Wakulla County Veteran Services

02/06/2019

In preparation for the 2019 Memorial Day Ceremony that will take place on May 27, Wakulla County Veterans Services Office is requesting information of fallen Veterans of Wakulla County.
Veterans Services requests that surviving family members of a fallen Veteran provide the Name, Rank, Branch of Service, and War Era to the Veterans Services Office. The information can be emailed to [email protected] or by calling 926-1072.
This information will be used to honor the fallen Veterans during this year’s Memorial Day Ceremony.
For additional information related to this story, please contact Harold Ross, Veterans Services Officer at (850) 926-1072.

11/14/2018

If you are a military retiree, enrolled in Tricare, you and your family could be eligible for Federal dental and vision plans. If the veteran is entitled to VA dental, they can still enroll their family. They plans are low cost and in some cases, have unlimited annual maximums. This program replaces the Delta Dental for military retirees program as of 1 Jan 2019.

Enroll November 12, 2018 - December 10, 2018 EST
www.BENEFEDS.com
1-877-888-FEDS (3337)

BENEFEDS administers FEDVIP enrollment and premium payment processes on behalf of the FEDVIP and FLTCIP carriers, as well as allotment payment processes for FSAFEDS.

10/31/2018

Veterans of Wakulla County please support the efforts of our local schools.

10/29/2018

10/29/2018

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 29, 2018
Contact:
Jessica Welch
Office of Communications & Public Information
(850) 926-0919 ext. 706
Wakulla County Announces the 12th Annual Veteran’s Parade and Ceremony, and 2nd Annual Veteran’s Ball to be Held on Saturday, November 10, 2018
Crawfordville, Florida –The Wakulla County Board of County Commissioners in conjunction with the Veteran of Foreign Wars Post 4538, invites everyone to come out and salute our Veteran’s during the 12th Annual Veteran’s Parade and Ceremony, and 2nd Annual Veteran’s Ball on Saturday, November 10, 2018.
This year’s theme is “Honor and Service”. To kick off the event, the annual parade will begin at 10:00a.m. where local participants and Veteran’s march down Crawfordville Highway showcasing troops, military organizations, school bands, County Government, and many others. Veterans are also encouraged to participate by walking in the parade or riding on the VFW float.
This year’s Veteran’s Ceremony will be held at the Wakulla County Community Center, 318 Shadeville Hwy. at 5:00p.m., with the posting of the Colors by the Wakulla High School NJROTC Cadets. The Keynote Speaker for this year’s Ceremony is Commissioner Mike Stewart. The event will include the traditional POW/Mia Dedication and Toast led by the Comrades of VFW Post 4538.
In addition, the 2nd Annual Veteran’s Ball will commence at 6:00p.m. following the Veteran’s Ceremony at the Wakulla County Community Center and will feature food, dancing, fellowship, and cutting of the ceremonial cake. Veterans are encouraged to wear their Service Dress Uniforms, and members of the public can wear either business formal/casual or Sunday formal.
Everyone is invited to come out and show support to our Veteran’s, and enjoy a full day of fun activities and entertainment. All of these Veteran’s events are free and open to the public. For additional information related to these events, please contact Harold Ross, Veteran Services Officer at (850) 926-1072.

10/25/2018

Wakulla County Veterans Day Parade Saturday, November 10th at 10am

06/27/2018

From the desk of Mary Louise Hester

Treating Veterans Exposed to Burn Pits
On June 12, Senator Nelson cosponsored two amendments to the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act related to evaluating and treating veterans exposed to burn pits. The first, Senate Amendment 2365, creates a center of excellence within the Department of Veterans Affairs to address the health conditions relating to exposure to burn pits. The second, Senate Amendment 2571, evaluates the exposure of U.S. service members and veterans to open burn pits and toxic airborne chemicals. It requires the Secretary of Defense to record if service members were in locations where they could have been exposed. It also requires enrolling service members into the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, and requires the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs to share information relating to exposure of burn pits and toxic airborne chemicals.

Renaming Tallahassee VA Clinic
On June 7, the House of Representatives unanimously approved S. 2246, a bill, sponsored by Senator Nelson to designate the health care center of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Tallahassee, Florida, as the Sergeant Ernest I. “Boots” Thomas VA Clinic. The bill re-names the Tallahassee VA clinic after one of the original Marines to raise the American flag at Iwo Jima during World War II. The bill now goes to the President to be signed into law.

Honoring the GI Bill
On June 19, Senator Nelson joined five of his colleagues in introducing S. Res. 551, a bipartisan resolution supporting the designation of the week of June 18 through June 22, 2018, as National GI Bill Commemoration Week. This resolution honors the achievements of the original GI bill in 1944 in democratizing higher education and spurring economic empowerment and affirms Congress’ responsibility to ensure such assistance endures.

