President’s Message
Fellow Officers:
Summer has arrived and with it your Chapter
will take a break as you take yours. Many of you have shared with
me some wonderful plans for summer vacations. Trips to Italy, Alaska,
Scandinavia and many others both in the United States and abroad are being
planned and enjoyed. I wish you all a wonderful summer and look forward
to seeing you in September when we resume our activities for the remainder
of the year. Rumor has it that “Holly” is planning something special
for our September meeting. Stay tuned. The September meeting
of the board of directors will be held on September 11th at “Deuce” McGee’s
on Shore Drive.
The end of the school year has come and
gone. As of last count, we presented Gold Bars to 51 graduating seniors
who were commissioned in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps at ODU, Norfolk
State and Hampton University. We also presented MOAA Leadership Certificates
and Medals to the outstanding Cadet at the three universities and 10 NJROTC
programs at the area high schools we support. Kudo’s to Dave Wade
and Jim Smith who coordinated this effort and to the officers who made
the presentations at the schools.
Now it has come time to ask for your help.
As you know, John Vermillion has been editor and publisher of our newsletter
for many years. The time has come for John to turn this responsibility
over to another. Computer literacy is necessary as is familiarity
with Microsoft Word and preferably Microsoft Publisher. You may begin
this venture by working with John for a few months and then he will work
with you for several months after you assume responsibility. For
more information please contact John by phone or email. He will be
happy to discuss this with you. I am sure you are aware that during
the years John has been our editor the newsletter has won awards from MOAA
each and every year. There is probably no other effort that is more
important to the continued success of our chapter than good communications.
The newsletter and our website, so ably operated by Clif Furedy, are the
core of our communications effort. Please consider seriously
serving our chapter in this capacity. I know many of you are competent
and able to perform this task – please take a look inside and see if you
can add “willing” to that equation.
Again, have a great summer and I look forward
to seeing all of you in September.
Respectfully,
Norm
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HRCMOAA Directory
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| MOAA Legislative Update
(Weekly Issue) |
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| 21% Medicare Cut Is Here |
| Despite far too many months of legislative
thrashing, the saga of the 21% cut in Medicare and TRICARE payments to
doctors is about to take a turn for the worse. In late May, we reported
that the House of Representatives managed to pass a fix as part of the
American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act (H.R. 4213).
The good news is that, unlike the month-to-month
fixes Congress has adopted recently, the new House-passed plan would prevent
any cuts through the end of 2011, and substitute 2% payment increases for
2010 and 2011.
The bad news is that the House's delay
in passing it until just before the Memorial Day recess caused the Senate
to delay the start of its consideration until June 8 - a week after the
June 1 implementation date for the 21% payment cut.
Medicare officials came to the interim
rescue -- announcing they would exercise their administrative authority
to hold up processing of new claims for the first two weeks of June, in
hopes Congress could pass corrective legislation within that time.
But continued haggling over amendments
and costs sent that faint hope crashing, as Senate leaders announced the
Senate won't vote until next week - beyond the date Medicare is allowed
to hold up claims processing. And even assuming the Senate gets a successful
vote, House and Senate leaders still will have to negotiate a new compromise
between their different versions of the bill, and that compromise will
have to be approved again by both chambers.
Given that scenario, Medicare will have
little choice but to implement the 21% payment cut as of June 15 - retroactive
for Medicare-covered service since June 1. While that's extremely
regrettable, it's not the end of the world.
In fact, the same thing happened in January
2006, when Congressional dithering past the deadline caused Medicare to
implement payment cuts. After Congress eventually passed a fix several
weeks later, Medicare reprocessed the claims and made retroactive payment
increases to doctors.
But Congress' inaction forced doctors to
float an interim loan to the government for the payment differential. And
the 2006 cut was only about 4% -- a far cry from the current 21% cuts,
so doctors are going to be very unhappy.
TRICARE beneficiaries under 65 and their
doctors can take some consolation, since this is strictly a Medicare problem,
at least for now. That's because TRICARE normally implements payment changes
about a month after Medicare does. So as long as Congress fixes the problem
within a month, payments should be seamless for TRICARE.
