Mike Harbaugh's Meeting Handouts Page:
[page updated on: 1-6-2020]

Please note that Mike Harbaugh has retired from serving as Wharton County VSO and VVA Chapter 1069 VSO in January of 2020. However, we have retained his webpages of documents and reports for future reference, that they may still help Veterans with Veteran and VA related issues. Please disreguard any office hours schedules or contact information that may still be listed on this webpage. VVA Chapter 1069 would like to thank Mike for the fine job he did while serving his fellow veterans.

Meeting Handouts Selection Menu

As of April 30, 2018, Michael Harbaugh is the new Veterans Service Officer (VSO) for Wharton County, Texas. (see photo to left) As of June 2019, Michael has become a accredited VA Affiliate & Representative! What is an Accredited VA Representative? Visit the VA website to find out Main Office Address: Veterans Service Office 1017 North Alabama Road Wharton, Texas 77488 Phone: (979) 532-1311 Office Email: Send email to Michael

Mike Harbaugh, VVA Chapter 1069 member and Wharton County Veterans Service Officer, gives a Veterans Benefits Presentation at every monthly VVA Chapter meeting, in El Campo, along with an accompanying handout. The menu list below shows the monthly meeting dates for Chapter 1069 meetings, starting in 2018. Under each meeting date item are listed the various topics discussed in the Presentation and that also reside in the Handout. Quickly find a specific meeting for which you wish to view either the Presentation Details (section further below on this page), or view/print the Presentation Handout (a PDF file). Note that the Presentation Details may include additional related information or additional related website links, but will also include a link to the Handout.

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November 13, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Currently veterans cannot shop at Commissaries (they can at the Exchanges) but the DoD is currently considering allowing veterans to shop the Commissaries. However, effective January 1, 2020, the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act expanded the pool of eligible exchange, commissary shoppers to include all service-connected disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and primary veteran caregivers. The benefit will also extend to MWR "revenue generating facilities".

Mike will be presenting the following topics regarding the new January 1, 2020 Commissary benefits at the November 13, 2019 Chapter meeting. Note that this presentation was scheduled for the October meeting, but Mike could not attend the meeting. So, these topic details along with website links are still included in his same October handout.

Use the links below to visit the MilitaryDotCom website for more information on the New Commissary Benefits in 2020 and how all disabled Vietnam Veterans will be able to access the facilities.

Use the link below to find a Commissary near you:

Use the link below to find an Exchange store near you:

Use the link below to View or Print the meeting handout (PDF document).

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October 9, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Currently veterans cannot shop at Commissaries (they can at the Exchanges) but the DoD is currently considering allowing veterans to shop the Commissaries. However, effective January 1, 2020, the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act expanded the pool of eligible exchange, commissary shoppers to include all service-connected disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and primary veteran caregivers. The benefit will also extend to MWR "revenue generating facilities".

Mike will be presenting the following topics regarding the new January 1, 2020 Commissary benefits at the October 9, 2019 Chapter meeting. These topic details along with website links are included in his handout.

Use the links below to visit the MilitaryDotCom website for more information on the New Commissary Benefits in 2020 and how all disabled Vietnam Veterans will be able to access the facilities.

Use the link below to find a Commissary near you:

Use the link below to find an Exchange store near you:

Use the link below to View or Print the meeting handout (PDF document).

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September 11, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

The handout for this meeting is a listing of 137 VA Urgent Care locations (as of 9/10/2019) surrounding the El Campo area. It also includes links to the VA website where you yourself may search for VA authorized Urgent Care locations near to you.

Use the link below to perform your own search for VA Urgent Care facilities near you, on the VA website.

Use the link below to View or Print the PDF handout.

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August 14, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Note that we do not have Mike's actual handout for this meeting. However, we have posted all the information that was in Mike's handout, along with all the information he presented, to his VA/Veterans News page. Use the link below to view that information.

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June 12, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Mike will be presenting the following topic at the June 12, 2019 Chapter meeting. Note that the new VA MISSION Act will officially begin on June 6, 2019.

Use the link below to Read the VA's latest Bulletin release regarding the MISSION Act which begins on June 6, 2019.

Use the link below to View or Print the PDF handout.

