Sunday, February 28, 2021

RETIREE ACTIVITIES BULLETIN




 

RAO BULLETIN

1 March 2021

 

HTML & PDF Editions

  

 

THIS RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE BULLETIN CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES

 

Pg                   Article                                                Subject

.                                                    * DOD *                                              .

 

04 == Japan-U.S. Support Agreement [01] ---- (Extended One Year)

04 == DoD Budgets [01] ----Process Too Slow To Beat China, New Report Says

06 == DoD/VA Concurrent Receipt [11] ---- (Fight for CRSC Presses On)

08 == DoD Housing Program ---- (Improved Oversight to Cost Taxpayers $120M Annually) 

09 == Military Treatment Facilities [02] ---- (DHA Set To Take over All Military Hospitals by End of 2021)

11 == AAFES [02] ---- (Will Offer Chiropractic Services at Select Locations)

11 == DoD Fraud, Waste, & Abuse ---- (Reported 15 thru 28 FEB 2021)

12 == Military Extremism ---- (A ‘Threat,’ the Pentagon Is Not Sure How to Address)

18 == Military Extremism [01] ---- (Sailors Must Reaffirm Their Oaths)

19 == POW/MIA Recoveries & Burials ---- (Reported 15 thru 28 FEB 2021 | Nine)

22 == Chinese Tech Removal ---- (Struggle to Figure out How to Eliminate Hardware/Software)

 

.                                                 * VA *                                                   .

 

23 == VA Moratoriums ---- (Eviction, Foreclosure, Loan Forbearance, Overpayment & Copay Extensions)

24 == VA Funding Needs [04] ---- (HVAC Advances American Rescue Plan | $15B)

26 == VA OAWP ---- (New VA Secretary Inherits an Oversight Office That's Seen As Dysfunctional)

29 == VA Transgender Policy ---- (Secretary Denis McDonough Orders Review to Root out Vet Barriers)

30 == VA Agent Orange Benefits [07] ---- (Urgency Promised In Implementing New Presumptive Rules)

31 == VA SAH [11] ---- (Specially Adapted Housing Changes)

32 == VA Covid-19 Vaccines [01] ---- (Current Policy for When Eligible Patients Refuse Shots)

33 == VA Covid-19 Vaccines [02] ---- (Supply Remains Biggest Hurdle)

35 == VA Veterans Homes [05] ---- (35 State Run Homes Not Reporting COVID Deaths)

36 == VA Fraud, Waste & Abuse ---- (Reported 15 thru 28 FEB 2021)

36 == VA Musculoskeletal/Muscle Injury Claims ---- (Revision to Rating Disability)

 

.                                                 * VETS *                                               .

 

37 == Space ‘A’ Flight Eligibility [02] ---- (Dependents of Permanently and Totally Disabled Vets Added)

38 == Homeless Vets [103] ---- (Amazon Donation Helps Connect 1,000+ Homeless Veterans)

39 == U.S. Capitol Riot [05] ---- (Retired USMC Officer among 5 Proud Boys Members Arrested)

41 == U.S. Capitol Riot [06] ---- (Marine Vet Nicholas Lentz Charged In Capitol Breach)

42 == U.S. Capitol Riot [07] ---- (Marine Vet Thomas Webster Arrested)

43 == Tuskegee Airmen [01] ---- (Quarter Coin Sets Honoring Airmen Go On Sale at US Mint)

44 == Gulf War Syndrome [46] ---- (Study Concludes Depleted Uranium Doesn’t Cause Gulf War Illness)

45 == Vet College Support Programs ---- (Survey Says About 1 In 3 Colleges Have Cut Funding)

45 == Burial at Sea [07] ---- (How to Do It without the Navy’ Help)

46 == WWII Vets 249 --- (Earl G. Anderson Jr | AAF POW)

47 == WWII Vets 250 ---- (Leonard Tavern | PT Boat Sailor)

48 == USS Pueblo [07] ---- (Survivors and Families Awarded $2.3 Billion in Damages)

49 == Military Retirees & Veterans Events Schedule ---- (As of 01 MAR 2021) 

50 == Vet Hiring Fairs ---- (Scheduled as of 01 MAR 2021)

51 == State Veteran’s Benefits ---- (Wyoming 2021)

 

.                                      * VET LEGISLATION *                               .

