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Weekly newsletter of the Fleet Reserve Association
February 2 2018
In this issue:
President Asks to End Sequestration
HVAC Oversight Hearing on Speeding up Appeals
Online Tool for Discharge Upgrade Process
Deadline for FRA Scholarships Is April 15th
New Dental and Vision Program Coming
President's State of the Union Speech Asks to End Sequestration
In President Trump's first State of the Union speech, he used a conciliatory tone to push an ambitious agenda for the coming year that includes major infrastructure improvements and comprehensive immigration reform. He also asked Congress to "fully fund" the U.S. military. He argued that America faces, "Rogue regimes, terrorist groups, and rivals like China and Russia. In confronting these dangers, we know that weakness is the surest path to conflict, and unmatched power is the surest means of our defense. For this reason, I am asking Congress to end the dangerous defense sequester and fully fund our great military."
The day before the speech the House passed a standalone Defense spending bill (an amendment to unrelated bill H.R.695) that waives enforcement of Defense spending sequestration caps (section 10008) for FY2018. Members are encouraged to use the FRA Action Center to ask their legislators to exclude Defense from sequestration spending caps.
HVAC Oversight Hearing on New Legislation Speeding up Appeals Process
FRA DLP John Davis attended a House Veterans Affairs Committee (HVAC) oversight hearing on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implementation of the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act (H.R.2288 – Public Law 115-55) that was enacted in August of 2017 and first reported in May 12, 2017 Newsbytes. At the hearing, it was revealed that there are currently 374,000 disability claim appeals pending at the VA.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Mike Bost, would create three "lanes" for veterans' appeals: The "Local Higher Level Review Lane" where an adjudicator reviews the same evidence considered by the original claims processor. The "New Evidence Lane" where a veteran could submit new evidence for review and have a hearing. The "Board Lane" where jurisdiction for the appeal would transfer immediately to the Board of Veterans' Appeals.
The bill provides the VA Secretary the authority to test the new system prior to full implementation and would allow some veterans already going through the appeals process, to opt into the new system. It would also require the VA to provide a comprehensive plan for processing legacy appeals (appeals filed before the effective date of the bill). Committee members expressed concern that the new system will not be operational by the February 19, 2018 implementation date.
Online Tool for Discharge Upgrade Process
Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) announced the launch of a web-based tool that will provide customized guidance to veterans who desire to upgrade or change the conditions of their military discharge.
Some veterans say the review process is difficult to understand. The issuance of supplemental guidance over the past few years, while helpful to many, has the side effect of creating multiple guidance documents that can be confusing. Furthermore, some veterans suffer from mental health or other conditions that make tasks like these more difficult for them than for others.
This innovative tool simplifies and customizes the guidance. By answering a few short questions, veterans will know which board they need to go to, what form to fill out, any special guidance applicable to their case, where to send their application and some helpful tips for appealing their discharge. Any veteran who believes their discharge was unjust, erroneous, or warrants an upgrade are encouraged to use this tool and then apply for review.
This tool can be found on Vets.gov. It is also available on Military OneSource website. The Navy review board's contact information is listed below.
This initiative was one of many in recent years aimed at improving the review process and guidance available to veterans who believe they may have been unfairly discharged or received an unfair discharge characterization. The DoD issued special guidance in 2011 for veterans discharged under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" or its predecessor policies. Also, the DoD issued guidance related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) in 2014. Most recently, in February 2016, the DoD redoubled its efforts to ensure veterans received the benefit of the latest guidance and statutes of limitations were liberally waived in such cases. Subsequently, in December 2016, the DoD launched an internal review of its policies and procedures. This review disclosed some gaps and confusion in the previous guidance. In August 2017, DoD issued significant guidance clarifying how review boards will consider cases involving mental health conditions, including PTSD, TBI, sexual assault or sexual harassment.
For information on a specific board, please contact the board directly or through its website at:
Navy Board for Correction of Naval Records
Navy Discharge Review Board
Phone: 202-685-6600
email: NDRB@navy.mil
To submit feedback on related DoD policies or processes:
Send an e-mail or mail your feedback to Office of Legal Policy at: Office of Legal Policy Office of the Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel & Readiness) 4000 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-4000
Deadline for FRA Education Foundation Scholarships is April 15th
The deadline to apply for FRA Education Foundation scholarships is April 15, 2018. The Foundation's board of directors encourages all eligible candidates to apply now for academic awards of up to $5,000. For general information, to obtain applications, or to donate click here.
Applicants must be affiliated with the Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard, either through their own service or that of a spouse, parent or grandparent. The FRA Education Foundation scholarships are funded through private donations, established trusts and corporate sponsorships. Recipients are selected based on financial need, academic standing, character and leadership qualities. The Foundation awarded more than $90,000 in scholarships this past year. Donations of any amount are welcome at any time.
Some scholarships have very specific award criteria. The Hazel E. Benn Scholarship, for example, is available to children of Navy enlisted personnel who are serving or have served in a medical rating with the U.S. Marine Corps. Additional information is available by clicking here.
New Dental and Vision Program Coming in 2019
Last week, FRA DLP John Davis received a briefing from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on upcoming changes to TRICARE dental and vision programs. This new insurance option for certain beneficiaries is set to be implemented on January 1, 2019. The existing TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan, which is currently provided through Delta Dental, will expire December 31, 2018. The newly designed option was included in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act with the legislated start date of 2019. At the briefing, OPM officials explained the later starting time is meant to allow for better preparation and communication for the new plan. It will be offered and administered through the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP).
All TRICARE retirees and their families are eligible for both the dental insurance and the vision coverage. Active duty military families are only eligible for the vision coverage.
The FEDVIP dental program of offerings will replace the existing TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan, which is currently provided through Delta Dental.
The retiree dental plan and the addition of a vision plan will allow for beneficiaries to choose from several dental and vision carriers with a variety of benefit options. The FEDVIP program lists 10 dental carriers and four vision carriers (Delta Dental is included) with comprehensive dental and vision insurance at competitive group rates. Beneficiaries must choose a plan during TRICARE's open season (November 12, 2018-December 10, 2018). Beneficiaries need to understand there is no automatic transition for those currently enrolled in the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program. Changes can only occur during open season and life changing events.
A partial list of coverage TRICARE beneficiaries receive with FEDVIP include:
- No wait period for most dental services
- No annual maximum benefit for some dental plans
- Access to regional and national dental networks
- No deductible for some vision plans
- No limit on brands for frames or contacts for some vision plans
- Discounts on LASIK offered by some vision plans
Beneficiaries are encouraged to start getting information and pre-enrollment communications through the website set up just for this program.
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