Another Incident of Veterans' Personal Information Being Stolen

Over the last few years there have been several instances of personally identifying information being stolen from trusted sources. It happened at the VA in 2008, the Army's Fort Belvoir in Virginia in 2009, and this time, 4.6 million Tricare beneficiaries’ data was stolen last month from a locked car in Texas. The information was stored on tapes that were being transferred between government facilities by a Science Applications International Corp (SAIC) employee, however, in most instances the confidential information was stored on laptops.

This most recent theft of Social Security numbers, addresses, phone numbers and health data including data from patients seen at military treatment facilities in San Antonio between 1992 and Sept. 7, 2011, as well as those who filled prescriptions or had lab tests processed at San Antonio-area military health facilities during the same period were contained on backup tapes of Tricare electronic health records.

According to a statement released Thursday by McLean, Va.,-based SAIC, there has been no indication that the data has been misused and the tapes contained no financial data, credit card information or bank account numbers. But thieves can use information such as names and Social Security numbers to obtain credit cards and acquire loans.

While beneficiaries can place a free 90-day fraud alert on their credit by registering with the Federal Trade Commission, I wonder when this rash of incidents will come to an end. Since that question is impossible to answer, what can we do to prevent this from occurring?

What we can do is demand that our private information be guarded more closely. Maybe it isn't a good idea to transport this type of information in a personal vehicle. And if that can not be avoided, then the driver should not be allowed to make any pit stops between drop-ff and pick-up facilities. Unfortunately, that would only cover transporting documents, and not theft that occurs in actual facilities/buildings. With that said, I believe that we should all keep a closer watch on our credit and initiate those fraud alerts as often as the FTC allows.


What do you think? Leave your comments below.

AMVETS Says 'No' to TRICARE Increases

This week AMVETS took a stand on proposed increases in military health care premiums, voicing support for legislation that would keep premiums for TRICARE at the current rate.

The Military Health Care Affordability Act, H.R. 1285, was introduced by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and AMVETS Acting Legislative Director Christina Roof sent a letter of support to the Congresswoman, expressing the importance of the bill.


At the 2010 AMVETS National Convention in Louisville, Ky., AMVETS members voted on a resolution to fight increases in military health care premiums. The resolution is included in the 2011 AMVETS Legislative Priorities book and has guided AMVETS' legislative department in its decision-making on proposed TRICARE increases.

AMVETS is one of the few veterans' organizations to put its foot down on the issue of TRICARE increases, calling health care an earned entitlement for military service.

AMVETS leaders call the proposal particularly unconscionable during a time of war, and encourage AMVETS members around the country to reach out to their representatives in Congress, voicing their opposition to the proposed increases.

To find your representative and to voice your opinion on TRICARE increases, Click Here.

This Week at American Veteran

This week at American Veteran, we will take a look at last week's surprise announcement by the Pentagon that they will raise copays for retired military personnel covered under TRICARE by 20 percent.

Last week, the National Association for Uniformed Services sent a letter to the Department of Defense expressing their concern over the abrupt changes. The Military Coalition, of which AMVETS is a member, followed suit with its own letter to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Congress has blocked TRICARE fee increases for the last three years, prompting the veterans' community to ask how this change could have come about. Check back with American Veteran throughout the week for updates.

Next, we will continue to monitor VA's implementation of the Uniformed Mental Health Services Handbook, which was to be implemented no later than Sept. 30, prior to the start of FY2010. VA and Congress have yet to provide official word as to whether or not VA is compliant.

AMVETS National Commander Duane Miskulin called implementation of the handbook a "critical step" in ensuring veterans have the tools to combat the invisible wounds of war. American Veteran Online will keep you posted on VA's compliance with the handbook and the overall Mental Health Strategic Plan.

American Veteran will also continue to follow Post-9/11 G.I. Bill implementation and the continued work of the House and Senate Committees on Veterans Affairs, which plan to address dozens of pieces of veterans legislation in the coming weeks. Check back regularly for updates.

Finally, the publication date for American Veteran magazine has been pushed back for a couple of weeks due to an unforeseen issue with supplemental materials. We will keep you up to date as the latest issue goes to print. In the meantime, thank you to everyone who submitted content for this fall's Keeping Posted section. Be on the look-out for your post or department in the next issue.