Data released by the National Health Interview Survey on Veterans Day had good news for everyone who has served in uniform: the number of veterans without health insurance declined rapidly in the last few years. The survey, conducted by the Urban Institute, found that uninsured status among non-elderly veterans dropped from 12 percent in 2013 to 8.6 percent in 2014. This is the first published research on how the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has affected veterans.
The institute's prior research discovered in 2010, before the ACA's coverage provisions were implemented, that more than 1 million non-elderly veterans lacked health insurance. When compared to former military members with veterans insurance, uninsured veterans reported that they had much less access to the kinds of health care required to treat a variety of mental and physical ailments.
This month marks the start of the third ACA open enrollment period, and it appears veterans are taking advantage of the new ACA and Medicaid coverage options open to them, as well as the choice of additional enrollment in military insurance plans available from the Department of Veterans Affairs. Since the ACA went into effect, more than 16 million previously uninsured Americans have received coverage, according to the Washington Post, while costing $142 billion less than the Congressional Budget Office expected.
Until the Urban Institute released their survey, it wasn't yet known if the number of uninsured veterans would follow the same pattern as that of the general population. Now it's obvious that improvements have been made. But there is still more to do. In 2014, 1 in 11 veterans still reported they were uninsured. The institute noted that if more states expand their Medicaid programs the number will continue to decline significantly, but in the meantime, insurance for veterans continues to be a work in progress.
At a ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Thursday, President Obama awarded Capt. Florent A. Groberg the Congressional Medal of Honor. In Afghanistan in Aug. 2012, Capt. Groberg was serving as the head of a personal security detachment in the Fourth Infantry Division when the group of senior commanders he was escorting on foot through Kunar Province was approached by an individual with his back turned to the group.
Capt. Groberg's Medal of Honor citation states that the man made a sudden turn towards their formation, a suspicious bulge visible beneath his dark clothes. Rushing the man without any regard for his own safety, the captain confirmed that the bulge was a suicide vest. He selflessly tackled the bomber down and away from the security detail. Upon hitting the ground, the bomber's dead man switch detonated the vest, killing four of Capt. Groberg's fellow soldiers and wounding him desperately. The explosion triggered a second bomber's vest nearby, but it did little damage.
The citation credits Capt. Groberg's heroism with minimizing the severity of the coordinated suicide attack. He saved the lives of many of his comrades and senior leaders. The New York Times reported that the extent of the injuries to his legs, which required 33 surgeries over three years, did not keep the captain from standing at attention while his president awarded him our country's greatest commendation.
"A day after Veterans Day, we honor this American veteran whose story – like so many of our vets and wounded warriors – speaks not only of gallantry on the battlefield, but resilience here at home," said Obama. Capt. Groberg retired from the Army earlier this year. Even in his life after military service, he has chosen to continue to serve, now as a civilian in the Department of Defense.
On Nov. 12, Marine Corps veteran Guy Valentino broke the Guinness World Record for most pull-ups in 24-hours. According to ABC 7 News, Valentino decided to attempt the feat to draw attention to Veterans Operation Wellness, an organization that encourages veterans to use fitness as a method of healing from mental and physical combat-related injuries.
"Each pull-up is for that one Marine, that one sailor, that one solider that feels like they don't have a voice or that is suffering from PTSD or suicidal thoughts," Valentino told People Magazine.
People Magazine wrote that Valentino began his pull-ups at 9 a.m. on Nov. 11 and was cut off by Guinness World Record officials at 9 am. on Nov. 12.
In 24 hours, Valentino finished 5,862 pull-ups, which beat the previous record by 61 pull-ups. Hundreds of veterans gathered in Times Square in New York City as part of America's Parade celebration and many of them cheered the 37-year-old Valentino on as he worked to beat the record, reported ABC News 7.
Valentino told the news source that he was going to celebrate his victory by getting acupuncture and a massage for his sore muscles.
At Arlington National Cemetery on Nov. 11, President Obama laid a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. During this Veterans Day ceremony, he also spoke on veterans issues. The president talked about the "new generation of veterans," the former servicemembers coming out of America's longest period of active combat. Though he made sure to outline the positive progress made for veterans, he made it clear he was still unsatisfied.
