Announcements Page 1

Know How to Self-Screen for PTSD

June 27th is PTSD Screening Day

On this day, we ask that everyone spread the word about the importance of self-screening. Self-screening is an important first step for those who may be experiencing PTSD to receive the treatment they need. The self-screen takes only a few minutes to complete and can help you find out if your feelings and behaviors may be related to PTSD. Your responses are private and secure, they are not collected or shared. This tool is a terrific way to help get you on the path to treating PTSD. During PTSD Awareness month we want to help as many people as possible. If you are concerned that someone you care about might be experiencing PTSD, please share this screen with them and encourage them to take it. Become an advocate of PTSD awareness by knowing the signs and sharing what you’ve learned with others.

Click above to Take A Self Screen Test

The Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing changes to the VA Schedule for Ratings 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. The public has 60 days to provide comments to VA regarding the two proposed updates via the Federal Register notices located here and here.

Thomas J. Murphy Director, Northeast District Performing the Delegable Duties of the Under Secretary for Benefits

From Project 9 Line

Dear supporters,

Feds to balance budget directly from disabled Veterans pockets The Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing changes to the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities specifically pertaining to the respiratory & auditory body systems as well as mental disorders. The “savings” from these proposed changes are projected at 100 Billion dollars over the next 10 years. That equals $100,000 directly from 1 Million Veterans pockets. The main conditions affected are Sleep Apnea, Tinnitus, and PTSD.

We only have 1 week left to stop them.

Please alert your network around the country to tell their local congressman that we do not want these changes made. Also, please tell your media contacts the same. Together we can stop them but we must Act now. The VA claims that they will not reduce any current Ratings but it is the VA’s regular practice to periodically reassess disabled veterans who have not sought an increase. If a reassessment occurs, it may be done under the new guidelines and the risk of reduction is most definitely present. This new rating schedule may effect every veteran past, present, and future. The reason for the proposed sleep apnea changes is because many veterans who were exposed to burn pits and/or agent orange (both are dioxin) have developed the condition sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is extremely debilitating and can be fatal. Currently, if a veteran is diagnosed with sleep apnea and is prescribed a CPAP (Continuous positive airway pressure) machine they are entitled to 50% service connection. Sleep apnea symptoms include; excessive daytime sleepiness (hypersomnia), depression, anxiety, headaches, sexual dysfunction, high blood pressure, increased accidents, cardiac issues, loud snoring, gasping for air during sleep, morning headache, difficulty staying asleep (insomnia), of inability to concentrate, irritability, snoring, restlessness while sleeping, waking up suddenly after gasping or choking, trouble concentrating, forgetfulness, or crankiness, constant need to go pee at night, night sweats as well as it can lead to a stroke.

The VA is proposing to eliminate the 50% threshold verbiage that currently states “the veteran requires the use of a breathing assistance device, such as a CPAP machine” which entitles the veteran to 50% service connection. By removing this verbiage they will effectively eliminate any future applicants from getting the 50% rating for sleep apnea. The VA states “the basis for assignment of evaluation at all of these proposed levels will be the functional impairment caused by sleep apnea, not simply the method of treatment.” Also, the VA claims the “purpose of these changes is to update medical terminology, incorporate medical advances that have occurred since the last review, and provide well- defined criteria in accordance with actual clinical practice.” This is not so, It’s all about the money as shown through the VA projected savings in the VA economic impact study released on January 27, 2022. From said VA economic impact study - “VALUE: VA has determined that there are costs and transfer savings associated with this rule-making. The total transfers savings is $15 billion from FY 2022-2026 and $57.1 billion over a 10-year period from FY 2022-2031.” Most of that savings (40 Billion) is from the proposed sleep apnea ratings changes and Tinnitus removal (15 Billion). The reason for the tinnitus changes is because almost everyone that has served has developed tinnitus. Tinnitus is the most commonly service connected condition. Over 90% of Veteran applicants are granted service connection for tinnitus (over 2 million veterans are service connected for tinnitus) and are paid about $150 per month at the current rate. The VA is proposing to eliminate the 10% rating for tinnitus and combine the symptoms of tinnitus with hearing loss and rate it under hearing loss. The issue is that the threshold for service connection for hearing loss is much more difficulty to achieve. The result of this change will make it extremely difficult for veterans to be compensated for tinnitus and the constant ringing in the ears. Also, in a separate simultaneous proposal, the VA is proposing to change the Rating Schedule for mental health conditions. After review it seems that these changes may be beneficial to veterans but we should all be wary of assuming any benefit from these changes just yet. The definition and interpretation of the new verbiage has yet to be played out. With an estimated savings of 45 Billion over the next 10 years, it appears that the veterans with mental health conditions could be paying the price. Estimated savings based on the VA economic impact study of the proposed changes to the mental health verbiage within the ratings schedule. “Estimated impact: VA has determined that there are costs and transfers associated with this rule making. The total budgetary impact is $18.3 billion from FT 2022-2026 and $45 billion over a 10-year period from FY 2022-2031.” We can not let them make these changes. Please take the time to alert your fellow Americans, fellow veterans, elected officials, and media connections that we do not want these changes made.

