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ROBERT BERTSCHY

Department Commander

I attended the Mid-Winter Conference in Washington, D.C. March 1 thru March 4. There were some very important seminars. I visited with both Senator George Voinovich (R) and Sherrod Brown (D). Also, I visited Ohio’s District 6 Representative Charlie Brown.

Following was my presentation to them:

Stand up for veterans. They stood up for us.

The President just released his 2009 budget request. How well does it stand up for veterans? Unfortunately, the President’s budget won’t meet our veterans’ needs. We need a budget that keeps faith with America’s veterans. More than 50,000 of our military service personnel and veterans are returning from Iraq and Afghanistan with serious wounds and permanent disabilities. Yet the Federal Government is not providing sufficient, timely, and predictable funding to treat their visible and invisible wounds of war. Our veterans stood up for us when we needed them.

Now it’s time we stand up for them.

We are asking the senate and the congress to keep our national commitment to provide our veterans with the mental and physical care they need. Disability claims pose long waits for wounded and injured veterans. They are now backlogged over 600,000 cases with waits that veterans have that take years.

Where is the promise made to veterans?

Washington said the nation owes veterans a “DEBT OF HONOR”. Bush often speaks of “support and compassion “in speeches about veterans. Lincoln said our mission is “To care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and orphans.” All of this sounds good, but it’s not a promise.

Military retirees of the World War II era were under the assumption they would have free lifetime health care at military hospitals. Those hospitals were closed. Vietnam veterans fought for years to get benefits for exposure to Agent Orange. Now they are being denied their benefits. Our new veterans coming home from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan find themselves faced with military and VA Health Care Systems that are under-funded, overcrowded and incapable of caring for their needs.

All of these veterans thought there was a promise and found out otherwise.

As a 7 year U.S. Navy veteran, during WW II and the Korean War or conflict, “whatever” I am concerned about proper funding of the VA Health Care Budget. The VA Health Care budget has been under-funded for too long, that is why our congressional leaders have been trying to catch up with the needs of our VA Health Care System.

Two things that would have disabled veterans believing they have not been forgotten. Veterans’ priorities should be a high priority for leaders on Capitol Hill. (1) Each year, pass a VA Budget before Veterans Day so medical centers don’t have to stop doing the good things that they do for veterans, service. (2) VA Mandatory Funding. Every year, congress must fight over the dollar figures. As VA Health Care funding is still part of the discretionary budget. There have been House and Senate resolutions to make VA Health Care part of the mandatory budget. These resolutions have languished in committee or never made it to a vote. The VA Health Care Budget has been under- funded for too long. Therefore, I am asking you as my Senator or Representative, do you support Full and Mandatory Funding for VA Health Care ? Will you push to bring the matter to the floor for a vote? Will you vote for it? You must know that my vote in the coming elections depends on your answer.

This is a very important issue for me and you. A priority concern, our Ohio disabled veterans would like to know. Veterans do vote. Our votes do count, as a veteran, our spouses, family and close friends. So we are hoping that you will stand up for veterans and keep our veterans as top priority.

IMPORTANT NUMBERS

Nat’l. Hdqrs., DAV (877) 426-2838

NSO Office, Cleveland (216) 522-3507

NSO Office, Cincinnati (513) 684-2676

Washington Office, DAV (202) 554-3501

Cincinnati HSC,

Sheila Clements (513) 475-6443

Mike Shaw (513) 475-6443

Dayton HSC, (937) 268-6511

Gene McCorkle Ext. 2962

Wade Park HSC, (216) 791-3800

Walter Dryja Ext. 3395

Chillicothe HSC (740) 773-1141

James Keller Ext. 7916

Columbus Clinic, (614) 257-5487

Michael Hackworth

Brecksville HSC, (440) 526-3030

Don Branford Ext. 7353

Warren Clinic (330) 392-0311

Youngstown Clinic (330) 70-9200

Ext. 105

Veterans Administration 1-800-827-1000

DATES TO REMEMBER

April 6, 2008 8^th District Meeting, Bellaire Chapter #117, Lunch at 1 p.m. and meeting to begin at 2 p.m., 3134 Guernsey St., Bellaire.

April 6, 2008 10^th District Meeting, Senior Center, 4656 W. Broad St., Columbus, meeting to begin at 1:30 p.m.

April 12, 2008 Testimonial Dinner Auxiliary Commander Dorothy Clark, Holiday Inn Eastgate, Cincinnati, Ohio

April 13, 2008 3^rd District Meeting, Van Wert Chapter #54, VFW Post 5803, 111 N. Shannon St., Meeting to begin at 1 p.m., lunch will follow, Van Wert.