 

51 == DoD/VA Concurrent Receipt [12] ---- (S.344 | Major Richard Star Act of 2021)

52 == VA Covid-19 Vaccines [03] ---- (H.R.1276 | Authorize VA Secretary to Furnish to Certain Individuals)

 

.                                             * MILITARY*                                          .

 

54 == USSF [27] ---- (Space Force Building Plan to Combine Active-Duty & Reserve Service)

55 == Military Sexual Misconduct [02] ---- (Remove Handling from Chain Of Command Plan) 

56 == Base Housing [20] ---- (Tenant Bill of Rights SITREP 4)

57 == USERRA [23] ---- (WA Employers Sued For Discrimination Based On Military Service)

59 == Coronavirus Vaccines [30] ---- (About a Third of Troops offered Them Have Turned It Down)

60 == USMC Survival Training [01] ---- (Pentagon Petitioned to Stop Cobra Blood Rituals)

61 == USAF ShiELD Program ---- (Air Force to Begin Assembly of Airborne Laser)

62 == B-1 Bomber [06] ---- (The ‘Bone’ Heads to the Boneyard)

63 == Antisubmarine Warfare ---- (Navy Drone Program Involvement)

65 == Military Uniforms [06] ---- (Snow Camouflage)

66 == Rifle Optics ---- (Marines Field New One for Better Accuracy, Hit Probability)

67 == Navy Terminology, Jargon & Slang ---- (‘Sea Lawyer’ thru ‘Shitcan’)

 

.                                    * MILITARY HISTORY *                               .

 

68 == Eisenhower’s Threat to Quit ---- (Disagreement with Churchill over Bomber Use)

70 == WWI British Blockade of Germany ---- (Events It Led To)

72 == Civil War Harriet Tubman ---- (Black Liberator and Union Spy)

74 == Pearl Harbor Spy ---- (German Born Bernard Kuehn)

76 == American Vets Recollections ---- (Frank Devita at Omaha Beach)

76 == Military History Anniversaries ---- (01 thru 15 MAR)

77 == Every Picture Tells A Story ---- (German Tankgewehr M1918)

77 == WWII Bomber Nose Art [70] ---- (Ole Man Moe)

78 == Medal of Honor Awardees ---- (John Kilmer | Korea)

 

.                                         * HEALTH CARE *                                    .

 

80 == Drug Cost Increases [21] ---- (High Cost of Prescription Drugs – More than Just Prices)

80 == Medicare News [03] ---- (New Concern about Cuts to Medicare)

81 == Medicare Drug Procurement [05] ---- (Medicare Pays More for Drugs than Medicaid)

82 == TRICARE Select [10] ---- (What to Do If You Think You’re Still Covered | Warning!)

84 == TRICARE Prime [43] ---- (Patient Referral Requirement for COVID Vaccine Waived)

85 == Dental Care [05] ---- (How Much is Enough Calcium?)

86 == Spices ---- (Eight with Health Benefits)

88 == Eczema ---- (Non-Contagious Skin Disease)

91 == Eczema [01] ---- (Dealing with it in Everyday Life)

92 == Coronavirus Vaccines [29] ---- (Impact on Pregnancy/Breastfeeding)

 

.                                              * FINANCES *                                         .

  

  94 == Employment Cost Index ---- (Key Military Pay Indicator Is Bouncing Back)

  95 == State Income Tax [03] ---- (Individual Income Tax & Brackets 2021)

  96 == Checking Accounts [01] ---- (Is Writing a Check Still Safe?)

  97 == Sugar Taxes ---- (SSBs Back on the Menu)

  99 == Homeowners Insurance [17] ---- (Does It Cover Power Outages?)

100 == Military Member Taxes ---- (Some Tax Prep Advice Including COVID Quirks for 2020 Filing)

103 == Job Scams [07] ---- (Fake Check Payment for Doing Product Promotions)

104 == Immigration Scam [01] ---- (Con Artists Posing as Government Officials Preying On Visa-Seekers)

105 == Tax Burden for Michigan Vets ---- (As of FEB 2021)

 

.                                   * GENERAL INTEREST *                               .

