| BULLETIN BOARD Chance Bazzano, Commander DSO/CSO Service Officer |
SPECIAL NOTICE TO ALL VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS STONEWALL JACKSON CHAPTER #9 WINCHESTER VIRGINIA 2012 As your DSO/CSO Service Officer for our Chapter, I would like to extend to all Veterans and Members our willingness to assist you with any military related needs, questions or concerns, but not limited to them exclusively.. There are countless Veterans who have served their country honorably who are not receiving their ENTITLEMENTS they have earned wearing the uniforms of this country. It is with the utmost concern that we make our Chapter of the DAV a viable resource for your needs . We have all experienced the difficulties in understanding the many rules and regulations governing your ENTITLEMENTS to receive the ongoing help you may need. This includes Service Connected Claims, Non-Service Connected Claims and all issues concerns and questions for CHAMPVA, TRI-CARE, special handicapped home needs, your children's educational entitlements and many others . We, at the DAV Chapter #9, sincerely extend our gratitude for your service, and in keeping with the tradition and total commitment of upholding Veterans rights invite you to call or email us at any time, so we may promptly and effectively assist you. Please be welcomed to visit our web site at www.dav9.org . You will find a mail box at the bottom front page to email us. In trust God Bless America Chance Bazzano, Commander, DSO/CSO-Service Officer DAV-Chapter # 9 Stonewall Jackson Winchester, Va. ### |
| Disabled American Veterans, Stonewall Jackson, Chapter 9, Winchester, Virginia |
Forwarded on behalf of the American Association of School Administrators contact information below. For Immediate Release Contact: Amy Vogt - 703-875-0723 avogt@aasa.org AASA TOOLKIT HELPS SCHOOL LEADERS SUPPORT MILITARY CHILDREN ARLINGTON, Va. - Some two million U.S. military children have had one or both parents deployed since 2001. Understanding the challenges facing military families -- and the resources available to assist military children -- is essential to meeting their unique educational needs. The American Association of School Administrators has released a toolkit on Supporting the Military Child to help school leaders meet the needs of children whose parents are deployed or in transition. This free, online resource is available on the AASA website at www.aasa.org/MilitaryChild.aspx "Children of military families often face multiple stressors, including frequent moves and extended periods of separation from loved ones, said AASA President Mark Bielang, Superintendent in Paw Paw, Mich. Shool leaders play an important part in helping these students maintain a sense of stability and stay on track to achieve their educational goals. The toolkit includes: Top 15 things school leaders can do to support military children. Key facts about the military child. Facts about Impact Aid, the federal funding available to help school districts handle the cost of educating children from military families Facts about the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children, legislation signed by 26 states that aims to ease school-to-school transfers for military children. The toolkit also includes two videos: A video-taped discussion among school administrators on how schools can support military kids, featuring an assistant superintendent, a principal, a counselor and a parent liaison from Fort Belvoir Elementary School in Fairfax County, Va. A video statement of support from Gen. Craig R. McKinley, Chief of the National Guard Bureau. The AASA Toolkit on Supporting the Military Child will assist the many schools with children in their communities who have family members who have been deployed, said AASA Executive Director Dan Domenech AASA is thankful to the Veteran’s Support Foundation for making this project possible. AASA developed the toolkit with a grant from the Veterans Support Foundation. In addition, Randy Collins, AASA past president and superintendent in Waterford, Conn. Linda Spoonster Schwartz, commissioner of the State of Connecticut Department of Veterans' Affairs; and the Department of Defense Education Activity lent their support to the development of the toolkit. About AASA The American Association of School Administrators, founded in 1865, is the professional organization for more than 13,000 educational leaders in the United States and throughout the world. AASA’s mission is to support and develop effective school system leaders who are dedicated to the highest quality public education for all children. For more information, visit www.aasa.org. Follow AASA on twitter at www.twitter.com/AASAHQ. Become a fan of the AASA Facebook page at www.facebook.com/AASApage. ### |
To all recently and past discharged Veterans. NOTICE 2012 It is of Vital importance that you make Absolutely sure Prior to Discharge that everything on your DD-214 is correct . No matter what . If you need assistance in making corrections on your issued DD-214, please email me through our website with your return phone number and I will call you back ASAP.... For all Active Duty Personnel It is also very important that you pay attention to your on-going Military Jacket to insure that all entries are properly and totally correct . Always follow proper protocol and Chain of Command . It is not an un-common occurance in combat situations that not all data is able to be recorded, so it is wise to be respectfully prudent. That data will most assuredly be of great importance to you at a later date in life. Chance Bazzano DSO/CSO ### |
