VA Disability examiner will use criteria from the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5) to determine whether there is a diagnosis....
Continue readingThe proposed legislation would stop the VA from taking away the gun rights of veterans who require fiduciaries to handle their monthly disability checks, pensions, and other VA benefits....
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The VA proposes a new rule which would establish additional locations and time periods as presumptive for Agent Orange exposure....
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Veterans' advocates are pushing to have several blood cancers linked to burn pit exposure added to the list of burn pit presumptive conditions created by the PACT Act. The move would make some Gulf War and post-9/11 veterans eligible for expedited disability benefits and healthcare, and would mark the first expansion of the PACT Act for burn pit-related diseases since the law went into effect in 2022. For veterans afflicted with these blood cancers, presumptive status and the benefits that flow from it can’t come fast enough. Military.com reports that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has committed to a thorough...
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For those veterans who served in WWII and may not have utilized VA healthcare facilities, a recent outreach initiative may have caught your attention. It's not a scam. This is the VA's effort to encourage eligible veterans to apply for additional no-cost health care services provided by the VA, including nursing home care and home-based primary care. We were actually a bit surprised to learn that WWII veterans aren’t already enjoying free health coverage from the VA, but better late than never, right? Enrolling means no copays, no enrollment fees, and no monthly premiums. Importantly, you may also keep your private...
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Good news for veterans on the horizon. Those receiving VA disability compensation are in for a boost—a 3.4% VA pay increase in 2024 to be exact. To put that in dollars, for every $1,000 a veteran gets in benefits, they will see an extra $34 in 2024. Spouses and family members receiving survivor benefits are also set to see the same increase in their monthly payments. This year's uptick might not match the notable 8.7% increase driven by inflation last year, but even modest increases are important in helping our veterans keep up with rising prices. At the Rep for Vets,...
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Last month, tens of thousands of veterans received surprise letters from the VA informing them that a disability claim they made at some unspecified point in the past was not processed. The letter read in part, “The Department of Veterans Affairs is sending this letter in response to an issue identified which may have resulted in a failure to establish a claim based on your past submission through…VA.gov.” The vague wording of the letter left many veterans to speculate on what claim the letter referenced, if they had done something wrong, and, most importantly, how much disability compensation they might have missed...
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In 2022, the federal government paid out over $120 billion in VA disability claims to almost 6 million veterans, according to the latest VA Benefits Report. Now, that benefits report on is one long and wordy beast, but don't worry. We've combed through it, and today we’re breaking down the 11 most common disabilities for which veterans may claim VA benefits. They include things like tinnitus (ringing in the ears), knee and ankle limitations, hearing loss, PTSD, migraines, lumbosacral or cervical strain, paralysis of the sciatic nerve, scars that impair your ability to work, and diabetes mellitus. If you've got any of...
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Decades may have passed since the Vietnam War, but the battle for disability benefits tied to diseases caused by Agent Orange exposure continues for some veterans. Surprisingly, kidney disease has yet to receive presumptive status, leaving many veterans wondering why this is the case. In this article, we delve into VA documents and epidemiological studies to explore the connection between Agent Orange and kidney disease. We also look at ways veterans can secure disability benefits for kidney disease they suspect is connected to Agent Orange exposure, through secondary service-connection. Agent Orange Benefits for Vietnam Veterans During the Vietnam War, millions of individuals were...
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We look at possible causes of higher cancer rates among Air Force service members, including radiation exposure, and what's being done to address it....
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