VVA Chapter PI 887

Allen “Pop” Reeves American Legion Post 123

1.    VETERANS DAY MESSAGE

We honor and recognize the service of Veterans everyday throughout the VA, by providing Veterans with the financial and health care benefits they have earned. But on November 11th, the Nation as a whole comes together to express our gratitude to all men and women who have bravely served in our Armed Forces. On the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month of 1918, the Armistice of Compiègne came into effect, ending to hostilities of World War 1 throughout Europe. The following year, to mark the one year anniversary of the historic day, President Woodrow Wilson commemorated the date by declaring Armistice Day, which since 1954 has been known in the United States as Veterans Day.

Normally, we would celebrate this day with a commemoration at the US Embassy, but in these new and evolving times, VA will be doing things a little differently this year. This year’s virtual event will be made available on the US Embassy’s Website and social media pages. We invite you to help us honor those who have served our nation in uniform by visiting the U.S. Embassy social media sites on November 11th, to watch the 2020 Veterans Day Video.

•           • U.S. Embassy Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/USEmbassyPH/

•           • U.S. Embassy Twitter: @USEmbassyPH

•           • Chargé d’Affaires Twitter: @USEmbassyPHDCM

On behalf of all the staff and employees at VA Manila, I want to thank you for your service. Every day I am filled with pride and gratitude for all you have done to make America the greatest country on earth, and it is my honor to work everyday to deliver all that we can to you.

2.    SPECIAL VA MANILA OPC UPDATES:

I’m very pleased to share some positive updates with you all regarding our operating status. Effective November 23, 2020, VA Manila will be expanding our available in-person appointments to include 5-day/week primary care availability. The US Embassy recently approved VA Manila’s plan to expand our on-site staffing presence from 50% to 80% – and with this approved additional staffing, we can now provide daily primary care appointments for all of our primary care teams.

While we will have all of our primary care providers reporting daily, we will still be limiting the number of Veterans who are reporting to the Clinic on a daily basis to ensure we can enforce physical distancing within the Clinic. To that end, our primary care providers will offer in-person appointments for half of the day, and continue to offer telephone appointments the other half of the day. I anticipate that we will continue to provide this level of service for the next several months, until there is more containment of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, and the availability of a vaccine.

So what does this mean for you?

If you have a primary care appointment scheduled in the next few months, between now and February 28, 2021, please contact VA Manila to discuss the available options for your medical appointment. If you would like to have your appointment in person, your Medical Support Assistant (scheduler) can coordinate this for you. Since providers will only be seeing patients in-person for half of the day, we appreciate your flexibility if your previously scheduled appointment was for the afternoon, but your provider is now seeing patients in the morning. You can also wait for our scheduling staff to contact you. All Veterans will receive a call approximately 1 week before your scheduled appointment to confirm your attendance and to complete a brief pre-appointment healthcare screening.

3.    2020 CLOTHING ALLOWANCE UPDATES & 2021 APPLICATION SUBMISSION

VA Manila continues to receive requests from Veterans for updates regarding your 2020 Clothing Allowance applications. When VA Manila processed these applications prior to the 2020 benefit year, Veterans in the Philippines typically would receive their payment during the months of September and October.

The VA Pittsburgh Prosthetics Department recently indicated they are experiencing delays in processing 2020 Clothing Allowance applications from Veterans in the Philippines. Many Veterans did not submit supporting documentation along with their Clothing Allowance application, such as copies of the prescriptions or other medical documentation supporting the Veterans claim. This requires Pittsburgh to research the Veteran’s medical records and FMP claims to validate a Veteran’s clothing allowance claim. In many instances, the Pittsburgh prosthetics office may need to reach out to Veterans to request this additional documentation before they can approve the claim for payment.

