Election of 28th District Officers
The VFW 28th District held there meeting Sunday, May 7, at VFW Post 7599. Nomination and elections were held and the following officers were installed for 2017-2018: District Commander Donald W. Ramset from Post 7599; Sr. Vice Commander Donald E. Christy from Post 7599; Jr. Vice Commander Michael J. Pierce from Post 7842; Quartermaster Tim Watson from Post 7842; Chaplain Charlie Castelluccio from Post 5958; Judge Advocate Joe Benacci from Post 470; Surgeon Larry Hawthorn from Post 1338; and 3 year Trustee Phillip Jones from Post 6773.
7th Annual VA2K Walk & Roll Event
The 7th annual VA2K Walk & Roll event will be held from 11:20 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 17, at Erie VA Medical Center, 2nd floor pavilion. All are welcome to attend the event as the Erie VA promotes health and wellness while benefiting homeless veterans. This VA2K is free. Donations to the Homeless Veterans program will be excepted on site. Donations can include cash, gas cards, grocery store cards and bus tokens.
Appeals Modernization Act
Last Tuesday, the VFW testified before the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee on H.R. 457, the VA Appeals Modernization Act of 2017. The bill would create more options for veterans appealing their claims, including one option to take their appeal directly to the Board of Veterans Appeals and another to request a higher level VA adjudicator to make a decision on the claim. It also aims to better notify veterans on the status of their appeals and submit reports on how long it’s taking appeals to go through the process. A modernized appeals system must be responsive to future needs of veterans. This change to the appeals system will allow VA to properly adjudicate the growing number of appeals for the 21st century, providing veterans with more due process protections and non-adversarial options for resolution at the local level, potentially avoiding years of contentious appeals. VA officials and VFW National Veterans Service Director Ryan Gallucci testified that they are supportive of the proposed legislation, which will hopefully have immediate, positive effects for all veterans.
VA Specialized Services Hearing
The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Health held a hearing on Tuesday focusing on foot and ankle issues and treatment within VA. According to a report released by VA in February 2017, nearly two million veterans using VA are at risk for foot wounds, infection and amputations, with an expected increase in demand for treatment for primary and specialty podiatry services. Subcommittee Chairman Brad Wenstrup invited podiatrists from multiple podiatry associations, retired military doctors and podiatrists from VA to testify.
TRICARE Formulary Change
Nexium, a popular drug used to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, will be removed from TRICARE’s formulary list. Effective June 28, 2017, the drug will no longer be available in military hospitals and clinics and those patients who choose to remain on the drug will pay increased fees. The change comes because the drug’s producer, biopharmaceutical company AstraZeneca, cancelled the Department of Defense’s 10-year Nexium preferred pricing agreement on April 1. The increased price is costing the DOD an additional $1.6 million per day. The almost 338,000 TRICARE patients currently prescribed Nexium are advised to contact their doctors to determine if Nexium is medically necessary or if they can safely be switched to an alternative drug. Patients taking Nexium should receive letters from the Defense Health Agency with more details.
MIA Update
The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency announced the identification of remains of one American who had been missing in action from Vietnam.
Marine Corps Reserve 1st Lt. William C. Ryan, Jr., 25, of Hoboken, New Jersey, will be buried May 10 in Arlington National Cemetery, near Washington, D.C. Ryan was an F-4B radar intercept officer, assigned to Marine Fighter Attack Force 115. Ryan was on a bombing mission over Savannakhet Province, Laos. The crash site location prevented a recovery search and Ryan was declared deceased as of May 11, 1969.
Till next week, praying for all service members.
– Charles Castelluccio
