Readers of Tom Philpott’s Military Update column sound off.

DOD, VA Health Record Systems Are ‘Costly, Outdated’

I congratulate those in the departments of Defense and of Veterans Affairs who produced the medical information sharing reported in your recent column. It is, however, only a first step in response to 20 years of mounting pressure from Congress and the Government Accountability Office.

If information flow is the central nervous system of veterans’ health care, that system suffers from brain injury. The antiquated core structures of DoD’s AHLTA and VA’s VistA electronic health records follow none of the current interoperability standards as set by accepted national consensus, not by an internal DoD-VA panel. Upgrading the DoD and VA systems to standards would cost more than starting over.

I am not alone in my skepticism.  In September this year, GAO released another report questioning DoD’s and VA’s ability to deliver on their promise of full interoperability by 2009.  Both departments concurred with the report.

Rather than just promise information sharing that might some day include civilian TRICARE providers, and rather than continue to overspend to bridge two outdated, costly and non-standards-compliant platforms, the leadership of DoD and VA should admit 20 years of failure, announce retirement of AHLTA and VistA, and design a standards-compliant single federal electronic record to help give our war fighters, veterans and families the uniformly outstanding care they deserve anywhere they need it.

MICHAEL A. DUNN, MD
Brigadier General, USA-Ret.
Clinical Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Informatics
University of Pittsburgh

Retirement Changes

I just read your article from August on retirement changes for active duty servicemembers proposed by the 10th Quadrennial Review of Military Compensation. It was very informative and I forwarded to my fellow service members. Is there new news on the subject?

IVOE WESLEY NICHOLSON
Via e-mail

Officially, Defense officials continue to study the QRMC recommendations. On retirement, the report called for the testing of a new, complex, “flexible” plan that would combine a smaller defined benefit annuity with a government-funded Thrift Savings Plan.

Members would be vested in some old-age retirement benefits after only 10 years of service.   There also would be lump-sum “gate pays” to draw members to specific year-of-service milestones and more routine use of separation pay to entice members to leave.

With Robert Gates remaining as defense secretary under the Obama administration, these ideas won’t be dismissed as the product of “the old team.”  However, even if Gates decides to support the QRMC’s call to test these new features, it will be difficult for any defense chief to get Congress to focus on military retirement changes for over stressed U.S. forces still fighting two wars. – T. P.

Hurdles to CRSC

First, thank you for being there for veterans who otherwise do not know where to turn for objective, frank, and accurate information.

Second, here is some information to share with prospective candidates for Combat-Related Special Compensation (CRSC).

I was injured and lost my leg and more in combat during Operation Dewey Canyon in the A Shau Valley in Vietnam (1968-69).  As a 100-percent disabled Marine I wanted to be a role model for my son in that people should not let anything stop them from doing what they are able to do to the best of their ability.  So I worked for the Department of Transportation for 25 years, some days crying, due to infections in my leg, as I walked across the parking lot.

Boy was I wrong not to have harangued the VA every moment I could.  Because I did not, it seems, every entitlement I have received came the hard way including this purported CRSC award. I prepared a comprehensive document package of at least 140 pages, to receive an award of $48 a month with VA Retro pay of $480.

I am not ungrateful but had I known I would have never put myself through this ordeal.  At one point I was told my left ankle shrapnel wounds were not the result of combat while I was serving with C Company, 1/9, the Walking Dead in Dewey Canyon. After repeated appeals and mounds of paperwork, they admitted a clear and unmistakable error.

Good Luck to anyone attempting to meet the CRSC criteria. Some days I wish they had left me with my rifle on the ground with heroes who gave their lives so smug executives could refuse to help their workers.

JOSEPH D. MEHESKI, JR.
Via e-mail

VA Retro: Still Waiting

I retired after more than 20 years in service in April 1996. I am 100 percent, service-connected disabled. I read articles about disabled veterans receiving back pay tied to the lifting of the ban on concurrent receipt of disability pay and military retirement.  I have waited and waited for my own “VA Retro Award” and it hasn’t arrived. Calling the hotline is a waste of time. All they ever say is to be patient because they are swamped.

While in the military, it seemed, I was swamped all the time and no excuses were accepted. I did my job. Once in a while I would like to feel good about someone else doing their job.

I hate to be sour and rude but: What the hell is going on?  Veterans seem to get what is due them three days after they die. It happened to my father-in-law. I am sure it will happen to me too.

VERNON E. NEALIS
Master Sergeant, USAF-Ret.
Via e-mail

Letters may be edited for clarity or length.  Write to Military Forum, P.O. Box 231111, Centreville, VA  20120-1111, send e-mail to militaryforum@aol.com or visit www.militaryupdate.com.