RAO BULLETIN 15 October 2019

[boardman]

RAO
BULLETIN
15 October 2019

HTML/PDF Editions
THIS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES
Pg Article Subject
. * DOD * .
== NDAA 2020 [23] ---- (Basic Needs Allotment Proposed)
== TRICARE Chiropractic Care [01] ---- (New Proposed Policy Could Include Family)
== DoD Suicide Policy [13] ---- (Reserve Component Reaches 30.6 deaths per 100,000)
== USERRA [22] ---- (Key for Guard, Reserve Personnel)
== Commissary News [13] ---- (Beer & Wine | Curbside Pickup | Savings)
== DoD Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ---- (Reported 01 thru 15 OCT 2019)
== POW/MIA Recoveries & Burials ---- (Reported 01 thru 15 OCT 2019 | Eleven)
. * VA * .
== VA Life Insurance [03] ---- (Affordable Policies for Veterans)
== VA Home Loan [68] ---- (Funding Fee Refund Imitative Completed – Did You Get Yours?)

== VA Patient Medical Info ---- (New Sharing Procedures by JAN 2020)
== VA Domestic Violence Programs ---- (OCT is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month)
== California GI Bill [02] ---- (VA Assumes State Approving Agency Role)
== VA Medical Staff [04] ---- (Understaffing Leading to Burnout, Higher Attrition)
== VA Medical Staff [05] ---- (Reasons behind VA Staff Shortages Examined)
== VA Payments Delay ---- (27K Beneficiaries Paid 3 vice 1 OCT)
== VA Medical Records [02] ---- (Non-VA Medical Provider Access)
== VA Medical Records [03] ---- (Lawsuit Puts Sharing of Records Proposal on Hold)
== VA Million Veteran Program [09] ---- (Online Enrollment Now Available)
== VA Special Monthly Compensation [03] ---- (SMC(k) Entitlement)
== Fisher House Expansion [23] ---- Huntington WV Ground Broken)
== VA Breast Cancer Care ---- (Screening Guidelines)
== VA Gaming Therapy ---- (Gaming Is Becoming an Official Therapy Tool)
== VA Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ---- (Reported 01 thru 15 OCT 2019)
. * VETS * .
== Vet Food Stamps [03] ---- (Program Changes Could Disproportionately Harm Vets)
== Vet Cemetery Sitrep [02] ---- (Plan to Build Up to 18 by 2017 Will Take another Decade)
== Vet Cemetery California [19] ---- (Los Angeles National Cremains-Only Annex)
== Vet Cemetery Arkansas [05] ---- (Effort Underway to Raise Funds for Fort Smith Expansion)
== Vet Jobs [253] ---- (Iranian Hackers Have Set Up a Fake Jobs Website)
== Vet Employment [11] ---- (Unemployment Rate Rises to 4.5%)
== Retiree Court Martialing [01] ---- (Unconstitutional Opinion Withdrawn)
== Obit: Byron Fuller ---- (4 OCT 2019 | Six-year Hanoi Hilton Resident)
== Veterans FAQs ---- (Can I get any help with hearing aids or other help?)
== Veterans FAQs ---- (What do you do when your VSO won't help me try to get a disability rating increase?
== Veterans FAQs ---- (Why is my appeal it taking so long at this stage?)
== Vet Hiring Fairs ---- (Scheduled As of 16 OCT 2019)
== Military Retirees & Veterans Events Schedule ---- (As of 16 OCT 2019)
== State Veteran's Benefits ---- (Oklahoma 2019)
. * VET LEGISLATION * .
== Military Death Benefits [04] ---- (S.0000 | Second Lieutenant Richard W. Collins III Memorial Act)
== VA Funding Needs [01] ---- (HR.0000 | Veterans Affairs Protection Act)
== VA Waste & Mismanagement [01] ---- (H.R.0000 | Reducing High Risk to Veterans Services Act)
== Prescription Drug Costs [37] ---- (S.2543 | Prescription Drug Pricing Reduction Act of 2019)
== VA Sexual Assault /Harassment ---- (H.R.4554 | DVA Reporting Policy)
== VA Grant Programs [01] ---- (H.R.4589 | Rural Veteran Medical Transportation)
== VA Expiring Authorities ---- (H.R.4285 | DVA Expiring Authorities Act of 2019)
. * MILITARY* .
== Aircraft Carriers [03] ---- (U.S. Still Needs Them)
== Military U.S. Citizenship Overseas Processing ---- (Military Base Hub Office Availability)
== USCG Tattoo Policy ---- (Some Tattoos that Show While In Uniform Now Allowed)
== C-130 Hercules [01] ---- (U.S. Air Force’s Work Horse)
== USCG Drug Interdictions [01] ---- (Narco Sub Carrying 12,000 Pounds of Cocaine)
== Submarine Testing Lawsuit ---- (Shipbuilder Accused of Falsifying Stealth Coating Tests)
== Military MREs [04] ---- (A Day’s Worth of MREs in One Ration)
== Navy Fleet Size [18] --- ($200B More Needed to Reach 355 Ship Goal)
== Navy Terminology, Jargon & Slang ---- (‘Deck thru ‘DILLIGAF’)
. * MILITARY HISTORY * .
== WWI Champagne & Artois Attacks ---- (Franco-British 1915 Battles)
== Every Picture Tells A Story ---- (Camouflage At Work)
== Military History Anniversaries ---- (16 thru 31 OCT)
== WWII Memories ---- (Night Witches)
== Hiroshima A-Bomb ---- (Transcript of Truman’s 6 AUG 1945 Announcement of its Use)
