CONCORD – United States Attorney John J. Farley announced today that Catholic Medical Center (CMC) has agreed to pay $3.8 million to resolve allegations that it violated the civil False Claims Act by providing free call coverage services to a cardiologist to induce patient referrals, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute.

According to the settlement agreement, the United States asserted that CMC, a hospital in Manchester, paid its own cardiologists to cover for, and to be available to provide medical services for, another cardiologist’s patients when she was on vacation or otherwise unavailable. The United States further alleged that CMC provided these call coverage services at no charge. The cardiologist who received the free call coverage referred millions of dollars in medical procedures and services to CMC over the decade in which the free services were provided. Because CMC submitted claims for payment to Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs for the services referred by the cardiologist, the United States alleged that these claims were the result of unlawful kickbacks.

“The False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute protect patients and federal health care programs from fraud and abuse by removing the corrupting influence of money,” said U.S. Attorney Farley. “When patients are referred for medical services, those referrals should be based solely on medical need and not affected by financial considerations. We work closely with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of federal health care programs and we will use all appropriate enforcement tools to combat health care fraud in New Hampshire.”

“Kickback schemes can undermine our healthcare system, compromise medical decisions, and waste taxpayer dollars. As today’s settlement makes clear, the FBI will aggressively investigate those who seek to bolster their bottom line by paying illegal kickbacks—whether directly or indirectly—to circumvent safeguards designed to protect the integrity of federal health care programs,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division.

“Today’s settlement sends a clear message that these types of financial arrangements will not be tolerated. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that all medical providers properly follow health care rules and regulations,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “I appreciate the partnership with the New Hampshire U.S. Attorney's Office in identifying and prosecuting this type of fraud.”

"Protecting TRICARE, the health care program for active-duty military personnel, retirees, and dependents, is a top priority for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General's Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS)," said Special Agent in Charge Patrick J. Hegarty, DCIS Northeast Field Office. "When health care facilities submit claims to TRICARE for services that are driven by financial reasons and not strictly medical ones, it undermines the integrity of the TRICARE program. Today's settlement agreement demonstrates the DCIS' ongoing commitment to work with the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Hampshire, to investigate health care fraud."

The Anti-Kickback Statute makes it illegal for a hospital to pay physicians in exchange for referrals of government insured health care programs, such as Medicare, Medicaid, or Tricare. It arose out of congressional concern that remuneration given to those who can influence health care decisions would result in the provision of medically unnecessary services, or services of poor quality or otherwise harmful to patients.

The False Claims Act permits whistleblowers to file civil lawsuits alleging that false claims have been submitted to the United States. This False Claims Act settlement resolves allegations originally brought in a lawsuit filed by a whistleblower, David Goldberg, M.D., a former CMC employee, who is represented by Douglas, Leonard & Garvey, P.C. As part of the settlement the whistleblower will receive a portion of the settlement amount.

CMC did not admit liability as part of this settlement agreement.

This case was investigated by the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Defense, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Raphael Katz.

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VA is closely monitoring an outbreak of respiratory illness caused by a new coronavirus (COVID-19). Doctors first identified the virus inWuhan,Hubei Province,China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is working with the World Health Organization (WHO), other government agencies along with state and local officials to respond to this emerging public health threat.

WHO recently declared a public health emergency of international concern. Cases have been identified in international locations including the United States (U.S.). The immediate risk to theU.S. is currently low.

The CDC has an aggressive response to identify potential cases and has activated its emergency operations center.

CDC guidance

• Get a flu shot.
• Take flu antivirals if prescribed.
• Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. An easy way to mark the time is to hum the “Happy Birthday” song from beginning to end twice while scrubbing.
  • Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
  • Stay home when you are sick or becoming sick.
  • Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue (not your hands) and throw the tissue in the trash.
  • Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.

Practical precautions

• Do not travel while sick.
• Seek medical care right away if you have both symptoms of fever, cough and shortness of breath and have either recently returned from China or have direct exposure to others diagnosed with Novel Coronavirus Disease.
• Before going to a doctor’s office or emergency room, call ahead and tell them about your recent travel and your symptoms.
• Cover mouth and nose with tissue or sleeve (not your hands) when coughing or sneezing.

Doing your part

• Everyone:
  • It’s currently flu season. Follow CDC recommendations to get a flu vaccine. Take everyday preventive actions to stop the spread of germs as listed above.
• Health care professionals:
  • Maintain awareness of people with travel history to China as well as fever and respiratory symptoms.
  • When caring for a COVID-19 patient, follow recommended infection control procedures.
• People who may have COVID-19 infection:
  • Follow CDC guidance on how to reduce the risk of spreading your illness to others.
• Travelers:
  • Stay up to date with CDC’s travel health notices.

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – Acting United States Attorney Jennifer Arbittier Williams announced that Stephen Padnes, M.D., 79, of Glenside, Pennsylvania, a physician formerly licensed in Pennsylvania, entered a guilty plea before United States District Court Judge Gene E.K. Pratter on criminal charges of illegally distributing controlled substances and filing false tax returns.

Williams also announced that Padnes has agreed to pay $2 million to settle a civil lawsuit brought by the United States seeking penalties and damages against him. The settlement resolves allegations that Padnes prescribed opioids without a legitimate medical purpose in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act (the “Civil Action”). The resolution of the Civil Action also excludes Padnes from participating in the Medicare program for at least ten years.

Padnes has also entered into a settlement agreement with the United States whereby he has agreed to the civil forfeiture of over $1.8 million in cash seized from his home as proceeds of unlawful prescribing (the “Forfeiture Action”).

The Drug Enforcement Agency has also rescinded Padnes’s licenses to prescribe controlled substances.

Criminal Guilty Plea

Earlier today, Padnes pled guilty to the criminal indictment, which charged him with illegally prescribing Schedule II controlled substances, oxycodone and methadone, on seven occasions between December 21, 2015 and June 29, 2016, without any medical necessity and outside the usual course of medical practice. It also charged that Padnes underreported the income earned by his medical practice, the Psychosomatic Medicine and Pain Rehabilitation Center, Inc., to the Internal Revenue Service by more than $700,000 for calendar years 2012, 2013, and 2014. Padnes faces a maximum possible sentence of 149 years’ imprisonment and has agreed to pay $301,219 in restitution to the IRS.

$2 Million Settlement of the Civil Action and Exclusion from Medicare

Padnes has agreed to pay an additional $2 million to settle the government’s allegations against him in the Civil Action brought pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act and the False Claims Act. Padnes has also agreed to be excluded from participating as a provider in the Medicare program for at least ten (10) years.

The Civil Action alleges that Padnes violated the Controlled Substances Act by issuing prescriptions on hundreds of occasions for Schedule II opioids in 2014, 2015, and 2016 without a legitimate medical purpose. The government alleges numerous instances where Padnes accepted cash payments, hundreds of dollars each, in exchange for prescriptions for high doses of opioids without maintaining medical records in the normal course of medical practice, physical exams, reevaluations, and/or monitoring of the effectiveness of the opioids he prescribed.

The government alleges numerous examples where Padnes regularly prescribed the equivalent of over 1,000 milligrams of morphine per day to certain purported patients in exchange for cash. In one example, the government alleges that Padnes issued prescriptions for so many opioids to a patient that the patient would have needed to consume nearly 70 pills, the equivalent of 4,000 milligrams of morphine, every day. For reference, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance on opioid prescribing for chronic pain patients urges caution when patients are prescribed more than the equivalent of 50 milligrams of morphine per day and should usually not be prescribed greater than the equivalent of 90 milligrams of morphine every day. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/rr/rr6501e1.htm?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fmmwr%2Fvolumes%2F65%2Frr%2Frr6501e1er.htm#recommendations

The government also alleges that Padnes violated the False Claims Act because Medicare and Medicaid paid to fill thousands of prescriptions that Padnes issued without a legitimate medical purpose, causing a loss to these programs exceeding $1 million.

The Controlled Substances Act provides for penalties for each prescription issued without a legitimate medical purpose up to $25,000 for violations on or before November 2, 2015 and up to $64,820 per violation after November 2, 2015. The False Claims Act allows for damages treble the government’s loss and civil penalties between $5,500 and $11,000 for each false claim presented on or before November 2, 2015 and between $11,181 and $22,363 for each false claim presented after November 2, 2015.

Civil Forfeiture of $1,864,545

On August 12, 2019, the United States filed a civil forfeiture complaint seeking the forfeiture of $1,864,545 cash seized from the defendant’s home during the execution of a search warrant in 2016. The government alleges that cash was the proceeds from Padnes’s unlawful medical practice from at least 2010 to 2016. The government alleges that, during that time, the vast majority of the defendant’s “patients” paid up to approximately $500 in cash for prescriptions for controlled substances, including Schedule II opioids such as oxycodone and methadone, that he wrote outside the usual course of medical practice and without a legitimate medical purpose. The cash was discovered in suitcases and a dresser located in a bedroom in the defendant’s home.

* * *

“Our community continues to cope with the tragic and deadly consequences of the opioid epidemic,” said Acting United States Attorney Williams. “A small number of corrupt doctors put greed before their oath, abused their positions of trust, and fanned the flames of the epidemic by pumping untold millions of illicit opioid pills onto our streets without a legitimate medical purpose simply to enrich themselves. As this case demonstrates, we will bring the full force of the federal government to find, investigate, and prosecute such wrongdoing criminally and civilly,” said Williams. “To any prescriber who may be tempted to sell opioid prescriptions without a legitimate medical purpose, be warned: it is not worth it. We will find you, we will prosecute you, and we will make you pay,” said Williams.

Williams continued, “This parallel criminal and civil prosecution represents exceptional professionalism and teamwork of the Criminal, Civil, and Forfeiture units of this Office and our dedicated law enforcement partners over the course of this complex case. I wish to specifically commend the FBI, DEA, the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Internal Revenue Service for their investigative work,” said Williams.

“Dr. Padnes routinely prescribed dangerous amounts of opioids without any medical necessity in exchange for cash, making him no different than a drug dealer on the street,” said Thomas Hodnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Philadelphia Field Division. “I want to thank our partners at HHS, IRS, and the FBI; working together we were able to pursue criminal charges and civil violations against rogue doctors like Padnes that have contributed to the opioid epidemic.”

“As a consequence, for prescribing opioids without medical necessity, Mr. Padnes will be excluded from participating in the Medicare program for at least ten years,” said Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners and the criminal and civil divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HHS-OIG will continue to protect the integrity of government health care programs.”

“Today’s guilty plea sends a message to all professionals that no one is above their responsibility to pay taxes,” said Yury Kruty, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Philadelphia Field Office. “All income, legally or illegally earned, is taxable. IRS-Criminal Investigation will always work with our law enforcement partners and provide our financial expertise to stop individuals from illegally distributing controlled substances to the American public.”

“Stephen Padnes admits abusing his prescribing privileges for profit,” said Bradley S. Benavides, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Philadelphia Division. “Doctors willing to illegally distribute and prescribe opioids to enrich themselves only deepen the drug epidemic that continues to ravage our area. That’s why the FBI is so determined to shut down unscrupulous medical professionals engaged in drug diversion. I encourage the public to report any information about prescription abuse to us or our law enforcement partners.”

The investigation was conducted by the Philadelphia Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Health Care Fraud Task Force, which includes agents from the FBI, Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, and HHS-OIG.

For the United States Attorney’s Office, the criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jerome Maiatico, the civil Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Charlene Keller Fullmer and former Assistant United States Attorney John T. Crutchlow, and the civil forfeiture matter is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria M. Carrillo.

Except for those facts admitted to in the guilty plea, the claims resolved by the civil settlements are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

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Orlando, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces today that Central Medical Systems, LLC, Joan Harley, and Alan Trent Harley have agreed to pay the United States $600,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by participating in a scheme to defraud Medicare.

The United States previously intervened in a civil whistleblower lawsuit against Central Medical Systems and Alan Trent Harley on January 18, 2018, and later filed an amended complaint adding Joan Harley, Arthur Wright, and Meddex Solutions, LLC, as defendants, alleging the defendants conspired to make false claims to the United States in violation of the False Claims Act.

The civil lawsuit and settlement relate to the submission of claims for wound care supplies sold by Central Medical Systems. According to the lawsuit, Alan Trent Harley would routinely change quantities of items while billing and manipulated orders in Central Medical Systems’ billing software. This allegedly resulted in Central Medical Systems seeking and receiving inflated Medicare payments for more expensive products than were provided to patients or for products that were never provided at all.

The government’s suit also alleges that, after the United States intervened in the lawsuit, Central Medical Systems and Alan Trent Harley conspired with Joan Harley (his wife), Arthur Wright, and Meddex Solutions to fraudulently submit Central Medical Systems’ claims through Meddex Solutions in an attempt to bypass Medicare’s suspension of payments to Central Medical Systems.

Alan Trent Harley pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud on November 30, 2020, and was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment. According to court documents in that criminal case, Harley co-founded Central Medical Systems in 1986. As president and sole active owner of the business, Harley was responsible for submitting claims to Medicare on behalf of Central Medical Systems. From at least 2011 through 2015, Harley knowingly defrauded the government of more than $870,000 by submitting fraudulent claims to Medicare. Although his employees provided him with accurate data about which wound care supplies were sent, and in what quantities, Harley frequently changed that data (with respect to both product type and quantities) before submitting claims to Medicare, in order to obtain fraudulently higher reimbursements from Medicare.

The United States previously entered into a civil settlement agreement with Arthur Wright and Meddex Solutions, effective June 1, 2021, under which they agreed to pay the United States $77,741.93, to resolve the False Claims Act allegations against them in this case.

“This is another example of our office’s commitment to prosecute those – individual or corporate – who seek to exploit Medicare for their personal gain, and at the expense to taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to use all available resources at our disposal to pursue those who defraud our nation’s federal healthcare programs.”

“Health care professionals are required to follow Medicare rules and accurately bill for services provided. Fraudulently billing Medicare for personal gain cheats millions of people who fund the program and contributes to the soaring cost of health care,” stated Omar Perez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Working closely with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to pursue those who exploit government health care programs.”

The settlement resulted from a lawsuit originally filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida by Relator Jael Cancel. Ms. Cancel sued under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act that permit a private citizen to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims and to share in the recovery. The Act also allows the United States to intervene and prosecute the action. The United States intervened in this matter and litigated the case. Ms. Cancel will receive $144,000 of the proceeds from the civil settlement with Central Medical Systems, Alan Trent Harley, and Joan Harley.

The United States’ intervention in and settlement of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

This settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida and the HHS Office of Inspector General. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor led the investigation.

The case is captioned United States ex rel. Cancel v. Central Medical Systems, LLC et al., Case No. 6:14-cv-512-ORL-28TBS. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

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FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a nine-count indictment today against optometrist Carole Sachs, O.D., 76, of Delhi, charging her with health care fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.

According to court documents, Sachs was an optometrist and practiced out of offices in Turlock and Modesto. Between November 2016 and February 2021, Sachs fraudulently billed Medicare for optometry services she did not provide. Sachs billed over $1 million and received over $700,000 in payments from Medicare from these false and fraudulent claims. The fraudulent claims included claims for performing ultrasounds and for placing amniotic membranes on patients’ eyes despite the fact that Sachs did not perform these procedures.

This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vincente A. Tennerelli and Joseph D. Barton are prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Sachs faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Defendants allegedly paid surgeons between $32,000 and $978,000 in bribes during the conspiracy

BOSTON – A spinal device manufacturer based in Malden, Mass. and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) were arrested today and charged in connection with a kickback scheme to bribe surgeons to use company products in exchange for sham consulting fees.

Kingsley R. Chin, MD, 57, of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., the CEO and founder of SpineFrontier; Aditya Humad, 36, of Cambridge, Mass., the company’s CFO; and SpineFrontier, Inc., were indicted on one count of conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute, six counts of violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.

According to the indictment, SpineFrontier, Chin and Humad paid, and conspired to pay, millions of dollars in bribes to surgeons in the form of sham consulting fees for work they did not perform. The defendants allegedly bribed surgeons to use SpineFrontier’s products, and in turn, SpineFrontier received millions of dollars in revenue from surgeries the surgeons performed.

The defendants allegedly entered into contracts with surgeons, agreeing to pay the surgeons between $250 and $1,000 per hour for purported consulting for SpineFrontier. In reality, however, the defendants allegedly paid the surgeons for using SpineFrontier’s products. Although the surgeon-consulting program was purportedly directed at gathering technical feedback about SpineFrontier’s products, the indictment alleges that Chin and Humad designed and used the program, and the bribes they paid pursuant to that program, to induce surgeons to use SpineFrontier’s products in surgeries that were paid for by federal health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE and VHA. It is further alleged that the surgeons frequently spent only a small fraction of their reported time, if any at all, performing actual consulting. On numerous occasions the bribe amounts were determined following a review of the number of procedures a surgeon performed and the amount of revenue those procedures generated for SpineFrontier. The defendants allegedly paid each surgeon described in the indictment between $32,625 and $978,000 in bribes during the conspiracy.

“Kickback arrangements pollute federal health care programs and take advantage of patient needs for financial gains,” said Acting United States Attorney Nathaniel R. Mendell. “Medical device manufacturers must play by the rules and we will keep pursuing those who fail to do so, regardless of how their corruption is disguised.”

“Kickbacks paid to surgeons as sham medical consultants, as alleged in this case, cheat patients and taxpayers alike,” said Phillip M. Coyne, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate kickback schemes that threaten the integrity of our federal health care system, no matter how those schemes are disguised.”

“As alleged, Chin, Humad, and their medical device company SpineFrontier conspired to pay out millions of dollars in kickbacks in the form of sham consulting fees to surgeons across the country who sadly, prioritized these payoffs over their patients’ best interests. We believe they also cheated taxpayers who ultimately foot the bill for their medical procedures,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Today’s arrests show that the FBI will not hesitate to go after those who try to undermine the integrity of the medical decision-making process to take advantage of patients for their own personal gain.”

This indictment follows two guilty pleas in related criminal prosecutions. In August 2020, Jason Montone, D.O., 45, of Lawson, Miss., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and obstruction and John Balzer, 43, of Lenexa, Kan., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute and one count of witness tampering. Montone and Balzer are scheduled to be sentenced on March 22 and 23, 2022, respectively.  

The charge of conspiring to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greater, forfeiture and restitution. The charges of violating the Anti-Kickback Statute provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $100,000, forfeiture and restitution. The charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater, forfeiture and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

Acting U.S. Attorney Mendell, HHS-OIG SAC Coyne and FBI SAC Bonavolonta made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick M. Callahan, David J. Derusha, Abraham R. George and David G. Lazarus of Mendell’s Office are prosecuting the criminal case.

The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

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FALLS CHURCH, Va. – There are changes coming soon to the TRICARE retail pharmacy network. Starting Dec. 15, 2021, CVS Pharmacy will join the TRICARE network. At the same time, Walmart, Sam’s Club, and some community pharmacies will leave the network.

Express Scripts is the TRICARE pharmacy contractor. They manage the TRICARE retail pharmacy network under a contract with the Department of Defense. Express Scripts reached a new agreement that adds CVS Pharmacy to the network of pharmacies.

“Beneficiaries will continue to have many convenient and nearby in-network options,” said U.S. Public Health Service Cmdr. Teisha Robertson, a pharmacist with the Defense Health Agency’s Pharmacy Operations Division. “Express Scripts’ partnership with CVS Pharmacy ensures most beneficiaries have a network pharmacy located near their home or work.”

The current TRICARE retail pharmacy network offers access to over 59,000 pharmacies. With this change, nearly 90% of beneficiaries will have access to a network pharmacy within five miles of their home.

Walmart and Sam’s Club have more than 5,300 locations nationwide. CVS Pharmacy has nearly 10,000 pharmacy locations. You can find CVS pharmacies inside many Target stores.

A group of around 3,000 community pharmacies will also leave the TRICARE network this year. But more than 14,000 community pharmacies will remain in the network.

Keep in mind that using home delivery or a military pharmacy are still lower cost options for you. You have to pay copayments when you use home delivery or any retail network pharmacy. Although these copayments are set to change next year, it isn’t because of this network change.

If you have a prescription at Walmart, Sam’s Club, or any other impacted pharmacy, you need to transfer it to a new network pharmacy before Dec. 15. If you filled a prescription at one of the impacted pharmacies, you’ll receive communication from Express Scripts. These communications will have recommendations on how you can fill your prescriptions at a new network pharmacy. You can also find a network pharmacy near you by visiting the Express Scripts website. CVS Pharmacy will be in the network starting Dec. 15.

Do you use specialty or limited distribution medications? If so, you’ll get a letter from Express Scripts detailing how you can transfer your prescriptions to a new specialty network pharmacy. You may also receive a phone call from an Express Scripts representative. They can help you move your medication to a new specialty network pharmacy that’s near you.

If you fill a prescription at Walmart, Sam’s Club, or community pharmacy leaving the network on or after Dec. 15, it will be a non-network pharmacy. This means you’ll have to pay the full cost of your prescription up front. You’ll also need to file a claim for partial reimbursement. Check out Filling Prescriptions to learn more. You can also refer to the TRICARE Pharmacy Program Handbook.

If you need to find a new network pharmacy, you can search for one on the Express Scripts website. You can also call Express Scripts at 1-877-363-1303 to help you find one close to you. Do you have questions about your pharmacy benefit? You can learn more by visiting Pharmacy on the TRICARE website.

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Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough said top officials will re-evaluate ongoing changes to the department’s caregiver support program which could take away stipends from thousands of families over the next year.

“I am worried about the feedback we’re getting,” McDonough told reporters at his monthly press conference on VA issues. “We work for caregivers, we work for the Veterans. We want to make sure that they’re getting the information they need and clarity about why we’re making the decisions we’re making.”

Earlier this month, a coalition of 15 Veterans service organizations presented formal objections to planned department changes in the Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers, which provides stipends to family members who provide home care to elderly or infirm Veterans.

Among the complaints were that the new rules “drastically changed the program’s eligibility criteria” resulting in “harsh impacts” for families.

About 33,000 individuals are currently enrolled in the program, which provides support services and monthly stipends to caregivers of Veterans unable to perform basic self-care activities.

The stipend is set to expand in October to include families of Veterans who served between the Vietnam War and the Afghanistan War, prompting the department work to ensure that existing program participants are being treated equitably.

VA officials announced last fall that they expected around 6,700 families would be dropped from the program under the changes, but that no families would see any financial payouts decreased or ended before October.

The idea was to ensure that individuals would have time to prepare for the financial impact of losing the stipends, which can total more than $3,000 a month. But advocates objecting to the changes have nonetheless called them too restrictive and unforgiving, aimed more at culling families from the program than balancing Veterans’ medical and emotional needs.

McDonough said that in coming weeks, Deputy Secretary Donald Remy will head up a review on the work so far “to make sure that we’re learning everything we can from and that we’re making best use of investments Congress has made in this program.”

On the criticism the department has received, McDonough said he is unsure if it represents widespread communication problems with staff and participants, or simply a small minority unhappy with the personal impact on their families.

The secretary said officials do not have authority under the law to include Veterans with non-service injuries (individuals must have a VA disability rating of 70 percent or more to qualify) but do have more flexibility in how they evaluate whether full-time caregiver services are needed to improve a Veteran’s quality of life.

He expects Remy’s review to take several weeks, and look both at changes to the program and how they are being communicated to the families involved.

“[Caregivers] will be a bigger part of the backbone as our aging Veterans demonstrate that they, like the rest of the country, want to age in place,” he said. “And so we want to get this right.”

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Veterans Affairs leaders are phasing out the department’s office in charge of community care programs, a move that some advocates are decrying as unfairly limiting Veterans’ medical options but officials insist is only about efficiency and not sweeping policy changes.

Last week, VA officials said they would begin a multi-month process of “designing a new integrated access and care coordination model to better deliver seamless care.”

Connected to that, lawmakers on Capitol Hill received letters from VA Secretary Denis McDonough announcing that the Office of Community Care would be decommissioned in coming months, with its responsibilities shifted to a yet-to-be-established Office for Integrated Veterans Care.

“Implementation of these changes allows the Veterans Health Administration to continue its modernization journey and transformation to operate as a high reliability, Veteran-centric organization,” the letter stated.

The issue of community care — where Veterans can see private-sector doctors paid for by department funds — has been a contentious one within VA for years.

Former President Donald Trump made expanding outside medical access a key point of his 2016 campaign and presidency, pushing for more “choice” for Veterans in where they received their health care.

But Democratic lawmakers — including President Joe Biden — have cautioned that too much use of private-sector doctors for core VA medical responsibilities could drain finances from the VA health care system and lead to “privatization” of the department.

In a statement to Military Times, Donald Koenig, special advisor to VA’s acting Under Secretary for Health for Integrated Veteran Care, said the goal of the new changes is not to hamper or dismantle the community care program.

“Nothing we are doing will change any appointments scheduled now or in the future,” he said. “We’re working to simplify, coordinate better, and make scheduling faster for Veterans, whether for a VA provider or a community care provider. Our goal is to deliver the right care at the right time, that best meets our Veteran’s health needs.”

Officials at Concerned Veterans of America — longtime advocates of increased community care programs and critics of the VA health care system — see it differently.

They noted that VA also recently took down a web page devoted to explaining Veterans’ options under the community care program, effectively limiting public information about how to enroll or schedule outside appointments.

“The administration does not like community care,” said Darin Selnick, senior advisor to the group and former Veterans Affairs advisor for the Trump White House. “If they are renaming and neutering offices and moving around access to the revenue, it feels like it is part of a campaign to get rid of it completely.”

Koenig said the Office of Community Care won’t be fully shut down until next spring, with a target now of March 2022.

About 3,600 employees will be transferred to the new integrated care office, while another 4,300 will be reassigned to the Veterans Health Administration’s finance office. No jobs will be terminated or physically relocated.

But Selnick said CVA has heard from numerous Veterans and congressional offices about increased problems accessing the program and getting outside medical appointments. He said the decision to separate the financial and operational functions of the program could cause even more delays and confusion.

VA officials say that’s not true, noting that community care referrals were up about 12 percent last month compared to 2019 levels (September 2020 levels were down about 6 percent, but VA leaders say that’s because of reduced demand related to the coronavirus pandemic.)

Lawmakers received a briefing on the looming changes this week. House Veterans’ Affairs Committee ranking member Mike Bost, R-Ill., said he supports efforts to improve the community care program, but said he is leery of the moves so far.

“I am hearing more and more often from Veterans who are not being given the choices they are entitled to under the law,” he told Military Times. “I am very concerned that this will divert much-needed focus from community care and make it that much easier for wait times to creep back up and Veterans to suffer for it, just like they did in 2014.

“It’s on Secretary McDonough to make sure that doesn’t happen, and I will be keeping very close watch.”

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After graduating from the University of Georgia, Charles Beckwith turned down a chance to play football for the Green Bay Packers. He chose instead to serve his country in the Army. He deployed to Vietnam with the 7th Special Forces Group in support of Operation Hotfoot, a covert mission to train and advise Laotian military forces.

Origins of what would become Delta Force

When he returned from Vietnam, Beckwith joined an exchange officer program and led members of the British Special Air Service on counterterrorism operations in Malaya. There, he developed the idea for creating Project Delta, a Special Forces counterintelligence detachment. He created a selection process to find the right candidates, and then assumed command of its operation in South Vietnam.

While serving with Project Delta, Beckwith took a 50-caliber bullet to his abdomen, putting him in such a critical condition that the surgeons deemed him as beyond saving. He made a full recovery.

When promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, Beckwith returned to Vietnam with the 2nd Battalion, 327th Infantry, 1st Brigade, 101st Airborne Division, where his unit fought to establish Fire Base Bastogne.

After being promoted to colonel, Beckwith became the commandant of the Army Special Warfare School at Fort Bragg.

On Nov. 19, 1977, Beckwith co-created Delta Force to address the increasing threat of global terrorism. He led the elite unit on its first mission to rescue 54 hostages held at the American embassy in Tehran. Though the mission failed, Beckwith’s recommendations led to the creation of SOAR and JSOC.

Beckwith retired in 1981, then wrote a memoir about his time creating and leading Delta Force.

We honor your service, Charles Beckwith.

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Different states offer various benefits for Veterans, but some are not widely used by Veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs asked representatives to discuss the most underused benefit in their respective states.

Alabama

Veterans inAlabama have access to free services to help them apply for VA benefits with a Veterans service officer, which can help them get maximum benefits the first time they file a claim, according to Mark Sullivan, a manager at the Appeals and Review division.

Alaska

Alaska has a 20 percent discount on the price of state residential or recreational land, which is a valuable benefit that many Veterans do not take advantage of because they save it to use for a later time, according to Verdie Bowen Sr., the director of the Office of Veterans Affairs.

Arizona

Families inArizona with a currently deployed service member or Veteran can receive up to $20,000 in financial assistance if the deployment caused the family hardships. The program, the Arizona Military Family Relief Fund, can also apply for up to $3,000 in emergency assistance, according to Wanda Wright, the director of the Arizona Department of Veterans Services.

Arkansas

The Resident Military Retiree Lifetime Combination License, which is a combined hunting and fishing license, is the most underused benefit for Arkansas Veterans, according to Gina Chandler, the assistant director of Veterans Services.

California

California also has a discounted hunting and fishing license program for Veterans who were honorably discharged with a service-connected disability rating of 50 percent or higher, according to Roberto Herrera, the chief of Veteran and Community Engagement.

Colorado

Veterans inColorado with a service-related disability of at least 60 percent are entitled to a free Lifetime Fish and Small Game license, according to Richard J. Tremaine, the director of the Division of Veterans Affairs.

Connecticut

Veterans’ organizations inConnecticut that fit specific qualifications can apply to be on the Connecticut Qualified Veterans’ Charitable Organization list, according to Thomas J. Saadi, commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Delaware

Delaware offers discounted hunting, trapping and fishing licenses to Veterans, including a free license to those with a VA disability rating of 60 percent or higher, according to Larence Kirby, the executive director of the Office of Veterans Services.

Florida

Veterans inFlorida who received a Purple Heart or other combat-related decorations may receive waived tuition for undergraduate studies at public universities and community colleges, as well as public facilities for career-related and technical training, according to James S. “Hammer” Hartsell, the deputy executive director of the Florida Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Georgia

Veterans fromGeorgia who received honorable discharge and a service-related injury are eligible for entry into state parks, historical sites and recreational areas at a 25 percent discount. Honorably discharged Veterans get a 20 percent discount on hunting and fishing licenses, and those who fit more specific qualifications may obtain a free one-year sportsman license, according to Mike Roby, Georgia’s commissioner of Veterans Service.

Hawaii

Qualifying Veterans inHawaii can choose from a number of special service-related license plates at the same cost of a normal license plate, according to Ronald Han, Director State Office of Veterans’ Services.

Idaho

Veterans, service members and military family members can more easily obtain occupational licenses inIdaho after recent legislation, which includes faster processing of license applications and military training credit, according to Marv Hagedorn, the chief administrator of the Idaho Division of Veterans Services.

Illinois

Veterans inIllinois can now be designated as a Veteran on state driver’s licenses.Illinois also offers a Veterans grant and National Guard grant for tuition at public colleges and universities, according to Linda Chapa LaVia, the director of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs.

Indiana

Veterans who fit the qualifications can apply for one of severalIndiana property tax deductions, which differ based on when they served, disability rating, age and value of their home.

Iowa

Children of military members who died in active duty afterSept. 11, 2001 can apply for the Brandstead-Reynolds Scholarship Program or War Orphan Tuition Assistance, according to Karl J. Lettow, public information.

Kansas

Veterans and eligible dependents inKansas can choose from different burial options at one of the state’s four Veterans’ cemeteries, according to Heidi Goff, the state Veteran cemeteries manager.

Kentucky

The Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs offers free benefit counseling from expert representatives, which currently only assists 13 percent of the state’s Veterans because many do not seek benefits, according to Donna Scrivener, the Benefits Branch manager.

Louisiana

Military Veterans and their families who experience financial hardships and fit certain qualifications can apply for assistance from the Military Family Assistance Fund, which can offer up to $10,000 depending on the circumstance, according to Joey Strickland, the secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs.

Maine

Spouses and dependents of qualifying Veterans who have a 100 percent permanent disability rating from the state are eligible for a full tuition and mandatory fee waiver at anyUniversity ofMaine system school, public community college orMaineMaritimeAcademy, according to David Richmond, director, Maine Bureau of Veterans’ Services.

Maryland

Employers in Maryland who hire Veterans may qualify to receive income tax credit “equal to 30 percent of up to the first $6,000 of wages paid to a qualified Veteran employee during the first year of employment,” George Owings, secretary of the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs, said.

Massachusetts

Information forMassachusetts Veterans’ benefits can be found here.

Michigan

The Children of Veterans Tuition Grant provides tuition assistance to qualifying students whose parent died or became completely disabled due to military service, according to Zaneta Adams, director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency.

Minnesota

The most underused benefits for Minnesota Veterans include Veterans cemeteries and licensing and certifications under the state’s GI Bill, according to Larry Herke, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mississippi

The Mississippi Veterans Home Purchase Board provides up to $250,000 in low-interest mortgage loans for eligible Veterans or surviving unmarried spouses to purchase or build a home, according to Stacey Pickering, the executive director of Mississippi Veterans Affairs.

Missouri

Missouri has the option of five Veterans cemeteries throughout the state so that each Veteran can have access to a Veterans cemetery, according to Ryon Richmond, the acting executive director of the Missouri Veterans Commission.

Montana

Veterans inMontana have free access to state parks and disabled Veterans can apply for a free hunting and fishing license, according to Kelly Ackerman, an administrator in the Montana Veterans Affairs Division.

Nebraska

Enlisted members of the state’s Active Selected Reserve unit may qualify for a 50 percent credit towards tuition at theUniversity ofNebraska system, public state colleges and community colleges, according to John Hilgert, director of the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs.

Nevada

TheNevada governor’s Office of Economic Development gives preference to Veteran-owned small businesses, according to communications director Julie Dudley.

New Hampshire

The New Division of Veteran Services assists New Hampshire Veterans with VA claims, according to William Gaudreau, the director of the New Hampshire Division of Veteran Services.

New Jersey

Veterans with certain permanent, service-connected disabilities may be eligible for monthly payments through New Jersey Catastrophic Entitlement, according to Patricia A. Richter, the acting director in the Division of Veterans Services.

New Mexico

Veterans with a 50 percent or higher service disability rating may qualify for free access toNew Mexico’s state parks, monuments and museums.

New York

Access to Home for Heroes provides financial assistance and makes living spaces accessible for low and moderate income Veterans who live with a disability inNew York, according to Joel Evans, the executive deputy director of the New York State Division of Veterans’ Services.