Improving VA Nursing Homes
On June 21, Senator Nelson cosponsored Senate Amendment 3013 to H.R. 5895. This amendment would require the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to submit an annual report to Congress on the state of VA nursing homes. The VA recently released a rating scale based on five stars for its nursing homes and Florida is home to one one-star facility—the lowest rating—and four two-star facilities.

Raising PTSD Awareness
On June 20, Senator Nelson joined 37 of his colleagues in introducing S.Res.554, a bipartisan resolution designating the month of June 2018 as “National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Month” and June 27, 2018, as “National Post-Traumatic Stress Awareness Day.” The resolution supports efforts by the VA and DOD to raise awareness and provide support to service members and veterans about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and encourages continued efforts to support those suffering from PTSD.

06/14/2018

Providing Veterans with Health Care Options
On June 7, Senator Nelson introduced his legislation, the FAIR Heroes Act, as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act. This bill allows military retirees to choose TRICARE health insurance coverage over more-costly Medicare Part B options, based on their specific needs.
Fighting for Widow’s Benefits
On June 7, Senator Nelson filed an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act to repeal the mandatory, dollar-for-dollar offset of survivor benefit plan (SBP) payments for every dollar of dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC) payments received. Senator Nelson has been pushing repeal of this offset for nearly eighteen years so that gold star spouses receive the benefits they are owed.
Recognizing Service of Air Americans
On June 7, Senator Nelson introduced an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act to grant retirement benefits to veterans of Air America—a subsidiary organization operated by the Central Intelligence Agency and other U.S. Government organizations in Vietnam and elsewhere. Veterans of Air America were not entitled to benefits awarded to service members and other U.S. personnel performing similar duties.

06/14/2018

Good morning,

I wanted to share the TRICARE Retiree Dental Program transition information for your Veterans that are uniformed service retirees. So, we have created a fact sheet to help enrollees understand what’s happening with the TRDP to FEDVIP transition and here are some new links to help with “”their homework”. I am happy to say that Delta Dental is one of the FEDVIP carriers with 2 programs to choose from.

• TRDP website - trdp.org/transition
• FEDVIP website - deltadentalins.com/fedvip/tricare/

06/14/2018

What’s happening?
The TRICARE Retiree Dental Program (TRDP) will end on December 31, 2018. TRDP enrollees will have
an opportunity to enroll in the Federal Employees Dental and Vision Insurance Program (FEDVIP),
with coverage effective January 1, 2019. FEDVIP offers benefits similar to the TRDP and a choice of
carriers and plan options. You’ll have the ability to select from a number of
nationwide/international and regional dental carriers, including Delta Dental. Delta Dental has
proudly served the TRDP military retiree community for the last 20 years.

When do I need to take action?
To avoid any disruption in coverage, you’ll need to select a new plan during the Federal Benefits
Open Season, which runs from November 12, 2018, through December 10, 2018, for coverage effective
January 1, 2019. There is nothing you need to do to disenroll from the TRDP, as that will happen
automatically at year’s end.

Why choose a Delta Dental FEDVIP plan?
We make it easy to take care of your oral health with great benefits, affordable rates, and a large
network of dentists nationwide. The same Delta Dental team you have known and trusted for your TRDP
dental coverage also supports our FEDVIP plans.

In FEDVIP, Delta Dental offers a choice between two great plans to meet your needs.
• The Standard Plan option offers quality care at a low premium and a per person in-network maximum
of $1,500.
• The High Plan option offers greater coverage and an increased per person in-network maximum of
$30,000.
• The odds are your dentist is already in-network! Check our FEDVIP dentist directory to find out.
Visit providers4you.com/fedvip.
• Preventive care is critical to your overall health and shouldn’t cost you anything. That’s why
it’s 100% covered under Delta Dental’s FEDVIP plans when you visit an in-network dentist.

How do I select a new FEDVIP plan?
The first opportunity you’ll have to enroll in a FEDVIP dental plan is during this year’s Federal
Benefits Open Season, which runs from November 12, 2018, through December 10, 2018, with coverage
effective January 1, 2019. To prepare for Open Season, visit TRICARE.benefeds.com. Here you can
find information to research plans, sign up for alerts and reminders, and learn more about FEDVIP.
You’ll be able to enroll online or by phone through BENEFEDS, which is the government-authorized
and U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM)-sponsored enrollment portal. BENEFEDS also manages
the billing systems and customer service functions necessary for FEDVIP enrollment and the
collection of FEDVIP premiums.

This directory will help you find a network dentist in your area who will provide you great care and help ensure that you receive maximum out-of-pocket savings. Delta Dental makes every effort to provide accurate and up-to-date information about our network dentists. We recommend that when making an...