VFW Supports New VA Accountability, Whistleblower Protection Act:
The VFW saluted Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and the leadership of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees for reaching a bipartisan deal to better protect whistleblowers and hold employees accountable for their conduct or performance. The need for action follows a federal appellate court decision that rendered unconstitutional the process used to fire the former director of the Phoenix VA Health Care System. VFW National Commander Brian Duffy said VA Secretary David Shulkin needs to have the authority to manage his people in a manner expected of all senior executives, public or private. “The VFW wants the secretary to weed out the nonperformers and those whose personal conduct brings doubt and dishonor upon thousands of dedicated employees, because maintaining the status quo doesn’t work for those who have borne the battle,” he said. Help the VFW get the bill passed by urging your respective members of Congress to support and quickly pass S. 1094 (www.ow.ly/1VnE309VLMF), the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017.
Caregivers Programs Review Extended:
VA will continue to halt revocations from the Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers Program for an additional six weeks because of concerns regarding inconsistent applications of eligibility requirements for the program throughout its medical centers. The VFW has worked with the VA since the first halt of revocations on April 17, to identify issues with the program that must be fixed before VA resumes revocations. Specifically, the VFW has asked VA to review previous revocations to make certain veterans who need assistance from a caregiver were not discharged from the program. The VFW has also urged VA to improve the clinical appeals process to ensure veterans who are denied eligibility have an opportunity to seek a second opinion.
Contact the VFW via email at vfwac@vfw.org if you have been wrongly denied eligibility for the VA caregivers program.
Senate Appropriations Hearing on Choice:
The Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs and Related Agencies held a hearing to discuss VA community care. The main focus was reducing the burden of obtaining health care, while increasing access. Subcommittee Chairman Jerry Moran questioned the issues of consolidating community care under one account and future plans of VA Secretary David Shulkin. The secretary agreed VA needs a different approach to community care for programs such as Choice to be successful. He highlighted key elements necessary for improvement, which include changing criteria requirements for patients to use community care, increasing access to urgent care, maintaining an integrated network of providers, assisting patients in coordination and applying industry standards for metrics.
Senate Confirms New Air Force Secretary: The Senate approved the nomination of former congresswoman Heather Wilson to become the new secretary of the Air Force. Wilson, who represented New Mexico’s First Congressional District from 1998 to 2009, was the first woman veteran to serve out a full term in Congress. She served seven years as an Air Force officer after being a distinguished graduate of the Air Force Academy’s Class of 1982.
Bob Fullam is the membership chairman for Nassau County VFW. For more info, call him at 516-694-5539.