North Carolina

Qualifying Veterans living with disabilities inNorth Carolina may be eligible for tax relief for adaptive automobiles, according toMartinFalls, chief deputy secretary for the North Carolina Department of Military and Veteran Affairs.

North Dakota

The Veterans Aid Fund is a loan program specifically for Veterans or their surviving spouses inNorth Dakota, according to commissioner Lonnie Wangen.

Ohio

Tuition assistance for over 150 colleges and universities inOhio is available for qualifying Veterans who are enlisted in the National Guard with drilling status, according to Sean McCarthy, the assistant director in the Department of Veterans Services.

Oklahoma

Information forOklahoma Veterans’ benefits can be found here.

Oregon

Qualifying Veterans inOregon are eligible for home loan benefits, which can be used up to four times, with lower-than-market interest rates, according to Cody Cox, Oregon Veteran Home Loan manager.

Pennsylvania

Eligible blind Veterans inPennsylvania may be entitled to $150 per month through the state’s Blind Veterans Pension, according to Joel H. Mutschler, director of the Bureau of Veterans Programs, Initiatives, Reintegration, and Outreach.

Rhode Island

Active duty service members and Veterans may be eligible for in-state tuition atUniversity ofRhode Island,Community College ofRhode Island andRhode IslandCollege immediately once they move to the state, according to Kasim Yarn, director, Rhode Island Office of Veterans Services.

South Carolina

Children of certain military Veterans may qualify for a tuition waiver at aSouth Carolina state-supported college, university, technical education school, or early college credit program, according to Stanley Foreman, the director of administration for the South Carolina Department of Veterans Affairs.

South Dakota

State and federal education benefits are available for certain South Dakota Veterans transitioning into life as a civilian, according to Greg Whitlock, secretary of the South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs.

Tennessee

The Servicemember Opportunity Portal provides Veterans inTennessee with information about military training that can be translated into college credits and give Veterans a head start, according to Mike Krause, executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Texas

The Texas Veterans Commission helps Veteran entrepreneurs with aspects of starting their own business, including assistance with financing and creating a business plan, according to Kevin Barber, commissioner of the Texas Veterans Commission.

Utah

The Accelerated Credentialing to Employment (ACE) program provides qualifyingUtah Veterans and actively drilling National Guard and Reserve members with training assistance to help them secure a license or certification that could lead to finding a job, according to Gary Harter, executive director ofUtah’s Department of Veterans and Military Affairs.

Vermont

Eligible Veterans can apply through their local town clerk to obtain free daily passes to state parks, according to Robert E. Burke, the director of the Office of Veterans Affairs.

Virginia

The Virginia Transition Assistance Program (VTAP) supports the individual needs of transitioning service members and their spouses, including assistance with employment opportunities or enrollment in one of the state’s GI Bill-approved institutions, according to Annie Walker, deputy commissioner for Virginia Department of Veterans Services.

Washington

The VA Olympia Call Center in Washington helps Veterans understand their benefits, receive their pensions and disability compensation, and connects them with other outside services in the area, according to Liza Narciso, assistant to the director of the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs.

West Virginia

Veteran families who cannot afford to install a grave marker for their loved one may qualify for up to $380 from the Jack Bennett Fund to have the marker installed, according to cabinet secretary Dennis Davis.

Wisconsin

The Assistance to Needy Veterans Grant Program provides emergency grants and payments to low-income Veterans and has been used to help Veterans in need of financial assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Donald Placidi Jr., the Division of Veterans Benefits administrator in the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.

Wyoming

Veterans inWyoming who were not able to complete their high school graduation requirements, entered military service during certain specified dates, and were honorably discharged as Veterans of World War II, the Korean War or the Vietnam War have the opportunity to apply for an honorary high school diploma, according to Tim Sheppard, executive director of the Wyoming Veterans Commission.

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Bobbie Carson is honored to receive his eighth Corvette in short order.

There's still some serious demand for the mid-engine C8 Chevrolet Corvette. A UAW strike followed by the COVID-19 pandemic and semiconductor shortage created a perfect storm to hamper production, but for some hopeful Corvette buyers, time is a bit more critical. That's why we're happy to hear about this feel-good story of the Greatest Generation and the latest Corvette generation.

Meet Bobbie Carson, a 95-year-old Corvette enthusiast who's owned seven Bow Tie sports cars through his lifetime, according to WNKY News 40 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Carson is also a World War II veteran, having ended his teenage years fighting in Germany at the war's end in 1945. He now has his eighth Corvette, a 2022 Arctic White Stingray that was delivered to him at the National Corvette Museum just 30 days after he ordered it.

A video included in the report shows Carson at the museum, sitting behind the wheel of his new C8 as a member of the museum looks over the interior with him. The report explains that Chevrolet bumped Carson to the front of the 2022 Corvette waiting list after learning of Carson's order and that, at age 95, time was of the essence. Driving a 495-horsepower (369-kilowatt) mid-engine sports car capable of reaching 60 mph in 3.0 seconds is certainly a great way to stay young. To Carson's credit, he looks absolutely capable of putting the C8 through its paces.

With the average life expectancy in the U.S. pegged at 77.8 years, Carson is showing the world how it's done and this new 'Vette isn't just something that will sit in his garage. WNKY says the U.S. Army veteran is selling his other car and will use his new 2022 Corvette as a daily driver back at his Georgia home. Well done, sir. Very well done, indeed.

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Last of Four Individuals Sentenced in this Conspiracy

An Illinois woman was sentenced yesterday in the Northern District of Illinois to 56 months in prison and ordered to pay $6.3 million in restitution for her participation in a conspiracy to commit health care and wire fraud.

According to court documents, and the evidence presented at trial, Angelita Newton, 43, of Chicago, worked at Care Specialists, a home health care company owned by Ferdinand Echavia and later his wife, Ma Luisa Echavia. While operating between 2011 and 2017, Care Specialists fraudulently billed Medicare at least $6.3 million. At trial, the government demonstrated that around 90% of the patients were not homebound and did not qualify for the types of care that Care Specialists billed Medicare for. Further, many patients received cash bribes to receive home health “visits,” some of which were performed in the visiting nurse’s car. Newton facilitated the conspiracy by falsifying patient visit records which were used to support claims billed to Medicare and was convicted by a federal jury on Feb. 14, 2020.

In addition to issuing Newton’s sentence today, Judge Virginia Kendall previously sentenced three others involved in the conspiracy. On Oct. 21, 2021, Ferdinand Echavia was sentenced to 84 months’ confinement and three years’ supervised release. On Nov. 5, 2021, Ma Luisa Echavia was sentenced to 60 months’ confinement and three years’ supervised release. Another participant in the conspiracy, Reginald Onate, who pleaded guilty and cooperated with the government throughout the investigation, was sentenced to a term of three years’ probation.

Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Assistant Director Jay Greenberg of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.

The FBI Chicago Field Office and HHS-OIG investigated the case.

Trial Attorney Leslie S. Garthwaite of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Mott (formerly of the Fraud Section) prosecuted the case.

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VA is currently hiring chiefs of staff in numerous medical centers across the country

Want to make your mark as the head of a medical staff at a VA hospital? We’re currently hiring chiefs of staff in ten locations across the U.S.

Positions are now open in Butler and Erie, Pennsylvania; Chillicothe, Ohio; El Paso, Texas; Indianapolis, Indiana; Manchester, New Hampshire; Poplar Bluff, Missouri; Salisbury, North Carolina; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Wichita, Kansas.

“We are seeking physician leaders who are committed to boosting the quality of health care for more than 9 million Veterans around the nation,” said Darren Sherrard, associate director of recruitment marketing.

Be ready to lead

As chief of staff, you’ll be an active leader and play a vital role in ensuring that the Veterans we serve can access effective, timely and quality health care.

You’ll manage health care resources, work to improve hospital performance, ensure patient and employee satisfaction, and participate in strategic planning. You’ll also promote standards of clinical competence and conduct for staff. This includes compliance with credentialing and privileging processes, monitoring and evaluation of clinical practice, peer review and other quality assurance.

Other responsibilities include:

• Monitoring and ensuring staff compliance with agency regulations; medical staff by-laws, rules and regulations; VA facility policies, Joint Commission standards and other regulations.
• Ensuring the highest level of performance by medical staff members through delineation of clinical privileges, ongoing performance evaluations, orientation and continuous quality improvement practices.
• Completing performance evaluations of assigned service line managers and clinical service chiefs.
• Ensuring standards of medical care and integration of services across service lines.
• Driving a culture of improvement.

Benefits of a VA career

We offer a highly competitive salary and a suite of excellent benefits. At VA, you’ll enjoy robust medical, dental, life and long-term care insurance, as well as liability protection.

Be ready for life after VA with the generous three-tier federal retirement system, which is composed of Social Security benefits, FERS basic benefits and a plan similar to a 401(k) savings plans.

You’ll earn up to 26 paid days off and 13 sick days each year, as well as 10 paid federal holidays and paid parental leave.

With one valid license, you can practice anywhere in the nation. There are VA locations in all 50 states and some U.S. territories, so it’s easy to relocate and take all your benefits with you.

Work at VA

Consider a career leading other medical professionals while making a major impact on the quality of life of the men and women who have served our country.

• APPLY now for a position as a chief of staff.
• EXPLORE our website at vacareers.va.gov.
• LEARN more about the benefits of working at VA.
• CONTACT a VA recruiter.

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Shape Veterans’ health care as a VAMedical Center executive director in one of six cities across the country.

Here at VA, we consistently plan ways to innovate and improve the level of service we provide to the over 9 million Veterans who rely on us for their health care. Our VA health executives play an integral role in shaping these plans, spearheading the delivery of integrated care to a diverse population of Veterans.

The question is: Are you ready to lead care delivery for the nation’s heroes in your community?

Licensed physician/dental officers and health system administrators prepared for this challenge are invited to apply for open positions in six cities: Battle Creek, Michigan; Cincinnati, Ohio; Martinsburg, West Virginia; Montgomery, Alabama; Poplar Bluff, Missouri; and Tomah, Wisconsin.

As VA Medical Center executive directors, you help lead thousands of clinicians, nurses, mental health professionals, medical technicians and support staff who carry out VA’s mission with honor and integrity.

“Since its inception, VA has led health care innovation, including establishing its comprehensive electronic health record and patient-centered primary care model,” said Darren Sherrard, associate director of recruitment and marketing at VA. “As part of our executive team, you’ll lead a whole-health revolution to meet Veterans’ overall health and life goals within and beyond the walls of the medical center.”

Choose VA to shape care

As VAMC executive director, you carry out key decisions that directly impact Veterans’ health care at the local level. You advance the quality of care that VA provides, and influence the medical facility’s culture and service to the most diverse population of Veterans in history. You would be responsible for the financially sound direction and operation of the medical center, and you would report to the Veterans Integrated Service Network director for your region.

VA is also seeking candidates to fill these other senior leadership positions:

• Associate directors and assistant directors in a variety of roles.
• Associate directors for Patient Care Services and other nurse executive positions (see related story).
• Chiefs of staff in various cities.
• Senior executive service positions including deputy under secretaries, executive directors and others.

VA leadership positions come with the following benefits:

• Competitive salary and premium-paid medical, vision and dental insurance.
• A generous retirement that includes Social Security, a federal pension and a 401(k)-type plan with up to 5% employer contributions.
• Up to 49 days paid time off per year (26 days annual leave, 13 days sick leave, 10 federal holidays).
• Reimbursement for relocation expenses (conditions apply).

Choose VA today

• APPLY for an open VAMC executive director position:
• Physician/dental officers apply here.
• Health system administrators apply here.
• READ about senior leaders working at VA today and download the flyer (PDF).
• EXPLORE VA senior leadership positions.
• LEARN how to Choose VA at www.VAcareers.va.gov.

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The budget for the city’s Veterans services agency ballooned nearly 70 percent in the last fiscal year, but homeless ex-military members got less housing and other services, City Hall’s own stats show.

The Veteran Services Department spending grew from $3.6 million to $5.4 million this year, but it placed 7 percent fewer homeless Veterans in housing and provided 6 percent fewer Veterans supportive services — a downtick activists attribute to Hizzoner’s absenteeism during his failed presidential run.

“It certainly has not been helping anyone that Mayor de Blasio has been absentee these last many months, and it has been crystal clear that the only Veterans he prioritizes are the ones he’s met with on campaign stops outside of NYC,” said Kristen Rouse, director of the NYC Veterans Alliance.

In May Rouse blasted de Blasio for sitting down with Nevada Vets, when he’d never held a similar meeting with his own constituents.

The report attributes the housing dip to staff vacancies that have since been filled.

“For years, DVS has struggled to build a cohesive team without dedicated human resources staffing and other key administrative roles needed to establish clear roles, procedures, and basic infrastructure for a healthy, thriving agency,” Rouse said.

“The metrics listed in the MMR for DVS are truly disappointing, but not altogether unsurprising,” she added, referring to the Mayor’s Management Report for the Department of Veterans Services.

The only bright spot for the agency was a 7 percent increase in Veterans “reached by the community engagement team,” according to the report.

A DVS spokeswoman said the agency opened two supportive housing complexes with a total 130 units this summer, which is not reflected in the report.

The spokeswoman, Alexis Wichowski, attributed the large budget boost to the addition of an HR department at the agency, which was created by Mayor de Blasio in 2016.

“DVS works tirelessly to ensure that NYC Veterans and their families are housed and connected to appropriate resources. As a result of our continuous data collection, analysis, and subsequent improvements, DVS is now on track to house a record number of homeless Veterans this year and connect even more NYC Veterans and family members to services,” Wichowski said.

There are about 210,000 former service members living in the five boroughs, the majority of whom are Vietnam War Veterans.

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The VA is also taking measures to accommodate summer vacations to avoid worker burnout

The Department of Veterans Affairs warned that the backlog to process claims could double over the next year, reaching "potentially up to 400,000."

VA Undersecretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs said the agency has seen a spike in disability claims in large part as a result of the PACT Act, a law signed last year that aims to improve care for Veterans who have been exposed to toxic material, according to a Military.com report Monday.

The influx of claims could lead the VA backlog, which is defined as claims older than 125 days, to double over the next year, Jacobs said, forcing the agency to balance quickly processing those claims while attempting to avoid burning out its workforce.

More than 560,000 new disability compensation claims have been filed since the new legislation passed last year, while the VA has increased its workforce by about 15% to help tackle the new claims.

Jacobs said Monday the VA has seen a 30% increase in claims overall since the legislation passed and that the department is continuing its outreach to eligible Veterans while hoping to reduce the backlog from possibly 400,000 to around 100,000 by 2025.

"That's all dependent on a variety of factors … on how many Veterans file claims … the complexity and the number of conditions within each of those claims … our continued hiring success and a variety of other factors, to include our adoption of technology," Jacobs told reporters, according to Military.com.

Jacobs noted that the VA is currently processing claims faster than expected, delivering 1.7 million decisions in fiscal year 2022, a 12% increase over the previous fiscal year. So far in fiscal year 2023, the department is processing claims 15% faster than 2022, according to Jacobs.

"We've produced more decisions than any other time in our history," Jacobs said.

However, the department is also trying to be mindful of burning out its workforce, recently announcing a plan to pause its mandatory overtime policy instituted in 2017 this July and August to accommodate vacations, with Jacobs reasoning the VA needs to "take care of employees so that they can take care of Veterans."

Meanwhile, Jacobs anticipated improved efficiency after the VA expanded an automated processing system to 16 regional offices that will streamline easier claims decisions.

"As we work to verify, validate and graduate our automated decision support, we do anticipate some efficiency gains there as well, so collectively, we don't have to hire up as quickly as we have and... can also move away from reliance on mandatory overtime," Jacobs said.

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CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Courtney B. Sedler, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was indicted today on threat charges, United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced.

Sedler, 30, was indicted today on three counts of “Influencing Federal Officer by Threat.” Sedler threatened to kill Vincent Kennedy, Chief of the Veterans Affairs Police, on three separate occasions in February, March, and October 2022.

Sedler faces up to 10 years of incarceration and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher L. Bauer is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government. The Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Veterans Affairs Police investigated.

An indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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U.S. Attorney Bridget M. Brennan announced that a federal jury today returned a guilty verdict against Defendant Lon R. Sweeney, 56, of Cleveland, Ohio, following a four-day trial before Judge Dan Aaron Polster in Cleveland. Sweeney was convicted of threatening a federal employee and acquitted of assault of an officer.

According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 12, 2017, Sweeney left a voicemail message threatening bodily harm to an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) after the VA had begun the process of assigning a fiduciary to manage Sweeney’s monetary VA benefits. During the same voicemail, Sweeney also threatened bodily harm against an employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division, who had previously warned Sweeney about making threats to VA employees. Following the threats on July 12, a warrant was issued for Sweeney’s arrest.

On January 7, 2019, Sweeney appeared for a scheduled appointment at the VA Medical Center in Cleveland. After the appointment concluded, law enforcement officers apprehended Sweeney on his outstanding warrant.

Sweeney is scheduled to be sentenced on April 12, 2022. A federal district court judge will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General with the help of the Cleveland VAMC Police and Brecksville Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brad J. Beeson and Brian M. McDonough.

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Tyson Manker, a Marine Veteran of the 2003 invasion of Iraq, filed a federal class-action lawsuit on March 2, 2018, seeking relief for the thousands of Navy and Marine Corps Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who developed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other mental health conditions during their military service, only to be separated with a less-than-honorable discharge.

Manker is joined in the lawsuit by the National Veterans Council for Legal Redress (NVCLR), a Connecticut-based organization whose members include Marine Corps and other Veterans with less-than-honorable discharges. The plaintiffs are being represented by Yale Law School Veterans Legal Services Clinic and co-counsel from Jenner & Block.

The case was first reported on by the New York Times and formally announced during a press conference with Senator Richard Blumenthal ’73 at Yale Law School on March 2.

Since September 11, 2001, more than two million Americans have served in either Iraq or Afghanistan. Nearly a third of these service members suffer from PTSD and related mental health conditions, but the military continues to issue less-than-honorable (“bad paper”) discharges at historically high rates, often for minor infractions that are attributable to undiagnosed mental health issues, according to the lawsuit. When these Veterans apply for a change in their discharge characterization to the Naval Discharge Review Board (NDRB) — which handles applications from former sailors and Marines — these Veterans are unlawfully denied without the benefit of Department of Defense policies meant to ease this process, the clinic said.

“The American public needs to know that hundreds of thousands of military Veterans with service-connected PTSD and TBI are being denied support and VA resources because of an unfair discharge status,” said plaintiff Tyson Manker, who fought in the Iraqi invasion and is now an attorney residing in Illinois. “Systemic failures of the military departments have led to widespread legal rights violations of our most vulnerable men and women in uniform, myself included. It is a national disgrace. By taking this action with the courts we intend to restore the rule of law along with honor for thousands of patriots who were treated so poorly by the nation they served.”

In 2014, the Veterans Clinic filed a separate class-action lawsuit on behalf of five Vietnam combat Veterans and three Veterans’ organizations seeking relief for tens of thousands of Vietnam Veterans who developed PTSD during their military service and subsequently received an other than honorable discharge. In June 2015, as a result of the lawsuit, the Pentagon agreed to upgrade each man’s “other-than-honorable” discharge status.

“We made mistakes with how we treated the Vietnam generation, before PTSD was well understood, but now we are doling out the same injustice to the Veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Garry Monk, Executive Director of NVCLR. Monk’s brother, Marine Veteran Conley Monk, struggled for 44 years after his Vietnam service before finally receiving a discharge upgrade as a result of the 2014 case filed by the Veterans Clinic. “Shame on us. It shouldn’t take years of waiting, an army of lawyers, and a class-action lawsuit to get the Navy to follow the law,” Monk said.

“Heroic Veterans suffering from the invisible wounds of war deserve support and treatment—not the stain and stigma of a less-than-honorable discharge,” added Senator Blumenthal. “The Navy has inexplicably failed to recognize the impact of post-traumatic stress on post-9/11 Veterans who have been discharged because of these invisible wounds with less than honorable discharges. This injustice must be righted immediately for an entire generation of Navy servicemen and women.”

In support of Manker, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth said, “Not every wound suffered by those who serve this country in uniform are as obvious as mine, but all of them require care and treatment just as mine did. We owe it to our Veterans to make sure they get the care they earned – but too many are denied fair access to the care they need because of an unfair discharge status based in antiquated policies that fail to recognize invisible wounds like post-traumatic stress. As a combat Veteran and former VA Assistant Secretary, I know we as a nation can do much better when it comes to caring for our Wounded Warriors, and ending previous policies or punishing those suffering from post-traumatic stress is an important start.”

The plaintiffs are represented by law student interns Samantha Peltz ’17, Jonathan Petkun ’20, West Resendes ’19, and Helen White ’18, and supervising attorneys Aaron Wenzloff and Michael Wishnie '93 of the Veterans Clinic. Established in 2010, clinic students have represented Connecticut Veterans in litigation before administrative agencies and courts, on benefits, discharge upgrade, immigration, and pardon matters.

“The Navy is defying the Department of Defense, Congress, and the Constitution in a way that the other Boards are not,” said Peltz. “In 2017, the Army and Air Force Discharge Review Boards granted approximately 51% of discharge upgrade applications involving PTSD, while the NDRB granted a mere 16% of applications during the same period. The disparity is staggering.”

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Now available in a VA southeast network

Veterans enrolled for care with Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 8 and who have urgent medical questions can call the Clinical Contact Center 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week.

Veterans who call 877-741-3400 will be connected with medical support assistants, nurses, licensed independent practitioners and pharmacists. They can get answers on general health questions or have a virtual visit with a doctor. Equally important, there is no copay.

The service is available 365 days a year. Veterans can call when they have a non-emergency medical condition or are unable to see their primary care provider. As a result, the service provides a convenient alternative to the emergency room, urgent care center or clinic.

Patients can download the VA Video Connect app on Android, iOS and Windows mobile and web-based devices to enter a private video session with practitioners.

The VA Sunshine Healthcare Network operates the service. As a result, only Veterans who are enrolled for care within VISN 8 can use it. The VA Sunshine Healthcare Network is the nation’s largest system of hospitals and clinics. It serves more than 1.5 million Veterans across Florida, South Georgia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Doesn’t replace care providers

The Clinical Contact Center should not replace Veterans’ primary care provider. However, Center staff can prescribe medicine, when needed. Veterans can pick the medicine up at the closest VA facility with a pharmacy or a community pharmacy, or can receive the medicine by mail.

Center personnel add information regarding clinical interactions in the Veteran’s medical records.

Suzanne Klinker is VISN 8’s deputy network director for the Clinical Contact Center. She said, “It’s our privilege to meet and exceed the needs of Veterans around the clock from their home, work, school or wherever they may be. We are so happy that this access to care in the virtual environment is making a great, positive difference in the lives of many.”

The Clinical Contact Center team is VHA Office of Nursing Services-based. In fact, VISN 8 is the first fully comprehensive Clinical Contact Center VA operates.

VA is supporting Clinical Contact Center modernization. VA Medical Center call centers collectively respond to tens of millions of telephone calls each year.

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Designed for ER patients who need additional tests, treatment or observation

Billy Pair made two unscheduled stops in the Dallas VA Medical Center’s emergency department in the last 30 days.

“I was having a hard time breathing and was feeling really weak and sick,” said Pair, an Army Veteran.

As a result, Pair became the first patient to be admitted into the new clinical decision unit (CDU) within the emergency department. That was in January 2020.

A specialized unit

The CDU is a specialized unit for Veterans who visit the emergency department and require further observation and management to determine their need for inpatient admission.

In the photo above, Pair talks with Katy Wood, nurse practitioner, and Suni Jacob, RN, in the new CDU.

“The CDU will be emergency department run and physician managed for patients who we anticipate to require less than 24 hours of observation and who are ambulatory,” said Dr. Stephen Burgher. Burgher is chief of emergency medicine at VA North Texas.

“These patients will be able to perform daily living activities and be free of active psychiatric conditions,” he said.

The CDU opened with eight staffed beds and six protocols.

“Our first six protocols are chest pain, cardiac failure, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), asthma, cellulitis and syncope,” said Dr. Richard DeLeon, CDU section chief. “The goal is to gradually expand to 14 beds and 20 protocols over the next six months.”

The CDU will provide high-quality care for patients who require active and focused management during an expected length of stay of eight to 24 hours.

For his second visit in less than a month, Pair was able to head home after less than 24 hours.

“Everyone here was really awesome,” said Pair. “I told my wife that I didn’t know if I wanted to go home because they take better care of me here. The care I received was really the best I’ve ever received.”

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The Biden administration rolled out changes to Medicare.gov aimed at making it easier to choose and compare coverage.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released several updates Wednesday on the website as part of a larger effort to improve transparency for consumers.

“We are committed to listening to the people we serve as we design and deliver new, personalized online resources and expanded support options for people with Medicare coverage and those who support them,” said CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure in a statement.

One of the key new features is to redesign the Medicare.gov home page to add more detailed information on Medigap policies and plan costs. Other new information on the homepage aims to improve how to compare and select drug coverage.

The changes also include new messages on the homepage that highlight the information most requested by people on Medicare, people nearing eligibility or family members.

CMS said the updates are part of a larger effort to redesign the site, including an update last summer aimed at making it easier for people to sign up for Medicare coverage.

“Additional improvements are planned for the next few months to streamline the Medicare Plan Finder landing page and the Medicare Account landing page and align the look and feel with the new home page,” the agency added.

CMS has sought to improve price transparency in recent years as an effort to combat rising healthcare costs, including imposing requirements for hospitals to post certain prices online.

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RALEIGH, N.C. – A Morehead City woman was sentenced today to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release on a charge of Making Material False Statements Relating to Healthcare Matters, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035(a)(2). Shelly Phillips Bandy, 41, was also ordered to make restitution of $374,809.92, jointly and severally with her company, A Perfect Fit For You, Inc. (APFFY). Bandy is also liable for a civil judgment of $34,708,945.42 arising from the same conduct.

According to court documents, APFFY was a durable medical equipment provider located in Morehead City, North Carolina.Durable medical equipment includes items such as powered wheelchairs, orthotic braces, diabetic shoes, powered air flotation beds, osteogenesis stimulators, pneumatic compressors, etc. Between March 2015 and November 2016, one or more employees of APFFY submitted fraudulent billings claims to Medicaid for providing durable medical equipment to Medicaid recipients. These fraudulent claims contained the personal identifying information of Medicaid recipients who had never ordered nor received any durable medical equipment from APFFY.In fact, some of the patients had been deceased years before the false claims were even submitted. This scheme resulted in an estimated loss to Medicaid of approximately $10,069,361.35.

After appointment of a receiver, APFFY self-reported suspected fraudulent activity to the North Carolina Medicaid Investigations Division. Thereafter, the company cooperated throughout the investigation.

On December 13, 2017, and based on the conduct described above, the United States and State of North Carolina filed a civil complaint under the federal and state False Claims Acts against APFFY and its owners Margaret Gibson, and Bandy. The federal and North Carolina False Claims Acts mandate that the Governments recover triple the money falsely obtained, plus substantial civil penalties for each false claim submitted. To resolve those claims, the APFFY agreed to pay $20,138,722.70, while Gibson has agreed to pay $4,000,000. As for Bandy, the United States and State of North Carolina obtained a $34,708,945.42 default judgment against her in the civil action. It should be noted that the civil claims against A Perfect Fit for You, Inc. and Gibson are allegations only and were resolved by settlement. There was no judicial determination or admission of liability as to them in the civil case.

In addition to the civil case, APFFY pled guilty to a Criminal Information charging Health Care Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347. On March 2, 2021, the company was sentenced to 5 years’ probation and ordered to pay a $2,000,000 fine in addition to paying $10,069,361.35 in restitution to the North Carolina Medicaid Program on a charge of Healthcare Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1347.

On December 29, 2020, Bandy pled guilty to making false statements relating to health care matters in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1035. Bandy admitted to submitting fraudulent claims to Medicaid on behalf of APFFY. Specifically, Bandy admitted that on January 1, 2016, she billed Medicaid for 43 fraudulent claims, totaling $626,773.79. Medicaid subsequently paid $374,809.92 for those claims.

Today, in ordering Bandy to serve 30 months in federal prison, the court noted that as a society, citizens have decided to provide healthcare for the very poorest among us. In doing so, the Court noted that the Medicaid program is a system of trust. “The whole system is built on honesty,” the court stated. “If you break faith with the honor system that we built to care for the least among us, a person who does that needs to know … you will go to a penitentiary.” In stating this, the Court expressly rejected the defendant’s argument for a probationary sentence.

G. Norman Acker, III, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The investigation of this case was conducted by the North Carolina Department of Justice’s Medicaid Investigations Division (MID) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General.Assistant United States Attorney William M. Gilmore is the prosecutor on the criminal case, while Assistant United States Attorney C. Michael Anderson represented the United States in the civil case. Special Deputy Attorneys General F. Edward Kirby, Jr. and Michael M. Berger, who also serve as a Special Assistant United States Attorneys, represented the United States and the State of North Carolina in the civil case.

The MID investigates and prosecutes health care providers that defraud the Medicaid program, patient abuse of Medicaid recipients, patient abuse of any patient in facilities that receive Medicaid funding, and misappropriation of any patients’ private funds in nursing homes that receive Medicaid funding. To report Medicaid fraud or patient abuse in North Carolina, call the MID at 919-881-2320.

The MID receives 75 percent of its funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under a grant award totaling $6,160,252 for Federal fiscal year (FY) 2020. The remaining 25 percent, totaling $2,053,414 for FY 2020, is funded by the State of North Carolina.

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Veterans looking for camaraderie and a chance to contribute in a military setting have opportunities through the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

The Auxiliary is an organization of uniformed volunteers. They assist the Coast Guard, as authorized by the commandant, in performing any Coast Guard function, power, duty, role, mission or operation authorized by law. Members do not perform any law enforcement functions or direct military action.

The Auxiliary looks for owners – sole or part – of motorboats, yachts, aircraft, or radio stations, or those with special training or experience. These specialties include education, information technology, legal, disaster response, human resources, public affairs and others.

Membership is open to any citizen of the U.S. and its territories and possessions who is 17 or older, and there’s no mandatory maximum age.

There are no specific physical standards to be eligible to enroll in the Auxiliary. Any Auxiliarist, regardless of physical limitations, may participate in training to achieve certification in a non-operational or operational position. The Auxiliary also has relaxed grooming standards, such as beards for men.

Auxiliary offers camaraderie

Mike Reidy spent 30 years in the Air Force as a B-52 navigator and instructor, retiring in 2004. The Afghanistan and Iraq Veteran served in communications, B-52s and as a liaison officer with Army units, including the 82nd Airborne at Fort Bragg.

After retirement, he went back to New York. Standing on a street corner one day babysitting his nieces, someone asked him, “Don’t you have a job to go to?” He saw the same person again the next day, who encouraged him to join the Auxiliary.

After completing initial training, he received a job. He is a qualified boat coxswain, or boat skipper, who performs safety patrols and teaches boating safety classes. He’s also an elected leader for the organization. He said joining the Auxiliary helped him reconnect with service.

“I was definitely missing things about being on active duty,” Reidy said. “The Auxiliary really got me into meeting a new group of people I would have never met.”

He said many of the Auxiliary members are former military, which helps establish a bond.

“There’s usually an immediate connection,” he said.

Auxiliary members also wear decorations they earn while in the military. Reidy said. He said he has struck up conversations with several Vietnam and other Veterans based upon their medals. Once, he saw a Veteran with a Purple Heart. After talking, Reidy found out the Auxiliary member was on the USS Liberty, who were strafed and torpedoed during the Six-Day War in 1967.

Bringing together military, civilians

Another member, Tom Violante, lives by Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound in New Haven, Connecticut. A self-described Army brat who lived on bases growing up, Violante was a sole surviving son who couldn’t join the military during Vietnam. He went to an Auxiliary open house and later became a chef. He attended three weeks of training for his specialty at Coast Guard Sector New York on Staten Island. He’s also been a public affairs officer on the national staff, vessel examiner and publications specialist.

Violante said his background helped make friends with military Veterans.

“Being around that military life has helped me quite a bit because ‘yes sir’ and ‘yes ma’am’ is part of my vocabulary,” he said. “It’s given me the quasi-military experience I wanted.”

Violante said he had a first-hand experience with the bond on a vacation to Hawaii. When Violante told the tour guide – an Afghanistan Veteran – he was in the Auxiliary, Violante said, “he treated me as an equal.”

Value of service

Violante said Auxiliary members have stepped in multiple times to augment the Coast Guard. He served as chief cook and bottle washer, running a galley while Coast Guardsmen deployed. Violante is responsible for finding volunteers for other chef missions. One member deployed for two weeks on USCGC Katherine Walker, a 270-foot cutter out of Bayonne, New Jersey. Another member spent two weeks aboard USCGC Coho out of New London, Connecticut, after COVID-19 hit the East Coast.

Reidy said an Auxiliary member taught Coast Guard cadets celestial navigation aboard the Academy’s USCGC Eagle as it sailed in the Atlantic Ocean.

Violante said these missions help augment the Coast Guard, providing critical manpower to accomplish missions.

“They helped earn that respect at sector,” Violante said. He added that serving meals helps build relationships with Coast Guard members.

“It’s more than serving a meal across the line, Viloante said.” We’re a part of their morale, welfare and recreation.”

Reidy said serving others boosts his morale because of the mission.

“At the end of the day, you feel like you did something,” Reidy said. “You know you helped people. They will be a little safer on the water.”

About the Auxiliary

Congress established the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary in 1939. The Auxiliary promotes and improves recreational boating safety; provides trained crews and facilities to augment the Coast Guard and enhance safety and security of ports, waterways, and coastal regions; and supports Coast Guard operational, administrative, and logistical requirements. The Auxiliary has units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.

The Auxiliary serves under the direct authority of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security via the commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. The Auxiliary breaks down into four organizational levels: flotilla, division, district and national.

Veterans can find out more about joining at http://join.cgaux.org/join.

Learn more HERE.

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Every day, many Veterans and their families live with the mental and physical scars from serving their country during military service. The Cohen Veterans Network, Inc., a not-for-profit philanthropic organization, serves them by providing high-quality, accessible and integrated mental health care.

Cohen Veterans Network supports Veterans and their families as they begin their next mission: healthy and happy lives. Through a network of outpatient mental health clinics, trained clinicians deliver evidence-based care to treat mental health conditions for couples, children and adolescents, individuals, and family units.

Mental Health is as important as physical health

Mental wounds are just as difficult to heal as physical wounds – and treating them is just as important. Through the national network of Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinics, Veterans and their families are eligible for personalized, evidence-based mental health care. This comes with access to comprehensive case management support and referrals to deal with other stresses, like unemployment, finances, housing, and legal issues.

