-
Immigration Fails to Give Veterans Special Consideration
A report released last week showed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) does not take a person’s military service into consideration before deporting them. In addition to this, ICE does not track how many veterans are deported but does require that their agents look at employment history, health, community service, deployments to war zones, military decorations,…
-
Burn Pit Exposure Continues to Affect Veterans and Their Families
Open-air burn pits the U.S. military uses to eliminate waste in Iraq is said to be the cause of thousands of troops’ presumed illnesses. According to an article published by Stars and Stripes, unexploded ordnance, metal cans, plastics, Styrofoam, rubber, paint, lubricants, even body parts and animal carcasses are added to pits and ignited with…
-
Advocates Opposed to New Process for Pennsylvanians Accessing SSI Disability Benefits
Changes to the process for applying for Social Security disability benefits went into effect in Pennsylvania in April 2019. Applicants now have an extra step in an already lengthy process. According to an article published by KYW News Radio, “[The] policy is a change in the Social Security Administration’s process for getting disability benefits. Instead of…
-
Cleanup Scheduled to Continue for Kirtland Air Force Base
According to an article published by Military.com, efforts to rid Kirtland Air Force Base of groundwater jet fuel contamination is on track to continue for years to come with no funding issues noted. The contamination was realized in 1999 after jet fuel was discovered on the surface of a well near the base fueling facility. The cause…
-
Professionals qualified to diagnose TBI expected to expand
According to a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is expected to expand the requirement in the disability compensation process regarding who can diagnose traumatic brain injury (TBI) to include any health care professional with sufficient brain injury training and experience. According to…
-
New policy proposal on social media monitoring accelerates controversial issue
A new policy proposal is calling for the monitoring of disabled people’s social media profiles to determine the validity and necessity of their disability benefits. According to an article published by Forbes, “the proposal, which reportedly aims to cut down on the number of fraudulent disability claims would monitor the profiles of disabled people and…
-
Supreme Court Backs Social Security Expert Who Declined to Provide Evidence
Last week, the Supreme Court denied a Social Security Disability Insurance plaintiff’s proposal to establish a rule that effectively requires vocational experts to turn over the “substantial evidence” underlying their opinions in every case. Michael Biestek claimed that he was unable to work because he suffered from degenerative disc disease, Hepatitis C and depression. However,…
-
New veterans community care rules scheduled for June
New community care standards granting veterans access to private-sector health care will be in place this June, regardless of ongoing concerns. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, the new veterans community care rules, also known as Veterans “choice” , is happening in 10 weeks, unless Congress can find a way to stop it. Veterans eligible for…
-
Blue Water Navy Veterans court ruling moves forward
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced that they will not appeal a January court ruling that will likely pave the way for “Blue Water Navy” veterans to receive Agent Orange benefits. According to an article published by Military.com, “VA Secretary Robert Wilkie told members of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee that he will recommend the Justice Department not fight the decision, handing…
-
VA to Announce Decision on New Agent Orange Presumptive Illnesses
According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, during a Senate Veterans Affairs hearing this week, Dr. Richard Stone (executive in charge of the Veterans Health Administration) announced that a decision regarding presumptive illnesses linked to Agent Orange would likely come in the next 3 months. This announcement would mean that conditions such as bladder cancer, hypothyroidism,…
