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Radschool Association Magazine - Vol 38 Page 14 |
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DVA.
Eligible persons with a gold Repatriation health card are entitled to treatment for all conditions. Normally, DVA will also meet the cost of travel to treatment.
Gold Card holders are entitled to services from the following disciplines.
*DVA will not normally meet the cost of medical and specialist services
not listed on the
Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS),
although exceptions may be made in special circumstances. The treatment
provider will need to obtain written approval from DVA in such cases.
White Card holders are provided with health services for treatment of specific conditions only, according to clinical need, as follows:
The Orange Repatriation Pharmaceuticals Benefits Card provides eligible British, other Commonwealth or Allied veterans access to pharmaceuticals listed on the RPBS according to clinical need, for all their medical conditions. Restrictions apply to some pharmaceuticals, which require accepted condition status.
This card does not entitle the veteran to any medical or other health care treatment.
General enquiries regarding services for veterans and war widows/widowers should be directed to Veterans' Affairs Network (VAN).
A friend wonders about your romantic history. A real friend could blackmail you with it.
DVA Qld Christmas Party.
Early in December, 2011, DVA in Brisbane held a “Christmas Party” in their offices, to meet and thank the various NGO’s that work hand in hand with DVA providing services for the Ex-Service community.
It was also an excellent opportunity for the people from those NGO’s, who have worked with DVA over the past 12 months, to meet with and put a face to those hard working DVA staff, who, in a lot of cases up until then, were just a voice on the phone. |
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Amanda Green, the Executive Assistant to the Queensland Deputy Commissioner and John Sambrooks, the Secretary/Treasurer of the RTFV/35 Squadron Association.
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The ever efficient Amanda Green, who organised the event, is usually your first point of contact when you have a serious problem and need DVA assistance. Amanda will steer you to the correct section which will provide all the assistance you need. |
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L-R: John McDougall, President of the RTFV-35Sqn Assoc, Trev Benneworth, representing the Radschool Assoc, Dianne Pickering, the President of the Queensland Branch of the WRAAF Association, John Gearey, acting Qld Deputy Commissioner, DVA, John Sambrooks, and Peter De Jonge, professional party goer.
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John Geary was on secondment from DVA in Melbourne where his is the National Manager for Community Health Group. He was acting Queensland Deputy Commissioner in the absence of Alison Stanley who, having had a difficult year was on extended sick/rec leave.
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Till Napoli and O’Hara Nailon
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Till Napoli is the man to see when you are seeking a financial grant. DVA administers several grants programs which aim to maintain and improve the independence and quality of life for members of the veteran community by providing financial assistance for activities, services and projects that sustain and/or enhance well-being. They are:
There is a brief summary of these grants HERE.
If you or your organization is considering whether you could or should apply for a grant, the first thing you should do is check one of the DVA’s websites which is dedicated to grants and which you can find HERE, then if you think you qualify, contact Till, make an appointment and go see him. He is there to help.
O’Hara Nailon looks after Service Pensions, Claims, Pension Bonus, Qualifying Service and Income Support Supplement (ISS) for all of Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. ISS provides additional income to the war widow’s or widower’s pension for Australia’s war widows and widowers who have limited means. You are not eligible for ISS if you are in receipt of a service pension, age pension or any other social security pension or benefit. You can, however, receive the Family Tax Benefit and/or Child Care Benefit from the Family Assistance Office.
The payment is subject to an income and assets test and has a ceiling rate. The ceiling rate is indexed in March and September each year to take into account changes to the cost of living and/or average wages. When working out your rate of ISS, your war widow’s or widower’s pension from DVA (or equivalent foreign pension), and any disability pensions paid by other governments are counted as income for pension purposes. Blind ISS recipients are exempt from the income and assets tests and are paid at the ceiling rate.
In December 2011, the maximum amount of ISS payable to both singles and members of a couple is currently $226.80 per fortnight (the ceiling rate). There is no age requirement for ISS eligibility. The payment may also be granted on the basis of invalidity if you are permanently incapacitated for work.
Once again, if you think you are eligible for any of the above financial assistance benefits, the first thing you should do is check the relevant DVA website HERE and if you think you comply, ring the delightful O’Hara, make an appointment and go and see her.
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Kylie Gibb and Peter De Jonge |
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A friend expects you to always be there for them. A real friend expects to always be there for you!
