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Two new bills introduced to support veterans exposed to burn pits
Lawmakers and advocates have urged new action to support those exposed to toxic burn pits that are assumed to be the cause of a long list of chronic illnesses. Today, more than 173,000 servicemembers who spent time in Iraq have signed their names onto a national government registry that tracks exposure to burn pits, oil well fires,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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New ruling promises fix for ‘Blue Water’ Veterans
Last week, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Steve Daines, R-Mont., announced plans to back a ruling that promises a permanent fix for ‘Blue Water’ Vietnam veterans who claim that their rare illnesses are caused by exposure to chemical defoliants while in service. According to an article published by MilitaryTimes.com “[The] “blue water” veterans problem centers on…
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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…
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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…
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New bill to cover treatment of veterans exposed to PFAS
Last week the Veterans Exposed to Toxic PFAS Act was introduced. If passed, this legislation would cover the treatment of any health conditions caused by PFAS exposure and would make veterans and their families eligible for VA disability benefits. According to an article published by Stripes.com, “The Agency For Toxic Substances and Disease Research released a…
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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…