Your GI Bill rate has officially increased to $47,556. This is money you do not have to pay back. Use it today to pay for a college degree or certificate. The GI Bill expires 10 years after Separation. Move your career forward and get your degree paid for. Take the first step and find Military-Friendly Schools. |
ATTENTION ALL VETERANS AND FAMILIES OF VETERANS #### IT IS ABSOLUTLY ESSENTIAL THAT YOU NEVER SEND IN "ORIGINAL" DOCUMENTS -- ALWAYS SEND A COPY AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP YOUR "ORIGINAL" MILITARY AND MILITARY MEDICAL RECORDS ON FILE AT HOME AND UP TO DATE IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER. IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY MEMBER CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE DUTY, INFORM THEM THAT EVERY INCIDENT THAT THEY ARE INVOLVED IN " MUST BE " DOCUMENTED, ESPECIALLY ANY AND ALL INJURIES . ALSO THEY SHOULD PERIODICALLY REVIEW THEIR CURRENT ACTIVE DUTY RECORD FOR ACCURATENESS . IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THAT ALL RECORDS MUST BE IN PERFECT ORDER PRIOR TO DISCHARGE. ### |
| VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA & VETERANS OF MODERN WARFARE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Robin Crawford P: 202.974.5025 / C: 202.378.8385 crawfordr@ruderfinn.com HISTORIC LAWSUIT CHALLENGES UNACCEPTABLE DELAYS IN DELIVERING BENEFITS TO AMERICA'S VETERANS BY DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA & VETERANS OF MODERN WARFARE FIGHT FOR FASTER BENEFIT DECISIONS AND INTERIM BENEFITS "LIFELINE" Washington, DC (November 10, 2008) - Today, two groups representing thousands of American veterans, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) and Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW), announced that they have filed a lawsuit against the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks to end the unconscionable delays experienced by veterans when applying for disability benefits. VVA and VMW seek immediate action to prevent further irreparable harm to our nation's veterans. The lawsuit demands that the VA provide an initial decision on every veteran's claim for disability benefits within 90 days and resolve appeals within 180 days. Additionally, the veterans groups ask that the Court grant further relief in the form of interim benefits awards in the event that the VA exceeds these minimum standards of constitutionally-guaranteed due process. These interim benefits will provide veterans with a lifeline of support when it is most needed to facilitate reintegration into their lives back home. "The failure to expedite veterans' compensation claims creates, at best, the impression that the nation does not respect its veterans," said John Rowan, National President, Vietnam Veterans of America. "America's veterans deserve more, and the VA's failure to fulfill its responsibilities brings dishonor to our nation and can only make the call of military service more challenging." The VA acknowledges that it takes an average of at least six months to reach an initial decision on an average benefits claim; the actual delay is closer to a year. Appeals of these initial decisions, which are reversed more than 50 percent of the time, take, on average, more than four years, with some stretching 10 years or more. In contrast, private healthcare plans - which process more than 30 billion claims a year- process claims and related appeals in less than three months. "As a matter of both policy and practice, the VA subjects veterans to long delays before receiving any of the benefits to which they are entitled," said Donald Overton, Executive Director, Veterans of Modern Warfare. "Our hope is that this lawsuit will compel the VA to process veterans' benefits claims more quickly and honor our nation's commitment to those that have defended and served." "All veterans will benefit significantly from the legal action of VVA and VMW," said Robert Cattanach, Partner, Dorsey & Whitney. "The intervention of VVA and VMW is necessary because under federal law individual veterans are not allowed to access the judicial system. Dorsey & Whitney is committed to helping America's veterans quickly secure the benefits they have earned from the VA." There are approximately 25 million veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces alive today. More than 7 million of those veterans are enrolled in the VA's healthcare system, and approximately 3.4 million veterans receive benefits. More than 600,000 VA benefits claims are backlogged - this number will only increase as the 1.7 million troops that have served in Iraq and Afghanistan continue to return home. "A soldier's transition to civilian life is challenging. The VA's failure to diagnose PTSD promptly and accurately, and the corresponding delay in the award of benefits, plainly results in veterans being denied this critical lifeline," said Dr. Charles R. Figley, PTSD expert and author, of Tulane University. "VVA and VMW's lawsuit will help to reduce this additional and, in many cases, unmanageable stress for veterans." According to the VA, the suicide rate among individuals in the VA's care may be as high as 7.5 times the national average. Delays in awarding benefits to America's veterans increases the suffering of individuals already struggling with an inability to cope, as the seemingly endless wait for the VA to make a final decision on a claim magnifies the alienation