2021 State and Federal Benefits Updates

Federal COVID Updates

Vaccine eligibility through the federal VA expanded

At the time of publication, many VA health facilities and clinics now offer COVID-19 vaccines to these groups: • All veterans • Spouses and surviving spouses of veterans • Caregivers of veterans. For COVID-19 vaccine eligibility, we define a caregiver as a family member or friend who provides care to a veteran. Caregivers may help a veteran with personal needs like feeding, bathing, or dressing. They may also help a veteran with tasks like shopping or transportation. • Recipients of Civilian Health and Medical Program of the Department of Veterans Affairs (CHAMPVA) benefits

More information: va.gov/health-care/covid-19vaccine/#who-can-now-get-a-covid-19-vac

The federal VA has expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to include all veterans, spouses and surviving spouses of veterans, caregivers of veterans and CHAMPVA benefits recipients.

Copayment refund notification letters mailed to veterans

The American Rescue Plan (ARP), passed in March 2021, included a provision that canceled VA copayments for medical care and pharmacy services received between April 6, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021. Refunds will be sent to veterans who paid copayments for health care and pharmacy services received during this period.

On May 12, 2021, VA began mailing letters to each veteran with information on refunds, timing of when informational patient statements will resume, and when VA will begin normal collection of copayments.

VA will resume normal billing and collections Oct. 1, 2021.

More information: va.gov/COMMUNITYCARE/revenue_ops/ Medical-debt-relief.asp

NCA lifts restrictions on attendance at committal services, adjusts COVID safety precautions

VA’s National Cemetery Administration (NCA) announced it would lift all restrictions on gathering sizes at committal and memorial services in VA national cemeteries starting on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

Consistent with the new CDC guidance, NCA will still require persons who are not fully vaccinated to practice the safety procedures recommended by the CDC — such as wearing face coverings and maintaining physical distancing — while visiting a cemetery or attending a service.

More information: cem.va.gov/alerts.asp

Details on FEMA’s COVID-19 Funeral Expense Reimbursement Program

VA’s National Cemetery Scheduling Office and VA national cemeteries have received many calls from family members and funeral homes asking how they can apply for the Funeral Expense Reimbursement Program that covers funeral expenses when a loved one’s death was related to COVID-19.

This new program, which began on April 12, 2021, is run entirely by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). VA has no role in creating or tracking claims for this reimbursement program.

More information: fema.gov/disasters/coronavirus/economic/funeral-assistance/faq

VEText: From local innovation to national COVID-19 support

VA is focused on quickly administering the COVID-19 vaccine to Veterans, especially veterans who live in rural areas.

Thanks to VEText, a text message appointment reminder system for veterans with the potential to decrease no-shows, developed through the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) Innovation Ecosystem (VHA IE), VA already had systems in place to begin doing just that.

VEText is alerting veterans about COVID-19 information, vaccine availability and scheduling.

More information: va.gov/HEALTH/VEText.asp

Federal VA has resumed in-person exams nationwide

Although the pandemic has caused Compensation & Pension examinations to accumulate, VBA has now safely resumed inperson exams everywhere in the country and will schedule them as soon as possible.

If your in-person examination was not completed due to the pandemic, you can reschedule directly with the contract vendor identified in your original appointment letter.

All examinations completed at contract examination facilities are held to the same safety guidelines as those conducted at VA facilities.

More information: benefits.va.gov/COMPENSATION/claimexam.asp

Post office sees rise in COVID vaccination scams targeting veterans

Postal service leaders are warning veterans to be wary of a new round of financial scams targeting their families by promising quicker coronavirus vaccines and extra money for virus-related medical care.

Officials from Operation Protect Veterans — a joint effort from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and AARP that is focused on scams directed at veterans and military members — said they have seen an increase in recent weeks in the number of illicit offers for veterans to “cut in the vaccination line” if they provide cash to third-party groups.

The group also warned of scammers offering “cash payments or other incentives around obtaining a COVID vaccination.”

They also said any veteran with questions about an unsolicited offer or program should check out the deal with a family member, friend, or local Veterans Affairs office. Callers who demand veterans act immediately on such a transaction are like scammers.

More information: uspis.gov/veterans

American Rescue Plan to enable modernization, reduce claims backlog

The pandemic and the corresponding economic crisis have had a tremendous impact on the health and economic well-being of millions of veterans. Now, the American Rescue Plan will help America’s veterans bounce back.

The $1.9 trillion coronavirus economic relief package for Americans allocates $17 billion in support of VA’s nationwide response to the pandemic.

Federal Benefits Updates

My HealtheVet Advanced accounts will be discontinued

Beginning in September 2021, My HealtheVet Advanced accounts will be discontinued.

If you have an Advanced account today and do not upgrade to a Premium account, your account will revert to a Basic account. If that occurs, you will lose access to the pharmacy features, including the ability to request and track your VA prescription refills.

If you have an Advanced account, there are three ways to upgrade to Premium level: in person, online or through a video appointment. Upgrading your account is free.

