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New Law Extends Mental Health Services to National Guard and Reserve Troops
The Vet Center Eligibility Expansion Act – a law aimed at reducing veteran suicides by extending mental health services to National Guard and Reserve troops who were previously not entitled to such services – was recently signed into law. According to an article published by Military.com, “The VA already was authorized to provide counseling through…
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VA to Outsource all C&P Exams
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced the elimination of in-house compensation and pension exams and will now outsource 100% of these exams instead. According to an article published by Stripes.com, “The change comes as the VA is working through a backlog of requests for exams. The department suspended the exams in April, as coronavirus…
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New VA Collaboration Helps Blue Water Veterans Claims Process
The Department of Veterans Affairs has collaborated with the National Archives and Records Administration to help document ship locations and digitize more than 1,800 Vietnam-era Blue Water Navy ships logs. According to an article published by Connecting Vets, “The data contained in these ships’ deck logs is critical in determining qualifying ship locations in accordance…
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Live Call Dedicated to Helping Pennsylvania’s Veterans
On Wednesday, October 13 at 4pm Pennsylvania veterans are invited to participate in a live telephone-event hosted by Dr. Paul Lawrence, undersecretary for benefits at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The event will be focused on directly assisting local veterans with benefits, informing them of new programs, and answering any questions they may have. According…
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Veterans Receving Social Security Benefits Expected to see Cost-of-Living Boost
Veterans receiving social security benefits are expecting to see a cost-of-living boost next year with the exact increase expected to be announced in the coming weeks. In 2019, the figure was 1.6 percent and in 2018 it was 2.8 percent. According to an article published by Military Times, “On Thursday, the Senate unanimously passed legislation…
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Almost 80% of Burn Pit Claims Denied by VA
This week, an agency official announced that 78% of disability claims related to toxic exposure to burn pits have been denied by the Department of Veterans Affairs. According to an article published by Stripes.com, “Between 2007 and 2020, VA approved disability claims related to burn-pit exposure for 2,828 veterans out of 12,582, according to Laurine…
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Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act Introduced
Last week, the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act was introduced into legislation. If passed, the road to disability benefits for veterans with diseases related to burn pit exposure and other battlefield pollutants would be streamlined. According to an article published by Military.com, the requirement that veterans prove…
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New Bill to Expand Benefits to Veterans with Toxic Exposure
This week the introduction of new legislation was announced which, if passed, will provide expanded access to benefits for veterans with illnesses related to toxic exposure. According to an article published by Radio.com, “The Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act introduced this week has an ambitious aim —…
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VA Secretary Denies Reports of Mail Order Prescription Delays
After recent reports were released of significant delays in veterans mail order prescriptions, Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie has responded by saying that these reports are “conspiracy theories” being used to “score political points against the Trump administration”. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, Wilkie continued by saying, “It’s disappointing to see how comfortable…
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Big Names Call For Reform at Toxic-Exposure Conference
This Friday, policy and medical experts, a famous comedian, and a former Department of Veterans Affairs secretary are gathering to discuss toxic exposure among veterans and the reforms that are necessary to provide affected veterans with treatment and resources. According to an article published by Stars and Stripes, “Hosted by the nonprofit organization Burn Pits…