But the payment delays and administrative
hassles can only make doctors more reluctant about seeing Medicare and
TRICARE patients alike. |
| Update on TRICARE Retired Reserve |
The FY2010 Defense Authorization Act,
at the urging of MOAA and The Military Coalition, established the TRICARE
Retired Reserve (TRR) program to provide TRICARE coverage for "gray-area"
retirees (retired Guard/Reserve members who haven't yet attained age 60).
The program is the final step in providing Guard/Reservists continuous
TRICARE coverage throughout and after their military careers. To be eligible
for TRR, a member must meet the following requirements:
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Qualified for a non-regular retirement at
age 60 but is not yet age 60
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Not enrolled or eligible to enroll in Federal
Health Employees Benefits Program (FEHBP)
The program was authorized to begin on October
1 of this year, and TRICARE officials say they expect enrollment will begin
on schedule.
One potential snag is the administrative
process of placing this program in the federal register.
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
needs to approve an interim final ruling before the Pentagon can begin
implementing TRR. MOAA and the Coalition have written OMB Director Peter
Orszag urging expeditious action to allow TRR implementation on schedule.
TRR coverage will be exactly the same as
TRICARE Standard (which covers 75% of allowable charges after a deductible
of $150 single/$300 family), except that eligible beneficiaries will be
required to pay a premium.
Unlike the existing TRICARE Reserve Select
(TRS) program - in which premiums are 72% subsidized by the government
- gray area retirees will be responsible for paying premiums equal to the
full cost of coverage.
MOAA will provide updates on implementation
progress as information becomes available. |
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| From The Legislative Representative.
Col Jack W. Hilgers, USMC Ret |
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| The Hampton Roads Chapter MOAA will provide
the following list of Objectives for consideration for the VCOC/JLC 2011
Legislative Proposals at the State level. This list is not prioritized.
1. Objective: Sustain funding for
the development of the Automated Claims Processing System.
2. Objective: Sustain funding
for the Virginia Wounded Warrior Program.
3. Objective: Provide funding
to sustain the Department of Veterans Services Cemetery Program.
4. Objective: Deliver a means
by which veteran job seekers can translate their skills and habits into
the civilian workforce.
5. Objective: Provide for
a program to identify and assist homeless Veterans. |
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| Gold Bar Presentations |
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| The Hampton Roads Chapter MOAA recently
participated in the spring awards ceremony for the Naval Reserve Officer
Training Corps of Hampton Roads. CAPT Jim Jones, USN Ret presented
Gold Bars to 32 Officer Candidates, Midshipmen, and MECEPs in a ceremony
held at NSU in Norfolk. In addition, all received a one year free
membership to National MOAA. Also in attendance was CDR John Vermillion,
USN Ret, Photographer. Jim is shown presenting Gold Bars and MOAA
membership to Officer Candidate Jacqueline Gulla, a senior at ODU.
Shown to the left is Vice Admiral Melvin G. Williams Jr., USN, Commander,
U.S. Second Fleet. |
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Shown above, Staff Sgt. Joshua Fisher.
Shown below, Midshipman Brad Kuharik. |
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Military ID Card Notification Program
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| This program is designed to help Chapter
members and their dependent’s to renew their ID cards in a timely
fashion. Once you and your dependents are enrolled, you will
be notified of your impending ID card expiration date in sufficient time
for renewal prior to the expiration date.
Note: Over age 75 members, who
are eligible uniform family members and survivors of deceased personnel
are now eligible for Permanent Identification Cards. Apply within
90 days of expiration of current ID card. |
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| To enroll in this voluntary program, fill
in the form at the link below for each dependent and Send by Email or Print
and Mail to: Military ID Card Notification Program, HRCMOAA, P.O. Box 4612,
Virginia Beach, VA 23454-0612. |
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| NJROTC |
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| The Hampton Roads Chapter Military Officers
Association participated in the Norfolk High Schools NJROTC Awards Day
held at the Norfolk Naval Station on 03 June 2010. The MOAA Military
Leadership Award, consisting of a Certificate and Medal, was presented
by CDR Earl Byers, USN Ret. The students receiving the award
are, from the left, Cadet Jaiquan Sivells, Booker T. Washington
H.S.; Cadet Jadon McGee, Granby H.S.; Cadet Wright, Lake
Taylor H.S.; Cadet Richard Barrera, Maury H.S.; Cadet Nicole
Cooper, Norview H.S. These events are always a rewarding experience
for both the presenter and the awardees. |
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Color Guard honoring World War II Honor Flight
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| The photo below was taken following the
presentation of HRCMOAA Certificates of Appreciation to the ROTC cadets
for their participation in the Color Guard honoring World War II Honor
Flight veterans departing Virginia Beach for Washington. D.C.
