Rep.
Warren Petryk, chair of the Assembly veterans committee, will be hosting a
listening session on veterans issues with Secretary John Scocos of the
Department of Veterans Affairs for veterans throughout the Chippewa Valley
and across the state. The session will be held on December 5 from 11:30-1:30
p.m. at the Wisconsin Veterans Home located at 2175 East Park Avenue in
Chippewa Falls. Representative Petryk and Secretary Scocos hope to gain
insight during this session on issues affecting our veterans. Additionally,
they will be available to answer any other questions you may have as a
veteran.
This month, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of
Transportation announced that veterans will be able to obtain a veteran
identifier on their driver’s license or state ID card. This new law,
2013 Act 17, will allow veterans who choose to request this identifier
to verify their veteran status without having to carry confidential personal
information. The “VetExpress” link at
www.WisVets.com can guide you through the application process and help
you determine if you qualify. If any veterans need help with this process,
please feel free to contact my office directly.
Last weekend, I participated in several events to help say thank you to the
men and women in the armed forces who serve our nation on a daily basis. It
was great to see so many others at these events doing the same. On Friday,
November 8, I volunteered at the Chippewa YMCA to package donations to send
to our troops overseas, including some of our dutiful canines in
Afghanistan. The turnout was far more than expected, and we even had to go
get extra boxes to fit all of the supplies – I thought this was a great
problem to have! You
can watch coverage by WEAU about the event here.
I
also attended a Veterans Day ceremony on Sunday, November 10, at the
Wisconsin Veterans Home in Chippewa Falls. Secretary John Scocos and other
veterans and supporters turned out to remember the history and lessons of
the Vietnam War on its 50th anniversary. It was an honor to share
the afternoon with these great veterans.
The federal rollout of the Affordable Care Act has been a failure, with
less than 900 Wisconsinites able to successfully sign up for a plan in
the insurance marketplace. As a result, Governor Walker has called for a
special session of the Legislature to vote on a three-month delay for
those moving into the federal exchange, to include individuals and
families on BadgerCare and the Health Insurance Risk-Sharing Plan (HIRSP).
I applaud the Governor for recognizing the uncertainty these Wisconsin
residents face and for taking steps to correct the federal government’s
errors. Governor Walker also called on President Barack Obama to open up
Wisconsin’s competitive private market to all consumers, allowing
customers to use their subsidies in both the private market and the
exchange.
In
addition, prior to Governor Walker’s announcement, the Chippewa County
Affordable Care Action Team in conjunction with the Chippewa County
Department of Human Services
released information about information and enrollment sessions relating to
the Affordable Care Act. All sessions will be held at Chippewa Valley
Technical College, Chippewa Falls Campus at 770 Scheidler Road. Information
sessions will give an overview of the Health Insurance Marketplace with tips
for signing up, and they are recommended before the enrollment sessions. The
enrollment sessions will offer personal assistance for those looking to sign
up on the federal exchange. These sessions are free and open to the public;
Chippewa County residency is not required:
Information Sessions (held in room 112)
Monday, November 18 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Friday, November 22 from 10:00 a.m. – noon
Tuesday, December 3 from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday, December 5 from 10:00 a.m. – noon
Enrollment Sessions (held in the computer lab, room 103)
Monday, November 25 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Monday, December 9 from 10:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 11 from 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Chippewa Health Improvement Partnership and St. Joseph’s Hospital gathered
agencies in the county to take part in the Chippewa County Affordable Action
Team, which includes, among others, representatives from the following
agencies: Chippewa County Human Services, Chippewa County Public Health,
Chippewa County Jail, Chippewa County Sheriff, St. Joseph’s Hospital, May
Clinic Health System, Marshfield Clinic, Chippewa Open Door Clinic,
Workforce Resource, Inc.
Eau
Claire County also has informational and enrollment sessions in November and
December; dates can be found on their calendar by
clicking here.