Therapy online

All services are currently available through Cohen Veterans Network’s telehealth therapy, which is delivered over the internet. To learn more, visit www.cohenVeteransnetwork.org.

In addition to providing vital mental health services for Veterans and military families, Cohen Veterans Network offers community workshops, seminars and other events at each Cohen clinic.

Creating a virtual community

During the pandemic, the network has launched “CVN Presents.” This virtual community room spans such topics as mindfulness & meditation, arts and crafts, and storytelling.

What does it cost?

The Cohen Veterans Network is a not-for-profit philanthropic organization. All Veterans and their families are eligible for high-quality, accessible treatment at its clinics. There is no cost for the care if you don’t have insurance.

Be sure to check the Cohen Veterans Network website often, as new, exciting, free events and resources are being added daily.

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One of the attendees said he would miss it, rain or shine.

Army Veterans and their families gathered at Colorado Springs’ Evergreen Cemetery this Memorial Day to pay tribute to fallen soldiers.

At the cemetery are buried soldiers from the Civil War to World War II, and a lone Buffalo Soldier, George Mason.

One of the attendees on Monday was Brandon Wheeler, an Iraq War Veteran and member of Living History Colorado, a group dedicated to preserving the memory of the United States Armed Forces.

"One of the worst things that could ever happen after someone goes is to literally forget them," Wheller told KDVR, the Fox-affiliated TV station in Denver. "By having a point in time where you are kind of forced to remember, it helps you remember those who are lost, regardless if you knew them or not."

Wheeler, who is now a journalism student at the Metropolitan State University of Denver, says he has a particular friend in mind, Christopher Horton, who was killed in Afghanistan in September 2011.

"It’s one of those where I try to make sure that whatever I am doing in life honors him but is also going to make him proud," Wheeler said.

Another attendee was Tray Quinn, who was representing the Buffalo Soldiers' legacy, led a procession to the gravesite of George Mason.

Mason, who was a Buffalo Soldier in the early 20th century, was buried at the gravesite in 1929. Buffalo Soldiers were African American cavalry and infantry regiments created after Congress passed the Army Organization Act in 1866. Their service officially came to an end shortly after President Harry Truman ended racial segregation in the armed forces in 1948.

"I’m very happy to be out here, I’m very excited to have been able to do this again," Quinn told KKTV, the CBS affiliated TV station in Colorado Springs. "This my sixth year doing this. I wouldn’t miss it for the world, whether it was rain or shine."

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Hattiesburg, Miss. – A Columbia, Mississippi woman pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of health care fraud.

According to court documents, beginning in 2016 and continuing for well over two years, Joy Beth Harden, 51, executed a scheme to defraud Medicare and other health care benefit programs. Specifically, Harden submitted fraudulent bills for durable medical equipment on behalf of her business, BZB LLC doing business as Duracare Home Medical Equipment in the Hattiesburg area. As a result, Medicare and other benefits programs paid Harden for durable medical equipment that was never prescribed for patients and for medical equipment that was never delivered to the patients.

Harden pled guilty on Tuesday, August 10, 2021. She will be sentenced on November 23, 2021, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Harden remains in federal custody awaiting sentencing.

The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca, Acting Special Agent in Charge Paul W. Brown of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Mississippi, Special Agent in Charge Derrick L. Jackson of U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS OIG) Atlanta Regional Office, Special Agent in Charge Cynthia A. Bruce of the DoD OIG, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office, and Inspector General Martin J. Dickman of U.S. Railroad Retirement Board, Office of Inspector General (RRB OIG).

The case was prosecuted by Deputy Criminal Chief Dave Fulcher.

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Midlands Veterans Engagement Council improves outcomes for Veterans

The Department of Veterans Affairs cannot serve our nation’s Veterans, military families, caregivers and survivors on its own. VA relies on community engagement and partnerships, ensuring the women and men who’ve served our Nation receive every service, resource and benefit they’ve earned.

The Midlands Veterans Engagement Council (MVEC) Community Veterans Engagement Board (CVEB) answers the call to continue serving America’s Veterans. Based in Columbia, S.C., the MVEC serves the greater Midlands region. It collaborates with community-led organizations in the nonprofit community resource sector, including higher education and federal, state and local agencies.

Local Resources

MVEC brings together local resources and capabilities to improve outcomes for Veterans, transitioning service members, and those who support them. It enables Veterans to easily identify and reach available resources available. It also allows stakeholders to build trust among the Veteran community, discuss needs, develop collaborative relationships, and to identify opportunities to improve the Veteran experience.

MVEC engages with hundreds of Veterans and Military Families, develops multiple suicide prevention resources, supports at-risk homelessness prevention, and develops a joint statewide action plan with South Carolina’s three other CVEBs. It collaborates with local VA, DoD and National Guard leadership, and the state’s Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veteran Friendly Community Certificate

For its commitment, MVEC was presented with the Veteran Friendly Community Certificate of Appreciation. The presentation was made on behalf of VA Secretary Robert Wilkie by VA’s Veterans Experience Office Executive Director of the Veterans, Family, and Community Engagement Directorate, COL Jim Wartski (USA, ret.) at MVEC’s monthly Board meeting at the WJB Dorn VA Medical Center.

The Veteran Friendly Communities Initiative demonstrates appreciation to CVEBs like MVEC. This Initiative thanks local communities for their hard work meeting the needs of the Veteran and Military community, their families, and supporters. This recognition, in turn, inspires other communities to join efforts in supporting Veterans in other communities.

VA leaders from Dorn VA Medical Center, the Columbia Regional Office, and Fort Jackson National Cemetery celebrated the partnership. MVEC’s sees the partnership as positive force multiplier for the Veteran community.

MVEC believes it’s not the VA experience that matters most–it’s the Veteran’s experience that matters most.

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VCP is now hiring

Combat Veteran Dustin Wood completed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Veterans Curation Program in 2019. Joining the paid five month employment and training initiative, says Wood, “is the best decision I have ever made.”

Wood and his family were living in Milwaukee, Wisc., when he was accepted into the Veterans Curation Program (VCP). He made the difficult choice to temporarily separate from them to participate at the St. Louis, Mo., location.

Through the VCP, Wood began the journey to receive professional growth and development assistance. That time included instruction for resume building and job searches while learning to process at-risk archaeological collections belonging to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The program also comes with a paycheck.

A NewMission

After successfully finishing the Veterans Curation Program, Wood started a new job with Na Aliʻi, a Nakupuna Foundation company.

Amanda McGuire, Na Ali’i’s deputy project manager in Overland, Mo., is another Marine who has completed the Veterans Curation Program. Hiring other Veterans who are already processing historical artifacts with VCP is a win/win situation for Na Ali’i. Recognizing the potential in Wood and many others who went through the Veterans Curation Program, Na Ali’i employs several Veterans in their offices. Currently, one of Na Ali’i’s projects is processing Veteran records for the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency. That work includes preserving and organizing files of deceased Veterans, mainly from the WWII and Korean War eras who are classified as KIA (killed in action), MIA (missing in action) or Prisoners of War (POW), is Wood’s new mission.

“It hits a chord with me. You know, we lost guys when I was overseas and I can just imagine how the families of these people are over 50 years later, wondering what happened to their loved ones. The Veterans Curation Program gave me the skills to preserve, photograph and protect these precious items. Being able to digitize and catalog them for the Nation and their families through my job at Na Ali’i means so much to me.” -Dustin Wood, Na Ali’i Imaging Specialist II and combat Veteran

Best Decision Ever

Wood has now been with Na Ali’i for over six months, already earning a promotion and a special award. His family is reunited with him in St. Louis, the kids are loving their new schools, and his fiance found a new job with VA. It all started with an online search for “archaeology for Veterans,” leading Wood to new skills and a new career.

Due to overwhelming response on the last blog, Assistant Lab Manager Kimberly Blanke said the Veterans Curation Program received more qualified applicants than ever before.

The Veterans Curation Program is now hiring

The VCP has four flagship lab locations that are currently hiring (in addition to three additional satellite labs that can be found here):

• Alexandria, Va.
• Augusta, Ga.
• St. Louis, Mo.
• San Francisco, Calif.

Veterans can be considered for both part- and full-time employment. Overtime is not permitted and the period of employment by the program is expected to last up to five months. All federal holidays are paid in addition to up to one week of personal time off, which can be used for medical appointments or other purposes.

Hiring is now open for the next training session that begins May 2020.

For more on the Veterans Curation Program and to apply, visit: https://Veteranscurationprogram.org/.

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SAN ANTONIO — There is a new approach to treating Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among Veterans that involves no prescriptions or pills.

Robert Torres, 35, a father of three, and combat Veteran who gave 13 years of service to the U.S. made it out safely, but his mind was still on the battlefield.

"I missed the camaraderie, the marines," Torres said. "I missed the brotherhood that was there and I really struggled."

He survived three deployments with the marine corp in Iraq, Fallujah and Afghanistan.

"You feel like you're being watched or you feel like you're being followed or you're constantly looking for exit routes so you're really not able to be in that moment," Torres said. "You're lonely, you're feeling like you lost your sense of purpose."

Robert Torres is fighting the debilitating symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder and a traumatic brain injury. He said he started seeing a psychiatrist and right away, they pushed pharmaceuticals. However, the pills, he said, only numbed the pain and isolated him from the present.

"Not only were those things personally affecting me, it was also affecting people around me," Torres said. "Pharmaceutical therapy only puts a band-aid over what you're dealing with."

Simultaneously, he said he didn't know there were other options.

"I didn't know how to deal with it, didn't know how to handle it," Torres said. "I didn't know how to take care of it so I was in a denial stage for quite a long time."

And in 2014, he almost gave up.

"When I attempted suicide, I had drove myself to the hospital but sat in the parking lot because I couldn't get myself to go in because I couldn't accept the fact that I was dealing with post traumatic stress disorder," Torres said.

Instead of letting his painful experience consume him, Torres said he hopes to show other Veterans how he got help through a life-changing gift.

"There was a gift certificate given to me around that time that brought me to Float SA," Torres said. "It was amazing. It's almost feels like you become a new person - from the aches and pains that your body normally has to you're more mindful, you're more aware of your feelings, your emotions.

The water is saturated in Epsom salt, creating a zero gravity float experience in a calming private pod. Float owner Jeremy Jacob said the goal is to achieve sensory deprivation.

"When you remove all sensory input that's coming into the mind and especially the nervous system because we're constantly taking in stimulus that allows you to shut down amydala, the fight or flight part of your brain," Jacob said. "Lowering the stress hormones, increasing the happy hormones."

After Jacob realized the impact it had on mental health, he started a PTSD program for Veterans.

"In the research that's been done on floating, they found that when you float consecutively and constantly, you get a lot more benefits so our program for combat Veterans with PTSD is 10 floats, over 10 weeks," Jacob said

As a result, Jacob has seen so much success among Veterans like torres that he's trying to work with Veteran Affairs. He says right now, float therapy isn't a treatment option covered by the v-a.. Although some military bases already have the tanks for training...

"It's not something they're able to prescribe," Jacob said. "So there's no payment options to support them so that kind of falls on float centers."

Torres says the natural healing remedy combined with fitness and exercise gave him the hope he needed to keep going..

"I've had back surgery, I've had hip surgery, I almost lost my foot in 2015 in Iraq so I live in chronic pain but when I come out of a float tank, I can't feel any of those," Torres said. "I'm able to do those things with my kids which is huge to me because they're a big part of who I am."

In other words, Torres thinks this device could widen the gap between life or death for some people.

"I would encourage Veterans to give alternative treatments because something like float therapy can be life-changing," Torres said.

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Customers at 10 commissaries may have to wait weeks for fresh seafood in their stores.

That’s because the vendor has closed its business.

The stores include some of the largest commissaries in the system, such as the one at Fort Belvoir, Va. “The vendor had to shut down operations in all 10 stores because their supplier would not continue supplying product,” said Kevin Robinson, spokesman for the Defense Commissary Agency. “DeCA is working on getting the new contractor, Fish R Us, ramped up as soon as possible.”

The timeline for Fish R Us is set for Sept. 1 in those 10 stores, but officials are hoping to get the contractor to start as early as mid-August, Robinson said. “Their ability to start early depends on staffing.”

Meanwhile, DeCA officials are working on several other options, such as pre-packaged fresh seafood to offer some selections starting July 27 in the stores, until Fish R Us becomes fully operational.

A sign posted in the commissary at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Va., stated that as of Sunday, July 19, the seafood vendor, Carytown Seafood, would be closing its business.

“We would like to thank all of our customers for your patronage and loyalty in our 20 years servicing your commissary. It was an honor to have served our military families.”

Carytown Seafood officials couldn’t be reached for comment.

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A commissary customer in Sigonella, Italy says their store “has consistently been empty of meat, dairy, cheese, butter, infant formula, and more for almost two months,” in a post on the official Defense Commissary Agency Facebook page.

“We keep getting told that supply chain is to blame, but other overseas military installations in Italy, Germany, etc. don’t look like this. Neither do stores out in town. The commissary is an entitlement to support the military and their families, which we rely upon dearly. This is unacceptable,” writes Payton Leigh Perez.

In Guam, commissary customers “have to go to the fully-stocked out-in-town stores where milk is $13/gallon,” writes Jenny Potter.

From Millington, Tenn., to Europe and the Pacific, commissary customers are seeing empty shelves, just like many people are seeing in civilian grocery stores. Customers have posted comments on a number of installation Facebook pages.

The commissary agency hears you. They’ve been fighting this problem of shortages for more than a year, but it has been exacerbated lately by the surging number of COVID cases. All military commissaries worldwide are seeing the effects of the supply chain disruption, officials said.

”We want our customers to know we are doing everything we can, and more, to get the products they need onto their store shelves, especially to our overseas commissaries,” said Kevin Robinson, spokesman for the Defense Commissary Agency. “If they happen to see empty shelves in the store, please be patient; the store will be restocked often the very next day.”

All product categories are affected except for meat, he said.

“In my view, the real food insecurity issue with the military right now is making sure we get sufficient quantities into the stores so people can shop,” said Steve Rossetti, president of the American Logistics Association, the trade organization representing manufacturers and distributors of products that are sold in commissaries. “The Defense Commissary Agency is doing everything they can. The distributors are doing everything we can.”

He said there are about 2,300 grocery items across the board where there are limited quantities available, and the commissaries and other civilian stores are allocated a certain number of those items by manufacturers. ALA has been pressing manufacturers to increase their allocations to commissaries, citing the unique worldwide needs of commissary customers.

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As the number of U.S. COVID-19 cases rise and more Americans are being tested for the virus, communities near military installations where travelers are quarantined are asking why suspect patients can’t stay on base for testing.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County, Texas, Judge Nelson Wolff wrote Defense Secretary Mark Esper last week questioning a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention protocol that transfers patients from Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland to San Antonio-area hospitals for testing.

The two say the requirement is “counter to prudent management of a contagion in a quarantine environment.”

“The threat of moving patients to other destinations like hospitals or the Texas Center for Infectious Disease unnecessarily poses risk to Joint Base San Antonio personnel through exposure, in addition to the community at large,” they wrote.

At Travis Air Force Base, Calif., the city of Costa Mesa blocked an effort to move coronavirus patients to an empty facility in the town that once served developmentally delayed patients called the Fairview Developmental Center.

The town requested a temporary restraining order to prevent the move from occurring — a motion granted Feb. 22 by a U.S. District Court judge.

On Friday, the government announced it would not pursue the effort, primarily because most of those in isolation at Travis are at the end of their 14-day quarantine.

The Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention instituted a quarantine plan in early February that placed evacuees from Wuhan and elsewhere in China in isolation at several military installations across the U.S.

A new round of evacuees arrived in mid-February from the stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess, which was docked for weeks under quarantine in Yokahama, Japan.

Under an agreement, the Department of Defense provides lodging for those under quarantine while CDC and local health agencies conduct daily medical screenings for signs of the virus. If a case is suspected, patients are transported to local hospitals for testing, observation and treatment.

While Nirenberg and Wolff said they understand the need for evacuees to be transported to “prevent active duty personnel from contracting the virus, thereby affecting military combat readiness,” they added that the current system of isolation is better than moving patients to be tested.

“It is our understanding that evacuees are already isolated from military personnel and that testing and evaluation capabilities exist on base. As such, we believe the transports present an unnecessary risk to both the military and the community.”

According to the letter, 6 of 235 evacuees from Wuhan and the Diamond Princess cruise ship at San Antonio-Lackland have required hospital care, but at least 18 people have been transported off-base for testing and hospitalization with mild or no symptoms.

The situation, they said, has “filled valuable beds with patients which could appropriately be managed in isolation at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland,” they wrote. “We respectfully request that the DoD permit on-site CDC medical staff to collect test samples.”

Pentagon spokesman Army Lt. Col Christian Mitchell confirmed Esper’s receipt of the letter but did not respond to Military Times’ request for comment.

DoD is posting its updates on the coronavirus on its own home page.

At Travis Air Force Base, the CDC planned to move potential patients to Costa Mesa due to a shortage in hospital beds near the installation, located in Fairfield, Calif.

But Costa Mesa Mayor Katrina Foley said she wasn’t informed of the plan that included her city 400 miles south of Travis.

“This is at least a temporary victory for the citizens of Costa Mesa and Orange County,” Foley said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times. “But the government has not promised not to place future infected persons there, so the battle is not over. We will continue to ask the court to prohibit the government from using this completely inappropriate facility for housing people infected with a highly communicable and potentially fatal disease.”

At Travis, at least 11 quarantined passengers have been transferred to nearby medical facilities for testing. Five additional passengers were transported to hospitals for monitoring. One patient has been determined to have the virus.

As of Monday, there were two confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Solana County, including the first possible “community transmission” of the virus. A woman in Vacaville, eight miles north of Travis, was confirmed to have the coronavirus, despite not having come in contact with any known infected individuals or a history of recent travel.

A second Solana County resident, a health care worker who treated the woman, has contracted the virus as well.

As of Sunday night, according to the CDC, the U.S. has seen 91 cases of the virus, including 48 among those evacuated from China by the U.S. State Department and Diamond Princess passengers. Seventeen individuals have been hospitalized and six have died, beginning March 1, including a man in his 50s with underlying medical conditions in King County, Wash. Five others have died, all in Kirkland, Wash., which is in King County.

Among U.S. military personnel and family members, a U.S. Forces Korea soldier and his wife have tested positive for the virus, and the widow of a military retiree also living in South Korea contracted the virus last month.

The virus has now infected more than 90,000 worldwide and killed at least 3,000 people, mainly in China.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said Monday that the “overall broad impact to the uniformed U.S. military [has been] minimal.”

“It’s not surprising because we have a very young demographic, young health demographic, lots of vaccinations, etc.,” Milley said.

He added while there is not currently a vaccine for the COVID-19 coronavirus, military research laboratories are working with partner agencies on a vaccine.

Abroad, U.S. Department of Defense schools in Italy, Bahrain and South Korea remain closed, as do many on-base morale, welfare and recreation facilities.

In the U.S., commanders also are monitoring their local communities to determine what steps, if any, may be needed to to protect troops and their family members, according to Milley.

“We are making all due preparations to protect our bases, camps and stations... We’ve got lots of capabilities — medical capabilities, housing that if required by the secretary of defense we will do our part,” he said.

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KILLEEN, Texas – When a Veteran passes away, the Veterans Land Board and the Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery make sure there are people at the burial service to honor the fallen soldier in place of next of kin.

There were over 100 people from all around Central Texas who went to the burial for the unaccompanied soldier – a man they never met.

U.S. Army specialist Billy Mark Guinn passed away on August 11, and no next of kin was present at the burial.

Even though there were no blood relatives there, one man looked into the crowd and said, “As I look at this crowd, I can’t believe the word ‘unaccompanied.'”

Gary Meissner served in the Air Force from 1966 to 1970.

“This is a brother. Served, defended this country,” Meissner said. “And I wasn’t gonna let him go by himself.”

Guinn served in the Army from 1974 to 1976. He received the National Defense Service Medal and a marksmanship badge.

“He served honorably,” Doug Gault, of the VLB said. “Nobody understands why the Veteran is unaccompanied, so it’s great to involve the community and the Veteran organizations to this because they support the Veterans.”

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Management updates for CCN regions 2, 3 and 4, and for urgent care

Are you a community provider in Community Care Network (CCN) Region 2, 3, or 4 looking to provide urgent care services to Veterans?

As of Sept. 1, 2020, TriWest Healthcare Alliance, the former third-party administrator (TPA) for VA urgent care benefits in CCN Region 2 and Region 3, transitioned its responsibilities to Optum Public Sector Solutions, Inc.

On Sept. 30, 2020, VA’s contract vehicle for Veteran urgent care benefits transitioned from Patient-Centered Care (PC3) to CCN Region 4 with TriWest administering these services.

These important changes require providers to establish a contract with either Optum or TriWest in order to provide urgent care services or treatment for minor injuries and illnesses to Veterans.

Are you interested in offering Veterans timely urgent care services? Get more information on becoming a contracted provider. Call Optum’s CCN Provider Services at 888-901-7407 or TriWest’s CCN Provider Services at 877-226-8749. Provider Services is available from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. provider’s local time, Monday through Friday.

Community Care may be closer and more convenient

Learn more about VA Community Care and consider joining Optum’s Community Care Network or TriWest’s Community Care Network based on your location.

VA’s urgent care benefit provides eligible Veterans with access to treatment of non life-threatening illnesses and injuries. Treatment offered by community urgent care providers may be closer and more convenient to the Veteran’s home. To learn more about this benefit for eligible Veterans, see Community Care – Urgent Care.

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Veterans Affairs officials are downplaying a technology problem that forced its new electronic medical records system offline at a Washington state medical center last week, but lawmakers say the event raises more concerns as the department prepares to deploy it to new sites.

Last Thursday afternoon, the director of the Mann-Grandstaff VA Medical Center told employees in an email to stop using the new health record system because of emerging problems. “Assume all electronic patient data is corrupted/inaccurate,” he wrote.

The action, first reported by the Washington Spokesman-Review, halted routine services such as filling prescriptions, conducting laboratory tests and even delaying some medical appointments.

VA officials said the technical issues were corrected by Friday morning, about 20 hours after the problem began. In a statement, department press secretary Terrence Hayes said no patient safety issues were detected because of the outage.

“Recognizing that system outages, though rare, can occur at facilities across the country, VA has worked with its vendor and established standard procedures for staff to follow that limit the impact on productivity and patient care,” he said.

The department said only 205 patient records were affected by the problem, and all of the issues were temporary. The department said there was no permanent loss or corruption of data, despite the local director’s initial message.

But the problem comes just a few weeks before the controversial electronic health records system is scheduled to deploy to the VA medical center in Walla Walla, Wash., followed a month later with a further expansion into Ohio.

Last week, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., reiterated her request to delay the Walla Walla deployment “until the VA can ensure the facility can maintain the highest levels of service for our Veterans.”

Officials said the Mann-Grandstaff outage was caused by a database update performed incorrectly. VA leaders said the department has “downtime procedures” for staff to follow when the system is not accessible, though it appears local officials may have gone further to limit operations when they occurred.

McMorris Rodgers said she planned to meet with VA Secretary Denis McDonough this week to “discuss the unresolved issues with the EHR and find out how an outage of this magnitude could happen.”

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., called the system failure “absolutely unacceptable,”

“I have pressed both Cerner and VA to get my office answers immediately on what went wrong and what steps they’re taking to prevent it from happening again,” she said in a statement. “This is about patient safety and it needs to get fixed.”

Several lawmakers have suggested halting or canceling the health records rollout in recent months as problems with the system have emerged.

In 2017, then-President Donald Trump announced the plan to put all Veteran health care files on the Cerner Millennium software platform to bring VA and Defense Department records onto the same system for the first time. The 10-year, $16-billion project immediately drew scrutiny because of the size and scope of the effort.

Last summer, McDonough halted the system deployment after reports of significant problems at Mann-Grandstaff, The VA Inspector General criticized the initial rollout of the new software there as chaotic, with insufficient time for training and practice before staff began using it.

After a four-month review, McDonough announced a modified deployment and training schedule for the new records system.

He also defended the overall goals of the project, and said that his research into the work showed no reason to believe that the Cerner system was unsuitable or unadaptable to the VA network.

Hayes said following last week’s outage, patients have resumed “uninterrupted, high-quality care” at the facility.

During an American Legion event on Saturday, VA Assistant Under Secretary for Health Dr. Carolyn Clancy described the incident as “not a stellar performance on the part of the vendor” and said department officials would be meeting with the contractors this week to avoid similar problems in the future.

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Throughout our nation’s history we have witnessed countless examples of how quickly our troops will respond whenever and wherever they are needed. The willingness of American forces to go in harms way is never in question. Our troops stand up for us. That’s their job. In return, they deserve politicians who will stand up for them.

The problem:

If you’re retired from the military and you also have a service-connected disability from the Department of Veterans Affairs, you may have a financial problem. I’m referring to the issue known as “concurrent receipt.” Here’s how it works. If you are retired from the military you receive a pension based upon years of service. If you also have a service-connected disability you are entitled to receive a disability benefit from the VA. The “percentage” of your VA disability rating is where things get ugly. If your disability rating by the VA is 50 percent to 100 percent, you are entitled to your military pension and your VA disability benefit, i.e. concurrent receipt. Not only are you retired like other healthy military retirees, but you also suffered a service-connected injury for which you receive tax-exempt compensation from the VA. However, if your VA disability rating is determined to be below 50 percent, the monthly disability payment that you receive from the VA is automatically subtracted from your monthly military retirement check. You may want to read that again. It would be difficult to find a more unfair law that arbitrarily penalizes some Veterans.

I think about important issues affecting Veterans like concurrent receipt when I hear someone’s well intentioned, “Thank you for your service.” It is a very gracious comment for today’s Veterans to hear. But I, like most military retirees, do not expect or need anyone’s thanks. We liked it! We stayed for a career. We were paid to do a difficult job involving multiple deployments and warfare and separation from family. And if we are injured or suffer a disability as a result of that service, we expect to be treated fairly and equitably.

The Military Officers Association of America has correctly pointed out that military retired pay was earned by service alone. Anyone who is unfortunate enough to also have a service-connected disability should have that compensation added to, not subtracted from, their earned retirement pay. MOAA’s good efforts on Capitol Hill have yet to sway Congress, even though it’s safe to assume that in the history of our country there has never been legislation that allows for a congressman’s pension to be reduced due to his or her receiving a disability payment.

The solution:

There have been bipartisan efforts by some members of Congress to correct this injustice and to make concurrent receipt the law. H.R. 333 was introduced in the House in January 2019 and currently has 33 bipartisan co-sponsors. It was referred to the House Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs where it has remained since Feb. 1, 2019. In the Senate, S.208, the aptly named “Retired Pay Restoration Act,” was introduced in January 2019 with 28 senators from both political parties as co-sponsors. It has been referred to the Armed Services Committee without further progress.

Putting this Veterans’ issue in perspective:

It is not easy to put government spending issues in perspective, especially when it comes to Veterans. For example, the DoD recently gave “Veteran status” to some civilians who served in Vietnam, thus allowing them and their families to apply for VA benefits. They are considered to have been on “active-duty” during Vietnam. In another attempt to do right by those who served our country, a bill was recently introduced in congress to provide VA health care to Korean-Americans who had served as Korean soldiers in Vietnam fighting along side our U.S. forces. What other country would even consider such kind and generous policies? And yet, our legislators are being frugal when it comes to the issue of concurrent receipt by disabled military retirees!

The bottom line:

Concurrent receipt should apply fairly and equally to all VA ratings, not just 50 percent or more. Just as we rely on our troops to stand up for us in times of need, we should expect our legislators to stand up for all Veterans in their time of need. Passing a bipartisan concurrent receipt bill that prevents an earned military pension from being reduced by a disability payment is the right thing to do.

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Tucked among the more than 1,700 pages of the the federal funding bill expected to pass Congress this week is an order from Congress to the Department of Veterans Affairs to share the VA's plan to extend disability benefits to more Agent Orange-exposed Vets.

Congress wants to know whether VA plans to add four new diseases to the list of conditions Veterans experience that are presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure. Those include bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, hypertension and Parkinson's-like symptoms, though the bill does not mention them by name.

The legislation requires the VA to send a report to Congress within 30 days of the bill's passage that must include the "a detailed explanation" for the years-long delay to make a decision on whether to cover those diseases. The report also must include a cost estimate for covering those diseases and a specific date when the VA expects the changes to go into effect.

The funding bill is expected to pass the House and Senate this week.

An Institute of Medicine report in 2016 found evidence that bladder cancer, hypothyroidism and symptoms similar to Parkinson's disease have likely links to the toxic herbicide. In 2018, the National Academies of Sciences found evidence linking hypertension, or high blood pressure, to the toxic herbicide as well.

Expanding the list of health conditions presumed to be caused by Agent Orange exposure could provide disability pay and health benefits to more than 83,000 Veterans.

Two years ago, then-VA Secretary David Shulkin decided to add more diseases to the VA's list of health concerns that qualify a Veteran for Agent Orange disability benefits, but White House officials stood in Shulkin's way, citing concerns about the cost of covering the additional diseases and requesting more research, according to documents obtained by a Veteran through the Freedom of Information Act and provided to Connecting Vets. Military Times's Patricia Kime first reported on the documents.

VA leaders say they're waiting on the results of two studies before making a decision:

• The Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study
• The Vietnam Era Mortality Study

Both studies are being conducted by the VA.

Earlier this year, Veterans Health Administration acting head Dr. Richard Stone told Congress the VA "hoped" to make a decision on those illnesses "within 90 days," which was previously reported by Connecting Vets.

That deadline has long passed. It's been seven months, and thousands of Veterans are still waiting for the VA to deliver on its promise.

Repeated attempts by Connecting Vets to get an update from VA officials on whether the department had a forthcoming decision are consistently met with the same statement: "VA has no announcements on Agent Orange presumptive conditions at this time."

A list of the diseases currently linked to Agent Orange and eligible for benefits can be found here.

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The FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) stops the planned transition of active duty and National Guard/Reserve families who use the TRICARE Dental Program (TDP) to the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP). MOAA supports this move and will continue working to ensure Congress and the Defense Health Agency (DHA) remain committed to addressing known problems with TDP networks.

TDP is a voluntary dental plan available for purchase by active duty family members, transitional survivors, and Guard and Reserve members and their families. A similar move did take effect for the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP): The FY 2017 NDAA sunsetted TRDP and made military retirees eligible for dental and vision coverage through FEDVIP as of Jan. 1, 2019. There are no changes to retiree dental and vision coverage – military retirees are still eligible for FEDVIP.

Administration of TDP transitioned to United Concordia in May 2017, and many military families complained their dentists left the network due to reimbursement rate cuts. Some high-concentration military areas such as Fort Leavenworth, Kan., and the Tidewater region of Virginia had few in-network providers.

MOAA and other advocacy groups took this issue to Capitol Hill, and Congress responded by including language in the FY 2019 NDAA that would have made TDP beneficiaries eligible for FEDVIP effective Jan. 1, 2022. The FY 2021 NDAA reverses these plans. The TRICARE Dental Program will remain in place.

Unlike TRDP, which was fully funded by military retirees through plan premiums, TDP includes a premium contribution from DoD. For most TDP beneficiaries, DoD pays 60% of the plan premium while the servicemember contributes 40%. Complications related to DoD’s premium contribution, among other issues, hampered efforts to transition TDP to FEDVIP.

MOAA supports this move by Congress to ensure all TDP beneficiaries have continued access to affordable dental coverage, and we are encouraged by recent steps the DHA has taken to address issues with TDP.

In September 2020, MOAA participated in a discussion on the way ahead for TDP hosted by DHA, sharing military family frustrations with the high number of dentists who have left the program and sparse provider networks in certain areas. We also shared military family concerns about reimbursement rate cuts potentially resulting in a lower quality of available dental care.

Last month, DHA released a request for information (RFI) on the next generation of TDP contracts, known as TDP6. The RFI seeks industry input on how to improve access, including recommendations on network adequacy standards to improve beneficiary satisfaction. It also addresses provider quality by seeking feedback on identifying higher quality providers that would result in better outcomes for beneficiaries.

As the TDP6 process moves ahead, MOAA will remain engaged to ensure military families continue to have affordable dental coverage that includes improved access to care and a greater emphasis on high quality providers.

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Calls to the Veterans Crisis Line have increased an average of 6% daily since Aug. 13

Congressional leadership of both the House and Senate Veterans affairs committees are expressing concern with the steep rise in calls to the Veterans Crisis Line in the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and recent bombing at the Kabul airport, killing 13 U.S. service members.

Over 800,000 Americans have served in Afghanistan since October 2001, according to the Pentagon, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) says calls to the Veterans Crisis Line increased as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in mid-August.

The Veterans Crisis Line is reporting an average daily volume increase of 6% for calls, 83% for texts, and 40% for chat messages since Aug. 13. However, some of the increased volume is due to broader promotion of the line as a catch-all resource and individuals who are not in crisis using it as a way to show general support for Veterans or seek options to donate to relief efforts.

Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., the ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, said given the deadly Kabul airport bombing, he is requesting answers immediately from VA Sec. Denis McDonough regarding the VA’s plans and preparation to support Veterans during and following the withdrawal from Afghanistan. Moran sent Sec. McDonough a letter last week asking for a response by Sept. 13.

"Given [Thursday's] horrific events and now predictions of further difficult days ahead, I need answers immediately to my questions. The planning to care for our Veterans must not replicate the disastrous lack of planning connected with our withdrawal from Afghanistan," said Moran in a statement to Fox News.

"It is our duty to honor the service and sacrifice of all those who responded to the attacks on our country since 9/11, including those who lost their lives this week. I will remain in close contact with VA’s mental health and suicide prevention program office and work to make certain they have every resource in place to meet the needs of our Veterans in crisis."

A spokesperson for Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said that the committee is constantly engaging with the VA so it can meet the "increased demand" for its services, including the crisis line.

"The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee is closely monitoring the situation in Afghanistan, and consistently engaging with the VA to ensure Veterans have access to critical mental health resources and the Department can meet the increased demand for its services," said Olya Voytovich, spokesperson for the committee.

"Any Veteran struggling during this difficult time should know that the VA is standing by and ready to help. Veterans in crisis should immediately utilize VA’s mental health resources, including the Veterans Crisis Line that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year."

House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Ranking Member Rep. Mike Bost, R-Ill., told Fox News that the Afghanistan crisis is already taking a "tremendous toll" on Veterans, stating that calls to the Veterans Crisis Line are up, and he expects it to continue to rise.

Bost also said he is working closely with the VA "to monitor demand for mental health care and other services as a result of this ongoing failure caused by the Biden Administration."

In addition, Bost is "calling on Speaker Pelosi and Chairman Takano to bring us back to D.C. so we can meet with Secretary McDonough and leaders in the Veteran community and do everything we can to mitigate the strain this disaster is putting on Veterans and their families. I want every Veteran to know that their service was not in vain, and the world is a better place for it."

