This week, Rep. Elaine Luria, D-Norfolk introduced legislation to grant disability and health care benefits for veterans who served in the Middle East, Africa, and the Philippines. These vets have been struggling for years to get the benefits they are entitled to. According to an article published by Daily Press, “It is the first legislation…
Right now, the deadline for Gulf War veterans to apply for benefits for service-connected illnesses is December 31, 2021, however, VA officials have stated that they are working on an extension. According to an article published by ConnectingVets.com, “The deadline has continued to be pushed back in recent years. In 2016, the deadline was pushed…
In an attempt to be proactive, disease researchers at the Department of Veterans Affairs began planning for war-related illnesses soon after 9/11. According to an article published by Stripes.com, “[Chief] VA research officer Rachel Ramoni said the agency’s focus is two-pronged: to identify what made the veterans ill and to improve their health situation now…As…
An ambitious $2 trillion infrastructure plan by President Joe Biden (also known as the American Jobs Plan) has assigned $18 billion for improvements to Veterans Affairs medical centers. The aim of the package is to generate millions of employment opportunities and to rebuild the country’s infrastructure. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, “Along with major…
The backlog of compensation and pension exam requests has only been worsened by the pandemic, leaving hundreds of thousands of veterans waiting. According to an article published by Stars and Stripes, “The exams are a crucial part of the process to determine whether veterans are eligible for the Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. The department…
Bill Thompson, a retired Army staff sergeant who has severe lung damage as a result of inhaling toxic fumes from burn pits, has been denied full disability benefits. According to an article published by Stars and Stripes, “The lungs Bill Thompson was born with told a gruesome, harrowing and unmistakable tale to Dr. Anthony Szema…
Lawmakers and the VA Chairman are recommitting themselves to providing support to veterans who served in Thailand during the Vietnam War-era by providing them the ability to prove toxic exposure and therefore be eligible for benefits. According to an article published by The Veterans’ Affairs committee, “The VA currently awards service-connected benefits for exposure to…
This week, with only three hours of debate, the House approved a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package that includes $17 billion for the VA. According to an article published by Stars and Stripes, “The bill gives about $17 billion to the VA. Most of that — $14.5 billion — goes toward vaccine distribution, veterans’ health…
This year, lawmakers and advocacy are pushing for high blood pressure to officially be added to the list of Agent Orange presumptive illnesses – a move that could potentially provide disability benefits to more than 160,000 Veterans. According to an article published by Military Times, “In an interview with Military Times this week, Senate Veterans’…
This week, VA Secretary Denis McDonough vowed to crucially review the new rules for presumptive benefits for Vietnam Veterans with toxic exposure. However, he failed to give a specific timeline for when these rules will be implemented. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, “In January, officials from President Donald Trump’s VA leadership team said…
