STATEMENT OF THE SECRETARY on THE PASSING OF SENATOR EDWARD M. KENNEDY
On behalf of the Department of Veterans Affairs and our Nation's Veterans, I extend
our deepest sympathy and heartfelt condolences to Senator Kennedy's wife and family.
With the passing of Senator Edward M. Kennedy, the Nation has lost a forceful,
compassionate voice for Veterans. Senator Ted Kennedy knew there are many ways
to serve our country and one was through military service. His life-long support
for homeless Veterans enabled VA to develop the Department's programs into a viable,
nationwide campaign.
A staunch advocate for education, he lent his voice and energy to the improvement
of educational benefits for generations of military members and Veterans, most
recently with the new Post-9/11 GI Bill. His forethought to broaden access to health
care was important to VA when the Department undertook a major reorganization of its
health care system earlier this decade.
Senator Kennedy's voice may have been silenced, but his message remains and his
commitment to public service will be an example for generations to come.
Round table discussion at Portland State University on the Post 9/11 GI Bill
Secretary Shinseki, Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Governor Kulongoski (D-OR) participated
in a round table discussion at Portland State University on the Post 9/11 GI Bill. More
than 100 Veterans and representatives from various service organizations attended the
event. The Secretary emphasized his commitment to ensuring Veterans are aware of the
benefits to which they are entitled. The Governor, who received his undergraduate education
and a law degree as a beneficiary of the GI bill was emphatic in his support as was the Senator.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki addressing Blinded Veterans Association Convention Opening in Portland, Ore.
Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki addressing Blinded Veterans Association Convention Opening in Portland, Ore.
Secretary Eric Shinseki addressed blinded veterans, their families, and some 250 VA
Blind Rehabilitation Service employees at the 64th annual gathering of the Blinded
Veterans Association in Portland, Oregon. The convention was highlighted by the
participation of 17 recently blinded service members from Operation Iraqi Freedom
and Operation Enduring Freedom as part of the Association's Operation Peer Support
initiative. The group was seated in the front row for Secretary Shinseki's keynote
speech that officially began the five-day event.
Jewish War Veterans National Commander Ira Novoselsky presents Assistant Secretary Duckworth with Rabbi Hillel's book "If Not Now, When". Rabbi Hillel was one of the most influential scholars in Jewish history.
VA Assistant Secretary for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs Speaks at the Jewish War Veterans National Convention
Tammy Duckworth, VA assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs,
addresses the Jewish War Veterans national convention in New Orleans, telling
conferees that "VA is committed to ensuring it has the necessary resources to
meet the health care needs of our Veterans. We have already begun the process
of transforming VA into a 21st century organization."
Secretary Shinseki interviews with VFW Communications Director Jerry Newberry
Secretary Shinseki Addresses the 110th Veterans of Foreign Wars Annual National Convention
Secretary Shinseki spoke to veterans at the 110th Veterans of Foreign Wars
Annual National Convention in Phoenix. He discussed issues that are important
to today's veterans and shared his vision for transforming VA into a
high-performing 21st century organization that serves Veterans by increasing
access to services and benefits, providing the highest quality of healthcare
available, and controlling costs.
Secretary Shinseki (left) greets Veterans after the Philadelphia Veterans Forum.
Philadelphia Forum Focuses on Veterans' Issues
Senator Arlen Specter (PA) and Secretary Shinseki participated in a Veterans Forum
Monday, August 17, at Drexel University in Philadelphia. The event attracted more
than 200 attendees and was the first of two Veterans town halls held the same day
in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania - the second coming some three hours later and
300 miles away in Pittsburgh. The forum included VA health care, disability and
retirement benefits, and education. Drexel University also held a Veterans educational
fair, with information for prospective students about the post-9/11 GI Bill and
Yellow Ribbon program.
Statement on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS):
Last September the Secretary of Veterans Affairs made amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) a presumptively compensable illness for all Veterans with 90 days or more of continuous active service in the military. As a result, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can now pay disability compensation to Veterans with ALS. Their survivors are also eligible for VA benefits.
In an effort to provide Veterans this new and much-needed support, VA sent notification letters to Veterans with ALS advising them of their potential eligibility for disability compensation benefits. On August 13, 2009, VA sent outreach letters to 1,864 Veterans and survivors across the country. Unfortunately, VA made a coding error and a number of Veterans who should not have received this letter did. The Department is reviewing individual claims files for all the recipients of this letter to identify those who received it by mistake.
VA employees are calling Veterans and survivors to ensure that they understand the purpose of the letter, explain why they mistakenly received the letter, and express VA's sincere apologies for the distress caused by this unfortunate and regrettable error.
Q + A:
How many Veterans have been affected?
Approximately one third of the letters VA sent were miscoded.
Will VA be issuing a formal apology?
Yes, the Department is calling all affected Veterans and will also be issuing them a formal letter of apology.
Why did Veterans who do not have ALS get letters?
VA used data and information from its data base to identify Veterans diagnosed with ALS or who had filed a claim for ALS, but were not currently receiving disability compensation benefits for the condition. However, as a result of problems in the codes VA used to identify these Veterans, VA sent the letter to some Veterans who do not have ALS.
What is VA doing to correct the mistake?
We are working to identify the specific problems that caused the misidentification of Veterans records. We will ensure any future data extracts for similar outreach purposes are properly formulated and independently validated to prevent these types of problems in the future.
Will Veterans be reimbursed for medical expenses incurred?
VA will reimburse Veterans who incurred expenses for medical evaluations conducted as a result of receiving an erroneous notification.
What will VA do to prevent this from happening again?
As a result of this incident, VA is creating a more rigorous process that includes thorough and careful screening of the data, comprehensive review and approval process that will include involvement from our stakeholders before release of notifications letters.
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