APRIL 23, 2020

Administration urged to

take care of veterans

during pandemic

NEWSLETTER SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS

SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF THE MILITARY

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

VA/Treasury Partnership ............ 2

VA/DOD Sharing Health Records 3

VA Telehealth ............................. 4

VA COVID-19 Research ............... 5

Social Security Update ................ 6

Social Security Update ................ 7

Upcoming Events ........................ 8

U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) wrote a letter call-ing on the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to take additional measures to make certain that at-risk veterans – including those exposed to burn-pits and other toxic substances – receive the care they need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. “Servicemembers who have been exposed to burn pits suffer from higher rates of asthma, emphysema, and rare lung disorders – making them particularly at risk for experiencing serious or potentially life-threatening symptoms should they contract coronavirus,” wrote the senators. “The VA estimates that over 3.5 mil-lion veterans have been ex-posed to burn pits, and over 200,000 veter-ans and ser-vicemembers have signed up for the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry to date. Given the significant number of at-risk veterans, it is critical that the VA prioritizes efforts to ensure that these brave men and women are able to safely receive care during the current pub-lic health crisis.”

P A G E 2 S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F V E T E R A N S A F F A I R S

Va partners with

treasury department to

deliver eip to veterans

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced today it is working directly with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Treasury Department to ensure delivery of ‘Economic Impact Payments’ to veterans who receive Compensation and Pension (C&P) benefit payments from VA without additional pa-perwork or IRS filings. The ‘Economic Impact Payments,’ authorized by the Treasury Department under the 2020 Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, will be issued automatically to recipients of non-taxable VA benefits who did not file annual income tax returns for 2018 or 2019. The VA and the IRS have been collab-orating since the passage of the CARES Act to ensure veterans receive their EIP. “Many have expressed concern that veterans and their beneficiaries would be overlooked during the distribution of Economic Impact Payments from the CARES Act simply because they don’t file an annual tax return,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This collaboration will ensure our veterans receive CARES Act payments without any additional action or paperwork required.” Economic Impact Payments will be automatic for non-tax filing VA beneficiaries. For VA beneficiaries who filed a Form 1040 for 2018 or 2019, those payments will also be automatic. No further action is need-ed. They can track the status of their payments on the Get My Payment tool on IRS.gov. For non-tax filing VA beneficiaries, please note their information will be loaded on this tool within the next few weeks. For VA beneficiaries who didn’t file a tax return in 2018 or 2019 and have a dependent, there is a special step they need to take, and the sooner the better. They should visit the Non-Filer: Enter Payment Info Here tool on IRS.gov. By quickly taking steps to enter information on the IRS website about them and their qualifying children, they can receive the $500 per dependent child payment in addition to their $1,200 indi-vidual payment. The VA recognizes that many non-tax filing beneficiaries have already begun using the IRS’ EIP payment portal to provide the necessary data to IRS to receive their EIP. There will be no interruption to payments being processed using the IRS portal, and veterans with internet access are encouraged to continue provid-ing information and track their EIP through the IRS portal. For those who do not have access, or choose not to use the IRS portal, their EIP will be processed with-out further action on their part. While no date for distribution has been set at this time, the VA is securely sharing necessary beneficiary data with Treasury which will allow Treasury to begin issuance of Economic Impact Payments. For more information on CARES Act ‘Economic Impact Payments,’ visit: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/economic-impact-payments-what-you-need-to-know.

P A G E 3 S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F V E T E R A N S A F F A I R S S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E M I L I T A R Y