However, despite the recent loss of American lives, members of congress are remaining hopeful about the "untold stories" of the life-saving work being still being done by heroic Veterans, who are working to help their fellow men and women in uniform and Afghan allies out of danger.

"These Veterans were heroes in uniform and are heroes still," Bost told Fox News. "I will never stop working to make sure these brave men and women have the help they need."

The Veterans Crisis Line is available for free, confidential support 24/7 by calling 1-800-273-8255 and pressing 1 or texting 838-255.

House Veterans' Affairs Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., did not respond to Fox News' multiple requests for comment.

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WASHINGTON — A process will begin in 2022 to review Department of Veterans Affairs facilities across the country to determine which buildings to close and where to invest more resources.

The VA will submit its recommendations about the realignment of VA facilities in January, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said Wednesday during a Senate hearing. Those recommendations will go to a commission, which will spend the next year looking at the VA’s plan, conducting hearings, and submitting its own proposals to the White House.

“We’re on the verge of some very big decisions here,” McDonough said.

Congress approved the creation in 2018 of an Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission to work on the “modernization or realignment” of VA properties. As of Wednesday, the White House had selected seven of the nine commissioners, McDonough said.

The commissioners have not yet been named publicly. The law mandates the commission reflects the demographics of VA patients, and some commissioners must have expertise in either the VA health care system or federal capital asset planning and management. Three of the commissioners must be representatives from Veterans service organizations.

If the asset-review commission determines a facility no longer meets the VA's needs, it's supposed to recommend how the facility could be reconfigured, repurposed, consolidated, realigned, exchanged, leased, replaced, sold or disposed, the law states.

The commission must send its recommendation to President Joe Biden by Jan. 31, 2023. Biden will then decide to reject the plan or forward it to Congress. Congress can either accept all of the recommendations or vote down the proposal.

The commission-style process has been compared to the Defense Department’s Base Realignment and Closure program. Some lawmakers and Veterans organizations have expressed concerns about the process, arguing that divesting facilities could create gaps in access to VA medical care and cause the agency to send more Veterans into the private sector.

In 2019, two senators sought to revoke the law. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Mike Rounds, R-S.D., introduced legislation to eliminate the VA Asset and Infrastructure Review Commission. The law did not make it through Congress.

"I do not support the creation of a BRAC-like commission that seeks out facilities to close down – with no input from Congress," Rounds said at the time.

McDonough on Wednesday spoke briefly about the process during a Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing focused on the “state of the VA.” He encouraged lawmakers to look at the market assessment data shared with Congress earlier this year that the VA used as its basis for the recommendations to be released in January.

Some of the data was collected before the coronavirus pandemic, which “has permanently changed the delivery of health care,” McDonough said. The VA is working on an analysis about the effects of the pandemic on health care and how that might affect the commission’s work.

“As I have said previously, the decisions made under the AIR Commission will have impacts in the lives of Veterans and communities across the nation for generations to come,” McDonough said.

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Bipartisan group of military veterans pushing for new memorial on National Mall

A bipartisan group of 25 military veterans serving in Congress requested a meeting with President Biden on Monday to ask for his help finding a location for a memorial dedicated to service members who died while fighting the war on terror.

"We strongly believe that White House leadership indicating your support of honoring our [Global War on Terrorism] veterans with a memorial on The National Reserve would ensure this legislation’s prompt passage into law," the veterans, who comprise the For Country Caucus, wrote in a letter to Biden.

In 2017, then-President Trump signed the Global War on Terrorism Memorial Act, which authorized the memorial on federal land in Washington, D.C., but it did not provide a specific location.

Companion bills in the House and Senate dictate the memorial should be built on the National Mall in Washington near the World War II, Vietnam and Korean War memorials.

However, these bills have met resistance from the National Parks Service. The acting associate director of park planning told the Senate National Parks Subcommittee that the area in question, known as "the reserve," was a "completed work."

"Congress amended the Commemorative Works Act of 1986 in 2003, establishing the ‘Reserve’ and declaring it a completed work of civic art where ‘the siting of new commemorative works is prohibited,’" the official, Michael Caldwell, testified in June.

Caldwell also noted that other efforts to persuade Congress to grant exceptions to the prohibition, including petitions to create World War I and National Desert Storm and Desert Shield memorials, have failed.

Since the hearing, there has been no action taken on either the House or Senate bills. The For Country Caucus hopes a meeting with Biden will change that.

"Twenty years after September 11th, now is the time to begin the establishment of a memorial for the thousands who served in America’s longest war," the letter to Biden states. "We respectfully request a meeting with you at your earliest convenience to discuss this legislation and to ask for your help in making this memorial a near-term reality."

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Representative Jodey Arrington (TX-19) announced that the City of Lubbock was awarded a $9.5 million grant through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).

Families of Veterans in Lubbock will no longer have to worry about traveling to see their loved ones after they pass, and Veterans who deserve the most dignified resting place will be eternally honored for the sacrifices they made for our great nation.

“Every Veteran deserves a hero’s burial for their willingness to sacrifice life and limb to defend our nation,” said Rep. Arrington. “I am grateful for the teamwork and determination of our local leaders, state officials, and Veterans’ community for making this a reality. No one loves their men and women in uniform or appreciates the sacrifice and service of our Veterans like West Texans.”

“This is very exciting news for Lubbock, and I am beyond grateful for everyone who came together to make this possible. Our Veterans sacrificed more than we can ever repay, and they deserve a beautiful and honorable place to rest. Thank you to Congressman Jodey Arrington, our state delegation, the Texas General Land Office, and everyone involved for making this vision a reality,” said District 4 City Councilmen Steve Massengale.

Background:

On February 24th, 2023, Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D., announced that the VA plans to award the Texas General Land Office (GLO) a grant totaling up to $9.5 million for the establishment of a new Texas State Veterans Cemetery in Lubbock, Texas. Rep. Arrington supported and helped secure federal funding for the project, advocated for the project to the Department of Veterans Affairs, and worked in close partnership with Texas State Senator Charles Perry and Texas Representatives Dustin Burrows and Carl Tepper for the necessary state support.

The grant is distributed by the Veterans Cemetery Grant Program, within the National Cemetery Administration of the VA. Funding from the grant will be used to construct the cemetery, which will feature pre-placed crypts, a columbarium and in-ground burial options for cremated remains, and other expenses related to irrigation. This will be the first new Texas State Veterans’ Cemetery in 12 years.

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Telehealth video visits by Veterans have increased by 1,132 percent

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically altered the daily lives of Veterans across the country. This includes how they are connecting with their VA health care teams. They are increasingly using VA technologies such as My HealtheVet, VA’s online health portal, and VA Video Connect, VA’s secure video visit application.

VA has been a leader in using technology to connect with Veterans for well over a decade. And the use of VA’s digital health has been consistently increasing year over year. The COVID-19 pandemic has made those services essential. Many Veterans have been staying at home, taking precautions against the coronavirus.

“VA’s connected technologies allow us deliver care to Veterans in a way that is convenient and fits into their daily lives,” said Dr. Neil Evans. Evans is VA’s chief officer for the Office of Connected Care. “VA has been a national leader in telehealth for more than a decade. It delivers care to Veterans in more than 50 clinical specialties across a variety of applications and platforms.”

Three of the most popular tools

One of the most popular tools Veterans are using to connect with their VA health care teams is VA Video Connect. That program lets Veterans connect by video with their VA care teams while staying home. Even more highly utilized is My HealtheVet. VA’s online patient portal lets Veterans request VA prescription refills, review their medical records and connect directly with their health care providers through secure online messages. Veterans are also increasingly using VA’s Mobile App Store. There, they can download apps that offer assistance with pain management, self-care reminders and more.

The goal of these services is to make VA the health care the system of choice for Veterans and provide services that make access to care more convenient. VA has been pioneering telehealth solutions and increasing adoption among Veterans and providers. Now with COVID-19 necessitating increased precautions for in-person interaction, the services provided by Connected Care are more popular than ever.

More Veterans are adopting VA’s digital health technology options

On March 1, 2020, 9% of Veterans enrolled in VA health care used telehealth for part of their care. Over the next three months, that percentage more than doubled. By the end of June, 18% of Veterans were using telehealth. More than 1.1 million Veterans used digital health options in fiscal year 2020, through the end of June. Those options include synchronous, asynchronous or remote patient monitoring.

Telehealth video visits to the Veteran’s home or other non-VA place of choice have increased by 1,132% since February. VA providers conducted approximately 11,000 visits a week during the last week in February. That number has risen more than 12-fold, exceeding 138,700 visits a week in late June.

My HealtheVet has processed over 11.2 million VA prescription refill requests and managed over 11.6 million secure messages between Veterans and their health care teams from January to June 2020. Compared to the same period in 2019, these increases represent approximately 911,000 additional prescription refill requests and more than 2.8 million additional secure messages sent between Veterans and their health care teams.

All care can start with a virtual discussion

“Telehealth technologies are allowing us to support Veterans as they connect with their providers for routine appointments, mental health appointments, specialty care discussions, and much more. Granted, not all care can be delivered remotely. But all care can at least start with a virtual discussion, which has been extremely valuable for optimizing Veterans’ care during the current pandemic,” Evans said.

Evans recalled some recent successes in expanding telehealth programs for Veterans. A Florida nurse was able to conduct virtual visits using VA Video Connect with almost 70% of her cardiology patients during the pandemic. A VA physical therapist is using VA Video Connect to train traumatic brain injury patients in using a specialized assistive mobility device.

Minimizing the digital divide for Veterans in rural areas

VA is also committed to reducing the digital divide so that all Veterans can fully participate in telehealth services. That includes Veterans who live in rural areas.

To support Veterans whose mobile phone plans have limited data services, VA has partnered with Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, Sprint, and SafeLink by TracFone to provide data at no charge to Veterans using VA Video Connect.

VA is also providing eligible Veterans with technology to use in their homes. Since March, VA has distributed 12,838 tablets to Veterans. Veterans across the country use more than 44,800 VA-issued tablets. Those Veterans didn’t previously have access to the necessary internet service or technology at home to connect with VA.

Telehealth technologies are more available and Veterans are more familiar with VA Video Connect as an option for care. Evans predicted that services like VA video appointments will continue to be widely used, even after the pandemic subsides.

Evans recommends that Veterans talk with their VA care provider to learn what connected services are available to them or visit www.connectedcare.va.gov for more information.

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ANDOVER, Conn. (AP) — A Connecticut town has a new monument to Veterans exposed to Agent Orange, a project spearheaded by a local Veteran who says he was harmed by the Vietnam War-era defoliant.

The new memorial is set to be dedicated Saturday in Andover Veterans Monument Park.

Gerry Wright, 72, got the idea for the monument a few years ago, while traveling around the country to gather signatures on a petition to expand treatment for Agent Orange-related ailments, the Hartford Courant reported Monday. He saw an Agent Orange-related memorial in Texas and decided his Connecticut hometown should have one.

Between 1962 and 1971, the U.S. military sprayed roughly 11 million gallons of Agent Orange across large swaths of southern Vietnam. It contains a dioxin, a type of chemical that stays in the environment for a long time, building up and becoming more dangerous while moving up the food chain.

Vietnam says millions of its citizens, including children of people exposed during the war, have suffered illnesses from Agent Orange. The U.S. government has said the number of people affected is much lower.

The U.S. military halted the use of Agent Orange in 1971. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has since recognized more than a dozen diseases it presumes to be connected with exposure to the chemical.

As a combat engineer in a unit that built roads in Vietnam in 1969-70, Wright sprayed Agent Orange to kill off thick vegetation that could provide cover for the enemy, the Courant said.

“Just doing what I was told — no hat, no shirt, no gloves,” Wright told the newspaper.

Over time, he has developed muscle loss and weakness, neuropathy and atrial fibrillation, said Wright, who also served in the Connecticut National Guard from 1982-99 and retired as a first sergeant.

He ordered a stone inscribed with a message memorializing “all those who died because of this chemical” and asking people to pray for Veterans still suffering its effects.

Donations have covered the $21,500 cost, with money left over for plantings, he said.

The toll of Agent Orange is also recognized at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, where a plaque was dedicated in 2004 to honor Veterans who died after their war service from the lasting effects of the chemical, post-traumatic stress disorder or other unseen wounds.

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WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that Connections Community Support Programs, Inc. (“CCSP”) has agreed to the entry of consent judgments totaling over $15,300,000 to resolve two lawsuits brought by the federal government alleging health care fraud arising under the federal False Claims Act and violations of the Controlled Substances Act. Prior to the sale of its assets in bankruptcy, CCSP provided a variety of mental health and addiction treatment services at numerous locations throughout Delaware.

CCSP has agreed to the entry of a judgment in the amount of $13,757,520.60, plus interest, to resolve claims that CCSP violated the False Claims Act by billing for mental health services performed by individuals whose professional qualifications did not allow them to bill Medicare or Medicaid for reimbursement and by billing Medicaid for mental health services using incorrect procedure codes for the person performing the service, resulting in higher payments than were permitted. CCSP has also agreed to the entry of a judgment in the amount of $1,621,571, plus interest, to resolve claims that it violated the federal Controlled Substances Act by negligently failing to keep proper records of its use of controlled substances, including methadone and buprenorphine, in its treatment of patients with substance use disorders and by transferring controlled substances between locations without proper documentation.

On April 19, 2021, shortly after the filing of these two lawsuits by the United States, CCSP filed for bankruptcy. On June 15, 2021, CCSP completed a sale, overseen by the Bankruptcy Court, of its assets and operations to Conexio Care, Inc. and Coras Wellness and Behavioral Health, which are now providing the mental health and addition treatments services formerly provided by CCSP. The settlement agreements and consent judgments agreed to by CCSP and the United States must still be approved by the Bankruptcy Court and the final amount of any recovery by the United States will be limited by the availability of funds in the bankruptcy estate to pay the United States and other creditors of CCSP.

“For many years, Connections was improperly billing government programs for mental health services and failing to properly monitor and document its controlled substances inventory,” said U.S. Attorney Weiss. “These settlements, together with the transfer of all of Connections’ services and operations to providers, finally resolve Connections’ long history of poor legal and regulatory compliance which jeopardized the provision of important mental health and substance abuse treatment to the residents of the State of Delaware.”

“These allegations depict CCSP as a health care provider that truly disserved patients and their Federal health care programs,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Falsely billing Medicare and Medicaid demonstrates a lacking regard for the stability of these programs and the beneficiaries who depend on their services. With our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG continuously strives to swiftly combat such fraud.”

“Narcotics treatments programs such as Connections were entrusted with dispensing drugs such as methadone and buprenorphine to assist people with substance use disorder. However, with that responsibility comes the obligation to properly document the use and transfer of these same drugs,” said Thomas Hodnett, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Philadelphia Field Division. “This civil judgement serves as notice to ensure compliance with the Controlled Substances Act and the requirements to safeguard drugs used for medication assisted treatment.”

The False Claims Act settlement announced today partially resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act. The government’s claims are based on a whistleblower suit filed by two former CCSP employees. A whistleblower suit, or qui tam action under the False Claims Act, is commenced by an individual, known as a “relator,” filing a complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court, and providing a copy of the complaint and other evidence to the local U.S. Attorney. The United States then has an opportunity to investigate the claims. The False Claims Act provides the whistleblower with a share of the government’s recovery. Separate from the settlement announced today, the qui tam relators are continuing to pursue additional claims against CCSP and its former CEO Catherine Devaney McKay.

The United States is also continuing to pursue its claims for violations of the Controlled Substances Act against McKay as well as two other corporate executives, William Northey and Steven Davis, which are not part of the settlement announced today.

Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jesse S. Wenger and Laura D. Hatcher represented the United States in the False Claims Act matter. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dylan J. Steinberg and Laura D. Hatcher represented the United States in the Controlled Substances Act matter.

Related court documents and information from the civil lawsuit are on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:19-cv-475-CFC for the False Claims Act matter and 1:21-cv-00514-MN for the Controlled Substances Act matter.

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Two Texas construction company owners have pleaded guilty in a long-running scheme to defraud the United States.

Michael Wibracht of San Antonio, Texas, the former owner of several companies in the construction industry, conspired to defraud the United States in order to obtain valuable government contracts under programs administered by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for which neither his nor his co-conspirators’ companies were eligible. One co-conspirator, Ruben Villarreal, also of San Antonio, pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2020, to participating in the same conspiracy.

“For many years, this conspiracy undermined the integrity of the federal procurement process,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard A. Powers of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division. “This conduct robbed opportunities from honest businesses, especially those owned by historically disadvantaged individuals and service-disabled Veterans.”

According to court documents filed in the Western District of Texas in San Antonio, Wibracht, Villarreal, and other co-conspirators conspired to defraud the United States by interfering with the function of the SBA and fraudulently obtaining money from agencies of the United States as early as 2004 continuing at least through 2017. As part of this scheme, the conspirators installed Villarreal, a service-disabled Veteran, as the ostensible owner of a general construction company held out as a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB). Wibracht and other co-conspirators, however, exercised disqualifying financial and operational control over the construction company. The conspirators concealed that control in order to secure over $250 million in government contracts that were “set aside” for SDVOSBs in order to benefit their larger, non-qualifying businesses. The SBA administers the SDVOSB program, which is designed to increase the number of government contracts awarded to small businesses owned and controlled by service-disabled Veterans. To qualify as an SDVOSB, a company, among other things, must be owned and controlled by a service-disabled Veteran.

“Conspiring to fraudulently gain access to federal contracts set aside for small businesses owned and operated by disadvantaged individuals or service-disabled Veterans is unacceptable,” said Inspector General Hannibal “Mike” Ware. “The guilty pleas send a strong message that those responsible will be held accountable. I want to thank the Antitrust Division and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.”

“These plea agreements showcase the unique expertise of the U.S. Army CID’s specialized unit, the Major Procurement Fraud Unit,” said Special Agent in Charge Ray A. Rayos of the Southwest Fraud Field Office of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “Together, with our partner agencies and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division, those individuals responsible for engaging in a complex and long running scheme to defraud the United States government have been brought to justice.”

“The General Services Administration Office of Inspector General is committed to working with its law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice Antitrust Division to ensure that individuals and companies who fraudulently obtain contracts meant for legitimate small and disadvantaged businesses are investigated and prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” said Inspector General Carol Ochoa of the General Services Administration.

“The defendants conspired to fraudulently obtain multi-million dollar government contracts under a program designed to benefit service-disabled Veterans,” said Inspector General Michael J. Missal of the Department of Veterans Affairs. “These guilty pleas send a clear message that individuals and companies who defraud the government contracting process for service-disabled Veterans will be held accountable. The VA OIG thanks the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and our law enforcement partners for their joint efforts to achieve justice in this case.”

“This outcome is a testament to the commitment of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) and our Law Enforcement partners in safeguarding the integrity to the DoD contracting process,” said Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Gregory P. Shilling of the DCIS Southwest Field Office. “DCIS will utilize all available resources to pursue allegations of fraud and corruption, bringing to justice those who seek to enrich themselves through the exploitation of Small Business Administration programs designed to help disadvantaged groups.”

Wibracht pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to commit wire fraud and defraud the United States. Villarreal pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Xavier Rodriguez on June 23, 2021. Both men face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The maximum fine for an individual may be increased to twice the gain derived from the crime, or twice the loss suffered by victims of the crime, if either of those amounts is greater than the statutory maximum fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The SBA Office of Inspector General, Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit, General Services Administration Office of Inspector General, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and DCIS are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas and the Army Audit Agency.

The Department of Justice Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section is prosecuting the case. Special thanks are extended to Assistant U.S. Attorney William F. Lewis, Jr. of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

Anyone with information in connection with this investigation is urged to call the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal II Section at 202-598-4000, or visit https://www.justice.gov/atr/contact/newcase.html.

In November 2019, the Department of Justice created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact procurement and grant and program funding at all levels of government — Federal, state, and local. For more information, visit https://www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.

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There are days where Karen C. Hinkebein will drive up and down Brownsboro Road three times to visit her mother, who lives near Zachary Taylor National Cemetery.

Traffic is already a daily issue near the Interstate 264 exits, she said Wednesday. But building a hospital in the open field near the ramps, she added, would make a bad situation worse.

"From 3:30 on, until about 6 or 6:30 – and in the mornings too – traffic is a mess there," Hinkebein said. "And I cannot imagine adding the traffic that comes with having a hospital there."

It's likely she won't have to use her imagination in a few years. A lawsuit that had pushed for officials to stop plans to build a new U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in eastern Louisville was dismissed Tuesday by a federal judge, clearing the way for its construction to begin.

The city of Crossgate in Jefferson County sued the VA department in 2018 after plans to build the medical center on Brownsboro Road near the Watterson Expressway ramps were released, citing environmental concerns and increased traffic that would come to the already busy corridor. That lawsuit has been dismissed with prejudice by U.S. District Court Judge Claria Horn Boom.

Kirk Hilbrecht, Crossgate's mayor and a Veteran, said in a statement that the plaintiffs are reviewing the ruling and are considering appeal options.

The new hospital would replace the 68-year-old Robley Rex VA Medical Center that stands on Zorn Avenue. Stephen Black, Robley Rex's director, said in a statement that hospital officials are excited to get to work with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on construction.

"I'm excited that we will soon have a new state-of-the-art health care campus to serve Veterans residing in our 35-county service area,” Black said. "We are delighted about the Brownsboro Road location and the enhanced care and services our Veterans will receive there."

The construction contract on the project should be awarded in July, according to Robley Rex spokesperson Judy Williams, with the development expected to be completed in 2025.

The property was sold by local investor Jonathan Blue to the federal government in 2012 for $12.9 million.

Hilbrecht said Judge Boom's ruling disregarded the lawsuit's claim that the property was bought with the intent of building the hospital before a required environmental review of the site could take place.

"By observing the other recent VA hospital debacles and over-budget travesties, it’s obvious that when these US Government statutes are NOT followed, there will be drastic and lasting negative impacts on our environment, disruption to the neighborhoods and ultimately a failure to properly serve the Veterans it seeks to aid," Hilbrecht said.

Officials and residents of Crossgate, a small incorporated city with about 100 homes, aren't the only ones who had voiced concerns about building a hospital at the vacant 35-acre Brownsboro Road site, near Ballard High School and the Holiday Manor shopping center.

Eric Gunderson, president of Grow Smart Louisville, a group that works to fight urban sprawl and encourage appropriate developments, said few Veterans live near the site of the proposed hospital, and those who are sent to the medical center will have to fight that infamous Brownsboro Road traffic.

"While I do feel bad for those (nearby) neighborhoods, I feel really bad for our Veterans," Gunderson said. "Generally speaking, the ones who use that facility don't live in that end of town. They're going to have to travel further. They're going to have to deal with that congestion just for regular appointments – God help them in an emergency."

Hilbrecht questioned whether building a new VA hospital is a financially smart move and said Veterans should be allowed "to go to the doctors and specialists they prefer, not a designated building or specific hospital."

"Crossgate agrees that the VA should guarantee access to quality health care to its national treasures: the men and women who served our country," he said. "The VA can make good on this guarantee by giving Veterans the same access to quality healthcare enjoyed by our U.S. senators and representatives via a Veteran Health Care plan and access card. If it’s good enough for our U.S. elected officials, shouldn’t it be good enough for our Veterans?"

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer had been among the many who urged the VA to consider alternate locations over the years. The city of Louisville was not a plaintiff in Crossgate's lawsuit, and Fischer in a Wednesday statement told The Courier Journal that he supports efforts to build the new hospital.

“This is good news for our Veterans and our city because it enhances medical services and creates construction jobs," Fischer said. "It is well past time that our Veterans have the state-of-the art facility they deserve.”

Still, while the VA in 2017 acknowledged there could be "potential adverse impacts associated with the Brownsboro site," a report by the department said similar issues would exist in other proposals and the benefits of building at that location "outweigh its proximity to adjacent residences."

In her order Tuesday dismissing Crossgate's lawsuit, Boom said federal officials had taken environmental concerns into account during the decision process and that the new facility would not significantly impact any low-income or minority communities. The lawsuit's "vague reference" to traffic concerns were not sufficient to require an additional analysis by the VA, her order added.

At the urging of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, who has supported efforts to build the hospital without offering an opinion on where it should stand, former President Donald Trump's 2020 budget included more than $400 million for the project. The facility is expected to include more than 100 beds and a parking center that can fit more than 2,500 cars.

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A construction company owner who is neither a Veteran nor a minority has been sentenced to 28 months in prison for defrauding the government out of $346 million in contracts meant for service-disabled Veterans and minorities.

Matthew C. McPherson, 45, of Olathe, Kansas, was also ordered to pay the government back $5.5 million, which was his share of profits from the scheme, the Justice Department said in a news release.

"This contractor not only defrauded the government, but cheated to get contracts that should have gone to firms led by disabled Veterans and minority owners," U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore said in the release Wednesday, the day McPherson was sentenced in federal court. "His greed and deception allowed him to enrich himself at the expense of disabled Veterans and minority owners."

McPherson had pleaded guilty in June 2019 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and major program fraud after admitting he participated in a plot from September 2009 to March 2018 to get federal contracts meant for small businesses owned and controlled by Veterans, service-disabled Veterans and certified minorities, according to the Justice Department.

McPherson's sentencing "sends a clear message that contractors unjustly enriching themselves at the expense of our nation's Veterans will not be tolerated," Gavin McClaren, acting special agent in charge with the Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general's central field office, said in a statement.

McPherson and his co-conspirators were accused of setting up two companies using straw owners to fraudulently win the contracts.

The first was Zieson Construction Company in July 2009. Stephon Ziegler, 61, of Weatherby Lake, Missouri, a Black service-disabled Veteran, was listed as the "nominal owner" of the business, but McPherson and his co-conspirators actually ran the company and received most of its profits, according to the Justice Department.

Zieson was awarded 199 federal contracts worth about $335 million meant for small businesses, minority-owned small businesses and Veteran-owned small businesses, according to the news release. McPherson and his co-conspirators each got about $4.2 million through Zieson by using false and fraudulent invoices, the Justice Department said.

When Zieson grew too big for small business contracts in 2014, McPherson and his co-conspirators set up another company using the name of a Native American employee at Zieson, Rustin Simon, 45, of Smithville, Missouri.

Much like Zieson, the second company, called Simcon Corp., was actually controlled by McPherson and his co-conspirators, according to the Justice Department. Simcon also used the same office space and employees as Zieson, and Zieson falsely claimed to subcontract work to Simcon so Simcon would have a track record that made it able to better compete for federal contracts, the department said.

Simcon won a $4.4 million contract in July 2016 from the Air Force and a $6.9 million contract in September 2016 from the Army. McPherson and his co-conspirators each got about $319,866 from Simcon using false and fraudulent invoices, according to the Justice Department.

One of McPherson's co-conspirators, Patrick Michael Dingle, 50, of Parkville, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and major program fraud and is awaiting sentencing. A third conspirator, Matthew L. Torgeson, of Topeka, Kansas, had been indicted as well, but died in November 2019.

Ziegler has pleaded guilty to making a false statement to the VA and is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 20. Simon has pleaded guilty to two counts of making material false statements to the Small Business Administration and is awaiting sentencing.

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Veterans Affairs officials want to drop copay expenses for Veterans facing mental health challenges as a way to encourage more individuals to seek help when facing suicidal thoughts.

Department leaders on Wednesday published plans in the Federal Register to modify VA’s copayment rules, with the goal of reforming the policy in coming months.

In a statement, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the move is part of broader suicide prevention and health care outreach efforts by the department.

“Research shows increased frequency of outpatient mental health encounters for high-risk Veterans reduces their risk of suicide,” he said. “Through these efforts, VA will continue to address this national public health crisis by further eliminating financial burdens on Veterans which may negatively influence their engagement in mental health treatment and their critical medication availability.”

Veterans who use VA as their primary health care provider do not have to pay any extra fees when receiving care at a department hospital. But Veterans seeking mental care at outpatient clinics can face copayments for appointments, typically ranging from $15 to $50.

Advocates say even those small amounts can present a potential barrier to a Veteran in distress who needs immediate assistance. And the costs can compound quickly in cases where Veterans need multiple visits in a month, often to refill medications.

Officials said the new move “would reduce the financial burden of multiple co-payments associated with both increased outpatient visits as well as more frequent, but limited supply of prescribed medications.”

Last fall, VA officials announced that Veterans suicides across America in 2019 fell to about 17 per day, their lowest level in 12 years.

The latest data available does not take into account the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which began in March 2020, but VA officials preliminary research has not shown a significant increase in those numbers over the last two years.

Still, suicide prevention remains a key focus of VA leadership and the White House, as it has been for the last three presidential administrations. Even with the decrease, the rate of suicide among Veterans remains almost double the rest of the American public.

Members of the public can comment on the planned copayment rule through the Federal Register until March 7.

Veterans experiencing a mental health emergency can contact the Veteran Crisis Line at 1-800-273-8255 and select option 1 for a VA staffer. Veterans, troops or their family members can also text 838255 or visit VeteransCrisisLine.net for assistance.

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The good news came on Feb. 18 for about 180 people who'd been holed up at the Westwind Inn, the on-site hotel at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield. The two weeks in quarantine after their evacuation from China had crawled by as they interacted with a team of local, state and federal health officials.

On that Tuesday, most everyone who'd visited Wuhan was cleared to go home. A handful had been sent to local hospitals for monitoring. The others dispersed, many boarding flights from Sacramento to their homes throughout the U.S.

About the same time, two American evacuees from the Japan-docked Diamond Princess cruise ship were being admitted into isolation rooms at a Napa hospital. One traveler had tested positive for COVID-19, the other showed symptoms of the virus. In a radio interview that day, Feb. 18, a Napa County spokesman repeated the line that's been trumpeted continuously in recent weeks, at least in the U.S.: For the public, there's "minimal risk of exposure."

As eyes increasingly turned to the Fairfield military base, a Solano County woman went to a small Vacaville hospital 8 miles away with symptoms associated with the new coronavirus. She stayed at NorthBay VacaValley hospital for four days, her condition apparently worsening, and on Feb. 19 staff moved her on a ventilator to UC Davis Medical Center in Sacramento.

The nation would learn about a week later that, although she apparently had no close contact with any travelers to China, she had been diagnosed with the new coronavirus.

It was the nation's first infection that had unknown origins. The director of California's Public Health Department last week called her case a "turning point" that could signal widespread infection is increasingly difficult to stop.

The woman's case unleashed a deluge of questions and concerns about how local, state and federal officials responded to the mounting public health concern after the evacuees arrived at Travis Air Force Base -- and what future responses might look like. A U.S. government whistleblower now says federal workers did not have the necessary protective gear or training when they were deployed to help quarantined people, including those at Travis.

Since the Solano County woman's illness became known, teams of health care investigators have fanned out across Northern California trying to understand exactly how -- and how widely -- the virus has spread.

"We have deployed there," Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar told McClatchy this week. "We'll send whatever we need to assist the state and local public health authorities with the contact tracing and getting to the bottom of her case."

But sharp questions are being asked about the timeline between the arrival of hundreds of people at Travis and the coronavirus infection of a woman who lived in the same county as the military installation.

For investigators, that timeline could shed light on how the disease is spreading and whether federal authorities botched the re-entry process for those returning from China. For others, the sequence of events is too coincidental to be ignored. Did health authorities allow the Travis evacuees to bring COVID-19 to California -- and for those who came in contact with them to spread it?

Local Health Authorities are Skeptical

Dr. Bela Matyas, a Solano County public health officer, told The Sacramento Bee that concerns about ill-prepared personnel working with evacuees did not extend to Travis Air Force Base. By the time repatriation flights landed at Fairfield, Matyas said, a robust federal operation had been established.

"They were CDC folks -- we met them. They were very meticulous," Matyas said. "We couldn't enter without the proper equipment. They've handled three planeloads and we're grateful. They've helped to protect our community."

Azar on Friday said the department was conducting interviews and gathering information about the whistleblower's concerns, adding that he was unaware of the complaint when he testified before a House committee earlier in the week.

"We will take remedial measures if needed," he told reporters Friday. "...We will very transparently investigate, and if there's any problem, we will take remedial action."

How February Unfolded at Travis

On Feb. 1, federal officials announced Travis Air Force Base would be among three installations in California to house travelers who may have come in contact with the virus that originated in Wuhan, China. The base would soon be populated with hundreds of travelers.

A flight carrying some 181 American evacuees landed on a chartered Boeing 747-400 during the predawn hours of Wednesday, Feb. 5.

Medical personnel had screened and monitored them before, during and after the 11-hour flight over 6,500 miles, officials said. Passengers considered high-risk were kept in a separate part of the plane, divided by a plastic sheet.

The first passengers, some holding luggage, were escorted one by one and in small groups out of the plane. Officials walked them beneath the jumbo jet, emblazoned with the name of cargo carrier Kalitta Air, and into the adjacent Hangar 16.

Between deplaning passengers, KGO-TV video showed personnel in white protective suits, some wearing respirators, unloading luggage from the cabins using the air stairs. The passengers were met with applause as they exited the plane and headed toward their temporary home at the Westwind Inn.

Jeff Ho was among the first passengers from China to land at Travis. He had been visiting his in-laws during the Chinese New Year festivities early in January as the series of lock-downs and quarantines rippled near Wuhan. Ho, who works in San Bernardino as a mechanic, coordinated with the U.S. embassy to secure his flight to California.

"I got lucky and had three seats to myself," Ho told The Sacramento Bee on Saturday. Airport and embassy staff in China wore protective suits, but on the plane, the atmosphere was more relaxed. Travelers and workers wore masks and goggles.

When they landed at Travis, emergency vehicles were parked near the hangar, Ho said. They turned in their paperwork at tables inside the hangar and, at the end of the line, received their room keys.

"No one was really wearing the full suit anymore because they already screened the people," Ho said, adding they instead wore masks and eye protection but otherwise normal clothing. "We were there at that quarantine because we were not sick."

In the two weeks that followed, he binge-watched movies, documented his day on social media and befriended the workers who regularly took his temperature. He returned to his home in Southern California on Feb. 19, where he continues to video-chat daily with his wife and daughter -- they remained with his in-laws.

Ho disagreed with critics and the whistleblower who allege workers were untrained and did not properly protect themselves from spreading the virus. He's spoken with some workers and others who were quarantined with him in recent days, and they also said they did not see anything that would corroborate the whistleblower's complaint.

"I'm actually more worried that people are going to go crazy and overreact," he said.

After Ho's arrival at Travis, another flight landed on Friday, Feb. 7, and 53 passengers from China were sent into isolation, bringing the total number to 234 passengers at the base. Ultimately, none of those Wuhan evacuees housed at Travis tested positive for the new coronavirus -- it is possible, however, to carry the illness without knowing it.