Unfortunately, I do not have specific updates on each Veterans individual application, but Veterans who have questions about their specific claim can contact the VA Pittsburgh Prosthetics Department directly at:

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System

Attn: Prosthetics (132/A)

University Drive Campus

Pittsburgh, PA 15240-1003

Local:             +1-412-822-2222

Toll Free:       +1-866-482-7488

Prosthetics:   +1-412-822-3728

** Also – Veterans who still wish to submit a clothing allowance application for 2020, please note that due to the COVID19 pandemic, VA has extended the application period, which initially closed on August 1, 2020. Veterans may now submit 2020 Clothing Allowance Applications through December 31, 2020. If you will be applying for a 2020 clothing allowance, please ensure the application clearly states it is for the 2020 benefit year. Please also ensure that you provide supporting documentation for your clothing allowance benefit (such as prescriptions/receipts if the prosthetic or medication that is damaging your clothing is prescribed by an outside doctor, photographic evidence of the prosthetic device or the prescription, and any additional details you can provide. This will help to ensure the timely processing of your clothing allowance.

4.    CHANGE IN POLICY FOR NEWLY ENROLING VETERANS AT VA MANILA

Effective October 1, 2020, VA Manila instituted a new process for Veterans who are first-time enrollees for health care services from the Outpatient Clinic. VA Manila will now conduct a clinical review of all Veterans registering for care at this Clinic for the first time. The purpose of this clinical review will be to determine if it is medically appropriate for a Veteran to be enrolled with a primary care provider at VA Manila.

Veterans who wish to enroll for care should complete a VA Form 10-10EZ and submit it to the Clinic’s Enrollment and Eligibility Department. VA Manila staff, in consultation with regional VA leadership, will review the Veteran’s application and past medical history and determine if enrollment at VA Manila is clinically indicated. Veterans will be contacted within 3 business days regarding the outcome of this review and scheduled for an initial primary care appointment if approved.

The purpose of the policy change is to ensure that VA Manila can effectively meet the healthcare needs of newly enrolling Veterans, and prevent VA Manila from potentially providing fragmented services. This change will not impact Veterans who are already enrolled at the Outpatient Clinic and who maintain active enrollment with a primary care PACT team.

If there are specific questions with this new policy, Veterans should contact VA Manila’s Enrollment and Eligibility Department at #MyVA (#6982), Option 2.

5.    VA MANILA PHARMACY UPDATES:

The VA Manila Pharmacy continues to dispense needed medication refills and new medications ordered for Veterans during their telephone appointments. Both courier services used by the Pharmacy to deliver medications (Air21 and LBC) have resumed most of their operations within the Philippines, although some delays are still being noted, mostly for medication shipments to the most rural parts of the Philippines, or to individual islands in the Visayas or Mindanao. Most Veterans within Luzon should have their medications delivered within 3 days of shipment from the Outpatient Clinic.

One important thing to note, there are still restrictions on the shipment of perishable items within the Philippines – which includes many refrigerated medications like insulin and other injectable medications. Due to these restrictions, VA Manila cannot ship these medications to Veterans in the Philippines at this time. We encourage Veterans who take these medications to purchase needed prescriptions from a community pharmacy, and seek reimbursement from the Foreign Medical Program if these are medications used for service-connected conditions. As soon as we are able, we will begin shipping these medications to Veterans.

Veterans needing to request refills are asked to continue to use MyHealtheVet or the VA Manila Automated Pharmacy Refill Line (#MyVA, Option 8), for Pharmacy to process their medications.

** With the Christmas holidays fast approaching, Veterans are reminded to please request medications that will be due for renewal and refill well in advance of the end of December.As you all know, many companies and businesses in the Philippines close for the last two weeks of the year, and Air21 and LBC have extremely limited services available during this time. The Clinic will be pulling medications due for refills approximately 3 weeks in advance, but please ensure that you have refills remaining, or contact the VA Manila Pharmacy to request your refills for controlled medications or medications that are out of refills early so that these can be processed.

6.    VA MANILA FLU SEASON UPDATES:

VA Manila recently received an additional 500 doses of the Southern Hemisphere Flu Vaccine, which is now available This will be your last opportunity to receive the 2020 Southern Hemisphere Flu Vaccine  this year. This vaccine is not for COVID-19, but for the seasonal influenza virus that is recommended for everyone. Here in the Philippines, the Flu Season has traditionally run the opposite of the United States, with the highest rates of cases occurring between June and November. If you will be traveling to the Clinic for an appointment, be sure to ask your team nurse about receiving the annual flu shot. We are not able to accommodate walk-in appointments just to receive the flu shot, and unfortunately, will not be traveling to outreach events in the Philippines this year where we have often provided flu vaccines. We strongly recommend all Veterans in the Philippines during the rainy season consider receiving the flu vaccine.

