Hot topic MilitaryShoppers Page 5

Military Families May Need to Pay for ER Visits in the Future

05/20/2015 By Rachel Tringali Marston

There are a range of proposals being discussed in Congress right now for the 2016 fiscal year that affect military families. The Tricare reforms catch our attention because of the changes to procedures or policies in our health care system. One detail that particularly stands out is the proposed changes in emergency room care.

Military Families May Need to Pay for ER Visits in the Future

An ER fee is only a single proposal among many that are being considered by lawmakers related to health care for military families.

Under the 2016 plan, military families would have to pay a fee depending on your sponsor’s rank to utilize emergency room care for a misused visit.

What would deem a misused visit?

That’s still up for debate and can spark a whole new issue if the proposal does get approved.

Do you frequently visit the ER because your MTF is closed at nights or on the weekends?

Military families are rallying together to oppose the emergency room fees arguing that often times we are driven to use ERs for immediate care. When a parent would call their local MTF (Military Treatment Facility), it might be weeks or at worst months to schedule an appointment with their PCM (Primary Care Manager).

Additional factors that drive families to ER visits are MTF locations closed at needed times (evenings or weekends), not being able to receive the proper referrals to an Urgent Care facility and not to mention, the wait for paperwork to get pushed through, so you can start utilizing your new MTF location.

For example, immediately after my PCS to Virginia (literally 3 days after we moved in), I caught a sinus infection. My husband wasn’t due to report for another couple weeks, but I knew I had to see a doctor as soon as possible. Because of the tight turnaround, I didn’t have the proper paperwork ready or even changed our MTF facility yet. At the recommendation of hospital personnel, I used the emergency room so I could be seen and receive prompt attention.

Would this circumstance be considered a legitimate emergency under this proposal?

Also, you never really know what would constitute as a non-emergency when you may not actually know what’s going on yet. For example, if your daughter is complaining about her knee after a hard fall, do you take her to the ER on Saturday morning? Or wait it out until Monday when the MTF is open?

This proposal leaves a lot of questions unanswered and as a result, we start playing the waiting game on our family members’ health.

Keep in mind that adding a fee to emergency room care is only a single proposal among many that are being discussed by lawmakers. National Military Family Association, a nonprofit that advocates for military families on Capitol Hill, breaks it down for us here.

NMFA argues that the problem stems from military families not given the proper avenues for urgent care and day-of appointments. The organization is working toward “improved access to acute care appointments for all military families using MTFs.”

In addition, NMFA started a petition for this particular issue. If you disagree with the emergency room care fee, sign their petition here.

What do you think of this proposal? Do you frequently visit the ER because your MTF is closed at nights or on the weekends?

Hot Topic: Air Force Gate Guards Saying “Have a Blessed Day”

05/11/2015 By Julie Provost

Can certain religious words be offensive? What happens when they are said in a professional manner by a gate guard on a military base? How does the freedom of religion play into all of this?

After widespread outcry, the Air Force reversed a decision to ban Robins Air Force Base security personnel from saying “Have a blessed day” to people entering the gates. The gate guards were told not to give the greeting after an unidentified airman complained to the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, according to the group’s website. The foundation had complained to the base and the base issued the ban.

Overall the military community is usually in favor of religious liberty. However, in this case, those who are offended by a religious greeting are being told that they need to just let things go.

When it comes to situations like this, I always try to put myself in the shoes of the other person. As a Christian, would I be OK with someone using a saying from another religion? Would I be bothered if every time I entered a gate I heard a Buddhist or Muslim greeting? Is it fair for anyone to be bothered by it?

I am not one to get offended by such things but I do think there needs to be a rule of some kind. Either the gate guards can say what they want, regardless of their religion or there needs to be a standard.

You can’t say that the Christian phrases are OK to say and not allow Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish or Pagan gate guards to have the same right.

I don’t know that I have ever heard a phrase like this in all my years of going through the gates at the military posts we have lived at, although I might just not remember hearing them say anything like that. Usually they tell me, “Have a good day” which is not religious but still nice to hear. That phrase says basically the same thing as, “have a blessed day” without all of the controversy.

There is the argument that if you tell a gate guard not to say something religious you are not allowing him to have his or her own faith. That is not true. They might not be able to say that phrase but no one is telling them they can not practice their own faith when they are off-duty.

I think it is important to remember that not everyone in the military practices the same faith. Because of that not everyone is going to be OK with certain religious phrases being said to them in a professional manner. I don’t think changing the regulations on it is out of line. Now that Robins Air Force base reversed the decision to ban the phrase, I am not sure there will be a chance to change it again. If enough people are bothered by it, it would be a way to create a more balanced religious environment for those in the military.

Now it’s your turn: What do you think of the greeting “Have a blessed day?” Are you offended?

Hot Topic: Should We Use the Flag as a Photo Prop?

04/20/2015 By Michelle Volkmann

Veterans, service members, photographers, civilians and military spouses have separated into 2 groups lately. Those who are offended by photos using the U.S. flag and those who feel some patriotic photos are touching and beautiful.

