From the Halls ….

WASHINGTON (September 23, 2008) – The American Legion is expressing strong support for a new rule that offers monetary and medical benefits to a greater number of military veterans who have contracted amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Studies have shown that military veterans are more susceptible to ALS than members of the general population.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) published an interim final rule in the Federal Register today establishing a presumption of service connection for ALS for any veteran with at least 90 continuous days of active duty service who develops the disease any time after separation from service. An older rule had established a presumption of service connection with the disease for veterans who developed ALS within a year of their separation from service.

ALS is a rare and fatal neurological degenerative disease with no known cause or cure.  The strongly identified link between military service and the disease remains a mystery.

The new regulation is effective immediately and applies to all applications for benefits received by VA on or after September 23, 2008.  The regulation also applies to claims pending before VA or one of the various appellate courts on the effective date of the interim final rule.

“The American Legion has long supported an indefinite presumption for ALS and we applaud the Secretary’s decision to finally create this overdue regulation,” said National Commander David Rehbein.

One of the first indications of a link between military service and an increased incidence of ALS among veterans came in 2001 when pre-published research suggested that 1991 Gulf War veterans are twice as likely as their non-deployed counterparts to develop the disease.  Subsequently, a 2005 Harvard University study stated that men and women with any history of military service in the last century are at a nearly 60% greater risk of the disease than men and women who did not serve in the military.

Concurrently, at the request of VA, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) conducted a review of the few existing peer-reviewed studies on ALS in the veteran population to ascertain if, indeed, an association exists between military service and the development of ALS and to make recommendations, if an association is indicated, that would help to identify risk factors.  In the IOM report released in 2006, entitled Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Veterans: Review of the Scientific Literature, the IOM Committee concluded that there was a limited and suggestive association between the development of ALS and military service.

“Although more research needs to be conducted to identify possible military-related risk factors that cause ALS in veterans, the IOM’s determination that there is suggestive evidence of an association provided the evidence and justification necessary for VA to make benefits available on a presumptive basis for those whose service in the military may have caused the disease to develop,” added Rehbein.

The American Legion is hopeful that future research will identify the risk factors that make service members more susceptible to this horrific disease.   Identifying these risk factors will help in determining necessary protective measures that could prevent the illness from ever developing in veterans.

Veterans diagnosed with ALS, including those whose claims were denied in the past, or the surviving spouse of a veteran who died as a result of ALS, are encouraged to contact their American Legion service officer for more information or assistance with filing a claim by calling 800-433-3318.

Washington, DC – House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton (D-MO) announced that the House and Senate Armed Services Committees have reached agreement on the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009.  

        The agreement, which is expected to be considered this week in the House and the Senate, authorizes $531.4 billion in budget authority for the Department of Defense (DoD) and the national security programs of the Department of Energy (DoE).  The bill also authorizes $68.6 billion to support ongoing military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan during fiscal year 2009. 

        Chairman Skelton released the following statement:

        “This agreement reflects our bipartisan commitment to our service members and their families and to a strong national defense.  This defense bill promotes our main policy objectives: restoring military readiness; taking care of the troops and their families; increasing focus on the war in Afghanistan; and improving interagency cooperation, oversight, and accountability.

“Continuing our effort to restore military readiness tested by the demands of two wars, the agreement provides $8.6 billion for the Army and $1.8 billion for the Marine Corps to repair and replace equipment.  The agreement also provides $800 million for National Guard and Reserve equipment.  To help manage demands placed on our service members by our military obligations, the agreement increases the size of the military by 7,000 soldiers, 5,000 Marines, 1,023 sailors, and by 450 airmen.

“To improve the quality of life for our forces and their families, the agreement provides a 3.9 percent pay raise for the troops, which is .5 percent more than the President’s budget request.   The agreement also preserves important health benefits, by prohibiting fee increases in TRICARE and the TRICARE pharmacy program and creating new preventive health care initiatives to improve the readiness of our force, keep service members and their families healthy, and to reduce the overall need for care.

“The war in Afghanistan is a critical mission that demands greater attention.  To better coordinate military operations and achieve a unity of command whenever possible, the agreement requires a report on the command and control structure for military forces operating in Afghanistan.  The agreement also requires reporting on enhancing security and stability in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border region.

“For greater transparency and accountability, the agreement places restrictions on the use of training and reconstruction funds in Iraq and requires the Defense Department to report to Congress on the details of any Status of Forces Agreements that exist or are signed between the U.S. and Iraq.  The agreement also bans permanent U.S. bases in Iraq and bans U.S. control over Iraqi oil.

“To jumpstart the interagency reform effort, the agreement establishes a 12-member advisory panel, modeled after the Defense Policy Board, to improve coordination among the Department of Defense, the Department of State, and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) on matters relating to national security.  Controlled by and reporting directly to the Secretaries, the advisory panel is a tool to help agency leaders do a better job dealing with interagency objectives.

“Since the Senate approved its version of the defense authorization bill last week, House and Senate Armed Services Committee members and staff have been working to reach agreement so a bill can be considered by both houses and sent to the President before Congress adjourns.  This is an excellent bill and I urge my colleagues in the House and Senate to support the agreement.”

        A detailed summary of the agreement on the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009 is available on the House Armed Services Committee web site at http://armedservices.house.gov/.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Daniel K. Akaka (D-HI), Chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, issued the following statement after S. 2617, the Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2008, was signed into law by the President today.  S. 2617, introduced by Chairman Akaka, will provide for a cost-of-living increase in compensation for veterans and their families, effective December 1, 2008, so as to protect the benefits from the impact of rising inflation.

“In this time of rising costs and a faltering economy, we must not allow inflation to eat into the compensation of disabled veterans, or their survivors.  The failure to pass a cost-of-living adjustment would, as inflation rises, be a reduction of the benefits they receive.  I commend my colleagues for supporting this important legislation.” 

“I am proud to have sponsored this legislation for all veterans, including the more than 17,000 Hawaii recipients of veterans’ disability compensation and survivor benefits.”

This year’s cost-of-living increase, which will be equal to the annual Social Security increase, has yet to be determined.

WASHINGTON (Sept. 25, 2008) – Instant electronic medical information

from the Department of Defense (DoD) about severely wounded troops soon

will be transferred to four Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) special

treatment centers.  The two departments completed a successful pilot

project sharing patient information between Walter Reed Army Medical

Center and the Polytrauma Unit at the Tampa, Fla., VA Medical Center.

The pilot’s expansion will share enhanced data between VA’s four

polytrauma centers in Tampa, Fla.; Richmond, Va.; Minneapolis; and Palo

Alto, Calif. and all Army medical treatment facilities.

The patient information to be shared between DoD and VA involves

electronic notes on the patient’s situation and background, an

assessment of his or her condition, and recommendations for future care.

This uniform, standard method of communicating patient information will

ensure veterans receive high quality care immediately after being

transferred and the information is available and accessible at all

times.

“I’m proud to announce the launch of this partnership,” said Secretary

of Veterans Affairs Dr. James B. Peake.  “Because it is targeted at

severely wounded veterans transferring directly from DoD to VA, it

enhances their care.”

The VA-funded project is the result of collaboration among VA and DoD

nurses and information technology professionals.  The departments are

working to make all of their electronic patient records interoperable.

Peake said the announcement represents a significant step forward in

those efforts.