 

109 == Notes of Interest ---- (FEB 15 thru 28, 2021)

110 == Map Comparisons ---- (Brazil Annual Homicides)

110 == American Flag ---- (Display FAQs)

112 == RP-US Relations [08] ---- (Philippines Demands More U.S. Security Aid to Retain Pact)

113 == Afghan Peace Talks [11] ---- (Talks Resume, But Path Is Anything But Certain)

115 == North Korea Sanctions [01] ---- (North Korea's Economy Is Ravaged | Kim Is Lashing Out)

117 == Nuclear Launch Authority [02] ---- (Biden Urged to Relinquish His Sole Authority)

118 == Sea Turtle Rescue ---- (NAS Corpus Christi Base Residents Save Almost 1,000)

120 == Southeast Asian Refugees ---- (Arkansas Became a Haven for Many in the Mid-1970s)

124 == News of the Weird ---- (FEB 15 thru 28, 2021)

125 == Have You Heard or Seen? ---- (Corny Jokes 2 | Satirical Cartoons | Military Humor 17)

 

NOTE

1.  The page number on which an article can be found is provided to the left of each article’s title

2.  To read the articles open the website and slew to the page number of the article you are interested in. 

3.  Numbers contained within brackets [ ] indicate the number of articles written on the subject.   To obtain previous articles send a request to raoemo@sbcglobal.net ‘or’ raoemo77@gmail.com

4.  Recipients of the Bulletin are authorized and encouraged to forward the Bulletin are articles to other vets or veteran organizations

 

.                                      * ATTACHMENTS *                                      .

 

Attachment – Wyoming State Veteran’s Benefits

Attachment – Military History Anniversaries 01 thru 15 MAR (Updated)

Attachment – 2021 State Income Tax Rates and Brackets 2021

 

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FAIR USE NOTICE: This newsletter may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner.  The Editor/Publisher of the Bulletin at times includes such material in an effort to advance reader’s understanding of veterans' issues.  We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law.  In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C.  Section 107, the material in this newsletter is distributed without profit to those who have expressed an interest in receiving the included information for educating themselves on veteran issues so they can better communicate with their legislators on issues affecting them.   To obtain more information on Fair Use refer to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml.   If you wish to use copyrighted material from this newsletter for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. 

 

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Who Can get Vaccinated and where in South Florida

Who Can Get Vaccinated and Where In South Florida?

According to state guidance:

  1. Long-term care facility residents and staff
  2. Healthcare workers in direct contact with COVID-19 patients including paramedics and EMS
  3. People age 65 and older

Those eligible can pre-register for a vaccination appointment at a state run site at myvaccine.fl.gov.

MIAMI-DADE:

Hard Rock Stadium: (state-run)

  • By appointment only. No walk-ins
  • Appointments can be made by calling 1-888-499-0840
  • The TTY number is 1-888-256-8918
  • If you have an appointment, please arrive at your appointment time.
  • Seniors 65 + and front line healthcare workers only
  • Will administer 1,000 vaccinations a day
  • Additional appointments are dependent on additional vaccine being allocated by the federal government
  • Continue to check http://miamidade.gov/vaccine for updates
  • Located on the south side of 199 Street, enter through Gate 16

Marlins Park (state-run)

  • Opens Wednesday, Jan. 20
  • Open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. daily
  • By appointment only. No walk-ins
  • Appointments can be made by calling 1-888-499-0844
  • The TTY number: 1-888-256-8918
  • Drive-thru only

Broward College – North Campus (state-run)

  • 1000 Coconut Creek Blvd, Coconut Creek
  • Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
  • By appointment only. Walk-ups accepted.
  • Appointments can be made by calling 1-866-201-6313
  • The TTY number: 1-844-252-2003
  • 200 hundred vaccinations per day

Oak Grove Park – Father Gerard Jean-Juste Community Center (state-run)

  • 690 NE 159th Street, Miami
  • Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
  • By appointment only.
  • Appointments can be made by calling 1-888-499-0840
  • The TTY number: 1-888-256-8918
  • 200 hundred vaccinations per day

Overtown – Parking Lot (state-run)

  • 1551 NW 1st Ave, Miami
  • Open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily
  • By appointment only.
  • Appointments can be made by calling 1-888-499-0840
  • The TTY number: 1-888-256-8918
  • 200 hundred vaccinations per day

Mount Sinai Medical Center:

    • Mount Sinai Medical Center is providing vaccines to Miami-Dade County first responders and individuals who are 65 years or older.
    • Call 305-674-2312 to schedule an appointment, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
    • No walk-ins will be accepted
    • Both doses of the vaccine must be administered by Mount Sinai. They will not provide a second dose for patients who received their first dose from another provider

Jackson Health System:

Jackson Health System online registration system for Miami-Dade County residents age 65 or older.

