Posted on Mar 5, 2024
Has Commissary access for surviving spouse caregivers been removed?
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I am the primary caregiver (daughter) for a Purple Heart veteran's surviving spouse, I have a pass that allows me base access to get to the pharmacy but the Commissary access was removed with the pass renewal in Sep 2023.
This is after 2 years of being able to complete her commissary shopping without her present. I was told that in Sep 2023 that Commissary policies had changed such that she would have to be present to use commissary. The information I was given said that the caregiver access was only issued for the commissary during the pandemic and it was revoked as of June 2023. That doesn't seem to match information I have found that states this is part of the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, included in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019
For several months I was able to bring her, with difficulty, to the commissary. However, her physical disabilities have recently increased and walking even 20 feet is difficult and exhausts her.
Did the law change to remove Commissary access from caregivers or am I being given incorrect information from the MPF office?
This is after 2 years of being able to complete her commissary shopping without her present. I was told that in Sep 2023 that Commissary policies had changed such that she would have to be present to use commissary. The information I was given said that the caregiver access was only issued for the commissary during the pandemic and it was revoked as of June 2023. That doesn't seem to match information I have found that states this is part of the Purple Heart and Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018, included in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019
For several months I was able to bring her, with difficulty, to the commissary. However, her physical disabilities have recently increased and walking even 20 feet is difficult and exhausts her.
Did the law change to remove Commissary access from caregivers or am I being given incorrect information from the MPF office?
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Posted 9 mo ago
Responses: 2
The change is that you have to be a registered caregiver as part of the VA's Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers (PCAFC). Once that is done, the VA's Office of Community Care will issue you an eligibility letter and with that you shouldn't have an issue.
If you are already registered in PCAFC and need a replacement letter, contact the office at [login to see] .
If you have questions, you can contact the Caregiver Support Line (CSL) at [login to see] .
Finally, if you have checked all the blocks and are still having issues, or if you aren't eligible for the PCAFC program, you can go the traditional 'designated agent' route. You'll usually request an agent letter through the ID card office, although some installations still have them issued through the installation's CO's office. Contact the RAPIDS site (the ID card office) and tell them you need to get an "Agent Letter".
You'll have to show that an "extreme hardship" exists such that the individual can't access the facilities themself (from your description, that shouldn't be an issue, but you'll likely have to show medical documentation).
----------------------------------------------------
* https://news.va.gov/67974/commissary-military-service-exchange-mwr-access-extended-veterans-beginning-january/
If you are already registered in PCAFC and need a replacement letter, contact the office at [login to see] .
If you have questions, you can contact the Caregiver Support Line (CSL) at [login to see] .
Finally, if you have checked all the blocks and are still having issues, or if you aren't eligible for the PCAFC program, you can go the traditional 'designated agent' route. You'll usually request an agent letter through the ID card office, although some installations still have them issued through the installation's CO's office. Contact the RAPIDS site (the ID card office) and tell them you need to get an "Agent Letter".
You'll have to show that an "extreme hardship" exists such that the individual can't access the facilities themself (from your description, that shouldn't be an issue, but you'll likely have to show medical documentation).
----------------------------------------------------
* https://news.va.gov/67974/commissary-military-service-exchange-mwr-access-extended-veterans-beginning-january/
Commissary, Military Service Exchange, and MWR access extended to more Veterans beginning January...
Starting Jan. 1, service-connected Veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war (POW), and primary caregivers can use commissaries, exchanges, and morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) retail facilities, in-person and online.
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Katherine Scuras
Thanks! We weren't told I needed to register with the VA program. I'll start with that!
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Katherine Scuras
I talked to the Caregiver Support Line and the program you mentioned is NOT available to surviving spouses. It is only available for the caregiver of the actual veteran.
The traditional "designated agent" route with the "Agent Letter" is what we have done for years that they are now telling us will not give allow commissary access any longer for caregivers if the surviving spouse isn't also present. I have had medical documentation to get that ""Agent Letter" in the past and now that isn't working. It sounds like they have truly taken access away from surviving spouses to use the commissary benefits if they are in physical condition that they can't get there themselves.
The traditional "designated agent" route with the "Agent Letter" is what we have done for years that they are now telling us will not give allow commissary access any longer for caregivers if the surviving spouse isn't also present. I have had medical documentation to get that ""Agent Letter" in the past and now that isn't working. It sounds like they have truly taken access away from surviving spouses to use the commissary benefits if they are in physical condition that they can't get there themselves.
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COL Randall C.
Katherine Scuras, the second part doesn't make sense (the first part does).
From how you described before, I was under the assumption that you were accessing through eligibility from the VA through the caregiver program. Access using the caregiver program DID change and you'll have to be registered in the PFACFC in order to gain access.
However, the designated agent route has not changed. Here are a few things that possibly may be impacting on their not issuing you a letter (although they should have told you this when it was denied, unless the person is confusing it with the VA caregiver program). According to the governing section in the DoD instruction (DODI 1330.17, Enclosure 2, paragraph 5j):
● The designation as a personal agent for an eligible patron will be on a temporary basis (not to exceed two years) in extreme hardship cases or if there is no adult authorized family member capable of shopping due to injury, illness, incapacitation, or stationing away from their household.