April 13, 2008 5^th District Meeting, VFW Post, 3494 Ashland Road, Mansfield, Ohio at 1 p.m. Chapter #21 will serve lunch after the business meeting.

April 19, 2008 Testimonial Dinner Commander Robert Bertschy, Holiday Inn, Canton, 4520 Everhard Rd., NW, Canton, OH

April 26, 2008 9^th District Meeting, Jackson Chapter #45, 170 Pearl Street, Jackson, Lunch at noon with the meeting to follow.

April 27, 2008 6^th District Meeting, Brooklyn-Parma Chapter #116, at 2 p.m., 6617 Ridge Rd., Parma, Ohio.

April 27, 2008 7^th District Meeting, Alliance Chapter #50, 9540 McCallum Ave., at 2 p.m., Alliance, Ohio

May 2-3, 2008 Forget-Me-Not, H.B. “Doc” Riley Chapter #51, Ironton and Coal Grove consecutively, Ohio

May 10, 2008 1^st District Meeting, St. Timothy Episcopal Church, 8101 Beachmont Ave., Meeting to begin at noon, Cincinnati, Ohio

May 14, 2008 Mobile Service Office, Clermont County Community Based Outpatient Clinic, 4355 Ferguson Dr., Suite 270, Cincinnati, Ohio from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 15, 208 Mobile Service Office, Hamilton VA Healthcare Associates, Butler County, 1755-C South Erie Highway, Hamilton, Ohio from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 16, 2008 Mobile Service Office, Harold J. Hursh Chapter #131, 4610 Trenton-Franklin Road, Middletown, Ohio from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 17, 2008 Mobile Service Office, Buchminns Harley-Davidson, 1213 Cincinnati Ave., Xenia, Ohio from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

May 23-26, 2008 Forget-Me-Not, Hamilton-Fairfield Chapter #15, Bass Pro, 300 Cincinnati Mills Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio.

May 30, 2008 DAV Day at the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati, Ohio

June 5-8, 2008 DAV Department Convention, The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio

August 8-9-10, 2008 Forget-Me-Not Drive, Salem Chapter #122, Salem, Ohio

August 9-12, 2008 DAV National Convention,

Bally’s Hotel, Las Vegas.

October 10-12, 2008 DAV Department Fall Conference, The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.

June 4-7, 2009 DAV Department Convention,

The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.

October 9-11, 2009 DAV Department Fall Conference, The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.

June 10-13, 2010 DAV Department Convention,

The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.

October 8-10, 2010 DAV Department Fall Conference, The Crowne Plaza, Dublin, Ohio.

NOTES FROM YOUR STATE ADJUTANT

Thought For April: A truly honorable and honest person is one who always does the right thing even when no one is looking.

It is long overdue for our legislators to honor our veteran’s sacrifices with fully funded Health Care. Many of you remember when most military bases had full service hospital – not just clinics – with emergency rooms, beds, surgical facilities and specialists. Doctors and nurses in uniform care for medical needs of active duty, retirees and dependents. Now, after the Cold War ended, policymakers & legislators pushed for cost-saving reforms and Tricare was hatched. Full service hospitals at most based were scrapped and retired

Veterans and dependents “went downtown” for their health care.

If Tricare was supposed to save money – and the military is smaller than during the Cold War – then why are we hearing the cries for cost savings? A pentagon Task Force says health care costs will soar to $65 billion by 2015 and recommended huge increases in copay and rate increases to discourage retiree from using benefits. Task Force member Dr. Gail Wilensky said these increases are needed to “make the military health plan more acceptable to the public”.

I think what they’re really saying is they no longer want to provide non-active duty health care! What started in the 90s as “we never promised health care to military retirees” has evolved into “health benefits are too generous and unaffordable.”

Here’s my suggestion for health care reform: Just fund it! If it costs $65 billion to provide health care to our military, retirees and their families, so be it! The US military is the biggest bargain in human history. At a cost of about 3% of our gross domestic product, about 11% of the American population guarantees the liberty and security of over 300 million Americans and countless allied citizens around the world. Under the protection of our 2.7 million uniformed volunteer servicemembers, humanity has enjoyed the greatest period of prosperity in history.

Many of these servicemembers spend half their time deployed. Knowing their families have affordable and accessible health care keeps them focused on their mission. And, knowing they have quality health care benefits after they retire keeps them in uniform. Why, then, do policymakers continue to insist on whittling away the benefits of those who have sacrificed so much?