Links to VA regulation proposals: https://www.regulations.gov/document/VA-2022-VBA-0009-0001 https://www.regulations.gov/document/VA-2022-VBA-0010-0001

Writing your specific representatives is easy and takes very little time. All you’ll have to do is these 7 steps.

1. Copy and past or type this url into your browser: https://www.congress.gov/contact-us

2. Click on the box in the middle of the page that says “find address or place” and either click “use current location” or type in your address.

3. After you type and select your address the page directs you to all your members. Each one has their name as a hyperlink. Click on their name.

4. It then brings you to the members profile and a link to their website. Click the link to their website.

5. Each representative has their individual website with a contact option. Click on contact and follow the prompts filling out all boxes with your information.

6. Copy and past the “Call to Action Template” and make sure you fill out your name, amount of tours, name again at the bottom and your email. If you have not served overseas or are a concerned citizen advocating for disabled veterans, then you can simply delete the second sentence of the letter.

7. Please take the time to alert your fellow veterans, concerned citizens, elected officials, and media connections that we do not want these changes made. Disabled veterans stand to lose more than they can bear.

Sample letter that you can copy and paste:

Dear (Reps name here), My name is ____________________.

I am a disabled veteran with _____ tours during what has become this country’s longest fought war in the history of our nation.

I am writing to inform you of a travesty that is about to occur to our nations finest heroes, our disabled military veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing changes to the VA Schedule for Rating Disabilities specifically pertaining to the respiratory & auditory systems as well as mental disorders. The “savings” from these proposed changes are projected at 100 Billion dollars over the next 10 years. That’s $100,000 from 1 Million Veterans. The main conditions affected are Sleep Apnea, Tinnitus, and PTSD. Roughly 1.5 million veterans currently receive benefits for tinnitus, the single largest disability amongst veterans that pays approximately $150 a month. Roughly 1 in 5 veterans have obstructive sleep apnea, a disorder that has an extensive list of debilitating symptoms that could lead to life threatening issues. And approximately 41% of veterans have a service connected mental health need according to the latest study reported in 2018 by the National Academy of Sciences. The 20 year war produced approximately 3 million veterans whom have either served in direct combat deployments or support roles. The median age is just under 37 years old which tells the greater story as more and more veterans deteriorate at a significantly faster rate than those whom have not been exposed the tremendous physical and mental stressors of combat. Understandably, the budget that takes care of our veterans has ballooned an exorbitant amount since the start of this war but the attempt to remedy should not come at the expense of our military veterans health and much needed income? These men and women have sacrificed for this nation and the benefits that they receive are compensation for the disabilities and traumas that they now have to live with. Their benefits are not a reward or a bonus. Their compensation fills a gap created by the effects of war. Quite simply, these are dues that are owed. We can not allow the veterans administration to balance a budget by literally removing money from veterans pockets. We need your help! We are reaching out to as many people as possible (Congress members, Senators, media, Veteran entities) to spread this knowledge in hopes to create a large, well informed community who will come together to prevent the VA from taking benefits from future and current veterans. And we are asking you to please do what you can to represent the veterans of your district as well as this nation to stop these actions of the VA.

For more information regarding press releases, Q&A, and how you can help, please email info@project9line.org

Thank you for your time and we look forward to speaking with you.

Warmest Regards,

Name_______________ info@project9line.org

Your Email___________________

Project 9 Line Headquarters

25 Union Ave.

Islip, NY 11751

Find out more

ARE YOU BEING SCAMED ?

Have you received a suspicious call from an organization claiming to represent or have affiliation with the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA)? Did the caller guarantee a lucrative payout for your disability compensation or pension claim for a “small fee”?

If so, you may be a target of a scammer. Recently, VA has seen an increase of fraudsters and non-accredited representatives who are targeting the pension benefits of elderly Veterans and their dependents and survivors.

VA is committed to defeating fraudsters, who target elderly Veterans, by educating them, their families, and all partners about the types of fraudulent tactics being used against them, including Pension Poaching.

Pension Poaching is the financial exploitation by an advisor who profits by artificially qualifying a claimant for VA pension benefits.

