Advocacy
Educating the veteran community, business community, and local leaders about veterans benefits.
PROVEN VETERAN ADVOCATE
Helping bring awareness to the community.
Finding ways to incorporate veteran benefits into almost any conversation.
Encouraging Enrollment
Debunking the myth that enrolling in VA Healthcare takes resources away from other "more deserving" veterans. John feels, just like Social Security and Medicare, VA healthcare is a system we all paid into when we swore an oath to the Constitution and access should not be refused or delayed by any veteran.
Promoting our Service Offices
Many veterans do not understand the difference between VHA and VBA. The process for seeking compensation is unknown or confusing so John always direct veterans to a VFW Service Office.
Expanding Awareness of CHAMPVA
With more veterans receiving the proper service connected ratings, more dependents and caregivers will become eligible for CHAMPVA. Unfortunately, providers are unfamiliar with this program and accessing care can be challenging, and John is working on the solution.
Legislative Efforts
By consistently bringing Resolutions to the State and National Conventions, John has been able to get the 1.5M VFW and Auxiliary member stamp of approval on issues. These resolutions are then taken seriously by the politicians in his state, who then seek to resolve them.
SUCCESS STORIES
Advocacy and Awareness Results
After two resolutions John wrote were adopted at the National Convention in Phoenix, Congressman Neguse utilized the information from one to write to the Secretary of Education asking that a question on the Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) form that required veterans to disclosure their tax-free disability compensation be removed. As of January 2024 that question is no longer on the form.
The other resolution prompted Congressman Neguse to introduced HR 6197, the Protect the Homes of Surviving Spouses Act, to ensure after the loss of their veteran a surviving spouse will not become housing insecure.
Senator Bennett's office has a one-page piece of legislation waiting for a resolution John wrote about CHAMPVA to pass at the 2024 National Convention that will close a loophole in the law that established the program and require providers that accept Medicare patients to also accept CHAMPVA patients.
In the meantime, John is also working directly with the Director of Veteran Family Member Programs to spread awareness of CHAMPVA among providers. The Director is currently soliciting help from Optum Healthcare to educate practices throughout the Optum network as to why they should all see CHAMPVA patients.
DaVita, a leader in dialysis care, is developing a flyer John suggested to post in over 3,200 clinics to encourage veteran patients to contact a VFW Service Office and learn if their kidney failure may be secondary to a presumptive condition. Allowing these veterans to seek compensation and potentially set their dependents up for DIC.
Likewise, John's strong connections with Humana resulted in them discussing with their pharmacy and DME partners a similar marketing piece to send to veterans receiving diabetes meds and supplies, to encourage those veterans to file claims with a VFW Service Office for possible presumptive service connection.
