Military Officer - November 2006 - (Page 34)

washingtonscene members as being on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and any injury/ illness incurred on duty is service-connected if not due to misconduct; ■ restricting the line-of-duty ruling to injuries incurred in performance of speciﬁcally military duties; and ■ endorsing the principle that similar injuries, diseases, or deaths in the line of duty should merit the same beneﬁt level whether incurred in combat, training, wartime, or peacetime — in addition to maintaining the 24/7 line-of-duty rule. Concurrent receipt options also discussed included: ■ endorsing current expanding concurrent receipt policies; ■ banning concurrent receipt; and ■ expanding concurrent receipt eligibility to all disabled retirees, regardless of the severity of their disability or the circumstances (combat versus noncombat, wartime or peacetime). Congress established the commission in 2004 to study and report on the standards for determining disability and survivor beneﬁts and the level of compensation for such beneﬁts. The commission is to present its ﬁndings and recommendations to the president and Congress by October 2007. MOAA thinks Congress is unlikely to consider any signiﬁcant expansion of concurrent receipt laws before receiving the VDBC report. Nevertheless, MOAA continues to pursue immediate relief for the most blatant inequities, such as unequal treatment of “unemployables” (who receive VA disability compensation at the 100-percent disability rate but whose disability offset is being phased out over 10 years) with other 100-percent disabled retirees (who are eligible for full concurrent receipt now). MOAA President Talks VA Issues House hearing asks for 2007 veterans’ priorities. T MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., outlines MOAA’s funding priorities for the VA during a Sept. 21 House Armed Services Committee hearing. 34 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2006 he House Veterans Affairs Committee conducted two days of hearings in mid-September, during which MOAA and other organizations presented priorities for 2007. MOAA President Vice Adm. Norb Ryan Jr., USN-Ret., expressed appreciation for the committee’s effort to increase resources for the VA health care system but said the VA continues to underestimate the demand for care by returning veterans. He urged the committee to direct the VA to ﬁx its model for estimating demand budget to meet the VA’s stated 30-day access standard for appointments and heed the recommendations of the “Veterans’ Independent Budget,” which historically has provided the most realistic cost estimates for VA system requirements. Ryan also cited the following as top MOAA priorities: ■ increasing funds allocated for traumatic brain injury, PTSD, spinal cord injury, PHOTO: SEAN SHANAHAN

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - November 2006

From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: Financial Guidebook Got (the right) Insurance? A Penny Saved, a Degree Earned The “Y” MOAA Scholarship Recipients Pages of History Information Exchange Member Books MOAA Scholarship Donors MOAA Member Services Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - November 2006

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