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May 8, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Mike will be presenting the following topic at the May 2019 Chapter meeting.

VA Video Connect connects Veterans with their health care team from anywhere, using encryption to ensure a secure and private session. It makes VA health care more convenient and reduces travel times for Veterans, especially those in very rural areas with limited access to VA health care facilities, and it allows quick and easy health care access from any mobile or web-based device.

Veterans and their health care providers jointly decide whether to use VA Video Connect for a medical visit. Please speak with your VA care team if you are interested in potentially receiving care through VA Video Connect. Ahead of a VA Video Connect appointment, you will receive an email or calendar invite with a link to launch the session. VA Video Connect works on nearly any device that has an internet connection and a web camera. For example, it works on Windows-based PCs and laptops, Windows mobile devices, iOS mobile devices, Android mobile devices, etc.

VA Video Connect, Links Veterans to Doctors. Traveling to a clinic or a hospital isn't the only way to see your doctor. Instead of going to the doctor's office for your health care appointment, why not use a secure video connection from the comfort of your own home? On Tuesday, September 18 at noon ET, VA's Office of Connected Care and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) are hosting a Facebook Live event to discuss VA Video Connect, VA's virtual appointment technology. When you join the Facebook discussion, you will learn how to use the VA Video Connect App to connect with your health care provider using the camera on your phone, computer, or tablet. You'll even see how you can access your virtual medical room and meet with your VA care team with any device that has an internet connection, a web camera, a microphone, and speakers.

Use the link below to View or Print the PDF handout - a summary of the Video Connect program, including a FAQ section.

Use the 2 links below for more details about the "VA Video Connect" program.

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April 10, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Mike will be presenting the following 3 topics at the April 2019 Chapter meeting.

(1) Survey Says: Texas Veterans Harmed by Payday and Auto Title Loans!

A new survey , conducted through a partnership of the United Way of Central Texas , Texas Appleseed , and United Way of Greater Houston , offers a snapshot of the impacts of payday and auto title lending on Texas veterans. The survey found that veterans get caught up in payday and auto title loans at much higher rates than the general population. Forty-five percent of the veterans surveyed indicated using a payday or auto title loan and 24 percent used the loans more than once per year, compared to 7 percent of adult Texans.

Use the link below to visit and read the complete survey report residing on the Texas Appleseed website.

What is a Payday Loan? (A Bad Thing To Do!)
A Payday Loan is a relatively small amount of money lent at a high rate of interest on the agreement that it will be repaid when the borrower receives their next paycheck. Consumer advocates and lawmakers urge low-income consumers to avoid payday loans. Interest on a Payday loan can be anywhere from 400% to 4000%.

What is an Auto Title Loan? (Another Bad Thing To Do!)
An Auto(Car) Title Loan is a loan for a small amount of money and for a short time. To get a car title loan, you give the lender the title to your vehicle - for example, your car, truck or motorcycle. You also pay the lender a fee to borrow the money. You usually have to repay the loan in 30 days.

45% of surveyed veterans used payday or auto title loans, six times the rate for Texans overall. Texas has the second largest veteran population in the country. Federal law has long protected active duty military and their spouses from predatory loans through the Military Lending Act, which caps all loans at 36 percent interest, including all fees, but the Act left out our veterans. In Texas, where the annual percentage rates for payday and auto title loans averaged between 209 percent and 530 percent in 2017 with no meaningful state consumer protections, the results have been devastating. An average $500 payday loan costs $1,200 or more to repay, one of the highest costs in the country.

Use the link below to View or Print the entire report (a PDF file) that was released by the Texas Appleseed foundation. Links to the various organizations involved in the survey are also included in the report.

(2) VA will NOT appeal Blue Water Navy Ruling!

The Department of Veterans Affairs will not appeal a January court ruling that ordered it to provide health care and disability benefits for 90,000 veterans who served on Navy ships during the Vietnam War, likely paving the way for "Blue Water Navy" sailors and Marines to receive Agent Orange-related compensation and VA-paid health care benefits. VA Secretary Robert Wilkie told members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee on Tuesday that he will recommend the Justice Department not fight the decision, handing a victory to ill former service members who fought for years to have their diseases recognized as related to exposure to the herbicide Agent Orange. Use the link below to visit the Military.com website and read the complete article.