Shown from the left, COL James A. Smith,
USA-Ret. HRCMOAA, who presented the certificates to; Cadet Jonn Lane,
Cadet
Bradley R. Anderson, Cadet Mark D. Beyer, Cadet Charles
E. Boone, and Cadet Charleston Wallace. Cadet Wallace
was the Color Guard Commander. |
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2010 AROTC Awards at ODU
A Rewarding Experience!
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| Every spring at this time, the U.S. Army
ROTC Monarch Battalion at Old Dominion University, holds their annual President’s
Review and Awards Ceremony. Again, the weather cooperated with a
beautiful spring day on this 22nd day of April. The Hampton
Roads Chapter Military Officers Association of America was honored to be
one of the many award presenters at the ceremony. Shown above is
COL
James Smith, USA Ret. presenting the MOAA Leadership Award to
Cadet
Stephanie Corsaro. The award consist of a Certificate and Medal
with Ribbon for outstanding Academic and Military Achievement and showing
a high potential for military leadership. Stephanie is a Junior at
ODU and is majoring in Nursing. |
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Salem High School NJROTC
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| The Hampton Roads Chapter representative,
CAPT
Jim Jones, USN Ret. presents Cadet LCDR Gabriel Pancho, shown
in the picture below on the right, with the MOAA Military Leadership Award.
The Chapter presents this award to outstanding cadets at each of five high
schools in Virginia Beach and five in Norfolk. |
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MOAA Scholarship Fund
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| Memorial contributions may be made to the MOAA Scholarship Fund, for
deceased members of our Chapter, at Dept 889, Alexandria, VA 22334-0889.
Contributions may also be made at www.moaa.org.
Or you may call 800-234-6622. |
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Virginia Wounded Warrior Program
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How can I help?
Virginia has provided a limited amount of funding for the Wounded Warrior
Program. The Commonwealth anticipates that its citizens will want to help.
The Virginia Veterans Services Foundation is available to receive contributions
to support the Program. The Foundation is an agency of the state
and is eligible to receive tax deductible contributions under Internal
Revenue Service Section 170 (c) and Code of Virginia Section 2.2-2719.
Donations are placed in the Veterans Services Fund and cannot revert to
the Commonwealth’s General Fund. In this case, they only can be used for
the Wounded Warrior Program. Donations to the Foundation are audited
annually by the Commonwealth’s Auditor of Public Accounts. This assures
that the maximum amount of citizens donations will go to our veterans and
not to administrative overhead. Information about contributing is
provided on the following page.
Contribution/Pledge of Support
Yes! You can count on my support to assist Virginia’s veterans, members
of the Virginia National Guard, Virginia residents of the Armed Forces
Reserves not on active federal service, and their family members, who are
dealing with the effects of traumatic brain disorders, combat stress, and
post-traumatic stress disorders resulting from their combat service and
sacrifice in the U.S. Armed Forces.
I am enclosing/pledging my most generous contribution in the amount
of:
__ $1,000 __ $500 __ $250 __ $100
__ $50 __ Other $________
Please make checks payable to:
Virginia Veterans Services Foundation
For: VWWP: 900 East Main Street, Ground Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219
Your contribution is tax exempt under Internal Revenue Service Section
170 (c) and Code of Virginia Section 2.2.2719. Donations are placed in
the Veterans Services Fund and cannot revert to the Commonwealth’s General
Fund. Please complete the following five lines for contributions
of checks or cash, or when making a pledge.