Dr. Henry Walke, an infections-preparedness official with the CDC, previously described the early quarantines at Travis as an "unprecedented action." But, he added, "this is an unprecedented threat."

"We know this situation may be concerning to people in the Travis Air Force Base community," he said. "Based on our experience with other coronaviruses, we don't believe these people pose a risk to this community because we are taking measures to minimize any exposures."

Whistleblower Offers Doubt

Suspicion about the Travis Air Force base protocols, and the comings and goings of those assigned to work with travelers, jumped into public view when The Washington Post reported that a whistleblower had filed a complaint with the Office of the Special Counsel.

The whistleblower alleged about a dozen personnel with the Administration for Children and Families responded to Travis Air Force Base but were "not properly trained or equipped to operate in a public health emergency situation," even though they had face-to-face contact with travelers.

Although team members had gloves at times and masks at other times, they lacked full protective gear and received no training on how to protect themselves in a viral hot zone, according to a description provided to the Associated Press. They had no respirators but noticed that workers from the CDC were in full gear to protect them from getting sick.

"Our client was concerned that ACF staff -- who were potentially exposed to the coronavirus -- were allowed to leave quarantined areas and return to their communities, where they may have spread the coronavirus to others," said Lauren Naylor, an attorney representing the whistleblower, according to the law firm's Twitter profile.

Rep. Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., said the whistleblower had contacted his office and was alleging retaliation by higher-ups for having flagged the alleged safety issues.

In response, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which manages the Administration for Children and Families, said it was evaluating the complaint.

"We take all whistleblower complaints very seriously and are providing the complainant all appropriate protections under the Whistleblower Protection Act," HHS spokeswoman Caitlin Oakley said in a statement to The Bee.

'Floating Disaster'

By the middle of February, as quarantines came to an end for the Wuhan travelers isolated at Travis, stays would soon begin for passengers from a cruise ship being denied ports around the world -- a petri-dish at sea.

The 3,711 people aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship were on their final night of a two-week luxury cruise when the captain came on the intercom. A person had left the ship nine days earlier and tested positive for the virus. It was unnerving, guests would later recount, but it did little to dissuade many from mingling in theaters and bars in what would later be described in the New York Times as a "floating epidemiological disaster."

As a two-week quarantine dragged on, an international argument intensified: How to handle repatriating citizens without allowing the virus to increase its rate of spread?

By the middle of the month, the U.S. had crafted a plan to fly Americans to bases in California and Texas, citing measures that were "consistent with the most current medical assessments available, and the careful policies we have instituted to limit the potential spread of the virus," the State Department wrote in an letter dated Feb. 16.

That day, after a testy debate between the State Department and the Department of Health and Human Services, hundreds of mask-wearing Americans -- including 14 confirmed to have had the virus -- were cleared to return to the U.S. While 178 people arrived at Travis from the Diamond Princess, the CDC reported, 144 others went to Joint Base San-Antonio-Lackland in Texas.

At Travis, six passengers were immediately sent for care at the National Quarantine Unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center/Nebraska Medicine in Omaha. More than 600 travelers who had been on the ship later tested positive for the virus. At least six around the world would later die.

Following screening procedures at Travis, 16 other passengers were sent to hospitals near the base for isolation and further evaluation. None were sent to Sacramento-area hospitals. And four travelers in the coming days developed symptoms of respiratory illness while quarantined at Travis, despite being cleared in Japan days earlier.

Then, on Feb. 18, the officials in Napa County said two evacuees who arrived at Travis were hospitalized; one tested positive for the new coronavirus and the other had symptoms. They were being treated in isolation at Queen of the Valley Medical Center, 30 miles west of Travis.

As evacuees and workers dispersed, it became increasingly difficult to keep track of their whereabouts. Counties up and down the West Coast -- including several that do not yet have known cases of COVID-19 -- declared local health emergencies.

Solano County and Travis Air Force Base followed suit last week.

"This is an emerging, rapidly evolving situation," base officials said in an announcement. "We will continue to partner with local agencies to ensure the safety and welfare of our force and families."

Quarantined travelers, however, might not have been the most concerning piece of the puzzle.

A Unique Case inSacramento

The same day last week that whistleblower complaint was filed in Washington, hospital officials in Sacramento issued a memo with the news many had long feared: The first confirmed case of COVID-19 that had unknown origins had finally emerged in the United States. And that woman, who checked into the Solano County hospital, had been transferred to the UC Davis Medical Center.

"This is not the first COVID-19 patient we have treated, and because of the precautions we have had in place since this patient's arrival, we believe there has been minimal potential for exposure here at UC Davis Medical Center," according to the memo sent to staffers Wednesday night.

UC Davis Medical Center nevertheless sent several dozen employees home to await further testing. On Friday, the National Nurses United union said there were 124 nurses and health care workers sent home.

In a separate staff memo Thursday, UC Davis Chief Medical Officer J. Douglas Kirk said the "incident is not impacting our ability to provide care for any patient, any time, or anywhere."

"This incident involves a patient, a real person, with a real family, who is worried about their loved one's condition and thankful for the care delivered by our teams here," he wrote. "As such, we must respect the patient and the family's privacy."

Additionally, Solano County public health officials on Friday said 93 people at Vacaville NorthBay VacaValley came in contact with the patient before her transfer to Sacramento. Of the 93, 82 people without novel coronavirus symptoms are under home quarantine.

Eleven more who are showing symptoms have been told to isolate themselves at home away from family members and other contacts and have been tested for the virus. Test results are expected "in the next day or two," Matyas, the county public health officer, said Friday. Matyas said that number may change.

The people represent the entire spectrum of the care team from nutrition services to medical assistants to the bedside physician.

"We're double-checking and ensuring we've identified everyone," said Steve Huddleston, a hospital vice president. "We look at everybody who had clinical contact with the patient. We are looking at every hour of hallway camera to verify visitors who signed in and were badged (and) went into that room."

That roster of names was sent to local, state and federal public health agencies.

Their investigation is two-pronged, Matyas said: interviewing the patient's contacts at the hospital and in the community. There's a three-day window where the patient was probably able to spread the illness. Contacting family and co-workers was relatively easy, Matyas said.

Finding other contacts outside that circle is more vague.

"But," Matyas said, "it has to be done."

By Saturday evening, more than 86,000 people globally had been infected, with increasingly growing pockets outside of China, according to a map maintained by Johns Hopkins University. That country has also suffered the vast majority of 2900-plus deaths from new coronavirus.

"Our greatest enemy right now is not the virus itself. It's fear, rumors and stigma," World Health Organization Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a Friday morning press briefing.

Santa Clara County on Friday announced the second known instance of person-to-person transmission in the general public.

Hours later, Oregon, announced the third.

And on Saturday, officials in Washington state announced what might be the latest turning point, capping a month already filled with them: A man died near Seattle, marking the first COVID-19 death in the U.S.

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With news of the contagious and potentially deadly illness known as novel coronavirus grabbing headlines worldwide, military health officials say that an informed, common sense approach minimizes the chances of getting sick.

Many forms of coronavirus exist among both humans and animals, but this new strain’s lethality has triggered considerable alarm. Believed to have originated at an animal market in Wuhan City, China, novel coronavirus has sickened hundreds and killed at least 4. It has since spread to other parts of Asia. The first case of novel coronavirus in the U.S. was reported January 22 in Washington State.

Anyone contracting a respiratory illness shouldn’t assume it’s novel coronavirus; it is far more likely to be a more common malady. “For example, right now in the U.S., influenza, with 35 million cases last season, is far more commonplace than novel coronavirus, said U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Dr. (Lt. Cmdr.) David Shih, a preventive medicine physician and epidemiologist with the Clinical Support Division, Defense Health Agency. He added that those experiencing symptoms of respiratory illness – like coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, and fever – should avoid contact with others and making them sick, Shih said.

“Don’t think you’re being super dedicated by showing up to work when ill,” Shih said. “Likewise, if you’re a duty supervisor, please don’t compel your workers to show up when they’re sick. In the short run, you might get a bit of a productivity boost. In the long run, that person could transmit a respiratory illness to co-workers, and pretty soon you lose way more productivity because your entire office is sick.”

Shih understands that service members stationed in areas of strategic importance and elevated states of readiness are not necessarily in the position to call in sick. In such instances, sick personnel still can take steps to practice effective cough hygiene and use whatever hygienic services they can find to avert hindering readiness by making their battle buddies sick. Frequent thorough handwashing, for instance, is a cornerstone of respiratory disease prevention.

“You may not have plumbing for washing hands, but hand sanitizer can become your best friend and keep you healthy,” Shih said.

Regarding novel coronavirus, Shih recommends following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention travel notices. First, avoid all non-essential travel to Wuhan, China, the outbreak’s epicenter. Second, patients who traveled to China in the past 14 days with fever, cough, or difficulty breathing, should seek medical care right away (calling the doctor’s office or emergency room in advance to report travel and symptoms) and otherwise avoid 1) contact with others and 2) travel while sick.

CDC also has guidance for health care professionals, who should evaluate patients with fever and respiratory illness by taking a careful travel history to identify patients under investigation (PUIs), who include those with 1) fever, 2) lower respiratory illness symptoms, and 3) travel history to Wuhan, China, within 14 days prior to symptom onset. PUIs should wear a surgical mask as soon as they are identified and be evaluated in a private room with the door closed, ideally an airborne infection isolation room if available. Workers caring for PUIs should wear gloves, gowns, masks, eye protection, and respiratory protection. Perhaps most importantly, care providers who believe they may be treating a novel coronavirus patient should immediately notify infection control and public health authorities (the installation preventive medicine or public health department at military treatment facilities).

Because novel coronavirus is new (as its name suggests), there is as yet no immunization nor specific treatment. Care providers are instead treating the symptoms – acetaminophen to reduce fever, lozenges and other treatments to soothe sore throats, and, for severe cases, ventilators to help patients breathe.

“Lacking specific treatment,” Shih said, “we must be extra vigilant about basic prevention measures: frequent handwashing, effective cough and sneeze hygiene, avoiding sick individuals, and self-isolating when sick.”

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Answers about COVID-19

Veterans who rely on VA for health care have a lot of questions regarding the new coronavirus or COVID-19. Our call centers and some VA health facilities are experiencing very high numbers of calls. To help us address the most urgent needs first, we ask that you use our online tools for routine or non-urgent questions.

We have collected many of the commonly asked questions at Medical Centers and combined them into one page that will be updated routinely. These include things like testing for the virus, symptoms, and VA appointments.

The CDC defines COVID-19 as a new type of coronavirus. If you have a fever, a cough, and shortness of breath, call your VA medical center before going to a clinic, urgent care, or emergency room. You can also send your doctor a secure message. Contacting us first helps us protect you, medical staff, and other patients.

Concerns about COVID-19 can be stressful for many people, and it's understandable to feel anxious. Let VA help. We have answers to your questions.

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Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced David Laufer, age 64, of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, formerly of Bethesda, Maryland, today to eight months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, four months of which is to be served in home confinement, for acceptance of gratuities by a public official. Judge Chuang also ordered Laufer, the former Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed Medical Center, to pay restitution in the amount of $7,890.62.

The sentence was announced by Acting United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Jonathan F. Lenzner; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services; and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.

According to his plea agreement, from 2009 until May 2019, Laufer worked as the Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics Department at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, the largest joint military medical center in the United States. Walter Reed is located in Bethesda and provides medical services, including orthotic and prosthetic services to U.S. service members and their dependents, including wounded soldiers. Bruce Thomas lived in Montgomery County and owned, operated, and controlled Pinnacle Orthopedic Services (Pinnacle), located in Germantown, Maryland. Pinnacle provided prosthetics and orthotics materials to Walter Reed in return for payments from the government.

“David Laufer accepted thousands of dollars in cash and other gifts from a company to which he steered government business worth millions in taxpayer funds,” said Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner. “Laufer’s illegal acts not only unfairly helped Pinnacle Orthopedic Services, his actions also hurt other businesses and caused the U.S. government to pay more for goods and services than it should have. We are committed to holding accountable public officials like David Laufer who undermine the market and abuse their positions in government to benefit themselves at the expense of the taxpayers.”

“Attempting to defraud the government is a losing proposition,” said Frank Robey, director of the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division's Major Procurement Fraud Unit. “This sentencing is yet another example of the great cooperation among federal law enforcement agencies to put a stop to fraud within the contracting community.”

As detailed in the plea agreement, from 2010 until May 2019, the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics department used Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPAs) to order and purchase prosthetics and orthotics materials. This allowed the department to obligate funds to purchase materials that employees could order without charging a credit card each time or engaging in a formal contract for each purchase. Thomas regularly interacted with Laufer about Pinnacle’s business with Walter Reed, including the award of BPAs, future BPA funding, orders charged against the BPAs, and fulfillment of orders. Walter Reed awarded multiple BPAs to Pinnacle, which the Prosthetics and Orthotics department used to order and purchase prosthetics and orthotics materials from Pinnacle.

According to court documents, between 2012 and 2016, Laufer and his wife received things of value, that is the airlines travel, lodging and entertainment tickets, as well as direct cash payments, for and because of Laufer’s official acts as the Chief of the Prosthetics and Orthotics department and Laufer’s official acts in connection with the purchase of prosthetics and orthotics materials from Pinnacle. Laufer admitted that he undertook official acts in connection with the gratuities, including seeking renewal of BPAs with Pinnacle, sending multiple purchase requests obligating millions of dollars to Pinnacle for prosthetics and orthotics materials, and causing the repeated ordering of supplies from Pinnacle.

Laufer admitted that he restricted the availability of BPAs to some of the manufacturers and distributors from whom Pinnacle purchased products, thereby inhibiting those companies from doing business directly with Walter Reed, and actively encouraged and directed those companies to sell to Walter Reed through Pinnacle, knowing that it would result in a higher price to the government. At the same time that he was funneling business through Pinnacle, Laufer was personally involved in ordering materials and causing materials to be ordered from Pinnacle, as well as taking official acts that impacted Pinnacle.

According to the plea agreement, Laufer’s job required him to complete annual Confidential Financial Disclosure forms which required him to report: all sources of outside income greater than $200; any business outside the U.S. Government in which Laufer or his spouse was an employee or consultant, whether or not compensated; any agreements or arrangements concerning past, current, and future employment; and travel-related reimbursement or other gifts totaling more than $350 from any one source during the reporting period. Laufer’s financial disclosure filings from 2014 to 2019 failed to disclose the financial benefits received from Pinnacle.

Furthermore, when interviewed by federal agents as part of a corruption investigation at Walter Reed, Laufer denied receiving any financial benefits from Pinnacle. Laufer also was interviewed by federal agents several times between 2017 and 2019 concerning unexplained cash deposits. On each occasion, Laufer lied to the agents, initially stating that he earned extra money from the purchase and sale of bicycles and small collectibles at swap meets, then falsely stating that he earned cash by working for Person C and Company C, and finally stating that the unexplained cash came from moonshine and liquor sales.

On September 9, 2021, Judge Chuang sentenced Thomas, to eight months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, with four months of that to be served in home confinement, for paying gratuities to a public official in exchange for official acts. Judge Chuang also ordered Thomas to pay a fine of $50,0000 and forfeit and pay restitution in the amount of $27,890.62.

In a related case, another employee of the Walter Reed Prosthetics and Orthotics Department, Timothy Hamilton, age 60, of Columbia, Maryland, is expected to be sentenced in November 2021. Hamilton previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and to acts affecting a financial interest. Hamilton admitted that beginning in 2009, he allowed Person A to use his orthotist certification for Person A’s business, Company A. Hamilton was aware that Company A used his certification to obtain national accreditation and as part of its documentation for Medicare credentialing, which allowed Company A to bill insurers for medical treatment that required the involvement of a certified orthotist, even though Hamilton was not providing those services in the vast majority of cases. Hamilton admitted that he received monthly financial payments from Company A from 2009 until October 2015, totaling more than $45,000. From 2011 to 2015, Company A used Hamilton’s credentials to submit more than 225 fraudulent insurance claims of more than $150,000.

Further, Hamilton admitted receiving more than $15,000 in gift cards, checks, and other benefits such as tickets and lodging, from Bruce Thomas and Pinnacle. During the time that Hamilton was receiving payments from Company A and Pinnacle, Hamilton ordered products on behalf of Walter Reed from both companies.

Acting United States Attorney Jonathan F. Lenzner commended the DCIS, HHS OIG, and the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Major Procurement Fraud Unit, the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, DOD Cyber Crimes Center Defense Cyber Forensics Laboratory, and the Defense Contract Audit Agency for their assistance. Mr. Lenzner thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Harry M. Gruber and Dana Brusca, who are prosecuting the case.

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Leonard C Boyle, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CORTNEY DUNLAP, 37, of Burlington, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 57 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for operating a wide-ranging scheme that defrauded the Connecticut Medicaid Program of more than $1.3 million.

According to court documents and statements in court, from 2014 to 2020, Dunlap was a Licensed Professional Counselor with offices located on Brainard Road in Hartford. Dunlap also owned two entities, Inspirational Care and KEYS Program Inc., through which he managed group homes in Hartford, Bristol, Cromwell and Waterbury, including residences for women and children who were victims of domestic abuse.

From August 2018 through October 2020, Dunlap engaged in a scheme to defraud the Connecticut Medicaid Program by submitting claims for psychotherapy services that were purportedly provided to Medicaid clients. The vast majority of the claims were for occasions and dates of service when no psychotherapy services of any kind had been provided to the Medicaid clients identified in the claims. On a limited number of occasions, some of the services were rendered by unlicensed individuals who were not qualified or licensed to provide psychotherapy.

The Connecticut Medicaid program suspended Dunlap as a Medicaid provider on approximately April 28, 2020, and, on May 7, 2020, federal law enforcement agents executed a court-authorized search of Dunlap’s Hartford offices. Dunlap subsequently billed Medicaid for psychotherapy services through Inspirational Care for services that which were not provided, using the provider number of a licensed clinical social worker who did not provide the services and was not aware that her provider number was being used to bill for the nonexistent services.

Dunlap required tenants of the group homes operated or managed by Inspirational Care and KEYS program to provide copies of the Medicaid member cards for the tenants and their children as a condition of the tenants residing at the group homes. Dunlap then used these Medicaid member numbers to bill Medicaid for psychotherapy services that were not provided to the tenants or their children. Dunlap used the Medicaid member numbers of approximately 65 tenants or their children to bill Medicaid for fraudulent services, and Medicaid paid Dunlap approximately $543,117 for psychotherapy services that were not provided to these individuals.

In February 2019, the New Haven Public Schools hired Dunlap as a guidance counselor at the New Haven Adult and Continuing Education Center. In February 2020, Dunlap accessed a database containing personal identifying information of students and former students enrolled at New Haven Adult and Continuing Education, many of whom Dunlap did not have any professional relationship with and had never met. Dunlap used the information he acquired to determine whether the students were insured by Medicaid and, if so, identified the students’ Medicaid member identification numbers. He then billed Medicaid for fraudulent psychotherapy services that were never provided to the students. Dunlap used the personal identifying information and Medicaid member numbers of approximately 135 New Haven Adult and Continuing Education students to bill Medicaid for fraudulent services, and was paid a total of approximately $593,383 by Medicaid for these claims.

Dunlap also fraudulently billed Medicaid for psychotherapy services purportedly provided to employees of Inspirational Care when no such services were provided, and submitted fraudulent claims to Medicaid for psychotherapy services purportedly provided to members of his family when no such services were provided.

Judge Dooley ordered to Dunlap to pay restitution to Medicaid in the amount of $1,313,322.

U.S. Attorney Boyle noted that Connecticut Department of Social Services, working in close cooperation with law enforcement, suspended Medicaid payments to Dunlap and recovered $337,777.63 that Dunlap was slated to receive from Medicaid. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Division also seized and forfeited $412,415.20 from Dunlap’s bank accounts. Dunlap has made an additional restitution payment of $20,000, leaving a restitution obligation of $543,129.17.

Dunlap was arrested on a criminal complaint on October 14, 2020. On June 4, 2021, he pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud.

Dunlap, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on April 25.

This investigation has been conducted by the Office of the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with the assistance of the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Office of the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office and the Connecticut Department of Social Services.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon with the assistance of Auditor Susan N. Spiegel.

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He's teaming up with Guitars 4 Vets charity

Ford is teaming up with country singer Luke Combs to help Veterans of the U.S. Military deal with post-traumatic stress disorder through music.

The 2019 CMA Male Vocalist and Song of the Year winner is helping Ford give $25,000 worth of instruments to Vets through the Guitars 4 Vets organization, which promotes the use of music as a therapeutic method for PTSD.

Combs will appear in a TV spot ahead of Wednesday night’s CMA broadcast as he meets with one of the recipients and gives them a lesson.

“Ford has supported the military and Veterans for nearly a century, and Luke Combs has paid tribute to the brave men and women of our armed services,” Ford marketing executive Mark LaNeve said in a release on the collaboration.

The donation is part of Ford’s Proud to Honor program, which last week launched a new line of military-inspired merchandise to raise money for the DAV and Blue Star Families charities.

The custom guitars being donated feature camouflage pickguards, Ford logos and the Proud to Honor name.

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San Mateo County Medical Center and San Mateo County (collectively SMMC), located in California, have agreed to pay approximately $11.4 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act for submitting or causing the submission of claims to Medicare for non-covered inpatient admissions.

Medicare reimburses only services that are reasonable and necessary for the diagnosis or treatment of illness or injury. The United States alleged that, from Jan. 1, 2013, through Feb. 28, 2017, SMMC admitted certain patients for whom inpatient care was not medically reasonable or necessary, including patients who were admitted for reasons other than medical status, including social reasons and lack of available alternative placements. SMMC billed Medicare for such patients despite SMMC’s knowledge that the costs for admitting them were not reimbursable by Medicare.

“Billing for non-covered hospital stays results in a misuse of federal dollars,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensure that Medicare pays only for services that are eligible for reimbursement.”

“The financial viability of our Medicare program must be protected for current and future generations,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Hinds for the Northern District of California. “Medical providers, such as SMMC, who seek to pass on the financial burden of their medically unnecessary hospital admissions to the federal government will be pursued, as today’s settlement reflects.”

“Our agency will continue to aggressively investigate health care providers who bill Medicare for medically unnecessary services. These unlawful actions divert funds for needed care,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven J. Ryan of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to root out such schemes.”

In connection with the settlement, SMMC entered into a five-year Corporate Integrity Agreement (CIA) with HHS-OIG. The CIA requires SMMC to engage an independent review organization that will perform annual reviews of inpatient admissions that SMMC bills to federal health care programs.

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Felix Levy, a former employee of San Mateo County Medical Center. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Levy v. San Mateo County and the San Mateo County Medical Center, C.A. No. 16-CV-5881 (N.D. Cal.).

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California; and HHS-OIG.

The matter was handled by Trial Attorneys Danielle Sgro and Diana Cieslak and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Pyle, Sharanya Sai Mohan and Jonathan Lee.

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A couple stumbled across an incredible scrapbook from the Second World War, in a home they're restoring, which detailed a tragic love story.

Kevin and Laine Berry have been carefully restoring properties for 20 years, and have six active projects, as well as their own 1909 house, in Conway, Arkansas.

One of them is in Monticello, built in 1896, which the couple bought with plans for a "full rehabilitation" over 18 months.

Despite transforming homes for two decades, Kevin told Newsweek they'd never come across anything as comprehensive as the contents of a trash bag they found in the residence.

A bulging scrapbook detailed the life of Marjorie Mae Ingram, born on February 1, 1921, according to her obituary in the local paper, Arkansasonline.com.

The Berrys found photos, newspaper clippings, telegrams and letters spanning her early years, her education and her relationship with Clifford L. Fluitt, who became her fiancé.

But before they got their hands on the keys, Kevin claimed a court battle dragged on for years regarding the house, which was eventually put up for auction and its contents sold.

By the time they owned it, Kevin described what was left, saying: "After the estate sale anything that remained in the home was pushed into a large pile in the dining room which we were told was trash.

"We were told to rent a dumpster and just throw it away, but we've been doing this too long to do that. We picked through each piece of 'trash,' and made TONS of discoveries, one of which was a trash-bag labeled 'Ingram Memories.'

"When we opened it we found the items you see in the TikTok—and yes, we had NO idea that there had been a first love in Marjorie's life; we assumed it was a memory book about she and her eventual husband Elza, who we knew had also served very briefly in WW2."

A TikTok video shared to their account, @ourrestorationnation, detailed the incredible find, which included a haul of sentimental jewelry, including Fluitt's pilot's "wings," which Ingram was pictured wearing.

The first clip, posted earlier this month, was seen more than 800,000 times as Laine summarized the contents.

She said: "Inside this abandoned house, in this huge pile of trash, we found this trash bag. Inside the trash bag we found this scrapbook, which belonged to Marjorie Mae Ingram.

"What we discovered is this scrapbook is filled with her memories, of her first sweetheart, and their engagement during World War 2.

"She was engaged to Clifford LaVerne Fluitt, and he was an Avenger pilot, here we have their wedding announcement. You'll note the date is left blank, as no one was quite sure when he was going to get leave to come home and marry his best girl.

"It was later determined they would marry on September 1st." A newspaper clipping indicates they became engaged on August 6, 1944, with the wedding scheduled the following year.

Fluitt was one of five brothers fighting in the war. He was the only pilot, and part of a bombing raid that sank a Japanese ship, the Yamato, which went down in April 7 1945.

But Ingram received word her husband-to-be had gone missing during an "important tactical mission" in the North Pacific, on July 14, 1945, just weeks before their wedding, and the end of the war in the Pacific. He was 24, according to FindaGrave.com.

Laine went on to say the documents revealed Fluitt received the Naval Cross for his "bravery in action."

In a follow-up video, Laine, who also shares the couple's restoration to their YouTube account, Our Restoration Nation, added: "At this time Marjorie Mae spent hours at her piano, playing Clair de Lune over and over in her grief."

It seems Ingram kept all the correspondence relating to her first love, and as the Berrys delved deeper, they also uncovered she had kept his dog tags, his wings, his Anchor and his second lieutenant bars.

"And most surprising of all, her engagement ring, which she kept for 70-plus years," she added.

Laine speculated Ingram and Fluitt began their relationship around her high school senior year. "She waited seven years before marrying Elza Bond, and they were married 62 years," she added.

Ingram passed away in 2011, aged 90, while Bond, later becoming Judge Bond, passed away in 2014, aged 86, according to his obituary in Arkansas Online. The pair didn't have any children.

Kevin, who's been married to his wife for 25 years, told Newsweek: "We were stunned when we found the items.

"Laine spent days going through each scrap of paper and marvelling over the extent of the archive. There isn't time or space to list everything we found: we truly found a full lifetime of memories from someone who kept everything.

"But, in regard to Marjorie and Clifford we found a scrapbook that contained newspaper articles about each battle in which he was involved (most notably the sinking of the Japanese Destroyer the Yamoto), telegraphs from him during his initial training, Christmas and Valentines cards during service, their engagement announcement, their wedding invitation, letters and photos from his family, and then the letters from the war department both telling her about Clifford going missing and the determination that he was lost in action.

"His medals (Purple Heart, Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, Air Medal, WW2 Victory Medal, Combat Action Ribbon, etc) are all with his family.

"However, Clifford had given Marjorie sweethearts wings, his Anchor, his ensigns bars, one of his dog tags, multiple small pieces of jewelry, and her engagement ring.

"Interestingly there are no personal letters from Clifford; only a few telegrams about training or visits he plans to make home to see Marjorie."

Kevin explained the majority of items will eventually go on display in the house once it's restored. An only child, Ingram, had no living relatives when she passed away, while Bond was survived by numerous cousins.

He added: "The items actually extend through Marjorie's life beginning in 1921. However, the items in the war scrapbook begin in 1942 and continue until the 15 Aug 1945."

The trash bag also contained memorabilia from Ingram's younger years, with the accomplished and award-winning music teacher valedictorian at 16.

She was named homecoming queen—twice—at high school and college, with her senior year class ring from 1937, and University of Arkansas class ring, which she graduated from in 1941, among the items left behind.

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WICHITA, KAN. – A husband and wife from Hutchinson, Kansas, have been sentenced for deceiving the federal government about a medical condition to receive benefit payments. Addison Lewis, 41, and Brandi Lewis, 38, each received five years of probation after pleading guilty to one count of Theft of Government Property.

From 2013 to 2018, Addison Lewis misrepresented himself as having cortical visual blindness to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In turn, the VA increased his benefits amount. Addison Lewis admitted misleading the VA by exaggerating symptoms and impairment attributed to cortical visual blindness. Brandi Lewis intentionally provided inaccurate information to the VA to support her husband’s false claim.

The court ordered the Lewises to pay $111,510 in restitution to the Social Security Administration and $131,972 in restitution to the VA.

The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) Criminal Investigations Division and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General investigated the case.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Mona Furst prosecuted the case.

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Federal officials have just a few weeks to decide whether to go along with a court ruling giving thousands of Veterans an extra year of college tuition benefits or appeal the order in hopes of reversing the potential billions of dollars in new payouts.

Last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims issued its final ruling on the case of “BO vs Wilkie,” letting stand an earlier decision that the Department of Veterans Affairs practice of making Veterans relinquish their Montgomery GI Bill eligibility in order to receive Post-9/11 GI Bill payouts is improper.

Federal officials argued in court that the arrangement is designed to make sure Veterans aren’t doubling up on their government benefits for personal profit. But the court rejected that argument, saying that instead Veterans eligible for both programs should receive each set of payouts, just not simultaneously.

That means that Veterans who use up their 36 months of Post-9/11 GI Bill education benefits would still have access to 12 months of Montgomery GI Bill benefits if they paid into the program while they were serving. Under existing federal statute, any government higher education payouts are capped at 48 months.

VA officials appealed the ruling of a three-judge panel to the full Veterans claims court, but were denied. That started a two-month clock on appealing the case to the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, or allowing the ruling to stand.

Department officials in past court filings have indicated that they intend to appeal. A VA spokesman referred questions on the case to the Department of Justice. Justice officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Tim McHugh, an associate with the legal firm Hunton Andrews Kurth who led the legal fight against the VA, said if an appeal is accepted by the higher court, he is hopeful they could get a ruling on an expedited basis, possibly early enough for resolution before the 2020 fall semester.

“When they are looking at the timing of a case like this, it is appropriate for the court to consider the impact on not just the plaintiff but also everyone else,” he said.

Under current rules, the Post-9/11 GI Bill provides 36 months of tuition assistance and living stipends to Veterans (or their family members) who served at least three years on active-duty after Sept. 10, 2001. The total value of those payouts can top $20,000 a year, depending on where individuals attend school.

That benefit has largely replaced the Montgomery GI Bill as Veterans’ primary education benefit. That program requires servicemembers to pay $1,200 in their first year after enlisting to be eligible for the program. Individuals who did so could receive 36 months of education payouts of nearly $2,000 last semester.

The Montgomery GI Bill still has an average of more than 130,000 new enrollees annually, but fewer than 6 percent of Veterans eligible for both education benefit programs chose the Montgomery program in recent years.

VA officials have until March 9 to appeal but are expected to announce a decision sooner than that date.

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LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A Lubbock family will spend Veterans Day remembering their fallen husband and father, sharing his story through programs offered by Covenant Medical Center’s Operation Military Appreciation Committee.

With donated display cases, the OMAC recognizes the service of caregivers or patients by allowing them to place military mementos inside. It’s known as the “featured fighter," one of many OMAC programs. Ahead of Veterans Day, the Garza family arranged photographs, uniform patches and more items belonging to their loved one, Army Specialist Israel Garza, who died in an ambush in Iraq in 2004.

“[The items] have a deep meaning,” Israel’s wife Lupita said. “It shows the last day we were together we were able to hug, kiss. He was able to hold his boys for the last time.”

Lupita is a Clinical Program Assistant for Covenant Health Partners. She was nominated and selected by the committee to share the story of Israel through the display case.

“I think it’s a blessing and an honor and privilege to have the hospital continue his story and honor him like this,” Lupita said.

OMAC will unveil the display case during a Veterans Day celebration at Covenant Medical Center on Monday.

“We want to honor them in the best way we can and we do that in different ways,” OMAC Chair Connie Gonzales said “It’s to make sure they know that we appreciate what they’ve done for our country.”

In 2017, National Geographic aired a miniseries about Israel and his platoon called the Long Road Home. A book about the series, as well as the helmet used in the film will be in the display case.

“For us as a family, it’s sad but at the same time it’s an honor to have his story stay alive,” Lupits said “I know my sons love that we get to still talk about their dad and his spirit is still alive. They see that his sacrifice wasn’t in vain. It meant something.”

For Israel’s son Michael, he holds pictures and stories of his father close. He was very young when is father died.

It is tough not having a memory of him, not knowing what he looks like but that’s why we have the pictures and good stories," Michael said.

Israel’s namesake son, Israel Jr., will carry on his father’s sense of service. He just recently enlisted in the Marines.

“I honestly feel like he would be really happy seeing me filling out the papers to enlist,” Israel Jr. said. “I wanted to be a part of something bigger than me. I wanted to achieve something that was high.”

Lupita says seeing her son enlist is bittersweet.

“There’s fear because when Israel left, it was just a peace keeping mission,” Lupita said. “We never thought it would happen and, of course, no mother wants that for their child. But, I am proud of him. I’m happy he’s following in his dad’s footsteps. His dad was the same. He had no fear.”

The “featured fighter” display case will be in the lobby of Covenant Medical Center.

“We have sacred encounters with our patients but we also like to have them with our caregivers,” Gonzales said. “It just brings meaning to what we do here in the hospital, taking care of others and serving others.”

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Active coronavirus cases within the Department of Veterans Affairs hit new pandemic highs this week, with no indication that the problem will abate heading into 2022.

As of Thursday morning, VA officials recorded more than 27,000 active cases among patients, employees and Veterans in department care spread out across 140 department medical centers.

It’s the third consecutive day of record highs for the department in active cases. Prior to this week, the most VA had reported in a single day was Jan. 11 of this year, during the second major wave of virus spread, when the department had just under 21,000 cases.

As recently as mid-November, VA had fewer than 6,000 cases across its healthcare network. But the rapid advance of the Omicron variant of the virus has led to a worldwide spike in cases, and a return to some pandemic restrictions.

VA officials are seeing a dramatic rise not just among patients but also among staff.

In the last five days, more than 2,900 employees have reported new infections, according to data released by the department. In the 20 days prior, only about 2,800 staffers had reported COVID cases.

The rise in cases at the department mirrors the spike in cases across America. Officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the average number of new coronavirus cases last week topped 240,000, with daily totals hitting new record highs several times.

VA leaders have repeatedly noted that unlike the Department of Defense — whose personnel are at least partially contained on military bases — their patient and staff population are part of the broader American public, making it vulnerable to the same infection swings.