The online discussion started with this image.

Should The Flag Be Used as a Photo Prop?

Photo Credit: Vanessa Hicks Photography

The Navy Times reported last month that a Navy veteran, now professional photographer was proud of her photo of a newborn cradled in a flag held by his active-duty father.

“I took a stand by not taking the picture down as this group wanted me to do because I did not feel I was disrespecting our flag in any way,” Vanessa Hicks said in an interview with the Navy Times. “Service members, veterans and their families saw the photo, saw the intent behind, and respect it. They have shown overwhelming support. And I think the group that first threatened me now realize they messed with the wrong group.”

The photo, which some call controversial, isn’t that original. Military babies are often photographed with their serving parent’s uniform, including cover, boots and dog tags. Look at all the cute baby photos that have been submitted for MilitaryShoppers monthly photo contests. I’ve seen countless baby photos on Facebook that feature newborns sleeping on a military uniform, usually near the patch with their surname.

Is the flag a photo prop?

But on Facebook, Hicks’ photo, which was featured on Fox News and ABC’s Good Morning America, ignited a debate about respect for the U.S. flag and who gets to wrap themselves in Old Glory.

The U.S. Flag Code is often quoted in this debate. Here’s the line that everyone refers to:

The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery.

That’s most likely the line that managers of the Facebook group, “You Call Yourself A Photographer?” were referring to when they posted the controversial photo.

The flag is not a prop. I repeat: The flag is not a prop,” the group posted. “To use the American flag in such a way is disrespectful, rude, tacky, disgusting and against the U.S. Flag Code.

So what about athletes? They wrap themselves in a flag after a victory. They are frequently photographed with the U.S. flag for photo shoots.

Photo Credit: Nike

What about women wearing the flag and nothing else? A quick Google search will give the results I’m referring to. You can also purchase these types of pictures on many popular stock image websites.

Are you offended by these images?

What about wounded veterans?

The U.S. flag belongs to every American, regardless if they volunteered for military service or not. We can say that we don’t want the U.S. flag to be used as a photo prop, but the fact of the matter is that this prop is not the same as a pink tutu, white angel wings or a miniature teddy bear. The U.S. flag is an extensive of our country. It represents the USA. Its stripes and its stars trigger a sea of complicated emotions in many people, but especially among veterans and military families.

Is the flag a prop? Yes.

Is that OK? Yes.

As military families we deeply understand the emotions of the U.S. flag. That’s why it’s so near and dear to our hearts. That’s why we photograph our military children with it. And that’s why we will continue to photograph our children with it.

What do you think? Are you offended by these images? Should the American flag be used as a prop in photographs?

Stop Saying ‘Army Wife: Toughest Job in the Army’

11/26/2014 By Julie Provost

You have probably heard the phrase, “Army (or Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps) Wife is the Toughest Job in the Army (or Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps) .” You might have seen it on a bumper sticker, T-shirt, keychain, coffee mug, magnet or an online forum. It’s out there and it is something that can cause a lot of frustration for a lot of people.

The reason people say this is because it is hard to be a military spouse.

Being a military spouse isn’t an easy life. You have to give up a lot from where you live to pursuing your own career. You are home with the kids as a solo parent and the military isn’t always the best of letting you know what is going on or what is ahead for your family in the future.

The issue with the saying “Military spouse is the toughest job in the military,” isn’t that military life is hard. We all know it’s hard. The problem with this statement is it acts as though the spouse IS actually in the military which is not true. Spouses are civilians unless they serve in active duty or the National Guard or are reservists or veterans.

If you talk to a spouse who served in the active duty military, she might tell you how frustrating it can be to hear that other spouses act like they too are in the military. They would tell you how different the 2 roles are. They would try to explain that serving in the military is different then serving on the homefront.

While the service member trains for war and is eventually deployed, the spouse stays at home. Whether the spouse works outside the home or not, they are the ones in charge and taking care of the children. They are the ones left behind to keep things going. They say goodbye to their spouse and make do playing the dual roles of mom and dad for months at a time, sometimes years at a time. They take care of what needs to be done while the other spouse is away. All of this is hard and appreciated. It can be frustrating when you have to wait on the military for almost everything. You wait on finding out where and when you will move, when your spouse will be home and what is going to happen next. Forget about planning your future, even if you were able to, the military could change things at the last minute.

None of this is the same as being in the military, to train hard, carry your weapon and put yourself in harm’s way. Nothing a military spouse is doing at home is literally putting yourself in the line of fire.

While we need to remember and recognize the sacrifices that military families and spouses make, we need to stop acting like it is the same as actually being in the military. Because it isn’t and it isn’t fair to act as though it is. We need to stop saying it is harder than what those who have enlisted have had to do. We need to understand that as stressful as it gets waiting at home, at least we wait in a safe place with a warm bed, a full fridge and friends to help us through the deployment.

What do you think about this statement, “Military Spouse is the Toughest Job in the Military?” Does it annoy you? Why or why not?

« Previous Page