Department of Veterans Affairs Closing Medical Centers Nationwide?
According to Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) officials, there are approximately 1,000 non-vacant, but underused, facilities scattered across the nation. The VA stated these facilities create a significant drain on department resources, but closing any of them would require an act of Congress. The VA Mission Act, which was passed last year, included the VA... Read More
Burn Pit Benefits – The Next Battle for Veterans Disability Benefits
The Burn Pit Registry Enhancement Act was passed by a 416-0 vote in the House of Representatives on March 6th, 2019. In part, the act makes the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry a more useful tool for researching the health effects of toxic exposure on service members and veterans. The real political fight... Read More
Veterans Want to Decide Health Care Options for Themselves
A lot has changed since 2017 for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The VA Accountability & Whistleblower Protection Act was passed, a new secretary of Veterans Affairs has been appointed, and the Mission Act, enabling veterans the opportunity to have a say in their health care options, was passed. All of these changes came... Read More
Veterans Awarded Purple Hearts Will Have Their Disability Benefit Claims Prioritized
Effective April 1st, 2019, a new policy will provide veterans, who were awarded a Purple Heart during their military service, with a prioritized disability claims process in advance of those who were not awarded a Purple Heart, according to Robert Wilkie, Veterans Affairs Secretary. A Purple Heart is the oldest U.S. military award that is... Read More
Department of Veterans Affairs Launches New Disability Claims Appeal Process
In February, the VA rolled out a new system for veterans with disability benefit claims that promises quicker decisions for those waiting for disability compensation or other benefits. In addition, the new system provides several “paths” for veterans who want to appeal their low rating decision or who were denied their disability claim outright. According... Read More
Veteran Suicides – A Final Protest on VA Hospital Campuses
In February of 2018, a 33-year-old Iraq Veteran and Marine Corps Trumpet player shot himself in the parking lot of his Minneapolis Department of Veterans Affairs Hospital. Justin Miller was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal thoughts when he checked himself into the VA hospital. He was looking for help. After spending four... Read More
Veterans Disability Benefits – 3 Ways to Increase Your Compensation
Are you dissatisfied with your low veterans disability rating or was your VA disability claim denied? You have several options to pursue with the Department of Veterans Affairs that can result in your disability compensation benefit being approved or increased. The three main things you can do are: 1.) File a disability claim for a... Read More
Blue Water Veterans Win Rights to Agent Orange Disability Benefits
On January 29, 2019 the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled by a 9-2 vote that could extend Agent Orange disability benefits to roughly 90,000 Blue Water Navy veterans who served off the coast of Vietnam. The 9-2 court ruling in favor of Alfred Procopio Jr., who suffers from diabetes and prostate... Read More
Evidence of Lead Poisoning at U.S. Military Bases – What You Should Know
As initially reported by Reuters on August 16, 2018, undisclosed military and state health records, as well as testing initiated by Reuters for lead in soldiers’ homes, revealed serious issues at some of America’s largest military bases. Federal law defines lead-based paint as containing 0.5 percent or more lead by weight. Sales of this type... Read More
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL Investigated by Local CBS12 News
November 12, 2018 – A local news station in West Palm Beach, WPEC CBS12, just completed a thorough six-month long investigation into the conditions of the local VA Medical Center. Their findings are a disgrace to the honorable men and women who pledged their service to our country and who deserve to be treated with... Read More