== Post WWII Photos ---- (ENIAC - First General Purpose Electronic Computer)
== USAT Dorchester Sinking ---- (African American Petty Officer Warren Deyampert Heroic Actions)
== WWII Bomber Nose Art [40] ---- (“Lil” De Icer)
== National MOH Museum ---- (New Location Will Be Arlington TX)
== Medal of Honor Citations ---- (Frank Herda | Vietnam War)
. * HEALTH CARE * .
== Prescription Drug Costs [36] ---- (A Painful Pill to Swallow)
== Tricare Breast Cancer Coverage [03] ---- (DBT for Preventative Screening Not Covered)
== Medicare Advantage [10] ---- (Plans Overcharged Government $30B)
== TRICARE Women’s Health Tips ---- (Get Annual Exams, Exercise, Eat Healthy)
== Drug Cost Increases ---- (Big Pharma Effort to Continue)
== Vitamin Supplements (07) ---- (Importance of Vitamin “D”)
== TRICARE Fraud Abuse Reporting [01] ---- (For Those Who Saw a Loophole, It Was Easy Money)
== Tricare Pharmacy Copay [18] ---- (1 JAN 2020 Increase)\
== Tricare Pharmacy Copay [19] ---- (More on 1 JAN 2020 Increase)
== Acne [02] ---- (Skin Care for Acne-Prone Skin)
== FEDVIP [03] ---- (Dental and Vision Plan Prices Released for 2020)
== Cataracts [01] ---- (Risks Increase With Age)
== Cancer Q&A ---- (191001 thru 191015)
== TRICARE Podcast 521 ---- (Vision Coverage - ECHO - Beneficiary Web Enrollment)
== TRICARE Podcast 522 ---- (Women's Health Mo - FEDVIP Dental/Vison Plans - Breastfeeding Supplies/Services)
. * FINANCES * .
== FICO Credit Score [13] ---- Multiple Credit Card Impact)
== Medicare Part B Premiums [07] ---- (2020 Increase Impact on Benefits)
== Medicare Nursing Home Coverage --- (Short Term Only)
== LIHEAP [01] ---- (How You Can Get Help with Heating Costs)
== Home Repairs ---- (17 That Will Save You Cash)
== VA 2020 COLA ---- (Same as Social Security Recipients)
== COLA Summary ---- (2020 Retirement, VA Disability, and SS Recipients)
== VA Loan Funding Fee [01] ---- (Congress Sparks Veterans’ Ire with Hike)
== Spending ---- (Ways to Con You into doing More)
== Retirement Regrets ---- (Three Beigest and How to Avoid Them)
== Thrift Savings Plan [21] ---- (New Withdrawal Rules & Options)
== FEHBP [11] ---- (Are You Paying More than Necessary)
== Google Calendar Scam ---- (You’ve Won A Prize Popup)
== Activation Fee Scam ---- (Bought a New Gadget? Watch Out for This Con)
== Dealership Scam ---- (Your Battery Died While Servicing Your Car)
== Tax Burden for South Carolina Retired Vets ---- (As of OCT 2019)
. * GENERAL INTEREST * .
== Notes of Interest ---- (01 thru 15 October 2019)
== U.S. Political Party Gallup Results ---- (Democrats Maintain Favorability Edge)
== Iran Tensions 08 ---- (Wiping Israel off the Map Is Now an “Achievable Goal)
== Postal Service [08] ---- (New Package Security Enhancement)
== Afghan War [02] ---- (U.S. Air Support)
== Laptop Battery ---- (Extending Its Life)
== Printer Ink ---- (Extending Its Life)
== Car Buying [04] ---- (Used | Checklist to Ensure You Get a Good Deal)
== Passwords [03] ---- (25 Most Common in 2018)
== IRS Tax Forms [01] ---- (New 1040-SR in the Works for Seniors)
== Philippine Embassy Services ---- (Guidelines to Obtain)
== Remembrance ---- (1964 Beatle Wigs and Boots)
== Have You Heard? ---- (Military Humor 6 | Growing Older | Blonde Stories 2)
NOTE
1. The page number on which an article can be found is provided to the left of each article’s title
2. Numbers contained within brackets [ ] indicate the number of articles written on the subject. To obtain previous articles send a request to raoemo@sbcglobal.net.
3. Recipients of the Bulletin are authorized and encouraged to forward the Bulletin to other vets or veteran organizations.
. * ATTACHMENTS * .
Attachment – Oklahoma Vet State Benefits
Attachment – Military History Anniversaries 16 thru 31 OCT (Updated)
Attachment – Battle of Champagne (2nd) & Artois (3rd)
-o-o-O-o-o-
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Notes:
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RAO Bulletin Editor/Publisher:
Lt. James (EMO) Tichacek, USN (Ret) Tel: (858) 842-1111 Email: raoemo@sbcglobal.net
Bulletin Web Access: http://www.nhc-ul.org/rao.html, http://www.veteransresources.org, http://frabr245.org
, and http://veteraninformationlinksasa.com/emos-rao.html [PDF & HTML Editions w/ATTACHMENTS]
RAO Baguio Director:
SSgt Terrance (Terry) Parker, USAF (Ret), PSC 517 Box 4107, FPO AP 96517-1000, Tel: Smart 0921824728 or Globe 09454073380, Email: rao.dir.baguio@gmail.com
RAO Baguio Office: Mountain Lodge, 27 Leonard Wood Road, Baguio City, 2600 Philippines
FPO Mail Pickup: TUE & THUR 09-1100 --- Outgoing Mail Closeout: THUR 1100