7.    VA MANILA REGIONAL OFFICE UPDATES:

The Regional Office continues to provide telephone-based services between 8:00 am and 12:00 noon. Veterans may contact the Regional Office by dialing: +63-02-8550-3888, Option 1, or by dialing #MyVA (#6982), Option 1 from any mobile or landline phone in the Philippines.

The Regional Office remains closed to in-person visitors at this time. Veterans should not travel to the VA Manila Regional Office for in-person assistance. Face-to-face interactions are still not available at this time. For inquiries and submissions, your options are the following:

MAIL: Department of Veterans Affairs Claim Intake Center PO Box 4444 Janesville, WI 53547-4444

Online Question Submission via IRIS: https://iris.custhelp.va.gov/app/ask

FAX: +1 (844)531-7818

We are announcing a new local fax number for our Claims Intake Center in Janesville WI.  You can now fax your claims and documents without international costs.

If you are calling from inside the Metro Manila area, dial 8-550-3942.

If you are calling from outside of the Metro Manila, you have the following options:

Ø  028-550-3942 (with domestic long distance charges)

#MyVA (#6982) or 1-800-1888-5252 and dial 3942 once you hear thevoice prompt (no domestic long distance charges)

For information on VA benefits and forms, you may visit the following:

VA Website: http://www.va.gov

VA Forms: https://www.va.gov/vaforms/default.asp

Online VA Federal Benefits Handbook:https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book.asp

For information on VA benefits and forms, you may visit the following:

VA Website: http://www.va.gov

VA Forms: https://www.va.gov/vaforms/default.asp

Online VA Federal Benefits Handbook:https://www.va.gov/opa/publications/benefits_book.asp

7. FOREIGN MEDICAL PROGRAM (FMP) INFO AND UPDATES:

VA Manila is pleased to announce a new local fax number for the FMP.  You can now fax your FMP claims and supporting documents to their office in Denver, Colorado without incurring international costs.

·        If you are calling from inside the Metro Manila, dial 8550-3943.

·        If you are calling from outside of the Metro Manila, you have the following options:

o    02-8550-3943 (with domestic long-distance charges)

#MyVA (#6982) and dial extension 3943 once you hear the voice prompt (no domestic long-distance charges)

FMP Website: https://www.va.gov/communitycare/

FMP Mailing Address:

                               VHA Office of Community Care

                               ATTN: Foreign Medical Program

                               PO Box 469061

                               Denver CO 80246-9061 USA

FMP Phone Number:  #MyVA (#6982) and select option 4 once you hear thevoice prompt (no domestic long-distance charges).

Hours of Operation:

Monday to Friday 8:05 PM to 6:45AM (the next morning) Manila Time

Monday to Friday 6:05AM to 4:45 PM US Mountain Time (Denver, CO)

8. UPCOMING HOLIDAYS: 

The U.S. Embassy, along with the VA Manila Regional Office and Outpatient Clinic, will be closed in recognition of the following public holidays:

US Thanksgiving Day – Thursday, November 26

PHL Christmas Eve – Thursday, December 24

US/PHL Christmas Day – Friday, December 25

PHL Jose Rizal Day – Wednesday, December 30

NOTE: Plan ahead and order your refills 10 workdays in advance of holiday closures.  Air21 is also closed on these holidays so medications will be delayed if you fail to request refills 10 days in advance. If you run out of medications for a service-connected condition, you can buy the medicine from a community pharmacy and file a claim for reimbursement from the FMP.

As always, if you need any assistance, please email your primary care team in MyHealtheVet, or you are welcome to contact me directly: daniel.gutkoski2@va.gov.

Your VA Manila Team

__________________

Daniel Gutkoski, MHA
Clinic Manager, VA Manila Outpatient Clinic
United States Embassy, Seafront Compound
1501 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, NCR 1302, Philippines
Direct:  +63 (02) 8396-3735 PH Toll Free: #MyVA (#6982)