(3) VA to Announce Decision on 4 New Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions!

Several years after a scientific body recommended that the Department of Veterans Affairs consider adding four conditions; bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, hypertension and Parkinsons-like symptoms, to the list of qualifying diseases tied to Agent Orange exposure for Vietnam Veterans. Affected veterans may soon find out whether they are eligible for disability compensation and VA health care. During a Senate Veterans Affairs hearing Tuesday on the VA budget, Dr. Richard Stone, the executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration, said a decision on the three illnesses likely would come in the next 90 days. Use the link below to visit the Military.com website and read the complete article.

Use the link below to View or Print the PDF handout.

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Feb 13, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Mike will be presenting the following topics at the February 2019 Chapter meeting.

Use the link below to View or Print the PDF handout.

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Jan 9, 2019 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Mike will be presenting the following topics at the January 2019 Chapter meeting.

Below are the Web Links that Mike included in his handout.

Use the link below for information on thg GI Bill:

Use the link below for information and tips on Flying Space-A:

Use the link below for information regarding UCMJ Changes:

Use the link below for information regarding the replacement of the TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan:

Use the link below for information regarding signing up with the Military-dot.com Website:

Use the link below for information regarding Veterans Benefits Information on the Military-dot-com Website:

Use the link below for information regarding the replacement of TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan (TRDP):

Use the link below for information regarding the retirement of the TRICARE Retiree Dental Plan:

Use the link below for information regarding the existing TRICARE Dental Plan (not going away):

Use the link below for information regarding currently available Dental programs on the BENEFEDS website:

Use the link below for information regarding a FREE membership on Military-dot-com Website to get Benefits Updates via Email:

Use the link below to View or Print the PDF handout.

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Oct 10, 2018 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Mike will be presenting the following topics at the Oct Chapter meeting.

VA Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers - PCAFC:

Care for Veterans:

Find Your Local Caregiver Support Coordinator:

Use the link below to View or Print the PDF handout.

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Sept 12, 2018 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Mike will be presenting the following topics at the Sept Chapter meeting.

Use the link below to visit the U.S. Congress website and read the entire VA MISSION Act of 2018.

Use the link below to visit the Houston VA Regional Benefits Office website.

Use the link below to visit the Veterans Crisis Line website.

Handout: View or Print the Sept 2018 Handout

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July 11, 2018 Meeting: (Presentation topics listed below)

Mike will be presenting the following three topics at the July Chapter meeting.

Use link below to View or Print the 2005-2017 VA Benefits Expenditures Chart for Wharton County. Much thanks to chapter member, Dwight Winkler, for updating and providing the chart for our use.

Use link below to View or Print the 1-pg Summary of the VA MISSION ACT of 2018.

Learn about VA benefits you may be eligible for. Don't miss out on VA benefits you may have earned! Stay informed by visiting the "ExploreVA" website. Explore the Benefits that help Veterans Thrive. Information on some of the Benefits you will find on the website are listed below. Use the link below to visit the VA's "ExplorVA" (explore.va.gov) website.

• Disability Compensation
• Health Care
• Memorial Benefits
• Education and Traingin
• Home Loans and Housing-Related Assistance
• Employment Services
• Life Insurance
• Spouses, Dependants, and Survivors
• Pension
• Other Veteran's Stories
• Outreach and Sharing Portal
• Get Assistance
• Benefits Navigator
• Veterans Crisis Line
• Photos
• Documents
• Videos

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June 13, 2018 Meeting Handout: (Handout topics listed below)

A recent update has been released regarding VA's recently implemented Veterans ID Card program. Mike has provided a document that contains some important information and instructions regarding the program and its online application process - see topic list below. Use the link below to View or Print the document.

Page 1
(1) Issues Submitting a VIC Request?
(2) Before You Start
(3) Do You Need Assistance?

Handout: View or Print the June 2018 Handout

You can also use the "AccessVA" link below to submit your application using your ID.me or DS Logon username and password. At this time these are the only logon methods that you can use to submit a VIC request.

Use the link below to learn more information about and applying for either an ID.me or a VA DS Login ID.

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