Veterans Benefits – What State Benefit Are You Missing Out On?
We recently came across this extremely informative post on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Blog that was posted on July 29th, 2020. It is Part 2 of a 5-part series of helpful posts listing various facts about veterans benefits by state. This post, copied here in its entirety, lists the response from all 50... Read More
Veterans in Nursing Homes – COVID-19 their Deadliest Enemy
As of April 21, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported more than 5,500 confirmed coronavirus cases in 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Of those cases, over 350 veterans have died from COVID-19, according to VA data, which is more than 6% of those infected. The VA does... Read More
Veterans Benefits – Is Coronavirus Covered?
Veterans who are exhibiting symptoms of coronavirus, such as coughing, fever, and shortness of breath, and are concerned that they may have contracted COVID-19, should contact 1-877-741-3400 or visit va.gov/coronavirus. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has put in place a dynamic public health response for the care and protection of Veterans in the face... Read More
Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions – Eligible for Veterans Benefits – Delayed by VA Studies
On February 10th, seven of the country’s largest veterans organizations urged lawmakers in Washington DC to expedite veterans benefits for nearly 200,000 Vietnam-era veterans suffering from presumptive medical conditions linked to Agent Orange. Currently, the list of conditions presumed to be caused by exposure to chemical herbicides, such as Agent Orange used during the Vietnam... Read More
PTSD Veterans – Does One Treatment Fit All?
On January 30th, a study conducted by researchers at the New York University Grossman School of Medicine was published in the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). The study summarized the findings of recently conducted clinical trials on the effectiveness of two main therapy approaches used by the Department of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs... Read More
Blue Water Navy Veterans Urged to File Claims Now
The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act was signed into law in June 2019, by President Donald Trump. The act restores and expands veterans disability benefits to those potentially exposed to Agent Orange, while serving on open-sea ships off the coast of Vietnam during the war. Vietnam War blue water sailors had their disability eligibility... Read More
Veterans Who Served in Afghanistan and Iraq to be Recognized as Exposed to Health Hazards
On November 21, 2019, U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, introduced The Veterans Burn Pit Exposure Recognition Act of 2019. The bill recognizes the health hazards caused by burn pits, oil well fires, and other toxic pollution sources in Afghanistan, Iraq and other areas in... Read More
Military Medical Malpractice – How to File a Claim
On December 20, 2019, President Trump signed the National Defense Authorization Act, which included provisions from an earlier bill, the SFC Richard Stayskal Military Medical Accountability Act, that allows active duty servicemembers, veterans, or their surviving family members to file claims for death or personal injury caused by the negligence or wrongful acts of a... Read More
Veterans Affairs Plans to Research Toxic Exposures to Service Connected Veterans
On November 13, 2019, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) chief of research development, Rachel Romani, announced the VA will undertake a comprehensive research project in 2021 on environmental exposures to military personnel and their connection to diseases in veterans and their offspring. VA researchers are scrutinizing the department’s existing research and speaking with veterans... Read More
Agent Orange Presumptive Conditions proposed Two Years ago still awaiting Senate resolution
On or about October of 2017, Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Dr. David Shulkin agreed to add three health conditions — bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, and Parkinson’s like symptoms — to the presumptive conditions list of 14 Agent Orange-related illnesses, but it was never announced. The Office of Management and Budget, including Director Mick Mulvaney, and other... Read More