"We have made historic investments to boost the VA budget, expand benefits, offer more mental health care and improved care for our wounded warriors, especially those with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury," Obama said in his speech.
Obama said there was much work to be done in the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to the New York Post. The president noted that moving forward, the administration would focus on veteran employment and homelessness. He also voiced a plan to focus on lowering the veterans suicide rate. Stars and Stripes also reported that Obama made a comment about bringing more troops home in the coming months.
The overall tone of the address was positive, but the president made it clear that there was much room for improvement.
Seth Jordan is no ordinary brewer. A veteran of multiple combat tours with the U.S. Marine Corps, Jordan is the founder of Dog Tag Brewing Co., a non-profit run by veterans that, in a drive to expand awareness of those who lost their lives defending this country, displays the story of a fallen warrior on every beer can. All the proceeds are donated to remembrance organizations chosen by the families of the servicemen and women featured on the cans.
"It's to make sure that the folks we lost are never forgotten," Jordan told USA Today. "And it's about celebrating their lives rather than focusing on their death."
Since it first launched, Dog Tag has expanded from featuring only a few families on its cans to more than 600. Jordan insists on speaking with every family that requests their loved one's story be told so as to truly understand what they were like not only as warriors, but as people.
So far the brewing company has proved a major success. Dog Tag's first runs of its India pale ale and pilsner are already depleted. Jordan said that he is in the process of talking with a major distributor to extend Dog Tag's reach nationwide. "Random Americans will be in a position to learn about people's loved ones," he told the paper. "And the families enjoy that."
Dog Tag isn't the only veteran-run brewery achieving success. Veteran Beer Co., which started up in Cold Spring, Minnesota two years ago, is a brewery run by Paul Jenkins, a disabled Navy veteran. Jenkins doesn't drink, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, but he wanted to create jobs for veterans and thought crafting beer was an excellent way to do it.
Jenkins hopes to employ 3,500 veterans in regional breweries by 2017. For men and women who love beer and are looking for unique work in their life after service, veteran breweries are worth a toast or two.
Gov. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia chose Veterans Day as the right time to announce that his state was the first in the country to fully end homelessness among military veterans, as defined by the federal government. The Washington Post reported that the homelessness designation signifies that there are no homeless veterans in Virginia who haven't turned down offers for state-sponsored housing. Those veterans who rejected the offers are not included in the calculation.
As part of meeting the federal government's designation, a state is required to find a residence for a veteran within 90 days of their homeless status, in addition to having more homes available than there are identified homeless veterans, in case new men or women should need shelter in their life after service. Virginia is the first state to fully meet these requirements. Syracuse and Schenectady in New York, as well as Las Vegas, have also met the criteria.
The Post stated that Virginia's House of Delegates has invested almost $2 million to fight veteran homelessness and improve educational benefits and employment programs since last year. In 2014, several cities in the state participated in a 100 day federal challenge to improve the homeless situation. By the end of the 100 days, 462 veterans had homes or were in the process of getting one.
On Nov. 11, a large group of veterans protested in Washington, D.C. to advocate the usage of medical marijuana in treating the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Currently, the Veterans Administration does not allow former servicemembers the option of medical marijuana to its patients. However, the veterans that marched on Veterans Day 2015 told Fox 5 News that they felt it was unjust to limit treatment options when an average of 22 veterans a day commit suicide.
"A patient should have the right to choose the best health care to save his life," Brandon Wyatt, an Army veteran, told The Huffington Post. "Because we hate cannabis so much, we're willing to let 22 veterans die per day? How can you ignore that?"
Wyatt and the other protestors advocate for the use of medical marijuana because of studies that have shown its effectiveness in reducing the severity of PTSD symptoms. Many of the former servicemembers also stated that they preferred the organic treatment to the heavy doses of pharmaceuticals.
After marching as a group down Pennsylvania Avenue, they stopped at the Veterans Affairs Headquarters and tossed thousands of empty pill bottles onto the ground to signify their displeasure with prescription drugs, according to The Huffington Post.
