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Combat Veterans Get Telephonic Health CarewwTwfha.caeeebrBootoeekca.hcncoemow/nsT.ecaommM/maarrcchharb
April 1, 2016 7

Application Option

by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
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WASHINGTON – The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced that it starting on July 5, 2016.
has amended its enrollment regulations to allow Veterans to complete applications When Veterans choose to enroll, VA offers an enhancement to their enrollment
for enrollment in VA health care by telephone without the need for a signed paper
application. The change is effective immediately for Combat Veterans and will be experience through “Welcome to VA” (W2VA). Veterans enrolled since July 1,
effective July 5, 2016, for all Veterans. 2015 have received a personal introduction to VA health care services, programs
and resources to help them become more familiar with VA’s services. In addition,
This phased implementation accelerates VA’s effort to enroll all Combat Veter- VA sends each new enrollee an introductory letter and personalized handbook in
ans with pending applications as part of its ongoing Veterans Enrollment Rework the mail. W2VA enhances communication by reaching out to newly enrolled Vet-
Project. The VA is working to complete the review and rework of all pending health erans through personal phone calls upon enrollment, providing assistance with
enrollment records for living and deceased Veterans this summer. Veterans can view health care inquiries and assisting with their initial appointment at their preferred
the amended regulation on the Federal Register website at www.federalregister.gov. VA healthcare facility.

“This improvement to our Veterans’ experience is one we can implement now, For more information, Veterans can contact the Health Eligibility Center Enroll-
and it’s the right thing to do for Veterans,” said VA Deputy Secretary Sloan D. ment and Eligibility Division toll free at 1-855-488-8440
Gibson, “Enrolling all 31,000 Combat Veterans with pending applications is the
top priority in our effort to fix our enrollment system. Our analysis of our current
application process convinced me we could enroll Veterans more quickly using this
method, particularly Combat Veterans and those who are transitioning from active
duty to Veteran status,” Gibson said.

By adding this telephone application option to VA’s regulations, VA will now
offer three ways to enroll. This change provides Veterans an even more convenient
way to apply for enrollment, in addition to the paper VA Form 10-10 EZ and on-
line enrollment application process. With publication in the Federal Register today,
Combat Veterans may now apply by phone. All other Veterans may apply by phone

California governor announces landmark agreement to raise

minimum wage statewide

by State of California Office of the Governor press office

Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. joined legislators and labor leaders March 28 to an- Governor Brown signed AB 10 in September 2013 to raise California’s minimum
nounce a landmark agreement that makes California the first state in the nation to com- wage 25 percent, from $8 to $10 per hour, effective January 1, 2016. There are approxi-
mit to raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour statewide. mately 7 million hourly workers in California, of which about 2.2 million earn the mini-
mum wage.
The Governor was joined at the announcement by Senate President pro Tempore
Kevin de León; California Labor Federation president Kathryn Lybarger; SEIU United Additional information on the minimum wage deal can be found at www.gov.ca.gov
Long Term Care Workers’ Union president Laphonza Butler; Burger King employee
Holly Dias; Senator Mark Leno; California Labor and Workforce Development Agency
secretary David Lanier; United Domestic Workers of America executive director Doug
Moore; Teamsters Union International vice president Rome Aloise; and United Health-
care Workers West executive board member Georgette Bradford.

“California is proving once again that it can get things done and help people get ahead,”
said Governor Brown. “This plan raises the minimum wage in a careful and responsible
way and provides some flexibility if economic and budgetary conditions change.”

Under the plan, minimum wage will rise to $10.50 per hour on January 1, 2017 for
businesses with 26 or more employees, and then rises each year until reaching $15 per
hour in 2022.This plan also recognizes the contributions of small businesses - those with
25 or fewer employees - to California’s economy and allows additional time for these
employers to phase in the increases.

The purpose of the plan is to increase the minimum wage over time, consistent with
economic expansion, while providing safety valves - known as “off-ramps” - to pause
wage hikes if negative economic or budgetary conditions emerge. The Governor can act
by September 1 of each year to pause the next year’s wage increase for one year if there
is a forecasted budget deficit (of more than one percent of annual revenue) or poor eco-
nomic conditions (negative job growth and retail sales).

Once the minimum wage reaches $15 per hour for all businesses, wages could then
be increased each year up to 3.5 percent (rounded to the nearest 10 cents) for inflation as
measured by the national Consumer Price Index.

This plan also phases in sick leave for In-Home Supportive Services workers starting
in July 2018.