and anxiety that they experience. For example, the inability to provide basic subsistence s upport significantly impacts a veteran's ability to maintain economic stability, seek and gain employment, provide and sustain a home, or care for a family. As a consequence, there is a substantial increase in the number of broken families, cases of homelessness and depression caused by the failure to provide disability benefits on a timely basis. Vietnam Veterans of America Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation's only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans families, as well as to the needs of other veterans and their families. VVA's founding principle is "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another." Visit the VVA online at http://www.vva.org/. Veterans of Modern Warfare Veterans of Modern Warfare (VMW) is a veterans service organization dedicated to serving our nation's most recent war veterans. Our purpose is to support veterans and their families by providing education and information about the benefits America's veterans have earned, assistance in obtaining benefits, advocacy in issues important to our generation, and camaraderie through locally based, national chapters. Visit the VMW online at http://vmwusa.org . Dorsey & Whitney LLP Clients have relied on Dorsey & Whitney (www.dorsey.com ) since 1912 to protect their interests. With 650 lawyers in 18 locations in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia, Dorsey provides a comprehensive approach to its clients' legal and business needs. Dorsey represents a number of the world's most successful Fortune 500 companies. Dorsey and its individual lawyers have a long history of public service. The firm dedicates substantial resources, on a pro bono basis, to serve the unmet legal needs of disadvantaged individuals and of organizations who cannot afford to pay for legal services. #### |
| New and redesigned websites offer resources for veterans VA.Gov Launches First Step of Web Site Redesign On Veterans Day, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rolled out the first phase of a large-scale Web renovation to better serve America’s Veterans. This first and most visible step of the renovation consists of changing the Web site’s look, making it easier for Veterans and their families to navigate and to find the information they are looking for. VA’s long-term goals in redesigning the site are to make it easier and more inviting for Veterans through incorporating Web best practices, focusing on topics and tasks rather than office function, improving the navigational structure to ensure consistency, and making it more visually appealing. The new website design will cover more than 500 VA Web sites and about 80,000 pages. Department of Homeland Security launches website to aid veterans in finding employment opportunities A new website, available at www.dhs.gov/veterans, features information for veterans about how to find employment opportunities at DHS, ways to get involved in community- based efforts like Citizen Corps, and special veteran programs such as Operation Warfighter and Wounded Warrior, which provide employment opportunities for severely wounded or recovering service members to assist their transition back to the military or civilian workforce. The website also features DHS procurement opportunities for veteran and service disabled veteran business owners and information about DHS policies and news impacting the veteran community. Virginia Department of Veterans Services launches redesigned site The Virginia Department of Veterans Services (www.VirginiaforVeterans.com) recently launched its redesigned site. Redesign features include improved navigation and a more attractive layout. The agency plans to increase site content in the future. ### |
| If you have any questions or need information send us an email for answers - just click on the DAV Chapter 9 email button directly below. We will do our best to answer your questions as quickly as possible. |
DAV #9 SCHEDULED ACTIVITES for 2012 |
| CHAPTER PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS Starting April 19, 2012, from 5:00 - 8:00 pm at the VAMC in Martinsburg, WV. in the DOME ROOM is our MUSIC AND DELIGHT NIGHT Every 4th Thursday of Every 3rd Month >>>April 19, 2012 >>>July 19, 2012 >>>Oct. 18, 2012 >>>January 2013. FEBRUARY MEETING Feb. 1, 2012 DAV9/DAVA9 Mtg. 7:00 pm MARCH MEETING Mar. 7, 2012 DAV9/DAVA9 Mtg. 7:00 pm APRIL MEETING April 4, 2012 DAV9/DAVA9 Mtg. 7:00 pm April 19, 2012 THURSDAY evening 5:00-8:00 pm Music & Delight Night @ VAMC May 2, 2012 DAV9/DAVA9 Mtg. 7:00 pm June 6, 2012 DAV9/DAVA9 Mtg. 7:00 pm July 4th is a Holiday our meeting will be the following week on July 11, 2012 DAV9/DAVA9 Mtg. 7:00 pm July 19, 2012 THURSDAY evening 5:00-8:00 pm Music & Delight Night @ VAMC Aug. 1, 2012 DAV9/DAVA9 Mtg. 7:00 pm Aug. 18, 2012 Raystown Striper Club & DAV9 & DAV34 GRAND PATRIOT'S BALL 4:00-10:00 pm Apple Blossom Parade in Winchester is in the last week of April, dates to be co-ordinated for chairs at the parade. The month of May is the scheduled "MSO" bus for any and all Veterans who need help with their claims. The "NSO" National Service Officers will be on this bus. 