Veterans Administration Headed in Right Direction for 2015
The Department of Veterans Affairs recently issued a year-end summary report declaring 21 reasons why it is heading in the right direction for 2015. Their self-described roller-coaster year took a huge dip in May with the unfolding scandal at its Phoenix medical center and other locations, as details emerged about waiting-list problems and often-delayed appointments that may have contributed to the death of some veterans.
Then acting VA Secretary Sloan Gibson took the helm and immediately ordered the organization to come clean, providing full public disclosure of all discrepancies it uncovered. Current Secretary of Veterans Affairs Robert A. McDonald continued that level of transparency and sought to regain veterans trust by visiting with them from coast to coast, listening to their needs, their complaints and their ideas for improvement. Through greater accountability and action, the VA is now working to ensure that veterans are in control of how, when and where they want service.
The VAs biggest success of 2014 may be the wakeup call that is carrying the much-needed changes into this new year. Those changes are partly summarized below and will be continued in next weeks column, along with links to websites giving more details.
I Care. VA Secretary Bob McDonald has asked all VA employees and volunteers to recommit themselves to the principles of I CARE (Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence), which define our culture and strengthen our dedication to those we serve. They provide a baseline for the standards of behavior expected of all VA employees.
Medical appointments on track. Nationally, the VA has completed 24 million appointments between June 1 and Oct. 31, 2014, a 1.4 million increase over the same time period in 2013.
Private-sector care for veterans. The VA authorized nearly 1.2 million veterans to receive care in the private sector from June 1 through Oct. 31, 2014, nearly doubling the those made during the same period in 2013.
Excellence in Service. For the fourth consecutive year, the VAs Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy received the highest customer satisfaction score among the nations public and private mail-order pharmacies, according to a J.D. Power study.
GI Bill turned 70, changes lives. The VA celebrated the 70th anniversary of the GI Bill in 2014. In fiscal 2014, the VA provided more than $10.8 billion in Post-9/11 GI Bill benefits to service members, veterans and their families. Since the program started in 2009, more than $47 billion has been paid to more than 1.3 million Post-9/11 GI Bill participants (as of Dec. 1, 2014).
Also, as part of the GI Bill of Rights, the VA guaranteed 440,000 home loans totaling $100 billion, while also assisting 80,000 veterans in avoiding foreclosure, saving taxpayers more than $2.7 billion, while maintaining the lowest foreclosure rate for 25 consecutive quarters when compared with all other types of home loans.
More benefits for families and survivors. The VA expanded the eligibility criteria for the Marine Gunnery Sgt. John David Fry Scholarship to include the surviving spouses of service members who died in the line of duty after Sept. 10, 2001. The VA began accepting applications by mail for the scholarship under the newly expanded eligibility criteria on Nov. 3, 2014.
VA employees continue to work on the claims backlog. In fiscal 2014, the VA decided a record-breaking 1,320,870 disability compensation and pension (rating) claims for veterans and survivors, the highest in VA history. Veterans waited, on average, 119 fewer days decisions on their claims compared with the previous year. The claims backlog (any claim older than 125 days) has also been reduced from the peak of 611,000 in March 2013, to 239,000 as of Nov. 30, 2014, a near 61-percent reduction and lowest number of backlogged claims in four years.
More veterans and families sign up for eBenefits. By the end of fiscal 2014, the VA had registered 4.2 million service members, veterans and family members for benefits. In addition, approximately 2,000 Veterans Service Officer representatives have credentials for accessing eBenefits, which enables them to file online compensation claims on behalf of veterans.
Read Part 2 next week.
Send veterans meeting and news items to George W. Reilly at [email protected].
Meetings
The Rhode Island House Permanent Veterans Advisory Committee, 10 a.m. Monday, Room 135, R.I. State House, Smith Street, Providence.
Disabled American Veterans Lawson-Raiola Chapter 15 Post, 2 p.m. Tuesday, employees lunch room at the Rhode Island Veterans Home, 480 Metacom Ave., Bristol.
Korean War Veterans Association: Northern R.I. Chapter 3, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Glocester Senior Center, 1210 Putnam Pike, Chepachet, and all service veterans, guests and friends are welcome; West Bay Chapter 2, 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Langevin VFW Post 449, 197 Providence St., West Warwick.
U.S. Navy Seabee Veterans of America Island X-1 Davisville, 9 a.m. Saturday, Seabee Museum, 21 Iafrate Way, North Kingstown.
Veterans of Foreign Wars Kelley-Gazzerro Post 2812, 9:30 a.m. Sunday, 1418 Plainfield St., Cranston.
The Rhode Island National Guard annual Florida military reunion and luncheon will be held Jan. 25 at Patrick Air Force Base near Cocoa Beach, Fla., from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, call Bob Antonelli at (954) 421-9877 or (401) 996-3764, or send an email to [email protected].
Tags: Veterans News