  • Request a vaccination appointment and receive a call back with the appointment date and time.
  • No walk-ins will be accepted.
  • No proof of residency is required, which means you do not need to live in Miami-Dade to get the vaccine.
  • Currently, all appointment slots are filled but more will be made available as they receive additional vaccine.

Scheduled vaccinations will be done at three sites:

  • Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center, 1611 NW 12th Ave., Miami
  • North Dade Health Center, 16555 NW 25th Ave., Miami Gardens
  • Jackson South Medical Center, 9333 SW 152nd St., SW Miami-Dade

All three sites will be open seven days a week.

Baptist Health System

Baptist Health is offering the COVID-19 vaccine to members of the community who are 65 years or over or who have certain conditions that put them at high risk of severe illness from the virus.

Miami-Dade County COVID-19 Vaccine Program

  • Multiple locations including Tropical Park and Zoo Miami
  • Vaccinations are by appointment only and walk-ups will not be accepted.
  • Click here to schedule an appointment
  • Check for and make appointments by calling 305-614-2014.
If you received the Moderna vaccine at Tropical Park or Zoo Miami, here is what’s next.
  • You will receive an email or text message to schedule your next vaccination appointment
  • Retain the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card you received
  • Bring the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card and a government issued ID to your second vaccination appointment

Homebound Seniors in County Public Facilities

  • Miami-Dade County will provide vaccines directly to homebound seniors age 65 and older who live in County facilities or receive County services and wish to be vaccinated.
  • Miami-Dade County staff are directly contacting these individuals to schedule vaccinations.

BROWARD:

Memorial Healthcare System

Memorial Healthcare System is providing vaccinations to seniors age 65 and older.

You must make an appointment online via MyChart or by phone.

  • The MyChart portal is for people who have previously been a patient at any Memorial facility. MHS employees and medical staff can use this option, too.
  • Phone Registration: Memorial Centralized Scheduling: 954-276-4340. Phone line open Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm; closed on weekends. Individuals may experience longer than normal wait times on the phone.

Vaccination sites hours of operation by appointment only.  

  • Memorial Specialty Pharmacy, 9581 Premier Parkway, Miramar.
    • Hours: Monday through Saturday, 9 am to 5:30 pm. Closed on Sundays.
  • Memorial Regional Hospital Conference Center, 3501 Johnson Street, Hollywood.
    • Hours: Mondays noon to 7:30 pm; Tuesday through Friday, 9 am to 4:30 pm. Closed on weekends.

*No walk-ins will be accepted.
*On-site registration is not available.

Florida Department of Health in Broward County:

In Broward, people ages 65 and older, and frontline healthcare workers, can call 1-866-201-6313 to request an appointment. For those requiring TTY access, the phone number is 1-833-476-1526. People can also pre-register for an appointment at myvaccine.fl.gov.

Individuals who receive a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine will automatically be given an appointment for the second dose 21 days later.

The Florida Department of Health – Broward vaccination sites are:

Tradewinds Park 

  • 3600 West Sample Road, Coconut Creek
  • 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Sunday – Thursday, closed Friday and Saturday
  • By appointment only at 1-866-201-6313
  • Free
  • Drive-through only
  • Up to 500 seniors per day, per site

Tree Tops Park

  • 3900 SW 100th Avenue, Davie
  • Sunday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • By appointment only at 1-866-201-6313
  • Free
  • Drive-through only

Markham Park

  • 16001 West SR 84, Sunrise
  • 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Sunday- Thursday, closed Friday and Saturday
  • By appointment only at 1-866-201-6313
  • Free
  • Drive-through only
  • Up to 500 seniors per day, per site

Snyder Park

  • 3299 SW 4th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale
  • By appointment only at 1-866-201-6313
  • Drive-through only

Central Broward Park & Broward County Stadium

  • 3700 NW 11th Place, Lauderhill
  • 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
  • Monday – Friday
  • By appointment only at 1-866-201-6313
  • Up to 500 seniors per day, per site

Broward Health:

Broward Health has stopped accepting vaccination appointments due to high demand. The hospital says it has more than 5,000 vaccine appointments scheduled through February 2021 and has reached full capacity for now. Broward Health vaccinations are taking place at separate community sites and not at the hospitals.

