Newsbytes May 9, 2025
In this Issue:
FRA Pushes ACES Act Through House
VA Streamlines Survivor Benefits Process
Secretary Collins' First VA Hearing
HVAC:Veteran Healthcare Access
Addressing Nutritious Food Access on Base
FRA Pushes ACES Act Through House
On April 28, 2025, the House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed H.R. 530, the Aviator Cancer Examination Study (ACES) Act, by a vote of 376-5—a major win for military aviators at increased risk for cancer.
The bipartisan bill, introduced by former fighter pilot Rep. August Pfluger (TX-11) and co-led by Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), with Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) leading in the Senate, directs the VA to study cancer rates among Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force aviators and aircrew.
FRA members played a pivotal role by contacting lawmakers and sharing personal stories. In a statement, FRA emphasized:
“The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) wholeheartedly celebrates the passage of the ACES Act in the House and extends our sincere congratulations to Congressman August Pfluger, his staff, and the bill’s cosponsors for their incredible dedication in advancing this vital legislation. Understanding cancer is the first step to defeating it, and this bill brings us closer to uncovering the critical links between aircrew service and cancer risks.”
Rep. Pfluger, reflecting on his time as a pilot, described the ACES Act as:
“A lifeline for those who have already given so much for our freedom.”
With House passage secured, FRA is now shifting its advocacy to the Senate and urging members to contact their senators. Sharing stories and highlighting the bill’s importance can help ensure final passage.
The success of the ACES Act in the House reflects the strength of FRA’s grassroots efforts. The FRA remains committed to seeing this legislation signed into law—and to protecting the health of those who have served.
VA Streamlines Survivor Benefits Process
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has introduced a three-pronged approach to simplify the process for eligible survivors and dependents of deceased Veterans and servicemembers to access VA benefits and services. These changes aim to reduce bureaucratic barriers and enhance support during challenging times.
Key Improvements:
Relocating the Office of Survivors Assistance (OSA)
Starting this month, the VA will move the OSA from the Veterans Benefits Administration back to the Office of the VA Secretary. This reverses a 2021 decision that placed OSA under layers of bureaucracy, contrary to the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. The OSA, staffed by five full-time employees, will advise the Secretary on policies, programs, and legislative issues affecting survivors and dependents.
Launching a “White-Glove” Survivor Outreach Team
Beginning in May 2025, a specialized outreach team based at the Philadelphia VA Regional Benefit Office will assist survivors through the Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) claims process. These trained experts will provide personalized guidance to ensure eligible survivors receive timely and accurate support, with a focus on achieving positive claims decisions.
Enhancing Automation for Claims Processing
The VA currently automates over 1,000 DIC claims payments or adjustments daily and is working to expand automation further. Immediate efforts are underway to identify additional areas where technology can streamline the DIC claims process, making benefits delivery more efficient and user-friendly for survivors.
“The last thing survivors need in their time of grief is frustrating red tape and bureaucracy. That’s why we are creating a better system to more quickly and effectively provide survivors the services, support, and compassion they’ve earned,” said VA Secretary Doug Collins.
The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) welcomes these improvements, recognizing their potential to ease the burden on survivors navigating the VA benefits system. The FRA remains committed to collaborating with the VA and Congress to address additional issues and further enhance the claims process for survivors and dependents.
Secretary Collins' First VA Hearing
On May 6, 2025, newly appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins appeared before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee for his first hearing since taking office in February. The session, titled “Veterans at the Forefront: Secretary Collins on the Future at VA,” focused on the Department’s proposed 2026 budget and a controversial plan to cut up to 83,000 jobs — nearly 15% of its workforce. Lawmakers, particularly those behind the PACT Act, emphasized the need to streamline the VA without compromising veteran care. The Fleet Reserve Association (FRA), through congressional advocacy and staff meetings, played a key role in ensuring veterans’ concerns were brought to the forefront.
The VA faces major operational challenges, including bureaucratic inefficiencies and rising service demands from newly enrolled veterans under the PACT Act. Senators raised concerns about real-world impacts, such as delayed mammograms, canceled surgeries, and high out-of-pocket costs for veterans. Lawmakers also criticized the temporary firing of 2,400 employees — including Veterans Crisis Line staff — and the use of non-disclosure agreements during workforce discussions, which many viewed as a threat to transparency and accountability.
Senators Richard Blumenthal, Mazie Hirono, and Tammy Duckworth pressed Collins on how such cuts could avoid harming frontline services, especially since the vast majority of VA staff serve in direct healthcare roles. The FRA’s letter to Congress, warning of harmful consequences, successfully led to a Senate staff meeting that elevated these concerns during the hearing. This advocacy effort emphasizes how veteran service organizations continue to shape VA policy and protect benefits.
