For Your Benefit
For and about Hawaii's military
See also: In The Military
Cooperation between
departments helps vetsQuestion: I am retired military and have utilized both the departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense for my needs. Both appear to have completely different systems for delivering health care. Are there any efforts to merge the two systems to make things easier?
Answer: The VA and the DOD are working on several initiatives to improve services and benefits to military members and veterans. Leo S. Mackey, Jr., deputy secretary of Veterans Affairs, and David Chu, undersecretary of defense for personnel, chair a joint council. The two departments plan to share information about their respective populations, providing a first-ever opportunity to see the same universe of active duty, separated, retired and reserve members. By creating a single, reliable data source, VA can provide veterans with faster, more consistent and more efficient access to health care, claims processing and memorial benefits.
The two departments have been working to develop a common health information infrastructure comprised of standardized data, and uniform policies for communications, security and high-performance health information systems.
The VA and Department of Defense will begin a test in October that will allow certain TRICARE beneficiaries to receive routine prescription drug refills by mail from VA's regional consolidated mail-out pharmacy facilities. Using health and benefit-focused working groups, the agency's Joint Executive Council will continue to fine tune existing agreements, find new areas for partnership and look for more effective methods to deliver benefits and services to our nation's military and veteran populations.
If you have questions about your benefits as a veteran,
call Fred Ballard at the Veterans Affairs at 433-0049
or the Star-Bulletin at 529-4747.Gregg K. Kakesako, who covers military affairs for the Star-Bulletin,
can be reached by phone at 294-4075
or by e-mail at gkakesako@starbulletin.com.
