Newsbytes October 18, 2024
In this issue:
VA has Housed more than 43,000 Homeless Veterans
Vietnam Helicopter Dust off Crews Receive Congressional Gold Medal
Keep DEERS Up to Date
VA has Housed more than 43,000 Homeless Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that between October 2023 and August 2024, it housed 43,116 veterans experiencing homelessness, surpassing its FY 2024 goal of housing 43,000 veterans one month before the end of the fiscal year. VA has also ensured that 96.3% of the veterans housed so far this fiscal year have not returned to homelessness and engaged 38,476 unsheltered veterans to ensure they have access to housing and other necessary services. Preventing and eliminating veteran homelessness is a top priority for VA. Between 2022 and 2023, VA permanently housed nearly 87,000 veterans. As a result of these efforts, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has fallen by over 4% since early 2020 and by more than 52% since 2010. “No person who has served this country should ever have to experience homelessness,” said VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “And make no mistake: we won’t rest until every veteran has a safe, stable, accessible, and affordable home to call their own.”
The House passed (408-10) the FRA-supported “Housing our Military Veterans Effectively Act” (HOME Act-H.R. 3848) to help lift veterans out of homelessness. The HOME Act would increase the per diem rate that VA pays nonprofit organizations that assist veterans with short-term transitional housing, such as the Salvation Army. The per diem rate would also continue to adjust for inflation every year. The HOME Act also creates a stipend that homeless veterans can use to purchase necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, and hygiene items; transportation services; or communications equipment such as smartphones, so veterans can maintain contact with health care providers, prospective landlords, and family members. Members can weigh in on this issue at: https://www.votervoice.net/FRA/Campaigns/110027/Respond
Vietnam Helicopter Dust Off Crews to Receive Congressional Gold Medal
President Biden has signed the “Dustoff Crews of the Vietnam War Congressional Gold Medal Act” (S. 2825-Public Law 118-87) into law. Long sought by advocates, this legislation recognizes the pilots, crew chiefs, and medics who served honorably during the Vietnam War aboard helicopter air ambulances. The honor is collectively awarded to the more than 3,000 service members who flew between combat zones and field hospitals. Plans for the official Congressional Gold Medal presentation ceremony are expected to be announced soon by the White House.
Keep DEERS Up to Date
The Defense Health Agency (DHA) wants to remind TRICARE beneficiaries of the importance of keeping information in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) up to date. If it’s been a while, it’s extremely important to take time to log in to DEERS to review or update your information. “DEERS plays a critical role in the administration and management of military healthcare benefits, supporting the needs of service members, retirees, and their families,” said Regina Julian, deputy assistant director of Healthcare Operations at the DHA. DEERS shows if you and your family members are eligible for and enrolled in TRICARE benefits. If you do not keep information current, it could delay your access to health care. Beneficiaries are responsible for keeping their DEERS information up to date. Check your DEERS record on the milConnect website to ensure your family’s information is accurate. Beneficiaries should review their contact information, including phone numbers, addresses, and emails, to confirm accuracy for each family member and verify their personnel, service, and eligibility statuses are correct. Here are options for updating contact information in DEERS:
• Online: Log in to the milConnect website
• Phone: 800-538-9552 (TTY/TDD: 866-363-2883)
• Fax: 800-336-4416
• Mail: Defense Manpower Data Center Support Office Attention: COA 400 Gigling Rd. Seaside, CA 93955-6771
Every time a beneficiary experiences a Qualifying Life Event (QLE), they should update their DEERS information. A QLE “unlocks” a 90-day period for you to make changes to your plan. Common examples of QLEs include:
• Retiring or separating from active duty;
• Getting married;
• Giving birth or adopting;
• Moving to a new address;
• Becoming eligible for Medicare; and
• Gaining or losing other health insurance. For more information, please visit: https://www.tricare.mil/deers