 if nothing is done to correct the underlying problem, the statutory payment formula.

If Congress fails to come up with a real fix, these payment cuts are likely to result in fewer doctors being willing to take on TRICARE patients or participate as TRICARE Pri­mary Care Providers.

Programs of Veterans-For-Change

• Claims & Appeals Assistance

Assist in Gathering Military & Medical Records to file VA Claims

Veteran Service Officer Referrals

Advice on how to keep records, personal journals

Assist in gathering evidence to support claims

• College Scholarship Fund for Children of Veterans
• Emergency Financial Assistance

Electric

 Gas

Water

Trash

Food

Rent

Budget Assistance & Guidance

Credit Repair Assistance & Counseling

• Homeless Heroes Project

Christmas Backpacks with T-Shirts, Socks, Boxers, Personal Hygiene Products, Food vouchers

• Nationwide Stand-down Programs

Provide housing counseling

Benefits Counseling

Connect with Veteran Service Officers

• Service Recognition Program

Veteran

Spouse

Child

• Veteran Outreach Program

Christmas Baskets for Low Income Veterans

• Veteran Service Officer Referral Program

2,900 Listed by Organization and State

We request your support by considering a donation to Veterans-For-Change and help us make magic for those who need us most!

In order to meet the needs of those who come to Veterans-For-Change every month, we need 100 regular monthly donors of $20 each and 100 regular monthly donors of $50. With every dollar we receive $0.93 will go directly to Veterans and their families in need of a one time assistance grant to help get them over a rough patch in life.

Even if you’re not able to commit to a monthly donation, a one time or annual donation is very much appreciated. And if you’ve been blessed to never have problems, please consider the movie “Pay it Forward!”

If you’re able to contribute $10, $25, $50, $100 or more, please click HERE to be taken direct to the PayPal site!

If you’d prefer to send a check or money order, please send an E-Mail to: Jim Davis for instructions.

If Veteran’s don’t help Veteran’s, who will?

Tax ID #27-3820181

New Hotline for Marines

Marines and family members who find themselves battling stress can talk anonymously to a trained counselor for free through the new “DSTRESS” Line, a Marine Corps-sponsored phone hotline staffed 24-hours a day, seven days a week. All active duty, retired, reserve and former Marines, as well as their family members and loved ones, can call the hotline at 1-877-476-7734 or visit the DSTRESS website. Servicemembers and their families can also call Military OneSource anytime at 1-800-342-9647 or visit the Military One Source website.

Buddy Search

Have you been looking for a buddy you served with? Gone to all the privately owned websites, had no luck?

Look no more!

Veterans-For-Change has databases with 236,590 former military listed.

If you’re looking for a buddy, send an E-Mail to [email protected] with the First and Last Name, Last City/State known, and Branch of Service and we’ll respond with all those listed within 7-10 days.

Please keep request to no more than two names, and only place your request one time. If the person you are trying to locate isn’t found it goes on a wait list to check new databases as received.

If you’d like to be included, please E-Mail me and request a buddy list entry form.

This is another FREE service of Veterans-For-Change!

Veterans-For-Change hits Facebook & Twitter

You can now track us, meet fellow vets and their families and friends on our new FACEBOOK page!

Come join us, follow us and friends, make new friends, share useful information and more!

Follow our all new Homeless Heroes Program on Face Book too!

Follow us on Twitter too: @VeteransForChng

A Veterans Advocacy and Assistance Organization

The purpose of Veterans-For-Change is to make major changes in the treatment and rights for all veterans. In benefits claims, appeals, medical care and treatment, VA Facilities, PTSD, Agent Orange issues (including Toxic Dioxin resulting in Diabetes, Cancers and numerous other health problems), POW MIA recoveries, TBI and dioxin poisoning during current and past Combat Operations in the Persian Gulf region.

Members combine their talents, information, ideas and suggestions and contribute to a monthly letter that’s sent to all 535 members of Congress expressing the concerns over various issues and offers possible solutions.

This is in an effort to make change within the VA system, to streamline, expedite and insure claims are honored to the best possible rating, to insure all medical facilities are using the best equipment in the most modernized facilities with a properly trained and fully licensed and compassionate medical staff.

Additionally we circulate petitions for various pieces of legislation to promote their being presented on the floor and voted on.