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The end of May 2012 is Memorial Day at Shenandoah Memorial grounds. We supply the chairs and the P.A. system. SEPTEMBER 8th a day at the RAYSTOWN LAKE, in PA. Weather permitting, a Full day of fishing with Professional Striper Fishing Guides with their boats, along with plenty of foods, eats, treats, horseshoes, and other unique outdoor games. Boat Cruises of the lake as well. November 11th is Veterans Day which is held at Shenandoah Memorial in the Chapel. After the Ceremony all members and guests are invited to partake lunch at one of the VSO's. Optional ! NOVEMBER AND THE GOLDEN CORRAL We will be at the Golden Corral the 1st weekend in Nov. , and the 2nd weekend Nov. , 2012. Then we will finish it off with the Free Veterans' Dinner on Monday the . With Live Entertainment for all the veterans who are waiting in line for their Dinner. VOLUNTEERS SCHEDULES A. Nov Sat 8:30 AM till 9:00 PM (2 members each watch) 1st watch 8:30 am to 12:30 pm 2nd watch 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm 3rd watch 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm B. Nov. Sat 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM (2 members each watch) 1st watch 8:30 am to 12:30 pm 2nd watch 12:30 pm to 4:30 pm 3rd watch 4:30 pm to 9:00 pm THE ANNUAL GOLDEN CORRAL VETERANS FREE DINNER NIGHT IS ON MONDAY IN November at 3:00 pm to CLOSING. ALL MEMBERS ARE REQUESTED TO BE THERE IN DAV CAPS who have them and any other DAV representation for our DAV that they may have. ALL OFFICERS ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A FORMAL GARRISON CAP. DECEMBER MEETING Chapter is officially off FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH after the regular meeting in December. As your Commander, I will be actively pursuing ongoing endeavors that will bring in consistent funds to our Chapter. That is my priority. There are also two ideas I have right now that I believe if advertised right would be a success that could be repeated every year. 1. Summer Early Garden Tool Sale -- rakes, hand tools, etc. 2. Winter Early Equipment Tool Sale -- socks, gloves, hats, etc. It is an easy and profitable way to raise funds besides ruffles. Ok, dear members, above is a lot of meaningful contributions for our Veterans and their Families. If you look at it as a whole year of Programs and we split the Load, it's a much easier task. We need every members' full co-operation. We are a pro-active Chapter and that consequently means we are a busy Chapter. I ask all of you to do your best in recruiting new members as our growth is critical. IF YOU HOLD AN OFFICERS' POSITION, IT IS CRITICAL THAT YOU ATTEND EVERY MEETING. However, we do understand that problems can arise. I am proud of you all who give and are positive. Chance, Commander DAV #9 ### |
| CHAMPVA Department of Veterans Affairs INFORMATION Rejected Claims These are the top 10 CHAMPVA rejected codes with additional text that further explains the rejections and indicates what a beneficiary/provider needs to do to get the claim processed correctly. If the denial code on you explanation of benefits form is not listed below, you can request information by contacting us via the Inquiry Routing & Information System (IRIS). IRIS is a tool that allows us to communicate in a secure format and will be used instead of our traditional email links. For specific guidance when using IRIS for your inquiry click here, or you can call us at 1-800-733-8387 between the hours of 8:05 a.m. and 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time. Rank Code Reason / Detail ________________________________________________________________________________ 1 65 Duplicate claim - previously processed. An automated matching process in our payment system determined that this claim is an exact match of a claim that we previously processed. Our claim number for the duplicate claim should be shown in the comment at the bottom of the CHAMPVA Explanation of Benefits (EOB). If you do not believe that this is correct, you will need to contact us by phone at 1-800-733-8387 to resolve this issue. Do not resubmit this claim without contacting us, as it will only result in another denial. ________________________________________________________________________________ 2 78 EOB from other insurance required- CHAMPVA secondary payer (when resubmitting enclose this form) We need to see the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) generated by the primary health plan before we can process this request. Our files indicate that the patient is enrolled in a health insurance plan that, by law, must process this request prior to the CHAMPVA program. Please resubmit this request with the EOB from the primary plan and include a copy of this CHAMPVA EOB, or have the patient contact us to update their Other Health Insurance (OHI) status. We accept OHI updates by phone at 1-800-733-8387. _______________________________________________________________________________ 3 124 Claim not timely filed. (See CHAMPVA handbook.) A beneficiary or health care provider must file claims for current treatment within 365 days of the date of service. Upon initial enrollment into the plan, we grant a 180 day grace period for the enrollee to file any applicable claims that were more than 365 days old. Based on the date this claim arrived at our mail room, it did not meet these requirements. You may submit a written appeal if you were unable to file the claims due to exceptional circumstances. Send your written appeal to; VA Health Administration Center, CHAMPVA, ATTN: Appeals, PO Box 460948, Denver, CO 80246. Do not send it to the claims processing address, as this will only delay your appeal. _______________________________________________________________________________ 4 159 Claim denied - duplicate