More information: va.gov/VAntage/90996/healthevetadvanced-accounts-will-discontinued

VA to re-adjudicate some veteran and survivor claims

VA will re-adjudicate claims for veterans who served in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. VA will determine if benefits can now be paid retroactively based on the veteran’s presumption of herbicide exposure through the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019.

Contact your local veteran service office for help filing or refiling your claim. Directory on page 31.

More information: va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardousmaterials-exposure/agent-orange

VA plans expansion of benefits for disability claims for conditions related to certain toxic exposures

VA announced two major decisions related to presumptive conditions associated with Agent Orange and particulate matter exposures during military service in Southwest Asia.

Agent Orange: VA has added three conditions to the list of those presumptively associated with exposure to herbicide agents, more commonly known as Agent Orange. Those conditions are bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and Parkinsonism.

Vietnam War-era veterans and their survivors who previously filed and were denied benefits for one of these three new presumptive conditions will have their cases automatically reviewed without the need to refile a claim. VA will send letters to impacted veterans and survivors.

Particulate Matter Exposures: The federal VA has added new respiratory conditions, including asthma, sinusitis and rhinitis, to the list of chronic disabilities for veterans who served in the Southwest Asia theater of operations during the Persian Gulf War and/or after Sept. 19, 2001, or in Afghanistan and Uzbekistan during the Persian Gulf War. The VA will now be processing these claims on a presumptive basis if the conditions manifested within 10 years of a qualifying period of service.

Contact your local veteran service office for help filing or refiling your claim. Directory on page 31.

More information: publichealth.va.gov/exposures/index.asp

Community emergency care now easier for veterans to report

Using an online tool or a central phone number, it’s now easier to notify VA within 72 hours when a veteran receives emergency care at a community provider.

VA’s centralized online Emergency Care Reporting (ECR) portal assists with coordination of an eligible veteran’s care at a community emergency department and transfer to a VA medical center if necessary.

Eligible veterans who require emergency treatment can receive care at a local community emergency department without prior approval from VA. Usually, eligible veterans can receive VAauthorized emergency care at an in-network community facility if VA is notified within 72 hours of the start of care.

Veterans, their representatives or community emergency department providers should submit treatment information through the ECR portal at EmergencyCareReporting. CommunityCare.va.gov, or by calling 844-72HRVHA (844-7247842).

VA.gov site becomes central login for accessing benefits

Veterans and their families began accessing their VA benefits and services on the new and user-friendly VA.gov website starting April 30, 2021.

Users are now to access information about VA benefits and services through a single site rather than through multiple locations.

All benefits-related features previously located in the eBenefits web portal are available on VA.gov. Veterans are encouraged to start logging into the site using their current Digital Service (DS) Logon or creating a new account using ID.me.

More information: va.gov

Veterans get updates through new digital notifications feature

Veterans, their families and caregivers can now receive digital notifications through VANotify, a new paperless platform.

While veterans already receive appointment notifications through VEText, VA sends most notifications via postal mail. With VANotify, veterans can now receive even more VA notifications by email and text.

Veterans do not have to sign up for VANotify. VA is automatically using it on the back-end to streamline communications to veterans who receive services from VA, as long as the veteran’s contact information with VA is up to date.

More information: blogs.va.gov/VAntage/85891/veteransget-updates-through-new-digital-notification-feature

Veteran eligibility and access to VA home loans expanded

New changes passed by Congress and signed by the president have expanded veteran eligibility and access to the VA’s home loan program.

The Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act of 2020 makes the following changes:

1. Broadens the timeframe of veterans qualifying for the Vietnam War era and has been revised to include those who served from November 1, 1955. The previous date was February 28, 1961.

2. Authorizes benefit access for service members and veterans mobilized to perform full-time National Guard duty for not less than 90 cumulative days, including at least 30 consecutive days.

3. Veterans, service members, and certain surviving spouses with VA-guaranteed home loans in areas that have been declared major disasters by the president and whose residences have been substantially damaged are now eligible to be charged a first time use funding fee on a new VA-guaranteed loan rather than a subsequent use funding fee. The new VA-guaranteed loan must be for the repair or construction of the dwelling and closed within three years of the presidential declaration of the disaster.

More information about the VA Home Loan Program, visit va.gov/housing-assistance/home-loans.

State Benefits Updates

Honor flights to resume after yearlong wait

Some 25 veterans from Central Oregon, their guardians, and administrative people plan to fly out of Redmond Airport on Sept. 22, after a yearlong delay due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

More information: www.honorflightofcentraloregon.org

South Willamette Valley Honor Flight, is taking off again: their next scheduled flight leaves on September 30 and returns on October 4.

More information: www.swvhonorflight.org

Memorial honoring Vietnam War veterans on Oregon Capitol grounds moves forward

Legislators and veteran groups are moving forward with a new memorial to Vietnam War veterans on the southeast corner of the Oregon Capitol grounds.

The current design of the memorial will include black granite columns along State and Cottage streets with the names and hometowns of Oregonians who died in the war.

More information: www.salemreporter.com/posts/4317/ memorial-honoring-vietnam-war-veterans-on-oregoncapitol-grounds-moves-forward