We conduct research, develop ideas, solutions, and programs and do our best to make sure they’re put into action. We also provide guidance and assistance to veterans, spouses, their children and widows with their claims and appeals and the support of all veterans who seek assistance.

We must guarantee the rights of every single veteran and gain the rights and benefits promised!

If you can volunteer 30-60 minutes per month, from the comfort of your own home and computer, please join us in this tremendous fight and make your voice heard loud and clear.

Veterans-For-Change Advocacy Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VETERANS-FOR-CHANGE/

Links to other Stories

• At 70, veteran on mission to help others
• High Tech Lab to Optimize Care for Veterans with Prosthetics
• Housing voucher benefits Fox Valley homeless veteran
• Navy veteran sentenced for lying about war record
• Service Dogs and Emotional Support Animals
• The Claims Process: Inside a VA Regional Office
• VA hopes to eliminate backlog in benefits claims by end of 2015
• VA to consolidate Lejeune water claims at Louisville office

Please keep in mind each of these stories, if you comment MSNBC pays Veterans-For-Change 3-4 cents per comment. You need to log-in, in order to post comments which will provide funds to VFC. The more comments, the better the chances we have at being on front page and the more opportunity we have of MSNBC picking up the story for national.

Medical Malpractice & Poor Medical Care in VAMC’s

I’m sure at one point or another you’ve either heard of a case of malpractice or poor medical care or been on the receiving end of either.

Veterans-For-Change is still documenting as much as we can to present cases to Congress to address these issues.

If you or someone you know has endured these experiences, and would be willing to share your stories, please contact me direct at: [email protected].

Toxic Chemicals CONUS

As most are aware, seen on TV, in the newspapers, and from veteran sites across the country, TCE/PCE is a major issue.

TCE a chemical degreaser used on all bases and board ships is a carcinogenic chemical, and on the many military bases nationwide was disposed of into the ground behind buildings eventually contaminating the ground water and getting into the drinking wells.

Same thing with PCE which is a dry cleaning chemical used both on bases and off base nationwide, also being disposed of into the ground and eventually contaminating the ground water and getting into the drinking wells.

Most recently CNN did a broadcast show highlighting the male breast cancer cluster surrounding Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.

Personally I feel the anchor didn’t bother to do his homework very well, didn’t bring to light all the other medical issues or the families harmed by these chemicals.

Veterans-For-Change has a bill which was drafted back in February 2009 along with a petition to which we’re trying to collect at least 40,000 signatures in order to get either a Senator or Congressman to sign off and present the bill to the floor which will not only address TCE but PCE as well, and opens it up to all military, veterans and family members who served at any base where these chemicals were used and disposed of improperly thereby contaminating all who drank the water or who used the chemicals in their daily jobs.

Veterans-For-Change needs your support desperately to meet the number of signers on the petition. This is NOT an electronic petition, but a hard copy petition. We ask that everyone interesting in signing the petition and able to gather 8-10 more please click HERE and send us an E-Mail requesting the petition, be sure to put in the subject line TCE Petition.

Sign and try to obtain at least 10 more signatures and mail the complete form into our California office ASAP.

Should you have any questions, please click HERE and send us an E-Mail and we’ll be more than happy to reply!

Unite with Veterans-For-Change today!

Veterans-For-Change Newsletter is a once weekly publication deadline for submission is 5:00 PM PST on Friday!

Distribution: 13,670

“You will never have a quiet world until you knock the patriotism out of the human race.”
– George Bernard Shaw

Veteran’s News Sources:

• Newsvine: http://jdavis92840.newsvine.com/
• Salem News: http://www.salem-news.com/
• VT: https://www.veteranstoday.com/

Veterans-For-Change Incorporated
11901 Samuel
Garden Grove, CA 92840-2546

Serving those who served!

Jim Davis

Jim Davis is the son of USMC MGySgt. Lesley Davis (Ret.) who passed away on April 24, 2006, from ALS caused by Agent Orange. His dad’s mission before he passed on was to ensure all veterans, spouses, children, and widows all received the benefits, medical care and attention, and proper facilities from the VA.

Because of the promise made to his dad to carry on the mission, in May 2006 Davis began as a one-man show sending out 535 letters every single week to all members of Congress requesting and politely demanding the fulfill their promises made over the past decades to care for life those who wore the uniform and their families.

Veterans-For-Change was born in August 2006 with a very small membership of 25 people composed of veterans, spouses, widows, family members, and friends and to date continues to grow.