In his testimony, Collins defended the proposed workforce reductions as a strategic goal targeting non-essential roles like interior designers. He emphasized a “scalpel, not a hatchet” approach and noted progress such as a 40,000-case reduction in the disability claims backlog and restored operations at the Veterans Crisis Line. He also outlined forward-looking initiatives including expanding rural community care and exploring psychedelic therapies for PTSD and brain injuries.
The hearing highlighted a turning point for the VA: whether it can reform effectively while safeguarding care quality for over 9 million enrolled veterans. Positive developments — such as a $5 billion budget increase and electronic health record modernization — show promise, but lawmakers and advocacy groups will need to maintain pressure to ensure reforms are data-driven, transparent, and veteran-centered. As the VA moves forward, the impact of these decisions will be measured by the everyday care received by the men and women it serves.
HVAC:Veteran Healthcare Access
The recent hearing by the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization addressed inefficiencies in Veterans Affairs (VA) community care scheduling, critical for the 2.8 million veterans who used it in 2023. The current telephone-based system is slow, often taking weeks due to multiple calls between VA staff, veterans, and providers. This delays care, frustrating veterans. The External Provider Scheduling (EPS) system offers a solution but is only active in 20% of VA medical hospitals, limiting its impact. Concerns include inadequate provider participation and past administrative setbacks that slowed progress.
EPS significantly improves scheduling, reducing the average time from 33 days to 25 days, with appointments booked in about seven minutes. It allows VA schedulers to access community providers’ availability directly, increasing efficiency and enabling up to four times more daily appointments. However, only 6,000 provider services across 62 specialties are currently active, and inconsistent adoption across facilities remains a challenge. The Biden administration’s 2024 pause on EPS expansion disrupted provider trust, but renewed efforts aim to address this.
Veterans should know key aspects of EPS to navigate their care effectively:
EPS Speeds Up Scheduling: Reduces community care scheduling from 33 to 25 days, often in just seven minutes.
Limited Provider Network: Only 6,000 provider services are active; veterans should push for more local providers to join.
Rural Access Benefits: EPS aids rural veterans, like those in Nebraska facing 39-minute drives to VA facilities.
Informed Choices: EPS may compare VA and community care wait times (e.g., 22 vs. 35 days), aiding decision-making.
EPS Expansion Underway: VA expanded EPS to 36 sites, aiming for 54 by fiscal year-end; check local VA adoption.
Local Engagement Matters: Veterans can support EPS by connecting with VA and local providers to boost participation.
The hearing highlighted concerns about balancing community care with VA direct care, especially amid proposed IT budget cuts of nearly half a billion dollars for 2026. These could hinder modernization efforts. Ranking Member Bazinski stressed the need for adequate staffing and data collection to ensure quality care, noting EPS’s potential to provide transparency on wait times and provider quality.
The Trump administration is committed to expanding EPS, having increased its reach from 16 to 36 sites in 100 days. Plans to cover 54 sites by the fiscal year-end signal progress, but veterans must stay proactive. By engaging with local VA facilities and advocating for provider participation, veterans can help ensure EPS delivers timely, high-quality care, fulfilling the MISSION Act’s promise of accessible healthcare.
Addressing Nutritious Food Access on Base
The Department of Defense (DOD) is addressing the pressing issue of providing tasty, nutritious food on military installations, where dining facility usage ranges from just 20% to 50% across service branches. Glenn Garrison, the DOD’s director of Morale, Welfare, and Recreation Policy, outlined plans for a DOD-wide regulation during a recent webinar, aiming to set consistent food service standards and establish a single oversight office. Service members face barriers like long lines, limited dining hours misaligned with training schedules, and unappealing food, often resorting to vending machines or off-base delivery. With meal benefits deducted from paychecks regardless of usage, many effectively pay twice for food, highlighting the need for reform.
The DOD’s strategy includes developing a “strategic food master plan” for each installation to address gaps in food access and ensure resilient food security amid supply chain disruptions. However, fragmented governance—spanning multiple DOD offices and services, with non-appropriated fund entities like on-base McDonald’s accounting for 80% of food sales—complicates efforts. A previous study showed military dining facilities’ food costs, at $25 to $40 per plate, far exceed college dining costs of $7 per plate, underscoring inefficiencies. Centralized oversight, as emphasized by Garrison and former official Chuck Milam, is critical to streamline policy and enhance meal card utilization.
To ensure lasting change, the DOD is exploring legislation to codify improvements, with Milam advocating for food quality surpassing college standards to support service members’ demanding roles. Initiatives like color-coded nutrition labeling have faltered due to inconsistent implementation, but the DOD aims to boost dining facility use and optimize operations. By aligning food services with mission needs and service members’ schedules, the DOD seeks to deliver accessible, high-quality, and nutritious meals, reinforcing the health and readiness of those who serve.