Five and Five Discussion Group
Category: Benefits
Service Officer Update
By Joseph Mesa
The passing of the PACT Act of 2022 triggered an overwhelming amount of TV ads and misinformation. The act applies to any service member, and also family members stationed at Camp Lejeune for 30 days or more from 1953 to 1987. It applies even if injuries were suffered years ago or if the service member is deceased. The new law goes beyond basic VA disability and will NOT effect current VA benefits or disability.
VA announced that it would screen all its patients for possible exposure to environmental hazards during military service, part of an effort to understand the scope of the issue and monitor veterans for related illnesses. VA officials said the 5-minute screening, a series of questions by a veteran’s primary care physician, will help the department enhance the benefits for veterans already in the system. Veterans can request an appointment for a screening or will be screened automatically during routine care with their primary VA doctor.
The screenings are a requirement of the PACT Act and will be conducted at least every five years. Results of the screening will be kept in veterans’ health records, according to the VA. Veterans who want more information on the PACT Act or to apply for disability benefits should contact me, Joseph Mesa, at [email protected] or go to the VA website or call 1-800-698-2411.
Comrades Don Service Items for November Social
It was a fun night that honored our many years of service and we’re looking forward to our holiday social Dec. 15!
From the Desk of the Post Service Officer: VA Benefits Update
By Joseph Mesa
Here’s a VA benefits update courtesy of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Regarding Burn Pits: VA intends to propose 9 rare respiratory cancers as presumed service-connected conditions. When the proposal becomes final and rule making is complete, VA will conduct outreach to impacted Veterans and survivors to inform them about potential eligibility. VA intends to focus its rule on the rare respiratory cancers in Veterans who served any amount of time in the Southwest Asia theater of operations and other locations. The Southwest Asia theater of operations refers to Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the neutral zone between Iraq and Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, the Gulf of Aden, the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf, the Arabian Sea, the Red Sea, and the airspace above these locations.
Additionally, the Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing changes to the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities specifically pertaining to the respiratory, auditory and mental disorders body systems. The proposed updates to the rating schedule for these conditions will enable VA to incorporate modern medical data and terminology to provide Veterans with more accurate and consistent decisions.
Veterans who currently receive compensation for a service-connected condition in these body systems will not have their disability rating impacted when the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities is updated. Updating the rating schedule allows Veterans to receive decisions based on the most current medical knowledge relating to their condition. By incorporating modern medical data in the assessment of disabilities and how they impact earning capacity, Veterans will receive evaluations which more accurately compensate them for their service-connected disabilities. Proposed updates include:
- Modernizing the evaluative rating criteria for sleep apnea, using developments in medical knowledge to evaluate it based on its responsiveness to treatment, bringing the rating criteria for sleep apnea more closely in line with the stated purpose of the rating schedule.
- Evaluating tinnitus (ringing in the ears) as a symptom of the underlying disease which causes it, rather than as a stand-alone disability.
- Evaluating mental health conditions based on a more robust and holistic approach that assesses how impactful the disability is to cognition, interpersonal relationships, task completion, life activities and self-care. Additionally, the proposed evaluation criteria include a 10% minimum evaluation for having one or more service-connected mental health conditions and will no longer require “total occupational and social impairment” to attain a 100% evaluation.
No change to a veteran’s current rating would occur due to these proposed changes. If the proposed changes are finalized, Veterans who currently receive compensation for a service-connected condition can apply for increased compensation, but no reductions shall be made unless an improvement in the Veteran’s disability is shown to have occurred.
If you need any help with your VA claim or benefits, contact me at [email protected].
Thoughts on Afghanistan
As we approach the 20th anniversary of 9/11, the news coming out of Afghanistan in recent weeks has been tough to watch, especially for our Afghanistan veterans. Here are some poignant words from our comrade, Robert Kettle:
I remember clearly 9/11 and the summer 20 years ago at SIXTH Fleet as we worked through Intelligence reporting and all the chatter about a pending strike. I remember clearly too the COLE bombing in Aden harbor 11 months before which had us already ramped up as we embarked on the Global War on Terror. Ten years on I remember clearly our JCS strike group operations in the N. Arabian Sea in support of Op. ENDURING FREEDOM in Afghanistan. Now twenty years on I look with great sadness on the events of today in Afghanistan but also on so many waypoints along the way that led us to this point.
I reflect on the nature of the history of our involvement in the country and the history of the country itself knowing that unlike, for example, Germany there was no shared threat to bind us together not to mention other challenges in the relationship that meant at some point we would need to leave.
I reflect on lives lost both incountry and out; immediate and long delayed. Of those injured too whether seen or unseen. Their sacrifice cannot be thought of as being in vain for it was not.
I reflect too on the people of Afghanistan and of the Great Game of an earlier time that played itself out again over the last four decades wondering with this chapter closing what will the next chapter bring. My wondering is of sadness still.
Regarding support for our Afghan allies, Post 3063 has a track record of backing the Special Immigrant Visa program. In 2020, our post voted to endorse No One Left Behind’s proposed resolution for adoption at the VFW National Convention. We’re happy to report that it was adopted by National last summer. See more about the SIV program and No One Left Behind’s advocacy here.
Veterans who served in Afghanistan may be experiencing a range of challenging emotions related to the U.S withdrawal from the country and unfolding events. Veterans who served during other conflicts may also be feeling strong emotions as they may be reminded of their own deployment experiences. Strategies for managing ongoing distress are available here. Please take care of yourselves and also feel free to reach out to our Post 3063 Service Officer, Joseph Mesa at [email protected].