The scheme often involves financial maneuvers such as advising claimants to hide their assets in trusts or annuity products sometimes resulting in lost investments and lucrative fees paid to the advisor. Pension Poaching is rapidly evolving as a preferred method used by criminals to defraud elderly Veterans, survivors, and their families who are eligible for VA benefits.

To avoid being a victim to these tactics, here are some helpful tips to remember when protecting yourself from fraud:

Be suspicious if someone offers to shift your assets around to qualify for VA pension. You may be required to repay benefits to the government.

NEVER share eBenefits, VA.GOV, or other VA login credentials with anyone.

DO NOT deposit VA benefits directly into a third-party bank account unless the person is court appointed or a VA accredited fiduciary.

Remember, VA does not charge for processing a claim or request a processing fee. Use VA accredited organizations to help file your claim.

VA does not threaten or take adverse actions such as jail or lawsuits on claimants. If in doubt, call VA directly at 1-800-827-1000.

To report suspected activity, please contact the VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) by calling 1-800-488-8244. You may also file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission by visiting www.consumercomplaints.fcc.gov.

Protecting Veterans’ benefits against fraudulent activity is one of the best things everyone can do to honor them, their service and sacrifice.

COVID 19 Vaccine and 2nd Booster- General Information

Dear ALL:

We received guidance from VHA Central Office to move forward and implement the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance allowing a second booster with an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine to be administered at least 4 months after a first booster of any authorized or approved vaccine for: individuals at least 50 years of age, individuals with immune compromise, or individuals of any age who received Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 for their initial vaccine and the booster dose.

A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine or Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 50 years of age and older at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.

A second booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered to individuals 12 years of age and older with certain kinds of immune compromise at least 4 months after receipt of a first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine.

A second booster dose of the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine may be administered at least 4 months after the first booster dose of any authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccine to individuals 18 years of age and older with certain kinds of immune compromise.

A second booster dose may be administered with either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at least 4 months after receipt of a booster dose for any person who had Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 for both their initial vaccine and their booster dose.

This is to inform you that effective Monday, April 4, 2022 we will have availability of Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 second boosters for :

Veterans and employees from 8:00AM to 2:00PM
in Building 5 (Auditorium) basement area.
Walk-in vaccination will continue to be offered.

Please, take the opportunity to revamp your immune system with this second booster so we continue fighting COVID-19 Pandemic.

Sincerely,

Antonio Sanchez, MD, MHSA, FAPA, FACHE

Executive Director Northport VA Medical Center

HEADS UP !!

If you receive a suspicious email from the Department of Veterans Affairs, DO NOT open the email...

or click on any attachments or links. VA does not send emails asking for personal information, threatening emails, or emails claiming to take adverse actions on claimants or beneficiaries (jail or lawsuits).

If you receive any of these emails or are in doubt about any communications appearing to be from VA, please contact VA directly at 1 (800) 827-1000.

Phishing is a type of cyber-attack where the attacker sends a message designed to deceive a person and convince them to reveal sensitive information to the attacker. It is the most common means attackers use to gain unauthorized access to a device to obtain sensitive information. Phishing emails can come from an unfamiliar sender or familiar looking sender with an email address that is off by a few letters.

Additionally, phishing emails can include large or “too good to be true” offers or attachments. VA takes the security of Veterans seriously.

For more information, please see this YouTube video of VA’s Office of Financial Management, Chief Financial Officer Charles Tapp II, on the proactive measures VA has taken to protect and prevent fraudulent activity and how you can protect your finances and personal data from fraud.

VA blogs also have information to help you stay vigilant at work and in your personal life and provide additional information on how phishing attacks are getting even more sophisticated.

You can find more information to help keep you cybersafe at Cybercrime Support Network and the Scam Spotter organization.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will propose adding certain rare respiratory cancers to the list of presumed service-connected disabilities in relation to military environmental exposure to particulate matter.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the larynx;
SCC of the trachea;
Adenocarcinoma of the trachea;
Salivary gland-type tumors of the trachea;
Adenosquamous carcinoma of the lung;
Large cell carcinoma of the lung;
Salivary gland-type tumors of the lung;
Sarcomatoid carcinoma of the lung and;
Typical and atypical carcinoid of the lung.

Any Veteran who had one of these cancers manifest to a degree of 0% or more at any time during or after separation would become eligible for service-connection. VA intends to focus its rule on the rare respiratory cancers above in Veterans who served any amount of time in the Southwest Asia theater of operations and other locations. VA will invite and consider public comments as part of this process. The publication date of the federal register will occur in the coming weeks. Once rulemaking is complete, VA will conduct outreach to impacted veterans and survivors to inform them about potential eligibility.

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.

Learn more

Bulletin Board: Announcements - page 1