January 27 2017
In this issue:
President Trump Pledges to repeal sequestration
Relief for Camp Lejeune Veterans
VA Drug Co-payment Changes Coming
DD 214 Now Available Online
Former Army Reserve Officer Selected for Secretary of the Navy
President Trump Pledges to Repeal Sequestration
Soon after President Donald Trump took the oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution,” the White House posted two documents declaring they would boost the size of the Navy and Air Force, increase our offensive and defensive cyber capabilities and end sequestration. FRA has expressed growing concern of the long-term impact of sequestration. These mindless budget cuts mandated by the Budget Control Act of 2011 pose a threat to national security and will substantially impact member pay and benefits. These automatic cuts, known as Sequestration, require 50 percent come from the Defense budget, even though Defense makes up only 17 percent of the federal budget. More sequestration cuts are scheduled for FY 2018 thru 2021. Now is the time for Congress to repeal sequestration. Members are asked to share their voice using the FRA Action Center (http://action.fra.org/action-center/).
Relief for Camp Lejeune Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) agreed to pay more than $2.2 billion throughout the next five years to the nearly 900,000 Marine Corps veterans and their families who were stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C. between August 1, 1953 and December 31, 1987. Those who suffer with one of the following medical conditions may qualify: adult leukemia, aplastic anemia, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, liver cancer, multiple myeloma, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and Parkinson’s disease. Veterans and family members who lived or worked at Camp Lejeune from 1957 to 1987 can apply for paid benefits by enrolling with the VA online or at a local VA health facility. To learn more about the VA’s Camp Lejeune Program, including eligibility, visit http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/camp-lejeune.
VA Drug Co-payment Changes Coming
Effective February 27, 2017, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will change the federal regulations concerning co-payments charged to Veterans for medications to treat non-service connected conditions required on an outpatient basis. According to the VA, the new tiered co-payment structure, which is similar to TRICARE's, will decrease the costs of outpatient medications for most veterans. This aligns with the VA’s goals to reduce out-of-pocket costs, encourage greater adherence to prescribed outpatient medications and reduce the risk of fragmented care that results when multiple pharmacies are used to fill veteran prescriptions. Visit (http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/34421/new-regulation-changes-copayment-cost-outpatient-medication/) for more information.
DD 214 Now Available Online
Gaining access to your DD Form 214 online is now available through the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). This may be particularly helpful when a veteran needs a copy of the DD-214 for employment purposes. NPRC is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents.
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) has provided the following website for veterans to sign access to their DD 214 online: http://vetrecs.archives.gov
Former Army Reserve Officer Selected for Secretary of the Navy
President Donald Trump recently nominated former Army Reserve officer Philip Bilden to be the next secretary of the Navy, indicating his business experience would aid him in rebuilding the Navy. Bilden recently retired as co-founding member and senior adviser of HarbourVest Partners, a private equity investment management firm. It had been rumored on Capitol Hill recently that Bilden was the President’s selection; a surprise to many who expected former Congressman Randy Forbes (Va.), to receive the nomination. Forbes served as Chairman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Sea Power and Projection Forces during the previous session of Congress.
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