Senate Passes Veterans' Benefits Act

Army, Jun 2008

The Veterans' Benefits Enhancement Act of 2007, approved by the Veterans' Affairs Committee in June 2007 and reported to the full Senate in August, finally passed on April 24 by a vote of 96 to 1. The bill stalled for months as lawmakers debated authorizing $220 million to increase and expand VA benefits for Filipino veterans of World War II living in the Philippines. After World War II, the VA originally recognized Filipino veterans, but a 1946 law limited full benefits only to those who came to the United States.

A proposed amendment that would strip the Filipino pensions and spend the money on benefits for American combat veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan was defeated by a 56 to 41 vote with the urging of Sen. Ted Stevens (R-AK). He said he was speaking on behalf of himself and the other four World War II veterans serving in the Senate-Sens. Daniel Akaka (D-HI), Daniel Inouye (D-HI), Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) and John Warner (R-VA)-when he said denying the Filipino pensions "is a wrong that has to be rectified."

Among the many improvements to veterans' benefits across the board are provisions to:

* Raise supplemental burial benefits to $2,100 in the case of a service-connected death and $900 for a non-servicerelated death.

* Expand eligibility for retroactive traumatic injury coverage under Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance for qualifying injuries.

* Increase the VA home mortgage life insurance rates to $200,000 by 2012.

* Speed up the award of special adaptive housing benefits to certain individuals (currently serving, including burn victims) who may be released from active duty due to the extent of their disabilities.

* Extend through 2009 an increase in benefits for veterans pursuing apprenticeships or on-the-job training.

The House of Representatives is preparing its version of the legislation.

Counseling No Threat to Security Clearance. In an attempt to encourage troops to seek counseling for combat stress, the DoD has announced a change on the Office of Personnel Management's Standard Form 86, Questionnaire for National security Positions. Question 21 on that form asks applicants if they have consulted with a healthcare professional regarding an emotional- or mentalhealth condition or have been hospitalized for such a condition within the last seven years. If so, they must provide details. Marriage, family or grief counseling not related to violent behavior-unless it was court ordered-is exempt, and the applicant can answer no. The revised question adds another exemption: The applicant is instructed to answer no if the counseling was "strictly related to adjustments from service in a military combat environment."

The amendment applies only to military applicants. The revised wording has been distributed and will be attached to the cover of the questionnaire; it will not appear on printed forms until the DoD uses up its current supply.

An Army Inspector General's report last year indicated that soldiers were hesitant to receive counseling because they feared losing their security clearances. The Pentagon says the perception that admitting a mental-health problem will have an impact on security clearance is much greater than the reality.

According to DoD, less than 1 percent of nearly 1 million forms submitted annually are denied clearance based solely on mental-health information. Applicants can be refused a clearance if they are addicted to a controlled substance, have been convicted of a crime and imprisoned, are mentally incompetent, or have been dishonorably discharged.

The DoD estimates that up to 20 percent of more than 1.6 million servicemembers who returned from service in Iraq and Afghanistan have mental-health problems. Private as well as government studies have determined that only about half of those who need help are asking for assistance.

A recent online survey conducted by the American Psychiatric Association revealed that more than 90 percent of servicemembers believe treatment can help those with mental-health issues while about 60 percent believe treatment would hurt their career.

Amending the security clearance questionnaire is the latest in a series of military efforts aimed at reducing the stigma associated with seeking mental-health counseling. Last year a chain-teaching program throughout the Army taught some 900,000 soldiers how to recognize and respond to symptoms of traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Other initiatives include psychological preparation before and during deployment and access to treatment before, during and after deployment. The Army Surgeon General established the Proponency Office for Behavioral Health to coordinate programs and resources. At the annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association in Washington, D.C., in May, the director of the office, Col. Elspeth C. Ritchie, said one of the simplest ways to reduce the stigma of seeking and receiving treatment for combat stress is to change the way it is talked about. "We've gone away from the term 'mental health' to either behavioral health or psychological health," she said.