Servicemembers dedicate a significant portion of their lives to the military. No matter the time spent in service, the level of commitment is deep and lasting. Leaving the military for a civilian life after service can be intimidating to anyone. After years of getting orders and following strict regimens, the new freedoms may be a bit overwhelming. AFBA has listed a few areas former servicemembers can strive for when they enter civilian life.
Pursue education
With the benefits from the GI Bill and the number of scholarships available to veterans, a higher education degree is more attainable than ever before. Many campuses also have veteran student associations to help former servicemembers achieve academic success and make a smooth transition. Higher education and certifications can make the process of obtaining a civilian degree a little easier.
Start a career
If education isn't for you, then you could always begin your civilian career. Many veterans centers offer career counseling and resume help to assist you with translating the skills you developed in the military to civilian skills. The VA and other sites also have job boards for places that are interested in hiring veterans. A career is one of the best ways to find your place in civilian society.
Focus on finances
Among the things that will change in your transition to life after service are your finances. Be sure to talk to your exit counselor about the difference in taxes, establishing a retirement place, transferring benefits and budgeting for a new income.
Help other veterans
One of the most rewarding things you can do after service is use your new free time to assist others who are in the same boat as you. Volunteer to offer advice to other veterans making the transition or form a support group so you can all help each other through the ups and downs of civilian life. Most veterans say the hardest part of the switch is the feeling of isolation. You can be the one to make a veteran feel welcome in civilian life.
The military opens a lot of doors for its servicemembers, and these opportunities continue when they leave to enter life after service. Veterans and retired servicemembers can use the skills they learned during service to establish rich, fulfilling lives for themselves outside the military. You can always check your local veterans association for more civilian opportunities.
As part of the federal government's campaign to honor those who served and to highlight the efforts made to support them on Veterans Day, officials from multiple agencies have come forward today to discuss areas where progress has been made and to address those places where more is still needed.
White House officials have pointed to decreased backlog in the Department of Veterans Affairs, significant gains made in eradicating veteran homelessness – the New York Times reported that Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe is set to announce that his state, along with Connecticut and cities like Syracuse and Las Vegas, has ended veteran homelessness – and the fact that veterans can now get in-state tuition at colleges all around the country regardless of where they live, as definitive achievements made in the last few years.
Kristie Canegallo, deputy chief of staff for implementation at the White House, told the Department of Defense that progress had been made in health care, benefits and job opportunities as part of President Barack Obama's plan to help veterans. The Veterans Administration, she said, has received more staff, bigger payrolls to include more working hours, and is more engaged with local communities nationwide to better deliver care for men and women in their life after service. Ms. Canegallo acknowledged there was still a long way to go, particularly in paring down the bureaucracy in the VA. She hoped that Congress would "rationalize these programs" to increase the VA's efficiency going forward.
There is still plenty of work to be done, but veterans are finally receiving the attention they're due. Whether its the national crusade to end veteran homelessness or the fact that, since the post-9/11 GI Bill was instituted in 2009, almost $58 billion in education benefits has been extended to veterans, it seems that the country is fully behind its men and women in uniform.
On the eve of Veteran's Day, the Senate passed an $80 billion spending bill which increases funds for veterans' programs and military base construction projects. The Associated Press reported that the measure, which was delayed for months by fierce negotiations over the federal budget, is the first spending bill the Senate has passed all year.
The bill received unanimous support in a 93-0 vote. It will now proceed into House-Senate negotiations and probably join 11 additional spending bills as part of a massive $1.1 trillion budget vehicle. An extra $2 billion was added to the bill as part of the bipartisan budget agreement agreed to last month by President Obama and leaders of both parties on Capitol Hill. The Veterans Administration's budget for medical services, many of them covered under veterans insurance, was increased to $51 billion.
The measure was one of two military-related bills that went through the Senate on Tuesday. A revised National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) worth $607 billion passed in a 91-3 vote, according to The Hill. President Obama had originally vetoed the bill over concerns about new war funds, but it seems unlikely that the new bill, even with its language barring the transfer of prisoners from Guantanamo Bay – a campaign promise of the President's – will meet the same fate.