of previously processed claim. A secondary review in our claims payment area determined that this claim or service is an exact match of a claim or service that we previously processed. If this is an exact match of a previous claim, the matching CHAMPVA claim number will be shown in the comments at the end of the CHAMPVA Explanation of Benefits (EOB). If you do not believe that this is correct, you will need to contact us by phone at 1-800-733-8387 to resolve this issue. Do not resubmit this claim without contacting us, as it will only result in another denial. _______________________________________________________________________________ 5 137 Beneficiary not eligible on date of service claimed. This claim is for a date of service or period of hospitalization that is not covered under the CHAMPVA health plan. Please consult the period of eligibility listed on the member card, and check the date of service or period of admission in your records. If the bill was submitted with an incorrect date, please send a corrected bill. If the service or admission date is correct, then we can not honor your request, since the patient was not covered by our plan at that time. _______________________________________________________________________________ 6 220 Claim denied - requesting OHI clarification not received. Our records show that we have previously requested the beneficiary/patient to submit an update to their Other Health Insurance (OHI) status. This can be done by mail or phone at 1-800-733-8387. Forms for the update are available on the HAC Web site at: /forms/forms.asp. We will continue to deny payment on any future claims until the patient's OHI status is validated. _______________________________________________________________________________ 7 177 Claim denied - duplicate of previously processed claim. A secondary review in our claims payment area has determined that this claims is associated to a copy of a bill that is identical to a bill that was previously processed. We have systematically denied all claims that were created when we processed the second bill. You should already have received the results from the first time we processed this bill. If you do not believe that this is correct, you will need to contact us by phone at 1-800-733-8387 to resolve this issue. Do not resubmit this bill without contacting us, as it will only result in a series of one or more denied claims when we process the bill again. _______________________________________________________________________________ 8 27 Not a covered service and/or benefit for diagnosis listed. Some services/procedures are only covered for specific conditions as outlined in the CHAMPVA Policy Manual. Services which do met these conditions will be denied. You can access our policy manual on line at: /forbeneficiaries/champva/policymanual.asp There is a searh to help you to quickly locate the section of our policy that covers this request. ________________________________________________________________________________ 9 218 Clarification of OHI information required; certification sent to beneficiary. We do not have an Other Health Insurance (OHI) Certification on file for the patient/beneficiary. We can not process any claims until we know if this individual is covered by another health plan. Even if the individual has no OHI coverage, we still need them to attest to this fact. Please resubmit an OHI Certification VA Form 10-5959c or call 1-800-733-8387 and a Customer Service Representative can help complete the certification over the phone. ________________________________________________________________________________ 10 270 ICD-9 diagnostic code(s) missing/unreadable/ invalid, resubmit with this form. A diagnosis is required to determine if the service denied on this claim is covered under the CHAMPVA program. We were unable to pay this claim due to a missing/unreadable/or invalid ICD-9 code. Please check the accuracy and readability of you claim, and resubmit it with a copy of the CHAMPVA Explanation of Benefits (EOB) form for reconsideration. _____________________________________________________________________________ ### |
| ________________________________________ IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 927-11 November 01, 2011 ________________________________________ Additional Campaign Phase Identified for Afghanistan Campaign Medal The Department of Defense announced today that an additional campaign phase has been approved for the Afghanistan Campaign Medal (ACM). Accordingly, an additional campaign star corresponding to the campaign phase is now authorized for wear on the ACM. ACM campaign stars recognize a service member's participation in DoD-designated military campaigns in the Afghanistan Campaign Medal's area of eligibility. Service members who have qualified for the ACM may display a bronze campaign star on their medal for each designated campaign phase in which they participated. The stars are worn on the suspension and campaign ribbon of the campaign medal. The additional ACM campaign phase and associated dates are: • Transition I July 1, 2011 through a date to be determined. The four previously approved ACM campaign phases are: • Liberation of Afghanistan - Sept. 11, 2001 to Nov. 30, 2001 • Consolidation I - Dec. 1, 2001 to Sept. 30, 2006 • Consolidation II - Oct. 1, 2006 to Nov. 30, 2009 • Consolidation III - Dec. 1, 2009 through June 30, 2011. Service members should contact their respective military departments for specific implementation guidance. |