Tag Archives: Department of Veterans Affairs

‘Blue Water’ veteran benefits one of 18 bills approved


Lats week, a Congressional committee approved a variety of legislation for veterans that included bills to extend benefits to “Blue Water” Navy veterans and create a fourth administration within the Department of Veteran Affairs. According to an article published by ConnectingVetsRadio.com, the committee Chairman Mark Takano “launched the meeting by highlighting the first bill on…

Lawmakers advocate for ‘Blue Water’ bill in wake of court ruling


Lawmakers recently gathered to discuss the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 and made their case for why the legislation is needed, saying it was the “quickest and clearest route” for providing benefits to ‘Blue Water’ Navy veterans. According to an article published by Stars and Stripes, the “Court of Appeals for the…

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…

Final ruling delayed on ‘blue water’ Vietnam veterans benefits


This week the Supreme Court granted a 30-day extension to Department of Justice officials regarding the appeal of a January court ruling which extended presumptive benefits to tens of thousands of Navy veterans. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, “advocates say they are not concerned by the move, calling it a typical legal maneuver and…

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 veterans education and employment administration


Lawmakers are renewing plans to create a new fourth administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs that will focus on education and employment for veterans. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, “The new bill mirrors legislation that passed out of a House committee last year and was introduced in the Senate, but failed to gain further…

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,…

Report finds post-9/11 vets have far higher disability ratings than prior generations


According to an annual survey of veterans’ employment and status by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, post-9/11 active-duty veterans have significantly higher disability rates than those of prior generations. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com, the Current Population Survey of 60,000 households in 2018, states that “41 percent of Gulf War-era II…