Locations include:

Inter Miami CF at Lockhart Park

  • 1350 NW 55th St, Fort Lauderdale
  • Seniors ages 65 and over
  • Office staff of Broward Health’s credentialed physicians
  • EMS or non-credentialed community healthcare providers who do not have access to the vaccine, as well as their office staff
  • Patients must pre-register at BrowardHealth.org to be eligible for vaccination.

MONROE:

According to the Florida Department of Health of Monroe County website, the COVID-19 website to register for a vaccine is not ready yet due to an unanticipated lag in the arrival of additional COVID-19 vaccines from the State.

When the online State scheduling system becomes available, it will allow those to register for an appointment for the vaccine using their smartphone, computer, or tablet, and – for those who do not have internet access— an 800-number will be shared.

PUBLIX PHARMACIES IN FLORIDA

Select Publix supermarket locations in Florida are offering shots by appointment only, when available.

  • Vaccine offered at multiple Florida counties but none in Miami-Dade or Broward
  • All 67 locations in Palm Beach County
  • 2 locations in Monroe County
  • Seniors 65 and older
  • By appointment only

MORE INFORMATION:

The Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 vaccine 24-hour Call Center number is 866-779-6121. The email address is COVID-19@flhealth.gov.

MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE COVID VACCINE:

Saturday, February 27, 2021

Getting Vaccine

We hope you are staying safe through this COVID-19 response. The Miami VA continues to respond proactively and is committed to protecting our Veterans while providing the healthcare you earned.

No-Appointment COVID Vaccine Clinics 

Miami VA Healthcare System COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics are now offering COVID-19 Vaccine for enrolled, eligible Veterans in Miami-Dade, Broward and Monroe Counties.

COVID Vaccines are now available for walk-ins or by appointment at the William "Bill" Kling VA Clinic and Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center on Saturdays!

William “Bill” Kling VA Clinic

9800 W Commercial Blvd, Sunrise FL 33351
Hours of Operation:  Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Clinic Type:  By appointment or walk in while supplies last

Bruce W. Carter VA Medical Center

1201 NW 16th St, Miami FL 33125
Hours of Operation:  Monday – Saturday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Clinic Type:  By appointment or walk in while supplies last

Veterans Being Vaccinated at the Miami VA Healthcare System 

  • Eligible, enrolled Veterans over the age of 65
  • Eligible, enrolled Veterans of any age with underlying medical conditions
  • Eligible, enrolled Veterans that receive care at the VA aged 18 and older and are employed as fire fighters, police officers, corrections officers, food and agricultural workers, United States Postal Service workers, manufacturing workers, grocery store workers, public transit workers, and those who work in the educational sector (teachers, support staff, and daycare workers). *Please bring identification or documentation of employment in one of these categories.

Appointment-only vaccine clinics are available at our Homestead VA Clinic and Key West VA Clinic

Key West VA Clinic
1300 Douglas Circle, Key West, FL 33040
Hours of Operation:  Wednesday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Clinic Type:  By appointment

Homestead VA Clinic
950 Krome Avenue, Homestead, FL 33030
Hours of Operation: Monday and Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Clinic Type:  By appointment

To schedule an appointment, Veterans can call 305-575-7000 or contact their care team.

Veterans must be enrolled and eligible for VA health care benefits. Veterans must be able to return to the same site for their second dose. All Veterans are being reminded to not bring a visitor to their vaccine appointment unless medically necessary. Walk in clinics will remain available as supply allows. 

Underlying medical conditions include cancer, chronic kidney disease, COPD, heart failure, coronary artery disease, pregnancy, sickle cell disease, type 2 diabetes and more found here

Veterans may also visit https://www.miami.va.gov/services/covid-19-vaccines.asp for information and updates.

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