Name(s) ______________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________
Home Phone _______________________
Work Phone _______________________
Email_______________________________________
Employer __________________________
Occupation ________________________
For additional information about the Foundation or about contributing,
contact Col. Jack Hilgers (USMC, Ret) at the Department of Veterans
Services, 900 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, 804-382-3715 or 757-481-4164
or Steven Combs at the Department of Veterans Services, 804-786-0294. |
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HRCMOAA 21 May Luncheon
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| The luncheon was held at the NAS Oceana
Officers Club and the guest speaker was CAPT Frank Roberts, USN
Ret. Executive Director of Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facility
Alliance. He discussed the organizations purpose and goals.
Frank showed that the Federal Government spends approximately 24 Billion
dollars in this area. That is almost 50 cents on every dollar spent
in the area. In the Defense spending area, Virginia is number
2 behind Texas. The top 5 current issues are; Stability of Home Porting,
Future of Oceana, Future of Langley AF Base, Future viability of Langley
Research Center, and Growth Opportunities. |
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| Shown above is MAJ Norm Crews presenting
the Jefferson cup to CAPT Frank Roberts. |
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Recruiting for MOAA and the Chapter
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| The Hampton Roads Chapter MOAA (HRCMOAA)
worked the MOAA booth on 11- 13 May 2010, along with National MOAA,
at the Joint Warfighting 2010 Conference at the Convention Center in Virginia
Beach, VA. This Conference is sponsored jointly by AFCEA International
and the U. S. Naval Institute. The purpose of the MOAA booth is to
make the attendees aware of MOAA’s mission and what we can do for them.
The Chapter and MOAA representatives explained the advantages of becoming
a member and how MOAA helps to maintain a strong national defense and retain
the earned entitlements of members and their families and survivors.
Eligible attendees were encouraged, as first time members, to sign for
a one year free membership. Shown above, from the left, is LTCOL
Henry Hill, USA Ret., MOAA Representative, CAPT Jim Jones, USN
Ret., Chapter VCOC Representative, COL Bob Norton, USA Ret., MOAA
Representative and Deputy Director of Government Relations, and CAPT
Jack Colgan, USN Ret., Chapter Membership Chairman. The Give
Me Ten program benefits MOAA and the Chapter. |
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HRCMOAA, April 29th Luncheon
at Harbors Edge in Norfolk, VA
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| The guest speaker at the luncheon was
CAPT Kathy Beasley, USN Ret. CAPT Beasley is the MOAA Government
Relations for Health Affairs. She discussed TRICARE, Medicare, and
the impact of Health Care Reform. Areas highlighted were; Medicare
payment fix, Medicare part B premiums, Tricare & VA care. She
noted that TRICARE meets the standards laid down in the Health Care Reform
bill. Chapter President, MAJ Norm Crews is shown presenting
the Jefferson Cup to CAPT Beasley in the above picture. |
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| Other guests at the luncheon were from
the Norfolk State University Army ROTC and Old Dominion University Army
ROTC. In the picture above is LTC Nicholas M. Anthony Jr.,
US Army Aviation and Professor of Military Science and Leadership at NSU.
The Cadets, who are both Juniors at NSU, are Sergeant First Class Roger
Garay and Master Sergeant Juelisa Hines. |
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| In the picture above is MAJ Michael
Summers, XO Department of Military Science and Leadership at ODU.
The Cadets are Cadet Elizabeth Hayward a Senior at ODU and Cadet
Stephanie Corsaro a Junior at ODU. |
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Chapter Schedule
For the most current and up-to-date schedule
of chapter events,
click on Calendar
of Events
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| Board Meetings; normally held the
first Saturday of each month. Next board meeting will be in September. |
| There will be no functions scheduled for
July and August. The next function will be held in September 2010,
program and location to be determined.
VCOC Schedule
8 July 2010, near Quantico at the Globe
& Laurel Restaurant, Quantico Corporate Center. Hosted by the
Heritage Chapter. Contact Jim Jones our VCOC Representative if interested
in attending. The time is from 1000 hours to 1400 hours. |
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IN MEMORIUM
Mrs. Barbara Lott,
wife of COL Kirby J. Lott, USA (Ret).
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