If Tricare is failing to control costs, then why did we scrap the self-sufficient military Health Care system?? If the pentagon cannot keep up with the rising costs of commercial Health Care, maybe it should consider rebuilding the military health care system.

Let’s put the Task Force’s statement about military health care looking “too generous” into perspective: Congress just spent $170 billion to send every American a check with the hope that we’d simply spend it. That $170 billion is more than the entire Department of the Navy’s budget!! Money to keep Tricare funded is there; it’s just not a priority!

Ohio State Association

Of County Veterans Service Officers (OSACVSO)

President: James M. McAuliffe

News Release from the Ohio State Association of County Veterans Service Officers (OSACVSO) The Ohio State Association of County Veterans Service Officers (OSACVS0) wishes to remind veterans of an important benefit provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs being Nursing Home Care.

The Veterans Health Administration (VHA) provides nursing home services to veterans through three national programs: VA owned and operated nursing home, state veterans’ homes owned and operated by the states, and the community nursing home program. Each program has admission and eligibility criteria specific to the program.

VA Nursing Homes: VA owned and operated nursing homes typically admit residents requiring short-term skilled care or those who have a 70 percent or greater service-connected disability.

State Veterans’ Home Program: The state veterans’ home program is a cooperative venture between the states and the VA whereby the states petition VA for matching construction grants and once granted, the state, the veteran, and VA pay a portion of the per diem. The per diem is set in legislation. Specialized services offered are dependent upon the capability of the home to render them. Ohio Veterans Homes are located in Sandusky, Ohio (419-625-2454) and Georgetown, Ohio. (937-378-2900).

Community Nursing Home Program: VA maintains contracts with community nursing home though every VA medical center. The purpose of this program is to meet the nursing home needs of veterans who require long-term nursing home care in their own community cost to their families.

Eligibility: The general admission criteria for nursing home placement requires that a resident must be medically stable, I.e. Not acutely ill, have sufficient functional deficits to require inpatient nursing home care, and is accessed by an appropriate medical provider to be in need of institutional nursing home care. Furthermore, the veteran must meet the required VA eligibility criteria for nursing home care or the contract nursing home program and the eligibility criteria for the specific state veterans home. VA social workers are available to assist veterans in interpreting their eligibility and co-pay requirements if indicated. It is suggested that if you have questions about eligibility, that you make contact with your local VAMC or local VA Outpatient Clinic Social Workers.

Long-Term Care Services: In addition to nursing home care, VA offers a variety of other long-term services either directly or by contract with community-based agencies. Such services include adult day health care, inpatient or outpatient respite care, inpatient or out patient geriatric evaluation and management, hospice and palliative care, and home based primary care. Veterans receiving these services may be subject to a co-pay.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
March 28, 2008

Reps. Michaud and Miller Introduce Substance Abuse Legislation for Veterans Congressman Mike Michaud (D-Maine), Chairman of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health, joined with Congressman Jeff Miller (R-Fla.), the subcommittee’s Ranking Member, to introduce the Veterans Substance Use Disorder Prevention and Treatment Act of 2008. The bill would require the VA to provide a range of solutions for treating substance abuse at every VA medical center. Rep. Michaud penned an op-ed in The Hill on this legislation. DAV Testifies on Substance Abuse DAV’s Assistant National Legislative Director, Joy Ilem, testified before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs earlier this month on substance abuse. She urged the Committee to provide veterans with access to a full continuum of care for substance use disorders, including drug screening in all care locations, intensive outpatient treatment and residential care for the most severely addicted. Her testimony can be viewed here. Members of Congress Encouraged to Sign Pledge DAV is asking members of Congress to sign a pledge that supports the principle of ensuring veterans receive the comprehensive medical care and support that they deserve. The pledge was distributed earlier this month on Capitol Hill by hundreds of DAV members. A copy of the pledge can be viewed here. Media Coverage The Boston Globe wrote about the insufficient support for relatives of disabled veterans and others serving as caretakers. USA Today ran a story on how the Pentagon admitted to delaying screening for mild brain injuries for two years. About the Stand Up for Veterans Initiative "Stand Up for Veterans" is a new initiative of the Disabled American Veterans, an organization of 1.3 million disabled veterans who are focused on building better lives for disabled veterans and their families. The initiative seeks to find public policy solutions for all veterans, particularly those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, who have incurred devastating injuries and disabilities, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychological wounds of war. Please visit www.standup4vets.org to learn more about this effort. Stand up for veterans. They stood up for us.

Information Bulletin

IMPORTANT NUMBERS