Va and dod implement new

capability for

bidirectional sharing of

health records

On April 18, the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization (FEHRM) program office, U.S. Depart-ment of Veterans Affairs (VA) and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) launched a modernized health data sharing capability, enhancing both departments’ ability to securely exchange records with community health care partners. The joint DOD and VA health information exchange (HIE) allows providers in both departments to quick-ly and securely access electronic health record (EHR) data for their patients seen by a participating commu-nity partner or health system. Equally important, participating community providers now have a single point of entry to request and access DOD and VA electronic health records for use in their treatment of those patients. “The recent COVID-19 pandemic underlines the importance for clinicians on the front lines to quickly access a patient’s health record, regardless of where that patient previously received care,” said Dr. Neil Evans, the interim director of the Federal Electronic Health Record Modernization program office. “As the DOD and VA implement a single, common record, the joint health information exchange and the associat-ed expansion of community exchange partners is a critical step forward, delivering immediate value to all DOD and VA sites.” The benefits of the new joint HIE capability are currently available to all VA and DOD care providers and to all participating community partners. The joint HIE also provides a platform for future interoperability expansion, including connecting to CommonWell, a network of more than 15,000 community providers, expected later this year. As part of an effort to transform health care delivery for service members and veterans, the depart-ments are implementing a new electronic health record system at all their care facilities. By implementing the same EHR system and sharing the same health care data source, VA and DOD will document care from the time the patient enters the military through veteran care in one single, common health record. The joint HIE capability honors patient consent, so that health records of patients who opt out of sharing will not be exchanged through the HIE. For more information about VA and DOD’s electronic health record modernization program, visit https://www.ehrm.va.gov/ and https://www.health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency/Defense-Healthcare-Management-Systems.

P A G E 4 S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F V E T E R A N S A F F A I R S S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E M I L I T A R Y

Va telehealth grows

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) announced, veterans using VA Video Connect on their TracFone mobile phones through the T-Mobile network, will no longer pay for data while using video tele-health technology to connect and meet with their VA health care teams. TracFone Wireless, Inc is the fourth ma-jor wireless carrier to partner with VA to support veterans who are using VA Video Connect. T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon began en-abling veterans to use VA Video Connect without data charges in 2019. VA Video Connect enables veterans to video confer-ence with their VA providers on their smartphone, tablet or computer from any location with an internet connection. “Our goal at the VA is to provide the best health care experience for all veterans regardless of where they live,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This new partnership with TracFone increases access for veter-ans and ensures health care is accessible anywhere. Approximately 150,000 SafeLink customers can benefit from this application.” In fiscal year 2019, the VA provided 2.6 million telehealth episodes of care to more than 900,000 veter-ans, representing a 16% increase from the previous year in the number of veterans receiving care via VA’s telehealth services. Visit connected care for more information on VA’s telehealth programs. Visit VA’s telehealth programs for more information. https://connectedcare.va.gov

P A G E 5 S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F V E T E R A N S A F F A I R S S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E M I L I T A R Y

Va researchers to study

covid-19 in aging veterans

with dementia

Researchers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) Providence VA Medical Center began, early April, studying the effect of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on veterans living in VA Community Living Centers (CLCs). The National Institute on Aging awarded a $184,375 grant this month to the VA Center for Innovation in Long Term Services and Supports (LTSS-COIN). Researchers will focus on the potential effects of COVID-19 on nursing home patients with cognitive de-cline resulting primarily from dementia. The grant will allow researchers to examine risk factors for COVID-19 in these veterans, outcomes of in-tensive care use and how the virus spreads through a CLC – knowledge the VA will then use to better pro-tect this group of patients. “Veterans in our CLCs are among our most vulnerable patients,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “They’re counting on us to understand how this virus spreads and how it affects certain populations in these centers, and this timely grant will help us get there.” The study is one of several steps the VA is taking to pro-tect veterans living in CLCs, which are VA-operated nurs-ing facilities for patients who are unable to care for them-selves. CLC neighborhoods usual-ly accommodate eight to 12 Veterans with shared spaces for socializing, activities and meals. The VA responded quickly to ensure all CLCs complied with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance for dealing with COVID-19, which included ensuring social distancing and monitoring for elevated temperatures and other symptoms.

P A G E 6 S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F V E T E R A N S A F F A I R S S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E M I L I T A R Y

Social security annual

trust fund report The Social Security Board of Trustees has released its annual report on the long-term financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined asset reserves of the Old -Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASI and DI) Trust Funds are projected to become depleted in 2035, the same as projected last year, with 79 percent of benefits payable at that time. The OASI Trust Fund is projected to become depleted in 2034, the same as last year’s estimate, with 76 percent of benefits payable at that time. The DI Trust Fund is estimated to become depleted in 2065, extended 13 years from last year’s estimate of 2052, with 92 percent of benefits still payable. In the 2020 Annual Report to Congress, the Trustees announced:

• The asset reserves of the combined OASI and DI Trust Funds increased by $2.5 billion in 2019 to a total of $2.897 trillion.

• The total annual cost of the program is projected to exceed total annual income, for the first time since 1982, in 2021 and remain higher throughout the 75-year projection period. As a result, asset reserves are expected to decline during 2021. Social Security’s cost has exceeded its non-interest income since 2010.