At least 17,700 individuals in the VA medical system have died from coronavirus-related conditions since the start of the pandemic in America in March 2020. That equates to roughly 26 deaths a day.

Of that total, about 30 percent — more than 5,200 — have died since July 1 of this year, after vaccines for the virus were made widely available.

VA officials have not released data on how many deaths were among unvaccinated patients, but have noted in recent months they have seen higher infection rates for unvaccinated individuals.

However, VA patients are more likely to be older and have additional health concerns, making them more vulnerable to the virus and other infections. About 4 percent of all confirmed VA COVID cases have resulted in death, compared to less than 2 percent of all coronavirus cases across America.

VA leaders have mandated that all department employees get vaccinated against the virus in an attempt to limit the chance of spread among patients and visitors to VA hospitals. Suspensions and firings related to refusal of that mandate are scheduled to begin next month.

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As our nation is responding to the novel coronavirus health crisis, DAV's professional staff in Washington D.C., are engaging and advocating for veterans and their families with Congress, the Administration and VA. In light of our efforts, we are pleased to provide the following updates:

On March 27, Public Law 116-136, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted. The CARES Act provided nearly $20 billion to VA to protect veterans and their families during this crisis. Below is a summary of provisions in the bill:

• $14.4 billion for essential medical and protective equipment including the purchase of testing kits, personal protective equipment (PPE), and medical supplies to support growing demand for health care services at VA facilities and through telehealth services.
• $2.1 billion to support increased demand for care in the community, especially at emergency rooms and urgent care facilities.
• $2.15 billion to bolster telehealth capabilities through increased telework and call center capabilities to deliver health care services directly related to coronavirus and mitigate the risk of virus transmission.
• $13 million to ensure VA can provide earned benefits by enhancing telework capabilities for the Veterans Benefits Administration.
• $150 million to assist State Veterans Homes in their response to prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.
• Authorizes temporarily waiver of in-person home visit requirement to enroll and permits telephone and telehealth visits as an alternative. Prohibits suspension or disenrollment from the certain VA programs during a public health emergency.
• Requires VA to provide personal protective equipment to VA and community-based workers that provide care to veterans in their home.
• Ensures the 2020 Recovery Rebate veterans receive under the CARES Act shall not be treated as income to avoid a loss or reduction of any VA benefits.
• Increases flexibility for vulnerable veterans with limb loss, allowing them to seek prosthetic assistance at community providers instead of VA.
• Expands telemental health services for veterans and gives VA the ability to enter into agreements with telecommunications companies to provide temporary, complimentary fixed and mobile broadband services.

For more information on the specifics of the CARES Act, please read the press statements issued from House and Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee leadership in the following links:

• SVAC Chairman Moran Press Release
• SVAC Ranking Member Tester Press Release
• HVAC Chairman Takano Press Release
• HVAC Ranking Member Roe Press Release

On April 2, we issued an Action Alert through DAV CAN, referencing a joint letter sent to the Secretaries of Treasury and VA and advising you of the issue concerning Recovery Rebate checks specifically affecting veterans and survivors who have no income other than VA disability compensation or a related benefit and are not required to file income taxes. We thank you for your resounding response of almost 10,000 emails sent to Congress. As of this date, we are informed, the Department of Treasury and VA are currently working together to resolve this issue. We will continue to update you on this vital concern as we receive additional information.

Source: DAV

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Readings bring tears, standing ovations

They say a picture’s worth a thousand words. Sometimes a thousand words can help a person with PTSD regain their humanity and begin to heal.

That’s the view of Dr. Bruce Kelly, assistant chief of Primary Care and lead for the Creative Writing Program at the Charles George VA Medical Center.

“Writing programs for Veterans have existed since the Second World War to help them make sense of their military experience. It’s a way to honor the voice inside wanting to be heard,” Kelly said. “Writing about the experiences of combat and its impact helps organize what’s banging around inside. It can with time soften the grip that holds power over those who’ve seen the horrors of war.”

To help Veterans who’ve suffered from PTSD for 50 years, Kelly, along with former North Carolina Poet Laureate Joseph Bathanti, professor at Appalachian State University, began planning a creative writing program back in 2014. They both keenly felt the unmet moral obligation we as a nation have to this cohort of veterans.

“Veterans told me they were reluctant to bring the war back up,” Kelly added, “that creative writing seemed like a ‘cockamamie idea,’ that they couldn’t write, had trouble spelling, bad experiences with groups and more. But they gradually spoke about the wounds that haunted them and were often ready to try anything that might help.”

The Veterans pictured above were the first to participate in the creative writing sessions.

Picked up their pencils and began to write

Kelly said he, Bathanti and the Veterans were all nervous when they met for the first time.

“It was something new and untried for all of us,” he said. “As their physician, I was maybe more uneasy than any, knowing how hard they worked to control what haunted them. They were understandably anxious about the writing and opening up in deeply personal ways to a group of strangers.”

Kelly said that after handing the first session over to Bathanti he went to the back of the class to watch the men’s expressions and body language. He was ready for anything, including some walking out.

A film writer couldn’t have scripted what he saw next.

When they were asked to begin writing, in unison they picked up their pencils, put their heads down, opened their notebooks and began to write without a moment’s hesitation.

My family understands me now

When asked how the program has helped them, one Veteran wrote that, “My relationships with my family have improved since they’ve heard my writings. They understand me better now, and I better understand my moral injury. I’ve connected with Veterans who share my experiences and built new friendships. I’ve been able to express thoughts and feelings held in for 50 long years.”

Eighteen of the Veterans agreed to participate in a staged reading at Asheville Community Theatre titled “Brothers Like These.” They performed later that year at Appalachian State to a standing-room-only crowd of students and teachers. The full staged reading has now been performed at eight locations across North Carolina.

On each occasion the audience was deeply touched, many in tears, but always leaving with a new understanding and respect for all who served in combat. The men felt honored, empowered and found a voice they didn’t know they had.

The standing ovations they received provide some sense of the long overdue welcome home they were denied by a country deeply divided on their return.

Bathanti says that in 41 years he’s never seen writing transform lives so deeply. He and Dr. Kelly often refer to it as the “Church of Classroom B” (where they meet), due to the work of the soul and deep collective reverence they’ve witnessed there.

A writing program for women Veterans began last fall with a second group planned for the spring.

Read the full-length story here.

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ST. LOUIS – The United States has reached a civil settlement with Olive Street Pharmacy, LLC (Olive Street) and pharmacy technician Irina Shlafshteyn (Shlafshteyn) resolving a civil complaint bringing claims under the False Claims Act (FCA) and Controlled Substances Act (CSA) for damages, statutory penalties, and injunctive relief related to the unlawful dispensing of controlled substances, including controlled substances that were submitted to Medicaid or Medicare for reimbursement. As part of the settlement, Olive Street and Shlafshteyn agreed to pay $1,507,808.50, an amount that was based in part on their ability to pay.

According to the civil complaint filed by the United States, Olive Street, a retail pharmacy located in Creve Coeur, Missouri, and Shlafshteyn, its 25 percent owner and managing employee, repeatedly dispensed prescriptions for controlled substances while disregarding warning signs of diversion, or “red flags,” indicating the prescriptions were not legitimate. The United States alleged that the types of red flags that Olive Street and Shlafshteyn ignored included clear instances of tampering with written prescriptions; dangerous combinations of drugs commonly sought after for recreational purposes; and amounts of opioids that exceeded CDC guidance by as much as 17.5 times the recommended maximum daily dosage.

In the complaint, the United States further accused Olive Street of routinely dispensing prescriptions for Subsys, an oral fentanyl spray, which is subject to heightened FDA restrictions and indicated only for opioid-tolerant patients experiencing breakthrough pain due to cancer. The United States contended that Olive Street and Shlafshteyn knowingly dispensed high dosages of Subsys to patients who did not qualify for the drug, and that the vast majority of the Subsys Olive Street dispensed was prescribed by Philip Dean, M.D. Dean, a Warrenton, Missouri neurologist, pleaded guilty to illegally distributing prescription opioids in 2018, including to women with whom he had lived and with whom he had had personal relationships.

The United States alleged that even though Shlafshteyn knew Dean was having intimate relationships with at least one of the women for whom he was prescribing controlled substances, Shlafshteyn and others at her direction continued to dispense Dean’s controlled substance prescriptions to that patient and to other patients of Dean. Further, according to the civil complaint, as the managing employee of Olive Street, Shlafshteyn had the control and authority to effect compliance with the FCA and CSA.

According to the settlement agreement, effective September 30, 2021, Shlafshteyn surrendered her Missouri pharmacy technician license and Olive Street terminated its enrollment in the Transmucosal Immediate Release Fentanyl Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (TIRF REMS) Program, the FDA-mandated program that had allowed Olive Street to dispense immediate-release fentanyl drugs like Subsys. The parties further agreed to enter into a consent decree of permanent injunction prohibiting Shlafshteyn from participating in the dispensing of controlled substances or being employed by any establishment that does so, prohibiting Olive Street from seeking enrollment in the TIRF REMS Program, and detailing many additional specific parameters limiting the circumstances under which Olive Street is permitted to continue dispensing controlled substances.

“Medical professionals have the legal obligation to ensure the dispensing of prescriptions are for legitimate medical purposes,” said Inez Davis, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Program Manager for the states of Missouri and Kansas, and southern Illinois. “In this case, the pharmacy abandoned its corresponding responsibility and ignored the clear signs that powerful medications, like oral fentanyl spray, were being prescribed far beyond the recommended guidance. This settlement sends a message that DEA will not accept actions that put people’s lives at risk.”

Under the settlement agreement, Shlafshteyn is excluded from participating in the federal healthcare programs for a period of 10 years, and Olive Street is bound by the terms of a corporate integrity agreement governing its ability to continue participating in the federal programs.

“Health care providers who unlawfully dispense controlled drugs risk the health of their patients and pose a threat to society,” said Curt L. Muller, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of federal health programs and hold accountable individuals who endanger beneficiaries.”

“The Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit aids in conducting complex investigations and prosecutions to ensure that those who game the Medicaid system for personal gain are held accountable,” added Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt. “We’re proud of our work in this case, and our work across the state to hold bad actors accountable and save taxpayer money.”

The Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services, Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Missouri Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Amy Sestric handled the case.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – In two years, the Department of Veterans Affairs will open a new medical center on Jacksonville’s Northside.

The new facility, near River City Marketplace, will replace two smaller VA centers.

Crews have started clearing the land, which will turn into a new outpatient medical center on Max Leggett Parkway.

“The Duval County Jacksonville market is our largest area, most densely populated area, for Veterans,” said Chad Adams, VA’s Lake City Medical Center Associate Director. “When we add new clinics and add additional space we can attract new state-of-the-art buildings and make it more efficient for them.”

Adams said the new clinic will be more than 160,000 square feet. It’ll serve the more than 45,000 Veterans currently enrolled and Adams hopes to attract more Vets.

“We will offer primary care, mental health care, imaging, specialty medical care as well as having 30 beds residential rehab on site which is unique to the area,” said Adams.

Two current VA sites in Jacksonville will close and relocate to the new site once it opens.

One is on South University Boulevard at the Memorial Health plaza and the other is on Southpoint Drive North.

“A lot of military retirees choose Jacksonville area as their place to live so we like to be able to provide care in their local area and meet their needs so we can continue to provide the best care possible,” said Adams.

The new building will be much larger. In an effort to get Veterans in and out more efficiently, they are eliminating congested areas that they see in smaller clinics.

The VA told News4Jax it’s currently in design for the construction phase. This week it had its first meetings with the activation team to kick off its plans.

The build-out costs to meet VA design requirements will cost $40 million. The project is a 20-year lease.

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At the Michael E. DeBakey VAMedical Center, a dedicated team of specialists conducts the VA’s first single-center paired kidney exchange

Adrian Luna and Mike Green now have more in common than just their military service in the U.S. Navy. A crisscross of organ donations recently changed their lives and their families forever.

In October, Luna and Green were the first recipients of a single-center paired kidney exchange performed entirely at a VA Medical Center. The donors? Family members of the other Veteran.

A paired kidney exchange (commonly known as a kidney swap) happens when a potential living donor for kidney transplantation is incompatible with the intended recipient. If another compatible donor/recipient pair is identified, the donors can switch, and both patients can receive life-saving transplants.

In this case, Green received a kidney donated by Luna’s wife, Sandra. At the exact same time, Luna received a kidney donated by Green’s sister, Angela. All donor and recipient operations were performed at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston. The recipients and donors are all doing great post-operatively.

“I only had the surgery a few days ago and I already feel like a new person,” said Green, who traveled from Amarillo, Texas for the surgery. “As a type 1 diabetic, I was diagnosed with kidney issues years ago and have been on dialysis since. This surgery has already changed my life.”

When VA doctors told Green he needed a transplant, several of his eight siblings offered to be potential donors. After undergoing a battery of tests, his sister, Angela, was found to be a good match and the surgery was scheduled.

“Not just my brother, but another Veteran”

That’s when Transplant Nurse Manager Priscilla Sloan, R.N. came into the picture.

“Priscilla asked if I would consider donating my kidney to another Veteran whose wife was willing to donate her kidney. That kidney was an even better match for my brother,” said Angela. “I thought – what a win-win for everyone. It was a great opportunity for me to share my good health and help not just my brother, but another Veteran who served our country.”

A Navy Corpsman from 1998 – 2005, Adrian Luna deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has many vivid memories of his time on the battlefield. Now living in Los Angeles, Calif., he and his wife, Sandra, are parents to five young children. Suffering from kidney disease, he has been anxiously awaiting a kidney transplant for the past several years.

“Waiting for a donor was very stressful for Adrian and for our family. I would have been happy to give him my kidney, but we weren’t a match,” said Sandra. “When we found out that I matched a Veteran in Texas, we were thrilled. I am so grateful to be able to donate my kidney to Mike, and so thankful to Angela for doing the same for my husband and our family.”

At the Houston VA, a dedicated team of specialists including two abdominal transplant surgeons, two urologic surgeons, four anesthesiologists, and four separate operating room teams conducted the seven-hour series of operations. Each donor procedure was performed using three-dimensional laparoscopic equipment through a single small incision that, once fully healed, is barely visible. For the recipient operations, the kidneys are placed in the pelvis through an incision in the lower abdomen.

Growing need

The need for kidney donors is growing. The paired donation program is a great way to shorten the wait for an organ, says Ronald Cotton, M.D., FACS, surgical director of the Houston VA Solid Organ Transplant Program. “Living donors not only help an intended recipient but can also help someone else on the transplant list who may desperately need a kidney. The gift that any living kidney donor gives, whether they know the person or not, is precious. Agreeing to donate an organ is a truly amazing gesture.”

According to Sandra, the benefits of donating her kidney far outweighed the potential risks. “As a mother of five kids, I did not make the decision to donate my kidney lightly. I really feel I was given a gift in the form of an opportunity to change the lives of both my husband and Mike, who is really a great guy. The surgery went very smoothly, my recovery has been uneventful and, in fact, this surgery has made me a lot more mindful about my own health.”

“The quality of the medical care at the Houston VA has been second to none. I feel like I have a second chance after this surgery,” said Luna, who is looking forward to going home a much-improved quality of life.

According to Nephrology Section and Solid Organ Transplant Program Chief Venkat Ramanathan, M.D., FASN, it takes a great deal of coordination, planning, and teamwork to execute the four simultaneous surgeries necessary for a paired donation transplant. The Houston VA Transplant Team is looking forward to performing more in the future. “I firmly believe living donor transplant is the best option for our Veterans since it offers a better quality of life for the recipient without the wait on the transplant list, which averages eight to ten years. Our entire team is honored to provide this service to our nation’s heroes.”

For more information about the Solid Organ Transplant Program or how to become a living kidney donor, contact the Houston VA Transplant Center at 713-794-8767.

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Carrefour Associates LLC; Crossroads Hospice of Cincinnati LLC; Crossroads Hospice of Cleveland LLC; Crossroads Hospice of Dayton LLC; Crossroads Hospice of Northeast Ohio LLC; and Crossroads Hospice of Tennessee LLC (Crossroads Hospice), operating in Ohio and Tennessee, have agreed to pay $5.5 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to Medicare for non-covered hospice services.

Hospice care is special, end-of-life care intended to comfort terminally ill patients. Patients admitted to hospice care generally stop receiving coverage for traditional medical care designed to cure their terminal condition and instead receive medical care focused on providing them with relief from the symptoms, pain and stress of a terminal illness. Medicare patients are considered to be terminally ill and hospice-eligible when they have a life expectancy of six months or less if their illness runs its normal course.

This settlement resolves allegations that Crossroads Hospice knowingly submitted false claims to Medicare for hospice services for patients who were not terminally ill. According to the settlement agreement, the United States alleged that from Jan. 1, 2012 to Dec. 31, 2014, Crossroads Hospice billed Medicare for hospice care for certain patients with a diagnosis of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease at its Ohio and Tennessee locations who were not terminally ill for at least a portion of the more than three years that the patients received care at these locations.

“Medicare’s hospice benefit provides critical end of life services that focus on palliative rather than curative care,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensure that hospice services are provided to patients who truly need this care and that patients who are not terminally ill receive appropriate curative care.”

“This office is committed to pursuing providers who put profits ahead of patients,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel for the Southern District of Ohio. “We will continue to hold accountable those who abuse federal healthcare programs at the expense of the taxpayers.”

“The Medicare program provides older Americans with access to health,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph C. Murphy Jr. for the Western District of Tennessee. “When frauds like this are committed by serviced providers, it effectively deprives older Americans of health care resources. Our office will continue to take steps to prevent frauds like this from taking place in order to ensure that the Medicare program’s resources are used effectively.”

“The decision to provide hospice services should be prompted by a patient’s terminally ill medical diagnosis and desire for palliative care, not a hospice provider’s desire to boost its profits,” said Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our agency is dedicated to safeguarding both the Medicare program and Medicare patients. This settlement reaffirms HHS-OIG’s commitment to holding accountable providers who knowingly submit false claims to Medicare.”

The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Leanne Malone, Jackie Burns and Angela Heck, former employees of Crossroads Hospice, as well as Dr. David Weber, a home health physician in Tennessee. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam cases are: United States ex rel. Leanne Malone et al. v. Carrefour Associates LLC et al., No. 1:15-cv-460 (S.D. Ohio) and United States ex rel. David Weber v. Crossroads Hospice of Tennessee, LLC, No. 2:16-cv-02684 (W.D. Tenn.). Under this settlement, the whistleblowers in the Malone action will receive approximately $1,045,000.

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. HHS-OIG assisted in the investigation.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The matter was investigated by Fraud Section Trial Attorney Jonathan Hoerner, Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Malek of the Southern District of Ohio and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eileen Kuo of the Western District of Tennessee.

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The murder of seven Veterans at a West Virginia Department of Veterans Affairs hospital and thousands of missed diagnoses by a pathologist who was drunk on the job at a Fayetteville, Arkansas, facility are signs that the Veterans Health Administration, or VHA, has significant leadership and cultural problems, according to the VA's top watchdog.

VA Inspector General Michael Missal said Wednesday that such egregious events should not be treated as "one-offs" but should be used as painful lessons to transform the culture at the department's medical centers, with many working well but others staffed by employees who are "complacent and disengaged."

"Incidents in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Clarksburg, West Virginia, serve as devastating examples of the most catastrophic consequences of disengaged leadership and the dangerous culture that is fostered when leaders are not attentive to and invested in their staff and the Veterans they serve," Missal told members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee during a hearing on patient safety Wednesday.

Reta Mays pleaded guilty in 2020 to murdering seven Veteran patients at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia, injecting them with deadly doses of insulin between 2017 and 2018.

A subsequent investigation found that staff did not Vet Mays before hiring her, which would have revealed previous marks on her employment history, and they failed to follow procedures for securing pharmaceuticals or notice that doses of insulin were missing. They also failed to conduct investigations following the series of unexpected deaths in patients who all had unusually high blood sugar levels.

In Fayetteville, two patients died and more than 3,000 discrepancies resulted from pathology interpretations by Dr. Robert Morris Levy, who worked at the VA from 2005 to 2018, a period during which he was suspected of being impaired at work.

A VA Office of Inspector General investigation said a conviction of drunk driving before he was hired should have triggered close supervision during his employment probation period, but he received very little oversight. Leadership also failed to manage Levy, despite concerns from subordinates, and placed him in a position of authority.

"The events leading to these failings are often nuanced and multifactorial. However, common contributing factors the OIG has identified are poor, inconsistent, or ineffective leadership that cultivate a complacent and disengaged medical facility culture in which the VHA goal of 'zero patient harm' is improbable, if not impossible," Missal said.

During the hearing, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin called out VA leaders for a lack of accountability and noted that he didn't learn much about the investigation until Missal briefed him.

"Individuals in places of leadership were able simply to resign with benefits, like retirement benefits.... How do the people stay in the system? How are they able to stay until retirement?" the Democrat said.

Missal called for a top-down overhaul of hospital culture from "the highest levels” of leadership at the Veterans Health Administration.

"VHA staff have repeatedly overcome extraordinary obstacles to meet the complex needs of Veterans," Missal said. "The OIG continues to emphasize the need for a cultural transformation within VHA, guided by accountable and attentive leaders that prioritize the safety of each Veteran they encounter."

The Veterans Health Administration has not had a permanent undersecretary in five years, since Dr. David Shulkin was promoted to VA secretary in 2017.

During his confirmation hearing on April 27, the nominee for the position, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, pledged to invest in the VHA leadership and staff, as he has in his current job heading University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey.

"In addition to leading the hospital through the pandemic before I arrived, the hospital was under the oversight of a state monitor for failures in care quality, patient safety, financial performance, and poor community trust. Together with my workforce, I turned that hospital around by investing in a culture of respect and accountability," Elnahal said.

During the Wednesday hearing on patient safety, Dr. Gregg Meyer, a professor of medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, warned Congress not to extrapolate the issues seen at the Fayetteville and Clarksburg VA hospitals across the system, adding that numerous studies show that, by many measures, patient outcomes at the VA are better than in civilian health care.

"The American public should be both reassured yet unsatisfied with the quality of care provided to its Veterans," Meyer said. "Reassured that the care provided by the VA's direct care system is comparable to and oftentimes better than that available in civilian facilities... yet unsatisfied that we can do better by Veterans by continuing to improve care, learning from failures and ensuring that they have high-quality care regardless of where they access the system."

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HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rodney L. Yentzer, age 52, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania was charged in a criminal information with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, and one count of theft of public money for defrauding Medicare and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services between 2016 and 2020.

According to United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, the information alleges that Yentzer agreed with others to defraud Medicare by submitting bill for medically unnecessary urine drug tests for chronic opioid patients at medical clinics he controlled, including a group of clinics known as Pain Medicine of York or “PMY” (also known as All Better Wellness).

It is alleged that PMY billed Medicare for more than $10 million in urine drug tests from mid-2017 through the end of 2019. As a result, Medicare paid out over $4 million for these urine drug tests. Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program was also billed for urine drug tests during this same time period. The urine drug tests ordered by PMY were sent to an in-house laboratory at PMY whenever possible. As a result, when medically unnecessary tests were billed to Medicare, the proceeds from them went to PMY itself.

The information also alleges that Yentzer received over $191,000 in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services stimulus money that was intended for health care providers who had health care related expenses and lost revenues attributable to COVID-19. Yentzer obtained these funds in April 2020, even though he had resigned from PMY the prior month and PMY had been closed since late 2019.   Yentzer allegedly used these funds on various things unrelated to COVID-19 relief, including personal expenses.

Search warrants were executed at PMY’s various locations in November 2019, and PMY ceased operations soon thereafter.

The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ravi Romel Sharma and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Smultkis are prosecuting the case.

The maximum penalty under federal law for conspiracy to commit health care fraud is 10 years’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty law for conspiracy to commit money laundering is 20 years’ imprisonment. The maximum penalty law for theft of public money is 10 years’ imprisonment. These charges may also carry a fine and a term of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.

Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.

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Cybint is trying to address Veteran unemployment through its 3-6 month program that trains novices in all things security.

Cybersecurity education company Cybint is doing its part to address Veteran unemployment -- which stands at 11% right now -- and the cybersecurity talent shortage through a new 3 to 6 month program that trains novices in all things security.

Texas has more than 42,000 open cybersecurity positions, one of the highest rates in the country. Cybint is partnering with universities and colleges like Houston Baptist University to offer the Cybint cybersecurity bootcamp to military and Veteran students.

Roy Zur, Cybint's CEO, told ZDNet he was inspired to start the program by his time in the Israeli military, where he was part of a cybersecurity unit that re-skilled 18-year-old cadets who recently joined the army. Within six months, they were able to train people with no cybersecurity knowledge in a variety of security topics, and Zur eventually brought the method to the US after 10 years in the army.

"I wanted to bring this concept of re-skilling people, those that are very early in their career or are career shifters. Veterans are a big part of this population in the US, and after they finish their career in the military, we want to allow them to switch to other careers," Zur said.

"Some people think that cybersecurity is this mysterious thing that you need years of practice to get into. But eventually, if you simplify it, it's about protecting data from different perspectives and protecting networks."

Zur explained that Cybint's educational programs range from full-time three month courses to six month part-time courses, all of which draw heavily from the National Institute of Standards and Technology's frameworks.

The bootcamp is divided into several pillars covering a variety of topics including protecting and defending, analyzing, investigating, and more.

"By the end of the program, the graduates finish with skills in different aspects of network security, SOC analysis, SOC management, some basic aspects of malware analysis, and different aspects of forensics. They have a broad view of cybersecurity and, specifically, the hands-on skills of an entry-level security defender," Zur said.

"It's not necessarily just for Veterans, but Veterans acquired great skills and experience in their military career. They have experience working under pressure and working in different environments. Most of them also have security clearances, which are important in cybersecurity.

"We've also seen there is a significant rate of unemployment among Veterans. The US government, different authorities and the military all want to help solve this problem. So it's kind of like a win-win-win situation for everyone."

Zur's goal is to partner with even more institutions, community colleges, and public universities to offer Cybint's courses and bootcamps to students interested in cybersecurity.

Ariel Julius Lee, a Cybint student and Marine Corps Veteran, said he started the program with little knowledge of the field of cybersecurity but noted that the bootcamp presented each topic for beginners.

He told ZDNet the labs were especially helpful because they gave him an opportunity to apply the concepts covered by the instructors in practice.

"While they have been challenging, they have helped me in reframing my approach to problem-solving. This has been the best aspect of the program thus far because implementing something you learned in practice, first-hand, is the best way to study," Lee said.

"This bootcamp inspired me to pursue a career in the field of cybersecurity and boosted my confidence that I will be able to succeed in it."

Ethan Schellingerhout, another Veteran who took part in the program, said it gave him a hands-on overview of cybersecurity through its labs and bettered his presentation skills through its research projects. It also helped prepare him for CompTIA Security+ exams.

William Welch is a professor of computer information technology systems at Central Texas College, which previously hosted some of Cybint's bootcamps. Many Veterans, he said, separate from the service each week and are more than deserving of a chance to start a fresh career.

"They exhibit grit, strong technical capability, and seek challenging, vital employment opportunities. The Cybint cybersecurity bootcamps are key as they train these capable Veterans to handle and thrive in cybersecurity and technology organizations," Welch said.

Cybint has programs at schools in Illinois, Iowa, Louisiana, and New Hampshire in addition to its Texas locations.

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Military Asbestos Exposure: What Veterans Should Know

Individuals who served the United States armed forces may have experienced asbestos exposure in the military. Asbestos is a dangerous substance that can lead to a number of diseases. Fortunately, individuals who have one or more asbestos-related diseases may be eligible for disability benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This guide will outline who may have been exposed to asbestos during military service and what these individuals should do next.

Who May Have Had Asbestos Exposure in the Military?

Veterans in all the military branches that served from the 1930s through the 1970s are at a high risk of developing Asbestos-related illnesses. Even Veterans that may have served following this period are at an elevated risk of asbestos exposure as well. The U.S. Army and Air Force used asbestos in electric wiring, insulation, and in the brake pads and the clutches of vehicles. The U.S Navy and Marines used it in ships and shipyards, airplanes, and other armored vehicles.

Even Veterans who did not work with the material directly may have been exposed to asbestos hidden in their sleeping quarters or within other vehicles, weapons, or buildings like engine rooms. Vehicle mechanics were exposed to asbestos while performing routine maintenance work on wheeled vehicles. The toxic fibers were once buried in brake pads, clutches, bearings, and gaskets. Aircrafts also had asbestos in the rotors, fuel systems, hydraulic systems and other parts that required heat resistance, putting air force Veterans at risk. Veterans who worked in close proximity to boiler systems, piping, or cooling systems are also at high risk. Navy ships had poor ventilation. An abundance of asbestos fibers often circulated throughout ship compartments, exposing sailors and marines. The toxic mineral was frequently released from insulation around pipes, engines, and boilers.

According to the VA, any Veteran who worked in shipyards, construction, carpentry, demolition, mining, and milling should be tested for military asbestos exposure. The same goes for Veterans who worked with insulation, pipes, roofing, flooring (such as floor tiles), cement sheets, and friction products.

Think about your MOS and what your individual duties were.

Could you have been exposed?

Diseases Linked to Asbestos Exposure

Exposure to asbestos materials may put service members at higher risk for these asbestos-related illnesses:

• Mesothelioma: Cancer that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of internal organs.
• Asbestosis: Scarring of lung tissue that causes breathing problems.
• Lung Cancer: Cancer that forms in tissues of the lung, usually in the cells lining air passages.
• Pleural Plaques: Scarring in the inner surface of the ribcage and area surrounding the lungs that can cause breathing problems.

As you can see, asbestos products most often affect the lungs. However, these conditions may appear years after exposure. One of the main dangers of asbestos is that it can remain in the body for decades before having any effect. So, you may still experience an asbestos-related illness, no matter when you served in the military.

If your health care provider has diagnosed you with one of the above diseases, and you may have been exposed to asbestos during your time in the U.S. military, you may be eligible for disability compensation.

Applying for Benefits: How to Support Your VA Claim

If you had military exposure to asbestos, you may qualify for benefits. Veterans may file a claim for disability compensation for lung problems that they believe are related to exposure to asbestos during military service. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, these benefits are available in the forms of VA health care and compensation.

It is important to provide any medical record evidence concerning your diagnosis and how you’re treating your condition. The VA states that the following are key parts of evidence and supporting documents:

• Medical records that state your illness or disability, and
• Service records that list your job or specialty, and
• A doctor’s statement that there’s a connection between your contact with asbestos during military service and the illness or disability

You’ll also be required to prove your exposure to asbestos in order to qualify for VA benefits. In order to do so, you will need to look at your military duties and examine how and when you were exposed. Providing a statement detailing the duties involved with your MOS, how you were exposed, and how often you were exposed will be beneficial in proving your claim. Remember, when proving service-connection, there must be a disease or disability diagnosed in medical records, proof of exposure in service, and a link between the two. Unlike Agent Orange, there is no presumption for Asbestos Exposure so you will need to provide evidence to the VA in order to receive a favorable decision.

If you have a concern about asbestos exposure and whether you may be entitled to benefits for your VA disability, call Hill & Ponton for more information. Our law firm specializes in Veteran’s disability and social security disability cases. Contact us today for a free case evaluation.

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DAYTON, Ohio – Access Hospital Dayton, LLC and its owner, Dr. John Johnson, have agreed to pay the United States $374,780 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for diagnostic testing. Access Dayton and Johnson have also agreed to pay the State of Ohio approximately $50,219 to resolve State of Ohio Medicaid claims.

The government alleged that, between January 2014 and December 2019, Access Dayton and Johnson knowingly caused the submission of false claims to Medicare and Ohio Medicaid for diagnostic laboratory testing (prolactin and ammonia) that was (1) performed during patients’ inpatient stays at Access Dayton, (2) not used in the management of the patients’ condition, and (3) not medically necessary.

Prolactin testing measures the level of prolactin in a person’s blood, which providers use to diagnose pituitary tumors or to determine causes for conditions unrelated to psychosis or substance abuse. Providers use ammonia testing to diagnose liver dysfunctions or hyperammonemia.

Medicare pays for diagnostic testing ordered by the physician who uses the results in the management of the beneficiary’s specific medical problem. Medicare and Ohio Medicaid generally prohibit separate payment for diagnostic testing performed during an inpatient admission.

“It is crucial that every public dollar available go to treat the drug-addicted and mentally ill,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “I am proud of the work by my Health Care Fraud Section and our federal partners to claw back the money to help us continue this fight.”

False Claims Act tips and complaints about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

The resolutions obtained in this matter were the result of a coordinated effort between the Department of Justice Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. Trial Attorney Christopher Wilson of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division and Andrew Malek, Deputy Civil Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, are representing the United States in this matter.

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A top de Blasio administration official recently upbraided the city’s former Veterans Services chief for daring to diss ThriveNYC, sources told The Post.

Ret. Brigadier Gen. Loree Sutton, who resigned as commissioner of the department in October to launch her 2021 mayoral campaign, had sent out a policy e-mail to potential supporters about a week ago titled “A Mental Health Crisis.”

Sutton — the Army’s former top psychiatrist — wrote, “Too many of our residents with mental health challenges are not getting the services they need despite the City’s efforts to reach them.”

The statement was an implicit rebuke of the mayor and wife Chirlane McCray’s flailing $1 billion mental-health initiative, sources said.

The e-mail prompted de Blasio’s chief of staff, Emma Wolfe, to call Sutton almost immediately after it was sent Dec. 11, according to two sources with direct knowledge of the contentious phone call.

“She said, ‘You’re lucky I called you and not the mayor,’ ” the sources said of Wolfe’s snippy chiding of Sutton.

“The mayor and Chirlane are furious’’ and “felt betrayed” by Sutton’s criticism, Wolfe allegedly added to the ex-commish.

De Blasio had appointed Sutton the first commissioner of the Department of Veterans’ Services in 2016.

The confrontation came after de Blasio ignored Sutton’s requests for a sit-down to inform him about her plans to run for mayor, sources said. The mayor allegedly claimed that he was too busy to meet with her because of his presidential campaign, which ended disastrously.

A spokeswoman for the mayor defended ThriveNYC to The Post — while confirming Wolfe’s phone call to Sutton.

“With over 30 initiatives, the Office of Thrive NYC does critical work filling gaps in mental-health services and ensuring every New Yorker has access to the care they need,” said de Blasio’s press secretary, Freddi Goldstein.

“Despite having previously been a spirited defender of Thrive’s work, a recent campaign e-mail blast made clear that Gen. Sutton had forgotten some basic facts about the programs, so we called to remind her,” Goldstein said.

Goldstein noted that half of ThriveNYC’s annual budget supports people with serious mental illness and added that city officials have closely reviewed the plan and adjusted its approaches over the past year.

