Samuel Luna
Service Officer
Jonathan D. Rozier Post 164
Katy, Texas
(281) 395-9152
Congratulations to Sam Luna, 2010 Recipient of the Chapel of Four Chaplains Legion of Honor for his selfless efforts assisting Veterans in need. On behalf of Post 164 and area Veterans, thank you and well done!
As your Service Office it is my goal to use this site to educate and assist you in obtaining benefits and services from the Veterans Administartion. You can also talk to me at the above telephone. I see myself as a fairly new service officer with much to learn about serving you. Therefore, some of your questions will require me to contact a more experienced service officer. I am very proud of the network of Service Officers I have developed.
I am very excited about our collaboration with Clyde Jack, Fort Bend County Service Officer. Mr. Jack has authorized Dwight Marshall, Assistant County Officer, to service Katy Area veterans. With support of office space from our Judge Advocate, Justin Perryman, Dwight Marshall is available to Katy veterans at 21720 Kingsland Blvd., Suite 301 on Thursdays. Veterans need to make appointments with Dwight Marshall at 281.341.4550.
Call me if you have questions or suggestions to reaching veterans in Katy.
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| Clarification of Effects of Health Insurance Reform Legislation on Veterans
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| March 30, 2010
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A number of DAV members and others have asked how the new health insurance reform law (Public Law 111-148, approved on March 23, 2010) would affect our nation's veterans. As many of you know, in general the new law requires most U.S. citizens and legal residents to obtain private health insurance coverage by 2014 or they (or their employers) will face financial penalties through the US Tax Code. Under this new law, we interpret that all veterans enrolled in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care and their dependents and survivors under CHAMPVA, and all military families, military retirees and dependents enrolled in military health care, TRICARE, and TRICARE for Life, are deemed to have the minimum essential coverage that satisfies the individual requirement for health insurance coverage. As such, we believe these veterans and military families are not required to buy private coverage in addition to their government-provided health services, as the DAV had insisted to Congress and the Administration.
Furthermore, under the new law but outside VA and the Department of Defense (DOD), veterans and their family dependents, the same as all other Americans, may gain the option to buy a private plan through state-run insurance exchanges, beginning in 2014. Based on income limits, they may also be eligible for financial assistance in purchasing insurance coverage.
With all the misinformation that has appeared in the media and on the Internet, we can understand why some veterans and their families have become concerned about what they think might happen to them under the new law. One specific and unintended problem surfaced that concerns a few hundred severely disabled children of Vietnam and Korean War veterans with spina bifida, but that problem is being addressed now by the Veterans Committees in Congress with a technical correction. S. 3162, as passed by the Senate, would amend the reform law to guarantee that VA's spina bifida program for these children would be considered minimum essential coverage. Otherwise, we believe veterans who rely on VA health care and their family members who rely on CHAMPVA will be unaffected by the new health reform law. Nonetheless, in an overabundance of caution due to ambiguous language, legislation has been introduced to clarify the intent of the law, as follows:
DAV will remain vigilant to protect the VA health care system upon which so many service-connected disabled veterans rely. We will also continue to monitor the implementation of the health insurance reform law to ensure that it will not adversely impact our nation's wartime disabled veterans, their families or dependents. ***********
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What is the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) Veteran Discount Tolling Program?
Effective December 18, 2009, eligible veterans receive free tolls. The HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program was approved by Harris County Commissioners Court on September 29, 2009.
Who is eligible for the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program?
Per Texas Transportation Code § 372.053, eligibility is limited to vehicles which are:
1. registered with the State of Texas and
2. displaying the qualifying specialty license plate for any of the following:
• Disabled Veterans
• Purple Heart Medal recipients
• Congressional Medal of Honor recipients
Vehicles which are not eligible are required to pay the applicable toll.
NOTE: To see examples of qualifying Texas license plates please visit www.texasonline.gov and choose “Order Specialty License Plates” then “Qualifying Specialty License Plates.”
What is Texas Transportation Code § 372.053?
Texas Transportation Code § 372.053, adopted by the State of Texas during the 2009 Texas Legislative Session, authorizes the option for Texas tolling entities to offer discounted or free tolls to Texas-registered vehicles with qualifying specialty license plates for Disabled Veterans, Purple Heart recipients, and Congressional Medal of Honor recipients.
Where does the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program apply?
The HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program applies only to toll roads within Harris County.
Each tolling entity may choose if and how they implement Texas Transportation Code § 372.053. Please check with other tolling agencies directly for questions about their policies and programs.
How do I participate in the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program?
Eligible vehicles will automatically receive the discounted tolling rate in qualified tolling lanes. No additional action, purchase, or enrollment is required.
If your eligible vehicle has an EZ TAG backed by an active EZ Account, you may use any EZ TAG lane on the Harris County toll road system. If your eligible vehicle does NOT have an EZ TAG backed by an active EZ Account, your vehicle may use any non-gated EZ TAG lane on the Harris County toll road system. Drivers will be electronically identified by their qualified specialty license plate. Gated lanes will require a cash payment.2
If I use a Harris County toll road prior to December 18, 2009, will I have to pay tolls?
Yes. Tolls incurred before the program’s implementation date of December 18, 2009 require full toll payment. Failure to pay a toll will result in a Violation Invoice. A Violation Invoice requires payment of the toll violation event plus toll violation administrative and attorney fees.
What if I’m a veteran with two cars, are they both eligible? What about my spouse’s car?
Check your vehicle’s eligibility.
I am a veteran with a disability. Am I eligible for the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program?
Check your vehicle’s eligibility.
Do I need an EZ TAG to be eligible for the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program?
No, an EZ TAG is not required for participation in the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program, but a vehicle with an EZ TAG will have greater access to the Harris County toll road system.
See how to participate in the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program.
What if I don’t have a qualifying veteran’s license plate?
Check your vehicle’s eligibility. Vehicles which are not eligible are required to pay the applicable toll.
Are there certain toll lanes I must use?
Yes. See how to participate in the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program.
Whom should I contact for more information about the HCTRA Veteran Discount Tolling Program?
Please call (281) 875-3279, click here to send us an e-mail, or visit one of our convenient store locations listed at https://www.hctra.org/about_locations/.
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The Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center has announced a toll free number for all those who need to CANCELL or RESCHEDULE and appointment. Call 1-800-639-5137 Monday thru Friday 5am to 10pm or Sundays from 12pm to 10pm. Do not use this number to schedule a new appointment.
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Texas Initiative Hopes To Help Veterans Find Jobs.
In a letter to the syndicated "Sgt. Shaft" column, appearing in the Washington Times (8/21, Fales), Vietnam veteran and Texas Workforce Commission Chairman Tom Pauken notes that he and Texas Gov. Gov. Rick Perry "have initiated the Texas Veterans Leadership Program (TVLP), run by returning veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan to help their fellow veterans transition to civilian life the right way." The TVLP "will work with veterans all across the state of Texas to help them get the right training and good jobs." Pauken adds that if the TVLP does well in Texas, "perhaps it can become a national program."
DOL Launches Website
Week of September 01, 2008
The U.S. Labor Department launched a website called "America's Heroes at Work" to help veterans afflicted with traumatic-brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) succeed in the workplace. Labor Department specialists collaborated with officials from the Defense and Veterans Affairs departments to build the website. America's Heroes at Work provides numerous resources to help employers integrate veterans who have suffered from TBI or PTSD into the workplace. The resources offered on the website include fact sheets, reference guides, training tools and real-life success stories.