You stated that you have been doing it for two years, so it's possible that your 'temporary' limit was reached and they won't issue you another one because of that. Again, if this is the case, I don't know why they didn't inform you when you tried to renew it.
The "temporary basis" CAN be extended for "continuing hardship", but I would expect they would required documentation to that situation.
● A personal agent can be assigned on a permanent basis "for blinded or other severely disabled eligible patron if the patron's disability is certified as permanent by an appropriate (military) medical authority".
To have it permanently assigned, you'll have to have show medical documentation showing that she is incapable of shopping herself due to her situation (the decline you mentioned in her physical condition).
Without knowing the conversation that went on between you and the person issuing the agent letter, it sounds like your eligibility was being confused with the eligibility through the VA caregiver program instead of the standard 'agent' route.
I suggest you discuss with the appropriate individual again and make it plainly clear that you are not asking for a letter based on eligibility from the VA but that you are doing it through the regular program. Make sure you bring medical documentation showing that her condition. The DoDI states, certified as permanent by an "appropriate military medical authority", but an appropriate civilian medical authority (i.e., doctor) should be acceptable. I would double-check with the issuing office/individual first if for some reason they are a 'stickler for the rules'.
IF you are still running into a roadblock with whoever issues the letter, and they still won't authorize you, then contact the base commander's office (the base commander is the one that authorizes the letter, but likely designated the authority to whoever you've been dealing with). It's doubtful that you will actually speak to the commander, but your issue should be given to his Chief of Staff or someone else on his personal staff for action.
Now, everything I've said above is assuming that your mother does fall into the category of "extreme hardship" and that it's not "an inconvenience". From what you described above ("physical disabilities have recently increased and walking even 20 feet is difficult and exhausts her") my opinion is that it does. However, my opinion isn't relevant and it's the documented evaluation of medical authorities that counts.
--------------------------------------
* DoDI 1330.17 - https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/133017p.pdf
From how you described before, I was under the assumption that you were accessing through eligibility from the VA through the caregiver program. Access using the caregiver program DID change and you'll have to be registered in the PFACFC in order to gain access.
However, the designated agent route has not changed. Here are a few things that possibly may be impacting on their not issuing you a letter (although they should have told you this when it was denied, unless the person is confusing it with the VA caregiver program). According to the governing section in the DoD instruction (DODI 1330.17, Enclosure 2, paragraph 5j):
● The designation as a personal agent for an eligible patron will be on a temporary basis (not to exceed two years) in extreme hardship cases or if there is no adult authorized family member capable of shopping due to injury, illness, incapacitation, or stationing away from their household.
You stated that you have been doing it for two years, so it's possible that your 'temporary' limit was reached and they won't issue you another one because of that. Again, if this is the case, I don't know why they didn't inform you when you tried to renew it.
The "temporary basis" CAN be extended for "continuing hardship", but I would expect they would required documentation to that situation.
● A personal agent can be assigned on a permanent basis "for blinded or other severely disabled eligible patron if the patron's disability is certified as permanent by an appropriate (military) medical authority".
To have it permanently assigned, you'll have to have show medical documentation showing that she is incapable of shopping herself due to her situation (the decline you mentioned in her physical condition).
Without knowing the conversation that went on between you and the person issuing the agent letter, it sounds like your eligibility was being confused with the eligibility through the VA caregiver program instead of the standard 'agent' route.
I suggest you discuss with the appropriate individual again and make it plainly clear that you are not asking for a letter based on eligibility from the VA but that you are doing it through the regular program. Make sure you bring medical documentation showing that her condition. The DoDI states, certified as permanent by an "appropriate military medical authority", but an appropriate civilian medical authority (i.e., doctor) should be acceptable. I would double-check with the issuing office/individual first if for some reason they are a 'stickler for the rules'.
IF you are still running into a roadblock with whoever issues the letter, and they still won't authorize you, then contact the base commander's office (the base commander is the one that authorizes the letter, but likely designated the authority to whoever you've been dealing with). It's doubtful that you will actually speak to the commander, but your issue should be given to his Chief of Staff or someone else on his personal staff for action.
Now, everything I've said above is assuming that your mother does fall into the category of "extreme hardship" and that it's not "an inconvenience". From what you described above ("physical disabilities have recently increased and walking even 20 feet is difficult and exhausts her") my opinion is that it does. However, my opinion isn't relevant and it's the documented evaluation of medical authorities that counts.
--------------------------------------
* DoDI 1330.17 - https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/dodi/133017p.pdf
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Katherine Scuras
My father was a disabled veteran with multiple Pearl Hearts. As a surviving spouse she is eligible for Tricare for Life and eligible for the pharmacy.
Just for additional information. My father was her 2nd husband. Her 1st husband was a helicopter pilot killed in Vietnam while airlifting out wounded.
Just for additional information. My father was her 2nd husband. Her 1st husband was a helicopter pilot killed in Vietnam while airlifting out wounded.
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