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Lawmakers have reached a bipartisan agreement on a historic expansion of health care and disability benefits for millions of veterans exposed to toxic chemicals during their military service.

Senate Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., and committee ranking member Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., announced in a Wednesday morning statement that they have reached an agreement on what they called "the most comprehensive toxic exposure package the Senate has ever delivered to veterans in this country's history."

"For far too long, our nation's veterans have been living with chronic illnesses as a result of exposures during their time in uniform," they added. "Today, we're taking necessary steps to right this wrong with our proposal that'll provide veterans and their families with the health care and benefits they have earned and deserve."

The bill could help an estimated 3.5 million veterans who were exposed to burn pits and other airborne hazards while serving to get medical coverage and other benefits they have often been denied under Department of Veterans Affairs arguments that there was not enough evidence linking their diseases to their military service.

The full text of the agreement was not immediately released, but a summary included in Tester and Moran's news release indicates it retains some of the key provisions of a wide-ranging House-passed toxic exposure bill, such as designating 23 diseases, including hypertension, as presumed to be linked to burn pits and other airborne hazards.

The bill, now named the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act in honor of a veteran who died of lung cancer after being exposed to burn pits in Iraq, would also create a framework for establishing future presumptions of service connection related to toxic exposure, according to the summary.

The House passed its sweeping toxic exposure bill in a 256-174 vote in March. But most Republicans bristled at its $208 billion price tag and opposed the House legislation.

A cost estimate for the new agreement was not immediately released.

In response to critics of the price, senators had previously planned to address toxic exposure in three prongs, the first of which was easily approved by the upper chamber in February.

But veterans advocates decried the piecemeal approach, and President Joe Biden made passing comprehensive legislation one of his top priorities.

Biden, who believes his son Beau's fatal brain cancer may have been caused by burn pits in Iraq and Kosovo, said in a statement last month that if Congress passes a comprehensive bill, he "will sign it immediately."

Right now, the VA makes case-by-case decisions on most claims by post-9/11 veterans that their illnesses were caused by toxic exposure, requiring vets to produce proof their disease is connected with their service. Some illnesses are already presumed to be linked to service, including asthma, rhinitis, sinusitis and several respiratory-related cancers.

In addition to expanding benefits for post-9/11 veterans, the agreement announced Wednesday broadens coverage for Vietnam-era veterans exposed to Agent Orange. Specifically, it would add Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Guam, American Samoa and Johnston Atoll to the list of places where veterans were exposed to Agent Orange and so can get coverage.

The agreement also includes provisions to strengthen federal research on toxic exposure, increase toxic exposure-related training for VA personnel, establish 31 new VA health care facilities in 19 states, and invest more money in VA claims processing and the VA workforce, according to the summary.

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., announced from the Senate floor that he "strongly" supports the agreement and plans to have his chamber vote on it the week of June 6, the first week back from the Senate's Memorial Day recess.

House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., also said in a statement he was "elated" at the agreement -- indicating it will pass both chambers of Congress and become law.

"I'm proud that both the House and Senate have now taken monumental steps forward to advance this historic legislation, and I look forward to continuing to work with Sen. Tester and Sen. Moran on the final details to ensure this vital legislation heads to President Biden's desk without delay," Takano said. "We cannot let cost or implementation hurdles get in the way of making good on our promise -- toxic-exposed veterans do not have time to wait."

Advocates who have been pushing the Senate to take up the House bill and knocking Republican opposition hailed the agreement Wednesday.

Rosie Torres, who cofounded Burn Pits 360 in 2009 with her husband, Le Roy Torres, an Army veteran who developed a rare lung disease, constrictive bronchiolitis, as a result of his deployment to Iraq, called the agreement a "victory" for all veterans who have died as a result of illnesses caused by environmental pollutants

"After 13 years of Burn Pits 360 veterans and families knocking on doors and being 'boots on the ground' in Washington, we are encouraged by the progress," Torres told Military.com. "We are seeing Congress stand on the side of justice in support of our nation's warfighters."

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Veterans Affairs officials would set up 31 major medical clinics across America and hire thousands more claims processors and health care staff under compromise toxic exposure legislation unveiled in the Senate Tuesday.

The provisions would be attached to the already massive Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act (or PACT Act) which passed out of the House in March. That measure carried a price tag of more than $200 billion over the next decade and would potentially affect as many as one in five Veterans living in America today.

Concerns about the scope of the bill and the potential of the new Veterans benefits to overwhelm existing VA systems led to resistance from Republican lawmakers.

But last week, the Democratic and Republican leaders of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee announced a breakthrough to advance the legislation, somewhat surprisingly by broadening the bill’s scope even further.

In a statement released Tuesday afternoon, committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Jerry Moran, R-Kansas, said they believe the new plan can pass through Congress and provide Veterans suffering from toxic exposure injuries with the services they deserve.

“This legislation expands VA health care eligibility for post-9/11 combat Veterans, improves VA’s claims processing, and delivers VA the necessary resources to take care of our Veterans from every generation,” they said.

“While our work is far from over, together we’re committed to keeping up our end of the bargain to those who sacrificed on behalf of our freedoms by getting this bill across the finish line as soon as possible.”

In a separate statement, House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Mark Takano, D-Calif., offered support for the compromise bill, which will have to be again approved by his chamber before becoming law.

“I have long said that we cannot let cost or implementation hurdles get in the way of making good on our promise,” he said. “Toxic-exposed Veterans do not have time to wait.”

Senate officials did not release any estimates for what the revised PACT Act may cost.

Benefits for burn pit victims and more

As in the House plan, the Senate compromise would establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to the smoke from burn pits, used extensively in those war zones to dispose of various types of waste, many of them toxic.

The bill also provides for new benefits for Veterans who faced radiation exposure during deployments throughout the Cold War, adds hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy to the list of illnesses linked to Agent Orange exposure in the Vietnam War, expands the timeline for Gulf War medical claims and requires new medical exams for all Veterans with toxic exposure claims.

Veterans who served in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Guam during the Vietnam War era would be covered for the first time under the same Agent Orange presumptive policies as those who served in Vietnam itself.

The bill would also require a significant reconsideration of how VA handles toxic exposure claims, with a formal working group on toxic exposure injuries and research advising top officials on future improvements.

VA officials would be granted “the authority to determine that a Veteran participated in a toxic exposure risk activity when an exposure tracking record system does not contain the appropriate data,” a sharp contrast from the science-only system in use at VA today.

Advocates have lamented that in many cases, Veterans with serious illnesses obviously connected to their service have been turned away by the department because ironclad data showing chemical exposure during their service does not exist.

Phasing each of those provisions into law won’t happen immediately, however.

For example, hypertension will be added to the list of presumptive conditions caused by Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War right away for individuals “who are terminally ill, homeless, under extreme financial hardship, or are over 85 years old.”

For other Vietnam War Veterans, that won’t go into effect until October 2026.

Chronic bronchitis would be added to the list of presumptive illnesses caused by burn pits in October 2023. Kidney cancer would not be included in the same category until two years later.

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December has been the deadliest month of the coronavirus pandemic for the Department of Veterans Affairs. And there is still more than a week left to go.

On Tuesday, VA officials reported at least 6,192 total deaths among patients connected with the department, up 1,170 since the start of December.

Previously, the department’s deadliest month of the pandemic was November, when 1,022 deaths were reported.

At least 2,347 of the VA deaths included inpatients who died at VA medical centers. More than a third of all VA deaths related to coronavirus complications have come in the last 50 days of the nine-month pandemic.

VA officials have dismissed month-to-month comparisons of the numbers, noting there could be lag times in reporting of some deaths.

In addition to the patient totals, at least 90 VA employees have died from coronavirus complications. VA officials have declined to say how many of those VA workers who died had direct contact with medical center patients or other Veterans. Nationally, more than 317,000 Americans have died from health conditions linked to the virus.

On Monday, the administrator of the state-run Veterans living facility in New Mexico was placed on administrative leave while officials there investigate whether proper coronavirus precautions were taken ahead of 21 resident deaths in recent weeks. An administrator of a state-run home in Illinois was fired earlier this month amid similar concerns after 32 Veterans deaths there.

VA officials have offered assistance to several of those types of state-run facilities, but haven’t made clear if those type of deaths are included in their totals, since the individuals involved are not necessarily linked to federal VA medical services.

Cases of coronavirus have spiked throughout the United States this fall, totaling more than 17.7 million infections since the start of the pandemic.

Within VA, active cases rose nearly 500 percent from the start of October to the end of November. They peaked at 17,757 on Dec. 11, when the department’s reports on coronavirus cases were removed from public view because of what officials called technical problems with the information.

Officials declined to release any new numbers until Tuesday, when active cases were reported down 15 percent from the last report.

VA leaders have downplayed spikes in coronavirus deaths and cases in recent months, saying that percentages of Veterans who need hospitalization because of coronavirus complications has remained consistent or decreased as total cases have risen.

The number of VA inpatients at medical facilities across the country rose to 1,318 last week, more than double the total in early November.

On Monday, VA announced that 155 department medical sites will be distributing the coronavirus vaccine by the end of this week.

But officials have also warned that it may take months to meet the demand, expected to surpass more than 7 million Veterans under VA care and department staff.

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Miami, Florida – A 29-year-old Georgia man who redirected the benefits of veterans and social security beneficiaries to accounts that his co-conspirators set up and controlled has been sentenced to 78 months in prison by a South Florida federal district judge. In addition, the man must pay more than $900,000 in restitution to his victims.

Defendant Ronaldo Green was a member of a conspiracy that obtained the personal information (including names, dates of birth and social security numbers) of disabled veterans and social security beneficiaries. The co-conspirators used this information to fraudulently open bank accounts and prepaid debit cards in the victims’ names. They also forged documents in the victims’ names that directed the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the Social Security Administration to deposit benefit payments into those fraudulent accounts, instead of the victims’ legitimate bank accounts. Green and his co-conspirators withdrew the diverted money from ATMs and banks in South Florida and Georgia. They used it on personal expenses. Much of the money was ultimately funneled to architects of the scheme, located in Jamaica.

From 2012 to 2017, members of the conspiracy attempted to redirect over $1.8 million in benefits from more than 100 disabled veterans and social security beneficiaries. Although several of the attempts failed, the defendants’ actually stole more than $1 million. The victims have been reimbursed for their losses.

Green’s co-defendants, Omar Bailey and Jamare Mason, were sentenced during prior hearings. Bailey received 24 months’ imprisonment. Mason received 78 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to pay over $1 million in restitution. U.S. District Judge James Cohn, who sits in Ft. Lauderdale, imposed the sentences.

Juan Antonio Gonzalez, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; David Spilker, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General’s (VA-OIG) Southeast Field Office; and Rodregas Owens, Special Agent in Charge, Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General (SSA-OIG), made the announcement.

U.S. Attorney Juan Antonio Gonzalez commended the investigative efforts of the Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, including partners from VA-OIG, SSA-OIG, United States Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.

The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lois Foster-Steers and Sajjad Matin.

Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeted at seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. The mission of the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative is to support and coordinate the Department’s enforcement and programmatic efforts to combat elder abuse, neglect and financial fraud and scams that target our nation’s seniors. To learn more visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. The public is encouraged to report suspected elder victimization and fraud by visiting https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice/roadmap or calling the victim connect hotline at 1-855-484-2846.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 19-cr-60313.

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Nine U.S. Army soldiers may receive the Medal of Honor or have previous awards upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross after President Joe Biden signed the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act on Monday.

The defense spending bill, which authorizes $740 billion in funds for the Department of Defense, also contained a clause that authorized Biden to present the Medal of Honor - the United States’ highest military award - to five soldiers. Another four additional soldiers are also eligible to have their Silver Star awards upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, the Army’s second highest award behind the Medal of Honor.

The provision bypasses constraints imposed by U.S. law that stipulate the awards must be made no more than five years after the deeds that earned them for the recipients.

Three of the five eligible to receive the Medal of Honor served in the Korean War; the remaining two served in the Vietnam War. All five were previously decorated:

Charles R. Johnson, Silver Star, Korea

Wataru Nakamura, Distinguished Service Cross, Korea

Bruno R. Orig, Distinguished Service Cross, Korea

Dennis M. Fujii, Distinguished Service Cross, Vietnam

Edward N. Kaneshiro, Distinguished Service Cross, Vietnam

Johnson, Nakamura and Orig earned their awards posthumously; Kaneshiro was killed in a subsequent action, according to the Military Times.

The four soldiers eligible to have their Silver Star awards upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross all served during the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993, also known as the Black Hawk Down incident. They are:

Earl R. Fillmore Jr.

Robert. L. Mabry

John G. Macejunas

William F. Thetford

The upgrades are not the first of their kind this year for Mogadishu Veterans. In July, the Army upgraded 60 medals for Army special operators who took part in the battle, most of whom were not named publicly. Those included 58 Silver Stars and two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

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Defrauding Veterans of their benefits would be its own federal crime under a bipartisan bill recently reintroduced in the Senate.

Under the bill from Sens. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., fraud schemes that target Veterans benefits would be punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine or both.

"Anytime the federal government provides essential benefits to our constituents, there's going to be predators out there to take it away," Cortez Masto said in a phone interview with Military.com on Tuesday. "So we have to make sure that we are imposing the appropriate enforcement to protect those individuals so that their benefits are not taken."

The bill, which Cortez Masto and Rubio formally reintroduced Friday, has been introduced in previous Congresses and has even passed the House several times. Most recently, in 2021, the House overwhelmingly approved the bill in a 416-5 vote. But it has never been taken up by the Senate, meaning the legislative process has to start from scratch again this year.

According to data released by the FTC in February 2022, reports of fraud against Veterans, service members and spouses jumped 69% in 2021 compared to the previous year. Within that group, Veterans and military retirees reported being targeted the most, with 87,343 fraud reports. The total 110,827 fraud cases reported by military consumers resulted in an estimated $266 million lost.

Concerns have also been raised that scammers could target Veterans more in the wake of the passage of the PACT Act, the sweeping legislation that expanded benefits for millions of Veterans exposed to toxins.

While fraud is already a crime regardless of whether the target is a Veteran, Cortez Masto, who previously served as Nevada's attorney general, said creating a new offense specifically addressing Veterans benefits fraud will give prosecutors more tools to go after criminals. For example, she said, "pension poachers" may escape mail or wire fraud charges if they present themselves as an investment specialist trying to help a Veteran.

"If a defendant cloaks themselves as some sort of professional that was just trying to help for a fee, even though their intention all along was to defraud these individuals out of their money and not necessarily help them and still get to a fee, sometimes it's difficult for prosecutors to use the existing offense," she said.

While the bill, called the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act, has stalled in the Senate in previous years, Cortez Masto vowed to continue pushing until it gets across the finish line.

"This is something we can all get behind, so I think we're both going to do everything we can to get it going and get it passed on the Senate side," she said, referring to her and Rubio. "It is important for our Veterans, not only to protect them and their benefits, but [to] hold people accountable that want to defraud them and scam them."

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AUGUSTA, GA (WRDW/WAGT) -- We've documented how the U.S. government ignored warnings that Agent Orange was dangerous and told our soldiers it was harmless.

We've also shown you evidence it was tested at Fort Gordon and the up-hill battle Vets exposed here face. But those exposed in Vietnam are fighting a battle for Agent Orange benefits, too.

It took Congress decades to pass a law to put Vietnam Vets on the fast-track for help, but some say it's still too little, too late.

The U.S. military drafted more than 2 million American men to fight in Vietnam. Sgt. Maj. Merle Davis, Jr. wasn't one of them. He asked to go. When he got home, he signed up for a second tour.

“He loved the military,” his wife, Reba Davis, said.

He also loved his family.

Maybe – his wife jokes – in that order.

“He called me a civilian,” Reba laughed. It’s a good memory and a good laugh.

Lately, it's mostly been tears.

“I have my moments,” Reba said. “You’re gonna make me cry. It’s hard.”

Sgt. Maj. Davis died from lung cancer at his home on March 23 with his wife by his side. In all, he had three conditions on the VA’s list of illnesses linked to Agent Orange exposure.

"And he would talk about how they sprayed it and how it was everywhere, in the air, in the water, in everything,” Reba said.

That's not why Reba reached out to the I-Team, though. Sgt. Maj. Davis was willing to die for his country, and ultimately, he did. It was nothing he regretted, Reba said.

"Even with the cancer, diabetes, the heart, everything. No,” Reba said. “If he was alive right now, he would tell you he has no regrets."

His wife hopes the VA does have regrets when it comes to how it processed her husband's claim. She says she needed help caring for her dying husband at home before he went home. She applied for benefits and waited. And waited some more.

When she finally got the call, she couldn't believe the timing.

"I said, ‘Well you know what, I said s'cuse my French, but it's a little too damn late,’” Reba said. “And she said, ‘s'cuse me, what do you mean?’ And I said, ‘I'm on my way to the funeral home to make arrangements for my husband,’ and I hung up the phone. I was that upset. I was floored."

Reba applied again, hoping to recoup some of their out-of-pocket costs. She also applied for spousal benefits, now as a widow. She has to wait once again.

Reba doesn’t understand it, and feels like her husband’s sacrifice is being forgotten.

“And I’m not the only one,” Davis said. “You know, that’s what’s sad, but I’m not the only one.”

Some call it “deny 'til you die.”

“Yeah,” Reba said. “Exactly. Exactly.”

If that's what's happening, the VA stands to save quite a bit of money. Claims are first denied, but then later win on appeal. Then, there are the backlogs and delays.

We asked Rep. Joe Wilson if he's been contacted by anyone locally having trouble. His office tells us they are currently working with about a dozen Veterans with claims related to Agent Orange.

"We follow through any time there's a concern,” Wilson said. “And overall the level of complaints has actually dropped significantly due to the reforms of the VA. There's better service now than ever."

We've also given his office Reba’s contact info.

Our I-Team has also contacted our local VA and VA services at both the state and federal level. Since we started asking questions, Davis says the VA told her she should hear something this month.

We'll keep asking for her and for the other Veterans also exposed to Agent Orange also waiting on help from the government they served.

Reba Davis says they went through a lot of their savings when her husband got sick and now she's worried she could lose her house.

Again, after we started asking questions, she was told she should know something this month -- more than 9 months after her husband's death.

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The Department of Defense issues identification cards to service members, their family members and others to prove their identity and their connection to the Defense Department. These military ID cards also give you access to military services and programs.

Keep reading to learn about the different types of military ID cards, how to get or replace them and how to use them to access military programs and services.

• The Common Access Card is the standard ID for active-duty service members, as well as Selected Reserve members, Department of Defense civilian employees and some contractors. The CAC facilitates physical entry to installations and buildings, and logical access to secured computer networks and systems. It also documents your affiliation with the Department for use of military services, programs and benefits for which you may be eligible.

• The Uniformed Services ID Card is for military family members – including military spouses and dependent children over 10 – retirees and former service members, members of the Individual Ready Reserves and inactive National Guard. Other military community members also are eligible for military benefits because of their affiliation with the Defense Department including former spouses who have not remarried, 100% disabled Veterans, eligible foreign military, Transitional Health Care recipients, and other eligible populations as described in DoD policy. This ID lets you use certain military services and programs.

• The Department of Defense Civilian Retiree Card is for civilians who have retired from any Department of Defense agency.

Visit the Department of Defense’s official military ID card website for more information about card types, eligibility, renewal and other services.

How to use programs and services with your military ID card

Your military ID card unlocks more than just buildings and computer systems. It lets you and your family use the military benefits for which you may be eligible. Use your military ID to:

• Enter the installation at the security gate
• Use Morale, Welfare and Recreation facilities like libraries, swimming pools, golf courses and more, if authorized
• Get TRICARE military health benefits, if authorized
• Shop at any commissary or exchange, if authorized

How to get your military ID card

To get any military ID card – including the CAC, the Uniformed Services ID Card and the Civilian Retiree Card – you must be registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.

Service members, retirees, DoD civilians and former members have their information fed to DEERS through automated data feeds.

To enroll a dependent or other eligible individual in DEERS, you will need a DD Form 1172-2. You can submit the form through the ID Card Office Online or in person at a RAPIDS site. Use this RAPIDS Site Locator to find a location near you to make an appointment.

You will need to go to a RAPIDS site with your completed DD Form 1172-2 and two forms of identification, including a state or federal government photo ID. Newly married military spouses should bring their marriage certificate. Children under 18 will need proof of relationship to their military sponsor, like a birth certificate, to get their Uniformed Services ID Card. You may require additional documentation depending on your eligibility or circumstances.

After your appointment at the RAPIDS site, you’ll get your first CAC, Uniformed Services ID Card or Civilian Retiree Card.

For more details on how to apply for your first military ID, read this pre-arrival checklist.

How to renew, change or replace your military ID card

If your status changes in some way – you leave active duty, for example, or your card expires in the next 90 days – you’ll need to have your ID reissued. How you renew or change your ID is similar to how you first got it, but with two changes:

• Your current, unexpired CAC, Uniformed Services ID Card or Civilian Retiree Card counts as one of the two forms of identification you need to provide.
• You can apply to the Department of Defense to renew or replace your military ID online using the ID Card Office Online.

If you lose your ID you can apply for a new one at a RAPIDS site or through the ID Card Office Online. Service members should also report missing CACs to their chain of command.

To renew, change or replace your ID card, your profile in DEERS will need to be up to date. You can check or change your DEERS information online at MilConnect. And, check out this pre-arrival checklist to learn more about renewing your military ID.

How to keep your military ID card safe

If you live or work on an installation, you may find yourself pulling out your military ID card several times a day. Make sure you put your card back into a wallet or badge holder – not into a back pocket or thrown on the dashboard of your car.

If you don't live near an installation and only use military facilities a couple of times a year, then you may want to keep your military ID in a safe place at home instead of in your wallet. Store it with other important papers, like passports and Social Security cards.

If a local business offers a military discount with proof of affiliation, you may show your military ID card to the cashier, but for security reasons, never let a cashier photocopy your ID or take it from you.

Your ID is an important part of your military life. Keep it updated, safe and ready to use. And remember: If you ever have a question or need a hand – whether it’s about your military ID card or any other part of military life – Military OneSource is here to back you up.

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The Department of Defense is providing an additional way for military parents to find child care solutions for hourly care. Military OneSource will expand its offerings through a national online service that enables families to find, hire, and pay for care.

The new offering provides access to a monthly subscription service with a secure, searchable network of care providers. The subscription, provided at no cost to eligible military families, offers a user-friendly way to explore providers who can assist with hourly, flexible and on-demand child care services. Families can find out more and access the service through MilitaryOneSource.mil or call Military OneSource at 800-342-9647 to speak with a consultant who can support their search.

“We are committed to taking care of our service members and military families, and understand that families may need assistance with their hourly care needs,” said Kim Joiner, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy. “This new service provides a flexible way that empowers modern military families to find child care services that best meet their hourly care needs.”

“Child care is a workforce issue that directly impacts the readiness and retention of the Total Force,” said Carolyn Stevens, director of the Office of Military Family Readiness Policy. “This new service provides another opportunity for the department to support our military families.”

About Military Community and Family Policy

Military Community and Family Policy is directly responsible for establishing quality-of-life policies and programs that help our guardians of country, their families and survivors be well and mission-ready. Military OneSource is the gateway to programs and services that support the everyday needs of the 5.2 million service members and immediate family members of the military community. These Department of Defense services can be accessed 24/7/365 around the world.

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Second Settlement With VARI Brings Total Settlement Proceeds To $6.6 Million As NIH Imposes Specific Award Conditions On All VARI Grants

GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — The Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced today that Van Andel Research Institute (“VARI” or the “Institute”) has agreed to pay $1.1 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to disclose a foreign component of a National Institutes of Health (“NIH”) award and by failing to disclose foreign research support for two VARI researchers who served as principal investigators on NIH awards. In addition to this settlement—the second settlement with VARI in two years involving allegations of undisclosed foreign influence in federally-sponsored research—NIH imposed Specific Award Conditions on all of VARI’s NIH grants, including by requiring personal, executive-level certifications to the accuracy of NIH submissions, withdrawing certain of VARI’s expanded grant authorities, and removing all of VARI’s NIH grants from the Streamlined Non-Competing Award Process (“SNAP”).

“Full disclosure is essential not only in validating scientific research, but also in the intense competition for scientific funding from the federal government,” U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge said. “NIH’s application process is intended to yield information that is critical to the agency’s responsible stewardship of billions of taxpayer dollars. My office will continue to use every available tool to preserve the integrity of that process. The research community should recognize that these cases are not going away.”

“The government’s allegations in this case should remind research institutions of the potential consequences for failing to adequately investigate ‘red flags’ concerning researchers’ relationships and affiliations,” said Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent in Charge of HHS-OIG’s Chicago Region. “HHS-OIG will continue to hold grantees accountable, and protect the government’s investment of taxpayer resources, regardless of the length or complexity of the investigation.”

NIH requires grant recipients to disclose and obtain prior agency approval if a significant scientific element or segment of an NIH-funded project will be performed outside of the United States (a “Foreign Component”). Foreign Components can include collaborations with foreign researchers who perform experiments in support of an NIH grant, regardless of whether those foreign researchers receive any of the NIH funding. NIH also requires grant recipients to disclose “Other Support,” defined as all resources made available to researchers in support of and/or related to all of their research endeavors, regardless of whether such resources have monetary value. Other Support includes high-value materials that are not freely available (biologics, e.g.) and selection to foreign talent recruitment programs.

In December 2019, VARI paid $5.5 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting grant applications and progress reports to NIH in which VARI failed to disclose Other Support, including Chinese government grants that funded two VARI researchers. Approximately one month later, in January 2020, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) stopped an individual—a former VARI researcher and current professor at the Harbin Institute of Technology (“HIT”) in China (the “HIT Professor”)—at Detroit Metro Airport with undeclared biological research samples in his luggage. The government alleged that the HIT Professor told CBP that the research samples were intended for the laboratory of a professor at VARI (the “VARI Professor”). The CBP stop prompted another investigation of VARI that resulted in the following allegations:

Undisclosed Foreign Component. The government alleged that after submitting a successful grant application to NIH in June 2017, a VARI researcher began negotiating a research collaboration agreement with HIT that overlapped with the NIH grant in research objectives and methods. The government alleged that VARI administrators did not communicate that the recollaboration agreement was never fully executed and, therefore, VARI and HIT faculty collaborated under the terms of the agreement in a manner that resulted in an undisclosed and unapproved “Foreign Composearch nent” of the NIH grant.

Undisclosed Other Support (Biological Research Samples). The government alleged that VARI knew or should have known that the HIT Professor was providing biological research samples, synthesized in China, to VARI faculty. The government alleged that after VARI rejected a shipment of biological research samples from HIT in May 2018—a shipment that was falsely described as “documents”—the HIT Professor began bringing research samples into the United States on his person and covertly sending research samples to his home address in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The government alleged that VARI did not investigate the foreign-sourced samples after rejecting the May 2018 shipment and thus continued to make “Other Support” disclosures to NIH with deliberate ignorance or reckless disregard for their accuracy.

Undisclosed Other Support (Foreign Talent Program). The government alleged that in August 2018, the VARI Professor accepted an invitation from Nanjing Agricultural University (“NAU”) to join an application to China’s “111 Program”; a program funded by the Chinese government to recruit foreign scientists to work at “innovation centers” established through Chinese universities. The government alleged that VARI knew or should have known about the VARI Professor’s affiliation with the 111 Program, including because, after initially failing to disclose the invitation to VARI, the VARI Professor later told the Institute that he had agreed to contribute to—but declined to participate in—a “111 collaborative research project.” The government alleged that the VARI Professor’s application to join the 111 Program, which also involved an agreement to engage in cooperative research with NAU, constituted “Other Support” that should have been disclosed in VARI’s submissions to NIH.

The government also expressed concerns that in November 2018, the VARI Professor separately sent his NIH award letter to an NAU professor in China who requested proof that he was collaborating with a researcher funded by the American government.

Approximately one-third of the settlement funds will be returned to NIH, with the remainder going to the United States Treasury. In addition to the $1.1 million settlement, NIH imposed Specific Award Conditions on all of VARI’s NIH grants. Federal regulations allow NIH to impose Specific Award Conditions on grant recipients, including on recipients that have a history of failures to comply with the terms of a federal award. In this case, NIH is requiring an executive-level manager to personally certify the accuracy of all of VARI’s “Other Support” disclosures. NIH is also withdrawing certain of VARI’s expanded budget authorities and removing VARI from SNAP prior to awards. These conditions will remain in place through September 30, 2022 or until NIH assesses and accepts VARI’s completed Corrective Action Plan and summary report.

This case was a cooperative effort among HHS-OIG, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam B. Townshend represented the United States.

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• The Department of Veterans Affairs plans to pay for gender-affirming surgery as part of Veterans' healthcare, CNN reported.
• VA health insurance currently pays for hormone therapy and mental health services, but not surgery.
• There are about 134,000 transgender Veterans, according to an estimate from the National Center for Transgender Equality.

The Department of Veterans Affairs will modify its healthcare policy to cover gender-affirming surgery for Veterans who are transgender, CNN first reported.

A spokesperson for the Department of Veterans Affairs confirmed the news to CNN. The agency did not immediately return Insider's request for comment Saturday.

Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough is expected to make the announcement at a Pride month event at the Orlando Vet Center in Florida on Saturday, the spokesperson told CNN.

The announcement will mark the first step in what could be a lengthy process that will involve making changes to existing federal policy.

"There are several steps to take, which will take time," McDonough prepared remarks state, according to the outlet. "But we are moving ahead, methodically, because we want this important change in policy to be implemented in a manner that has been thoroughly considered to ensure that the services made available to Veterans meet VA's rigorous standards for quality health care."

There are about 134,000 transgender Veterans in the US, according to an estimate from the National Center for Transgender Equality.

Gender-affirming surgery has "been proven effective at mitigating serious health conditions, including suicidality, substance abuse, and dysphoria," a VA Department spokesperson told CNN.

"We are taking the first necessary steps to expand VA's care to include gender confirmation surgery — thus allowing transgender Vets to go through the full gender confirmation process with VA by their side," McDonough is expected to say later Saturday, according to CNN.

Gender-affirming surgery includes procedures that make a person's "physical body matches their gender identity," according to the Cleveland Clinic. Procedures included facial reconstructive surgery, "top" surgery, and "bottom" surgery.

Just one gender-affirming surgery, like vaginoplasty or "bottom" surgery for a trans woman, can cost over $50,000, as Insider previously reported.

As CNN reported, the current VA health insurance package allows trans people to seek mental health counseling and to receive hormone therapy but it does not pay for gender-affirming surgeries.

McDonough in February ordered a review of the agency's policies relating to trans people to ensure "transgender Veterans and employees do not face discrimination on the basis of their gender identity and expression."

The Trump administration sought to ban transgender people from serving in the US Military, though the Biden administration rescinded that policy in January.

"Transgender Veterans deserve equal access to medically necessary and life-saving healthcare, including gender confirmation surgery," said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement Saturday. "This news is not only an overdue victory for transgender Veterans, but the latest move from Sec. McDonough and the VA in affirming LGBTQ Veterans."

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As lawmakers on Capitol Hill are taking part in the impeachment process, President Trump is quietly seeking to accomplish reforms at the Department of Veterans Affairs. But realizing this reform requires Assistant VA Secretary, Tamara Bonzanto, in leading accountability efforts.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the second largest federal agency, and is responsible for taking care of our Veterans. Just a few years ago, it was the most tarnished agency in the nation.

Following the widely reported 2014 Phoenix VA wait-list scandal in which Veterans died waiting for care on secret lists, the Obama Administration struggled to make leadership changes that could fix the issues. One of the most pivotal laws that needed to be passed was the VA Accountability Act which would enable more swift termination of bad employees by the Secretary.

The Obama Administration would not go against the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and support the bill – despite the fact it had broad bipartisan support. It would not be until President Trump was elected that Congress had a president in the White House that would completely raise the Veteran interest over those of union politics that the law was quickly passed and bold reforms began to take place.

The image at VA has been steadily improving as a result of President Trump’s heavy handed set of expectations that the agency allow Veterans to get care quickly, only those employees that live VA’s values should be working at the agency, and continued commitment for a strong budget.

Within the first few months of taking office, President Trump issued Executive Order 13793 to improve accountability at the VA. Not long after, Congress passed, and the President signed Public Law 115-41, which established a new VA Assistant Secretary, reporting directly to the Secretary, with the authority to investigate the performance of senior executives and policy-making or supervisory employees where there is a reason to suspect a violation of a provision of law, mismanagement, gross-waste of funds, abuse of authority, or a substantial and specific danger to public health or safety.

These actions by President Trump defined the strength of his management agenda, his expectation to see a new culture of accountability at the VA, and set an example for the future of government accountability.

Assistant Secretary Bonzanto is pivotal to truly achieving the best results at the agency and Trump’s best odds at being the best VA president in modern times; which he is currently on track for, depend largely on Bonzanto. Since January of 2019, Bonzanto has been in her role overseeing accountability investigations, analyses, and recommendations.

Her role is unique because the scope and authority of her office is established in law, and affords her unique independence from other VA offices, and is a notable example to other federal agencies.

When the office she is charged with was first established at VA, it was administratively buried in hundreds of past-due complaints that required disparate investigations. The VA’s Inspector General reported that the new office desperately needed highly qualified leaders to organize a fully functioning accountability office. Taking action to relaunch the office, President Trump appointed Bonzanto, who has extensive experience.

Examining Bonzanto, her background is interesting, impressive, and unexpected. She grew up in Trinidad, migrated to the U.S. in 1997, served as a Navy Corpsman from 2001 to 2006 and then served as a nurse case manager for the Army 2012-2015. She earned a Doctorate in Nursing Practice, coordinating troop care between the Department of Defense (DoD), VA, and civilian healthcare providers in 13 northeastern states.

Prior to her presidential appointment by President Trump Dr. Bonzanto served as the lead healthcare investigator for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Veterans Affairs’ Subcommittee on Oversight and investigations. In my opinion, Dr. Bonzanto not only embodies the American dream, but her role and mission are vital to fulfilling our nation’s duty to Veterans and she is the key to successfully ensuring President Trump’s legacy as the best Veterans president in history.

From the moment she joined the VA, Dr. Bonzanto has been working to fulfill the intent of the law and the vision of the president. She has reviewed all the critical cases, established an advanced tracking system, implemented trend analyses, reorganized the office operations, ensured investigators’ appropriate training, and issued a comprehensive directive to govern all office functions within and across the VA. Her rapid first-year accomplishments have set a new standard for executive leadership.

In preparation for 2020, a high-profile year for President Trump as he runs for reelection, Dr. Bonzanto is pursuing the highest standards for independent accountability analyses across the VA. Applying her wealth of operational and oversight experience, she is determining the critical expertise and leadership roles that are required to execute strategic capabilities, including unprecedented analyses of VA executives.