• The year when the com-bined trust fund reserves are projected to become deplet-ed, if Congress does not act before then, is 2035 – the same as last year’s projec-tion. At that time, there would be sufficient income coming in to pay 79 percent of scheduled benefits.

“The projections in this year’s report do not reflect the potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Social Security program. Given the uncertainty associated with these impacts, the Trustees believe it is not possible to adjust estimates accurately at this time,” said Andrew Saul, Commissioner of Social Security. “The duration and severity of the pandemic will affect the estimates presented in this year ’s report and the financial status of the program, particularly in the short term.”

(Continued on next page.)

P A G E 7 S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F V E T E R A N S A F F A I R S S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E M I L I T A R Y

Social security annual

report (continued) Other highlights of the Trustees Report include: • Total income, including interest, to the combined OASI and DI Trust Funds amounted to $1.062 tril-

lion in 2019. ($944.5 billion from net payroll tax contributions, $36.5 billion from taxation of bene-fits, and $81 billion in interest)

• Total expenditures from the combined OASI and DI Trust Funds amounted to $1.059 tril-lion in 2019.

• Social Security paid benefits of $1.048 tril-lion in calendar year 2019. There were about 64 million beneficiaries at the end of the calendar year.

• The projected actuarial deficit over the 75-year long-range period is 3.21 percent of taxable payroll – higher than the 2.78 per-cent projected in last year’s report.

• During 2019, an estimated 178 million peo-ple had earnings covered by Social Security and paid payroll taxes.

• The cost of $6.4 billion to administer the Social Security program in 2019 was a very low 0.6 percent of total expenditures.

• The combined Trust Fund asset reserves earned interest at an effective annual rate of 2.8 percent in 2019.

The Board of Trustees usually comprises six members. Four serve by virtue of their positions with the federal government: Steven T. Mnuchin, Secretary of the Treasury and Managing Trustee; Andrew Saul,

Commissioner of Social Security; Alex M. Azar II, Secretary of Health and Human Services; and Eugene Scalia, Secretary of Labor. The two pub-lic trustee positions are currently vacant. View the 2020 Trustees Report at www.socialsecurity.gov/OACT/TR/2020/. View an infographic about the program’s long-term financial outlook at www.socialsecurity.gov/policy/social-security-long-term-financial-outlook.html.

P A G E 8 S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F V E T E R A N S A F F A I R S S O U T H D A K O T A D E P A R T M E N T O F T H E M I L I T A R Y

May 8—VABHHCS VSO Congressional Forum—10:00 am (MT) May 10—Mothers Day May 25—MJFSVH Memorial Day Car Show—MJFSVH Campus—Hot Springs—11:30 am—3:00 pm (MT) May 25—Memorial Day May 25—State Offices closed Jun 3-7—VFW State Convention—Aberdeen Jun 14—Flag Day Jun 21—Fathers Day Jun 27—DAV State Convention—DAV Headquarters—Sioux Falls Jul 6—Black Hills National Cemetery Unaccompanied Veterans Memorial Service—9:00 am (MT) Jul 10—VABHHCS VSO Congressional Forum—Bldg. 145—Room 108—Fort Meade VAMC—10:00 am (MT) Aug 22—Midwest Honor Flight—Mission 7 Aug 24-27—SDDVA Annual Benefit School—Ramkota Conference Center—Pierre Sep 3—Veterans Day at the SD State Fair Sep 3-7—SD State Fair Sep 5—Midwest Honor Flight—Mission 8 Sep 11—VABHHCS VSO Congressional Forum—VFW Post 1273—Rapid City—10:00 am (MT) Sep 19—Midwest Honor Flight—Mission 9 Oct 10—Midwest Honor Flight—Mission 10 Oct 26-30—National Summit on Women Veterans Issues (more information coming) Nov 13—VABHHCS VSO Congressional Forum—Domiciliary Auditorium—Hot Springs VAMC—10:00 am (MT)

Audry Ricketts, Public Information Officer

South Dakota Department of the Military http://military.sd.gov

South Dakota Department of Veterans Affairs http://vetaffairs.sd.gov

Soldiers and Sailors Building - 425 E Capitol Avenue

Pierre, SD 57501

Phone: 605-773-8242

E-mail address: audry.ricketts@state.sd.us

Upcoming events