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If you live in an area that is far from a major centre and require specialist medical treatment that is only available in the capital city, Kylie Gibb is the one to thank for getting you there. Kylie looks after all mainland states and will book you on an aircraft and have you flown from the closest airport to where you live to the specialist and will then get you back home again. Next time (hopefully never) you are being transported to specialist medical attention, you know who to thank.
Peter, ex RAAF Sqn Ldr, is now a specialist prawn connoisseur and as the DVA Christmas party is known throughout the developed world as Prawn Central he was only too happy to be invited.
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John McDougall and Dianne Pickering.
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John McDougall is the president of the RTFV-35Sqn Association and was happy to get an invitation just to meet all the pretty girls. Dianne Pickering is the President of the Qld WRAAF Association - and found she had absolutely no problem at all finding someone to talk to. |
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Carol McDonald and Kerry Heath |
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Carol McDonald is the Assistant Director of the Veterans' Access Network (VAN) which promotes independence and quality of life to the veteran community in their local environment and helps them access the correct and relevant DVA programs and services. VAN helps veterans and their families get information about DVA benefits and locate and use financial, health and community services in their area. It also helps to implement DVA policies and aims to help veterans maintain their independence within the community, including remaining in their own homes for as long as possible. It uses a community development approach to increase veterans’ access to all services and, where appropriate, help the local community, including ex-services organizations to develop local services.
Kerry Heath was a Telsop in the RAAF back in 1970 – 74, she was at Point Cook from 1970 until 1972, then was posted to Townsville where she took a D in 1974. She now works for DVA in the rehabitation and payments for incapacitated persons section.
All these lovely girls put in the hard yards at the party, some in the kitchen, others passing the wonderful food (prawns!!) around while others served drinks.
A big thank you to all of them from all of us.
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A friend, when visiting, acts like a guest. A real friend opens your refrigerator and helps himself.
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The Turtle.
The “Turtle” was the first ‘submarine’ that was ever used in combat. It was built in 1775 by a David Bushnell who was an American Patriot and was meant as a vehicle which could attach explosive charges to British Royal Navy ships moored in US harbours during the War of Independence.
Named for its shape, the Turtle resembled a large clam as much as a turtle; it was about 10 feet (3.0m) long, 6 feet (1.8m) tall, and about 3 feet (0.9m) wide, and consisted of two wooden shells covered with tar and reinforced with steel bands. Six small pieces of thick glass in the top of the submarine provided natural light. It dived by allowing water into a bilge tank at the bottom of the vessel and ascended by pushing water out through a hand pump.
It was propelled vertically and horizontally by hand-cranked propellers. It also had 200 pounds (90kg) of lead aboard, which could be released in a moment to increase buoyancy. Manned and operated by one person, the vessel contained enough air for about thirty minutes and had a speed in calm water of about three miles per hour (5km/h). This meant it had to be launched no further than 1klm from the target, which would allow only 5 minutes at the target.
Several attempts were made using the Turtle to affix explosives to the undersides of British warships in New York Harbour in 1776 but, as the British ships had copper plated hulls, (to stop fouling), the Turtle’s hand operated drill could not penetrate and the explosives could not be attached. All attempts failed, and her transport ship was sunk later that year by the British with the submarine aboard.
Several functional replicas of the vessel have been built with one on display at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum in Gosport in the UK and others at the Connecticut River Museum and the U.S. Navy Submarine Force Library and Museum.
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Morris returns from the doctor and tells his wife that the doctor has told him that he has only 24 hours to live. Given the prognosis, Morris asks his wife for sex. Naturally, she agrees, so they make love. About 6 hours later, the husband goes to his wife and says, 'Honey, you know I now have only 18 hours to live. Could we please do it one more time? 'Of course, the wife agrees, and they do it again. Later, as the man gets into bed, he looks at his watch and realizes that he now has only 8 hours left. He touches his wife's shoulder and asks, 'Honey, please.. just one more time before I die. 'She says, 'Of course, Dear,' and they make love for the third time. After this session, the wife rolls over and falls to sleep. Morris, however, worried about his impending death, tosses and turns, until he's down to 4 more hours. He taps his wife, who rouses. 'Honey, I have only 4 more hours. Do you think we could...'At this point the wife sits up and says, 'Listen Morris, enough is enough. I have to get up in the morning... you don't.'
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