As Dr. Bonzanto qualifies and develops a top-tier investigative and analytic team, she is helping bring about a longtime hope and expectation among all American Veterans—hold VA leaders accountable for their actions. President Trump has regular contact with the VA Secretary, as a member of his cabinet, but he has very limited access to the nearly 380,000 employees that work for the VA.

The VA is one of the oldest, most entrenched , and unaccountable government bureaucracies —with the power to spend billions of taxpayers’ dollars. The enormous unaccountable spending creates a culture of self-promotion, where bureaucrats are incentivized to influence the public perception of their work, hide their errors, and overlook the mismanagement, and corruption in their ranks.

The Veterans who rely on the VA, and the VA employees who want to live up to the mission that Americans have entrusted them with are often afraid to complain, but those who have spoken up have been met with retribution by previous senior executives.

Dr. Bonzanto and her carefully selected team will help ensure that the complaints are heard, investigated, and integrated with analyses of the systemic trends that affect the quality of VA services to Veterans.

Unfortunately, some Veterans believe that Dr. Bonzanto will be forced to relinquish or diminish her legal and presidentially-commuted authority to investigate VA executives. She is surrounded by thousands of potential cases of wrong-doing, and backlogs of cases that precede the President’s Administration. She is also surrounded by hundreds of senior executives, across the country, that have long-standing political relationships and will use those connections to protect any hidden misdeeds from scrutiny.

It is clear to Veterans that Dr. Bonzanto needs their support, and the support of all Americans. As her leadership brings a new generation of accountable government employees into the senior ranks, we can no longer assume that our massive bureaucracies are naturally responsible and honest. We need diligent accountability to reveal the evidence for effective governance. Without such independent accountability we can not believe any Member of Congress or the President has the power to oversee these missions that are critical to our nation and the welfare of our heroes.

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The number of Veterans Affairs patients with active cases of coronavirus rose to its highest level in three weeks on Thursday, but department officials insist the steady recent increase is not a cause for concern.

As of Thursday morning, VA researchers reported 1,755 active cases of the deadly virus spread across 130 department medical centers. That’s the highest level since mid-May and is up more than 26 percent from May 28, when the department reported a low of 1,390 cases.

In a statement, VA press secretary Christina Noel said that case counts “are not the best measure of VA’s performance fighting COVID-19, because more testing could also lead to higher case counts, including among those who lack symptoms.”

She noted that patient hospitalization rates for the illness have been steady through April (24 percent), May (21 percent) and June (22 percent so far), all significantly down from the 38 percent rate the department saw in March.

But the near-steady increase in cases over the last three weeks comes amid VA plans to begin returning numerous medical centers to pre-coronavirus operations, and as health experts nationwide have voiced concerns about regional spikes in virus case numbers.

On May 18, department officials announced 20 “lead sites” would resume some in-person appointments and elective procedures that had been cancelled or postponed by the ongoing pandemic. Officials at the time said conditions in the hospitals and local community would dictate how quickly those facilities would return to normal.

In the last three weeks, 12 of those facilities have seen their number of active coronavirus cases grow, several by significant margins.

The South Texas Veterans Health Care System in San Antonio, which had just nine active cases in late May, now has 74. The VA Southern Arizona Health Care System in Tucson grew from five active cases to 36 over the same span.

The Bay Pines Health Care system in Florida had its total active cases grow from 12 to 52. The VA facility in Charleston, S.C., had just one active case on May 28 and now has 32.

Department officials did not provide information on how many of those patients are in care in the hospitals and how many are outpatients whose progress is being monitored without bringing them onto the VA campuses.

Noel said officials have not reconsidered reversing or reducing their plans to reopen those locations.

“All VA medical centers, including those in hot spots, are taking precautions and considering the unique circumstances of their state and local markets, environmental safety preparedness and clinical risk assessments,” she said.

VA officials have in place employee and patient screening requirements, physical distancing restrictions and personal protective equipment rules. Noel said in addition to those steps, “VA will continue to maximize the personalized virtual care options of telehealth, phone consults and wellness checks” in coming weeks.

Nearly 1,500 VA patients have died from the fast-spreading coronavirus since early March. That figure is up 24 percent since the start of June.

More than 8 percent of patients in VA care who contract the virus have eventually died from the illness, well above the 6 percent death rate for cases among all Americans, according to the latest data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

However, VA officials have said the mortality data for their patients “cannot be used to compare VA infection or mortality rates with the community because of differences in population risk, test availability, and follow-up.”

In addition to the patient challenges, VA has seen 35 employees die from complications connected to the coronavirus and 1,831 sickened by the illness.

More than 117,000 Americans have died from the virus since early March.

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When Army Lt. Gen. Ronald Place visits military hospitals and clinics and conducts town halls with staff, he introduces himself not only as the director of the Defense Health Agency, but also as an Army surgeon, a son, husband, father, and grandfather. For Place, all his roles influence his decisions.

Place admits it was easy to get lost in his role as a surgeon back when he began his residency training. “Yet I would still go home as a military spouse, or I would go home to my military children,” he recalled. “I would wonder, ‘What did I do today to make the system better for my spouse?’ or ‘What did I do today to make the system better for my kids? And often the answer to that, at least for me personally when I was a junior officer, was nothing.”

Today as the director of the DHA, Place is responsible for all the activities that happen in the DHA, most of which impact the 9.6 million eligible TRICARE beneficiaries who depend on the MHS for their health care. “I like everybody to consider all of their roles when they make decisions,” he said. “To me, it's a reminder from a decision-making perspective, who are we? And why are we there as a part of the Military Health System?”

As an integrated system of health and readiness, the MHS is a complex matrix of people and priorities with a unique role supporting the National Defense Strategy, said Place. “Much of what we do to measure ourselves, our productivity, and the quality of the work that we do [is] based on civilian standards and benchmarks,” he said. “Yet we're a Military Health System, and some of the things that are required for that balance between health and readiness don't earn productivity points in the same way they would in a civilian system.”

Place said the MHS isn’t where it needs to be in terms of defining the elements of readiness -- troops being medically ready and health care teams being proficient to perform their wartime missions -- or how the MHS measures productivity and quality in relation to readiness.

While the task at hand seems great, Place sees promise in the staff inside the DHA headquarters and at the military medical treatment facilities. “I see excellence. I see passion. I see dedication. I see desire for improvements in our system.”

Place has seen that passion showcased during the national emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. Through excellence, ingenuity and agility, health care providers continue to find ways to adapt how they deliver care without degrading the quality of care patients receive. Place cited the CAMIC invention and rethinking therapeutics such as the use of convalescent plasma for treating COVID-19 patients as examples of how passion and innovation have come together to create solutions that may have applications for years to come.

Place sees process standardization as a key to improvement. “Across the entire Military Health System, there are literally thousands of things that could be standardized to improve our system,” he said. It won’t be easy because there’s a lot of fear associated with change, he added.

But Place believes the DHA is primed for the challenge. “With the talent and passion and commitment of the entire team, at headquarters and at our health care delivery sites, I’m confident we can do it, but it's going to take a significant effort and it's going to take us some time,” he said.

Asked about his short-term goals, Place said he hopes to be able to cite examples of how standardization has improved the system. “That improvement might be quality of care or clinical outcomes for our patients; it may be the overall satisfaction of our patients,” he said. “I also hope we've done something to improve the system so that the staff, whether it's across the entire organization or even particular functional communities, have more joy in the work that they do and more fulfillment in their missions.”

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Miami, Florida – Foot Care Store, Inc. d/b/a Dia-Foot (Dia-Foot), a diabetic shoe company based in Wellington, Florida, and its President and CEO Robert Gaynor, have agreed to pay $5,538,338 to settle allegations that the company sold custom diabetic shoe inserts that were not actually custom-fabricated in accordance with Medicare standards. The agreement is part of a civil settlement that resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act.

The United States alleged that between 2013 and 2018, Dia-Foot sold diabetic shoe inserts to customers nationwide, representing that many of those inserts were custom-made for an individual’s foot, when the inserts were actually made using generic foot models. The inserts were dispensed to diabetic patients who had a prescription from a health care provider and who believed they were getting a custom product. According to the government, despite fabricating the inserts using generic models, Dia-Foot billed Medicare and Medicaid for the custom version, or sold the inserts to other providers who then billed government health care programs for custom inserts. This allowed Dia-Foot to produce and sell more inserts and increase profits by cutting corners. The government also alleged that Dia-Foot advertised to customers that it was proud to be Medicare-compliant and had received Medicare approval for its custom diabetic shoe inserts, even though Dia-Foot received the Medicare approvals based on false information.

Individuals with diabetes can in some cases suffer from foot problems, including nerve damage, ulcers, and poor circulation. In severe cases, untreated problems can even lead to amputation. Foot orthotics such as custom shoe inserts are prescribed to help diabetic patients prevent such problems and are covered by Medicare and Medicaid.

In connection with the settlement, Dia-Foot and Robert Gaynor entered into a three-year Integrity Agreement (IA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The IA requires, among other things, that Dia-Foot implement updated policies and procedures as part of its compliance program, and hire an Independent Review Organization to review quarterly Dia-Foot’s claims to Medicare and Medicaid.

The allegations were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by a former Dia-Foot employee. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The whistleblower who brought the allegations in this case will receive a share of the settlement amount. The case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Newman v. Foot Care Store, Inc. d/b/a Dia-Foot, No. 9:18-CV-80702 (S.D. Fla.).

The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, with assistance from the HHS-OIG. Juan Antonio Gonzalez, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Omar Pérez Aybar, Special Agent in Charge, HHS-OIG, announced the settlement.

The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combatting health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477) or at http://tips.hhs.gov/.

The matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Clarissa Pinheiro Schild of the Southern District of Florida. The integrity agreement was negotiated by OIG Senior Counsel Tonya Keusseyan.

The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.

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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A disabled Army Veteran convicted of shooting and wounding two people inside a Florida Veterans clinic has been committed to a mental health care facility for 25 years.

A federal judge in West Palm Beach ordered Larry Ray Bon’s commitment on Monday, according to court records. If doctors determine that he no longer needs treatment, he will return to court and face up to 25 years in prison.

Bon, 60, pleaded guilty in March to three counts of assaulting, resisting or impeding federal employees and one count of possession of a firearm in a federal facility with intent to commit a crime.

Bon was in the emergency room of the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach last year when he became frustrated with staff and pulled a firearm from his wheelchair, prosecutors said.

Bon fired several shots, hitting a doctor in the neck and grazing an orderly, before that doctor was able to disarm Bon. Other staff members then subdued Bon. Both wounded men survived.

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Retired Army Maj. Richard Star, 51, passed away early Saturday morning after a years-long battle with lung cancer linked to burn pit exposure on deployments.

A former combat engineer with multiple overseas tours, Star spent the last months of his life advocating for disabled and medically retired Veterans.

“Rich Star saved countless lives by clearing roads in Afghanistan of IEDs, and now in his legacy he’s still working to clear the road for concurrent receipt for his fellow servicemembers,” said retired Army Lt. Col. Mark Belinsky, director of currently serving and retired affairs for the Military Officers Association of America.

Chapter 61 retirees, like Star, are service members who were medically retired due to injuries sustained on duty prior to achieving 20 years in service.

Under current laws, such retirees are not eligible for concurrent receipt, meaning their military longevity pay is reduced by the amount of VA disability compensation they receive.

Service members have earned both their retirement pay and their disability compensation, Belinsky said, and having one shouldn’t mean receiving less of the other.

The Major Richard Star Act, introduced by Rep. Gus Bilirakis, R-Fla., on Feb. 27, 2020, would have secured the right of concurrent receipt for approximately 43,000 Chapter 61 retirees injured in combat zones.

Although it received support in both houses of Congress, the act failed to pass last year.

Sens. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, alongside Reps. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., and Bilirakis plan to reintroduce the Major Richard Star Act on Feb. 22, according to Belinsky.

Chapter 61 retirees injured in a combat zone make up only a small portion of the total Veterans ineligible for concurrent receipt, however.

“The whole concurrent receipt problem has an estimated $33 billion price tag on it,” said Belinsky. “So, the smallest increment to chip away at the larger concurrent receipt injustice is the Major Richard Star Act, which is targeting those injured in combat.”

Star joined the Army in 1988. His first deployment was in support of Operation Desert/Desert Storm. He later deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, performing road construction and IED clearance operations.

On his last deployment, Star began having difficulties with breathing and coughing blood. Doctors in Kuwait downplayed his health issues and blamed them on air quality and asthma.

When he returned stateside in 2018, Star discovered that he had stage four lung cancer. While going through surgeries and chemotherapy, he learned that he would not concurrently receive his retirement and disability pay through the DoD.

“When we lose somebody to combat, that’s one thing, but to lose somebody to negligence, to medical malpractice that’s easily preventable… is shameful and an injustice in itself,” said Natalie Khawam, Star’s lawyer.

Khawam worked in 2019 to pass the SFC Richard Stayskal Military Medical Accountability Act, which secures active-duty service members the right to compensation for medical malpractice in military facilities — medical malpractice like downplaying respiratory issues.

Star and his lawyer had filed claims under the act, but the Defense Department has delayed the creation of rules and processes to adjudicate and pay claims under the act, according to Khawam.

Such rules were initially expected on Jun. 30, 2020, but the DoD has repeatedly extended its deadline, blaming the COVID-19 pandemic and presidential transition for the delays.

Khawam was outraged to see Star pass away before compensation could be secured for his wife and family under the SFC Richard Stayskal Military Medical Accountability Act.

“Their negligence has cost these service members their health, their lives. They have a duty to fix it, and now there’s no accountability for the accountability,” she said. “What are you saying when you delay somebody’s right to be made whole, when you deny somebody’s claims and their compensation?”

Both Belinsky and Khawam assured that their fights are far from over.

“It was an honor to represent [Richard] and serve him, but his passing isn’t the end of my job, it’s just the beginning,” said Khawam. “It’s given me more reason and ambition to fight for what they deserve.”

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Service-connected disabled Veterans and Space-A Travel

Jet set disabled Vets on Space-A flights

When congress signed the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act last year,100% service connected disabled Veterans became eligible for Space Available Travel. Better known as ‘Space-A’ or military hops, Air Mobility Command (AMC) maintains an extensive network of flights throughout the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and American Samoa. Supplementing this network, several Air National Guard and Naval Aviation Units have flights available.

To be eligible for Space-A flights, Veterans must have a permanent and total service-connected disability rating. These Vets must also obtain a DD Form 2765, “Department of Defense/Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card (TAN).

The Space-A Program fills surplus capacity and seating on DOD aircraft. A popular perk among retirees, now eligible Veterans can take advantage of the program and fly for free. So, whether the Veteran is looking for a getaway to Hawaii or a trip to catch-up with their Veteran brothers and sisters on the other side of the country, the Space-A travel program can fly you there.

Some things to know before flying Space-A:

• Disabled Veterans, along with retirees, are in priority group 6. This means active service members on emergency leave; post deployment respite and other important transportation needs will have priority.
• A contingency plan and resources, including commercial airfare, need to be available in case of a scheduling change or sudden unavailability.
• Dependents of disabled Veterans are not eligible for Space-A travel.

Eligible Veterans looking for flights should review schedules at AMC passenger terminals. Most AMC terminals, on military bases or at commercial airports, have a Facebook page that posts flight schedules and seat availability. Once a flight and destination are selected the Veteran can register in person at the terminal, or by email/fax.

Disabled Veterans, with a little flexibility and patience, are taking to the sky for free with Space-A travel and seeing more of the country thankful for their service and sacrifice.

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Good for entry into400+ National Parks and over 2,000 recreation sites across the country

Spring flowers are blooming, the summer travel season quickly approaches and Veterans are joining the 330-million yearly visitors enjoying U.S. National Parks.

Many Veterans, with a service connected disability rating, are entering Federal recreation lands and national parks for free with an America the Beautiful-the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands lifetime Access Pass through an interagency partnership between the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Forest Service, Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. Good for entry into thousands of federally managed recreation sites across the country, the Lifetime Access Pass is another way a grateful nation says thank you for the service and sacrifices of U. S. Veterans with disabilities.

The Access Pass admits the pass owner and any passengers in a single, private vehicle (non-commercial) at per-vehicle entrance and day use fee areas; or, the pass owner plus three additional adults where per-person fees are charged. In addition to free entry at participating sites, the Access Pass includes discounts on some expanded amenity fees such as camping. Sites recommend that pass owners check with each site before visiting for details about Access Pass entry and discounts.

Veterans who have been medically determined to have a disability are eligible for the Lifetime Access Pass—with three options for obtaining the pass:

First, Veterans with disability documentation can order the Access Pass online for a $10 processing fee which includes standard shipping. Documentation required includes:

• Proof of residency
• VA disability award letter, VA summary of benefits, or proof of SSDI income

Second, the Interagency Access Pass may be obtained through the mail. Download a paper application from https://store.usgs.gov/access-pass. Follow the instructions on the website and pay the document processing fee of $10. Once the application package is received by USGS, the documentation will be verified and a pass imprinted with the pass owner’s name will be mailed to the applicant.

Passes ordered online or through the mail will be delivered 3 to 4 weeks after receipt of documentation and processing payment.

A third option is for disabled Veterans to visit a participating federal recreation site where interagency passes are issued, present photo identification (e.g., Driver’s license, State ID, birth certificate, Passport, or permanent resident card), provide documentation of permanent disability, or read and sign a Statement of Permanent Disability affidavit. That’s It. The Pass is free and issued at the time of entry.

Make sure to have photo ID available when using your Lifetime Access Pass and enjoy the majestic scenery and abundant recreational opportunities our National Parks provide. For additional questions regarding the pass, please check out the Frequently Asked Questions.

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LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - A car, a motorcycle, and a trailer were stolen sometime between 6 p.m. Sunday evening and 1:30 a.m. Monday morning in Brownfield, according to Brownfield Police.

The vehicle that was stolen and has since been recovered by Brownfield Police, a red 1966 Chevelle SS, can be seen in the picture provided. The owner is very emotionally attached to the vehicle.

The owner obtained the Chevelle when he graduated high school. Shortly thereafter, he was deployed to Vietnam and sold his car before leaving. He loved that car and always wished he hadn’t sold it. Discussing the car with family and friends has brought him fond memories throughout his life. The owner’s son found an identical car in North Carolina and had it shipped to his dad as a gift.

Police say the vehicle was stolen closer to 1:30 a.m. Monday and just a few hours later, the car was sold for $15,000 to someone who did not know it had been stolen. The car will soon be returned to the owner.

The motorcycle and trailer, however, are still missing.

The Brownfield man’s best friend owns the stolen 1967 BSA Lightning motorcycle. According to friends and family members, when he was discharged from the military in Tennessee, he bought the motorcycle and drove it back home to Brownfield, Texas. He has had the motorcycle since.

A photo of what the motorcycle looks like is below. This is not the actual motorcycle, but a photo of one just like it.

Please contact the Brownfield Police Department with any information regarding the stolen vehicles at (806) 637-2511. There is a cash reward from the owners, no questions asked.

Surveillance video has been released of the theft.

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Defense Department leaders have identified child care availability as a major readiness issue for military troops and families. Now, House lawmakers want to know if Veterans are facing the same daycare needs.

Included in the draft Veterans Affairs budget proposal approved by the House Appropriations Committee last week is a requirement for department officials to study the availability of child care services for Veterans — particularly ones currently enrolled in college classes.

“The report should identify barriers that student Veterans encounter in accessing child care, the number of Veterans who have struggled to find reliable child care, and establish whether lack of child care has impacted Veterans’ ability to complete education or training programs,” the bill states.

A recent report from Student Veterans of America noted that more than half of student Veterans in America today are parents. “Affordable childcare is critical to ensuring their success in higher education.”

But data on availability at schools or in nearby communities is elusive. The new report could provide a baseline for future proposals to increase subsidies for student Veterans with daycare needs or to launch new services to help those parents find available spots.

A separate section of the budget bill dealing with Defense Department construction sets aside $213 million for planning and design of child development centers at military bases. That’s more than 10 times what the White House asked for in its initial budget plan for fiscal 2022.

Military leaders have said that a lack of child care at military bases creates scheduling and stress issues for troops, which leads to readiness concerns for the entire force. Lawmakers in recent years have worked to increase those options for active-duty personnel.

The proposed appropriations report, which would be due 120 days after the budget becomes law, would also look at “Veterans that use family, friend, or neighbor forms of child care” to evaluate how those impact Veterans.

The full House membership is expected to vote on the VA budget bill (including the report) later this month. But the measure still faces months of negotiations with Senate appropriators before it can be finalized and sent to the president to become law.

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Just based off their resumes and cover letters, Veterans’ military service is working against them when they apply for jobs in certain fields, a new study says.

The study — conducted by Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and released Sept. 24 — found employers believe Veterans are less suited for jobs that involve social-emotional skills and interacting with people than their non-Veteran counterparts.

Veteran service organizations like American Legion, however, take issue with the study, saying it promotes the stereotype of Veterans as brooding malcontents.

The study, which was comprised of a total of 10 smaller surveys evaluating perceptions of Veterans in the workforce, also consistently found employers and others rated Veterans as a better fit for jobs working with things rather than people. Employers, managers, and laypeople participated in the surveys.

“When choosing between two equally-qualified job candidates, the average person and even prospective employers show a tendency to prefer the applicant without military experience for jobs requiring social-emotional abilities,” Aaron Kay, a Fuqua management professor and senior author of the research, said in a Duke news release.

For example, Duke partnered with a “large North American restaurant chain” where 265 employees evaluated samples of hypothetical resumes of Veterans and non-Veterans for a dishwasher, a prep cook, and a bartender.

Employees then rated candidates on a 9-point scale detailing how well they thought candidates would succeed: 1 if they thought the applicant was not at all likely to succeed, and 9 if they thought the candidate was extremely likely to succeed.

The study found that Veterans were rated much more suitable for low feeling positions such as a dishwasher and a prep cook than they were servers. Veteran applicants received a mean rating of 6.86 for the low feeling positions, in contrast with a 5.34 mean rating for serving positions.

Meanwhile, the disparity was far less significant among non-Veteran applicants. The study found non-Veteran applicants received a mean rating of 5.76 for low feeling positions and a 5.53 rating for serving positions.

Another survey also found that Veterans were viewed as a poorer fit for mental health careers when measured against a non-Veteran candidate whose cover letter was otherwise worded similarly. Rather than serving active duty in the Marine Corps overseas, the non-Veteran candidate’s cover letter mentioned completing volunteer work overseas with United Planet.

Participants’ who work in management, hiring and recruitment, and human resources were asked to read one of four cover letters: one for a Veteran applying for a mental health position, one for a Veteran applying for a technology position, along with two non-Veteran counterparts applying for the same positions.

Seven hundred and nine participants then ranked subjects using a 9-point scale: 1 if the applicant was a very poor fit for the position, and 9 if the applicant was a very good fit for the job.

Ultimately, the study found that the Veteran applicant was considered not as good a fit for mental health professions as the non Veteran. In this category, the Veteran applicants received a mean rating of 5.85, in comparison to a mean rating of 6.3 for the non-Veteran.

However, the Veteran candidate was viewed similarly to the non-Veteran candidate for technology careers, the study found.

Other surveys included in the study compared perceptions of Veterans and non-Veterans with average people not involved in hiring, and found similar results.

“Those who have careers related to hiring and evaluating employees appear to have the same biases as the public, and appear to not curb these biases when evaluating the applicants that we presented them with,” the study said.

In order to counter some of these perceptions associated with Veterans, the study found that editing resumes and “merely signaling one’s ability to feel can reduce people’s biases regarding Veterans’ abilities and skills.” A total of 298 participants reviewed Veteran and non-Veteran candidates for an event planning job, and were given adjusted resumes to indicate the candidates either did or did not have an ability to feel.

When the Veteran’s resume did include volunteer work at a humane society where they “calmed animals when stressed,” Veterans were ranked similarly to their non-Veteran counterparts for their social-emotional skills.

The study confirms what Veterans have already known about biases in the workplace, according to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America CEO Jeremy Butler.

“We have long known that employers hold biases against hiring Veterans, despite employers’ claims to the contrary,” Butler said in a statement to the Military Times. “Bringing these issues out into the open is the key to ensuring that Americans don’t just thank us for our service, but truly honor that service by recognizing the value Veterans bring into the workplace.”

Louis Celli, executive director of government and Veterans affairs for the American Legion, took issue with the results of the study and said they “promote the brooding lone wolf idea of what a Veteran is.”

“Millions of Veterans reintegrate into the community every year and go on to use their technical and leadership skills to work alongside their non-Veteran peers, become captains of industry, even get elected to public office," Celli said in an email to the Military Times.

He also noted that the military has a range of occupational specialties — including customer relations and positions that involve interacting with the public. Likewise, he pointed out service members must be articulate when communicating orders, and said military service fosters “emotional intelligence and promotes team diversity leadership skills.”

“Without interpersonal skills, the military would not be able to successfully work with their foreign military cohorts, tribal leaders, or recruit new enlistees,” Celli said. “So, it is sad to know some non-Veteran hiring managers commonly associate former military leaders with what they see at the movies, and our research shows that companies who are able to look past these stereotypes are richer and more productive for it."

For Duke, the research on this issue is not completed.

“Our research suggests there could be ways Veterans could present their skills that can help them overcome these perceptions,” Kay said. “We are going to keep working on understanding these hiring biases and how to eliminate them, as well as working with Veterans to understand their experiences as they transition to the workforce.”

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Case Filed Following Recent Overdose Death, Part of National Enforcement Effort

WASHINGTON – A criminal complaint was unsealed this week in the District of Columbia charging a doctor with unlawful distribution of a controlled substance outside the scope of his professional practice. As detailed in court documents, the case relates to defendant Dr. Robert M. Cao prescribing various narcotic pain medications in the months and days leading up to a man’s May 31, 2021 overdose death.

The announcement was made by Acting U.S. Attorney Channing D. Phillips and Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division Wayne A. Jacobs.

Cao, 38, of Falls Church, Va., was arrested on Sept. 14 and made his initial appearance the following day before Magistrate Judge Zia M. Faruqui in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. His next hearing is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2021. The charge carries a statutory maximum of 20 years in prison and potential financial penalties.

Cao’s arrest is part of a nationwide initiative targeting health care fraud. The Department of Justice announced today that criminal charges have been filed against 138 defendants, including 42 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals, in 31 federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various healthcare fraud schemes that resulted in approximately $1.4 billion in alleged losses.

Nationwide, the charges target approximately $1.1 billion in fraud committed using telemedicine (the use of telecommunications technology to provide health care services remotely), $29 million in COVID-19 health care fraud, $133 million connected to substance abuse treatment facilities, or “sober homes,” and $160 million connected to other health care fraud and illegal opioid distribution schemes across the country.

“This nationwide enforcement action demonstrates that the Criminal Division is at the forefront of the fight against health care fraud and opioid abuse by prosecuting those who have exploited health care benefit programs and their patients for personal gain,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The charges announced today send a clear deterrent message and should leave no doubt about the department’s ongoing commitment to ensuring the safety of patients and the integrity of health care benefit programs, even amid a continued pandemic.”

“Health care fraud and opioid abuse have imposed enormous economic consequences and caused thousands of tragic deaths nationwide,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Phillips. “As today’s announcement shows, we are committed to using the full extent of the law to protect the public from those who illegally sell and prescribe opioids and other dangerous drugs as well as those who carry out schemes to defraud the public health system of taxpayer dollars.”

“Physicians are entrusted to care for our citizens and prescribe necessary medications in legitimate doctor-patient relationships,” said Special Agent in Charge Jacobs of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and stop those medical professionals who provide illegal prescriptions and distribute controlled substance medications that fuel the opioid epidemic in our country. Not only are these actions criminal, but as we have seen all too often – they have deadly consequences.”

According to court documents, Cao is a physician who is licensed to practice medicine in the District of Columbia and Virginia. Between in or around at least Jan. 9, 2021, and continuing through in or around May 30, 2021, the documents allege, Cao knowingly and intentionally wrote a man identified in court documents as “V.C.” at least five prescriptions for oxycodone and hydrocodone, Schedule II controlled substances with a high potential for abuse.

On May 31, 2021, first responders were dispatched to a Fairfax, Va. residence in response to a 911 call for assistance regarding “V.C.,” after his girlfriend found him cold and non-responsive. He was pronounced deceased under suspicious circumstances.

A subsequent autopsy report documented the cause of death as acute combined oxycodone and ethanol poisoning. On the nightstand next to where “V.C.” was found were prescription bottles, including one containing Percocet (a brand name of the narcotic analgesic oxycodone/acetaminophen) pills filled on May 23, 2021. Cao was the prescribing doctor listed on the bottle.

Court filings also detail text message exchanges between Cao and “V.C.”, including discussions about Cao prescribing narcotic pain medications to “V.C.”; “V.C.” agreeing to give Cao a kickback on some of those pills; and meetings between the two, including a meeting in a parking lot on the night before the man’s death.

The charges in criminal complaints are merely allegations and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted of any offense, a defendant’s sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne P. McNamara of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The investigation into this matter was conducted by the FBI’s Washington Field Office in partnership with the Fairfax County, Va. Police Department.

Nationally, the cases announced today involving the illegal prescription and/or distribution of opioids involve a total of 19 defendants, including several charges against medical professionals and others who prescribed over 12 million doses of opioids and other prescription narcotics, while submitting over $14 million in false billings.

Prior to the charges announced as part of today’s nationwide enforcement action and since its inception in March 2007, the Health Care Fraud Strike Force, which maintains 15 strike forces operating in 24 districts, has charged more than 4,600 defendants who have collectively billed the Medicare program for approximately $23 billion. In addition to the criminal actions announced today, CMS, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, announced 28 administrative actions to decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.

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A doctor licensed in the states of Oklahoma and Texas pleaded guilty Wednesday for writing and referring compounded drug prescriptions in return for illegal kickback payments, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.

Jerry May Keepers, 68, of Kingwood, Texas, pleaded guilty to one count of soliciting and receiving heath care kickback. Keepers violated the federal anti-kickback statute when he accepted the illegal payment.

If the plea agreement is accepted by U.S. District Judge Claire V. Eagan, Keepers will serve 36 months of supervised probation and pay no more than $1,518,180.46 in restitution. Judge Eagan will sentence Keepers on May 10, 2022.

In the plea agreement, Keepers admitted that OK Compounding solicited him to write prescriptions for his patients that would be filled by the pharmacy. OK Compounding was a pharmacy controlled by Christopher Parks and Dr. Gary Lee, who are also defendants in the case.

Specifically, on January 22, 2014, Keepers knowingly received $25,000 from representatives of OK Compounding. The purpose of the payment was to induce Keepers to refer prescriptions for expensive compounded drugs to the pharmacy. The compounded medications were filled, and claims were filed by the pharmacy. Those medications were in turn paid for by federal healthcare programs, including TRICARE, Medicare, CHAMPVA, and the Federal Employees Compensation Act Program.

According to the superseding indictment filed in the case, kickback payments were disguised through various sham business arrangements, including contracts where several physicians purported to serve as “medical directors” or “consulting physicians” for the pharmacy. Keepers and OK Compounding represented that Keepers had been paid for his services as a national spokesperson, medical director or national marketing director.

It is illegal to pay or receive “kickbacks” in conjunction with federal health care insurance. Prohibitions against kickbacks are crucial to ensure that financial motives do not undermine the medical judgment of physicians and other health care providers.

Keepers ran a pain clinic practice in the cities of Friendswood, Beaumont and Humble, Texas, and established a clinic in Tulsa in November 2012.

The Department of Labor- Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS - Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Service- OIG, Department of Veterans Affairs- OIG, FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services-OIG, and Defense Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melody Noble Nelson and Richard M. Cella are prosecuting the cases.

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LITTLE ROCK-A Dallas-area doctor pled guilty this afternoon to obstructing a federal health care investigation. Cody Hiland, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, Michael C. Mentavlos, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service Southwest Field Office, Patrick Roche, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General South Central Field Office, Miranda L. Bennett, Special Agent in Charge for the Office of Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and Diane Upchurch, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Little Rock Field Office, announced Dr. Lorraine De Blanche, 56, pled guilty this afternoon before U.S. District Judge Brian S. Miller.

Patient complaints and a surge in claims for durable medical equipment (DME) and compounded prescription drugs triggered investigations into telemedicine fraud targeting federal insurers, including TRICARE, CHAMPVA, and Medicare. This prompted federal investigators to speak with medical providers linked to related DME claims and prescriptions.

In March 2019, Special Agents from DCIS and VA-OIG interviewed Dr. De Blanche about her work for telemedicine companies in 2015 and 2016, while she was practicing in Little Rock. During the interview she acknowledged working for the companies at issue but willfully misled agents about her telemedicine consultations. Dr. De Blanche reported she always evaluated patients by telephone before determining whether or not compounded prescription drugs or DME were needed. As Dr. De Blanche would later admit, however, on repeated occasions she ordered the products without first consulting patients.

U.S. Attorney Hiland stated “health care is a trillion-dollar industry. My office is committed to purging it of fraud. Serious consequences await those who hinder that task by misleading our partners in federal law enforcement.”

“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to ensuring that TRICARE, the U.S. military healthcare program, continues to provide safe and superior medical care to America’s Warfighters,” said DCIS SAC Mentavlos. “Fraudulent telemedicine schemes not only expose beneficiaries to potential harm, but also waste valuable taxpayer dollars.”

“CHAMPVA is a Department of Veterans Affairs health care benefit program for dependents of living veterans rated 100% disabled, for dependents of veterans whose death was service connected, and for dependents of veterans who were rated as 100% disabled when they died,” said VA-OIG ASAC Roche. “This guilty plea sends a clear message that there will be severe consequences for anyone who obstructs an investigation involving this important program.”

“When doctors knowingly mislead investigators, who are working to uncover fraudulent activity, they violate the trust placed in them by patients, taxpayers, and the government,” said HHS-OIG SAC Bennett. “Along with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect the integrity of federal healthcare programs.”

“Each year, billions of dollars are lost and hundreds of lives are endangered in health care fraud schemes,” said FBI SAC Upchurch. “Dr. De Blanche willfully misled federal agents tasked with investigating one such scheme. Today’s guilty plea is the result of great work by our agents and partners at the DCIS, VA-OIG, and HHS-OIG.”

Obstructing federal health care investigations is punishable by up to five years’ imprisonment. Under the terms of her plea agreement, Dr. De Blanche agreed to forfeit over $33,000.00 in telemedicine proceeds and pay a $180,000.00 fine. She will be sentenced at a later date.

This case was investigated by DCIS, VA-OIG, HHS-OIG, and the FBI. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander D. Morgan and Stephanie G. Mazzanti prosecuted the case for the United States.

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