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Archive for May, 2010
Tuesday, May 11th, 2010
The Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been working together to expand care for military personnel and veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). More specifically, they are focusing on helping those after they’ve been discharged from their rehabilitation centers. This comes on the heels of a 2007 law requiring the departments to work together to improve TBI treatment.
Each department is making their own contributions to the overall goal of enhancing TBI treatment. The two departments working together have developed a completely inclusive plan to improve:
- Research;
- Prevention;
- Early detection;
- Treatment; and
- Outreach.
The DoD’s focus on improving prevention has resulted in more effective protective equipment to include a new combat helmet still being designed. In improving early detection, the DoD has amplified its mandatory concussion screenings to 4 levels and will now begin screening as close to the time the injury occurred as possible. The DoD’s contribution to treating TBI has come in the forms of a published clinical practice guideline and an electronic consultation service.
The VA and the Brain Injury Center have also teamed up with private service organizations. They have been working with the Assisted Living for Veterans with TBI project to help those veterans suffering from TBI.
The VA also works with the VA Polytrauma/TBI System of Care which offers many different levels of care and support. They work to integrate family involvement as much as possible and VA case managers handle every case.
Of the 1,736 soldiers and veterans identified with severe brain injuries between March 2003 and December 2009, 879 were active duty. Of those, 736 received their injuries in Iraq or Afghanistan.
While not every soldier or veteran suffering from TBI is completely disabled, there are still many that are. Hopefully the VA and the DoD working together as a united front will continue to develop more comprehensive care.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Department of Defense, Disabled Veterans, TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury, traumatic brain injury treatment, VA health care, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Monday, May 10th, 2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is focused on ensuring veterans are provided educational benefits. Despite its problems, the Post-9/11 GI Bill has provided educational benefits to thousands of veterans. The VA has now extended their educational focus to a whole new group of beneficiaries through a brand new program and scholarship.
Children of soldiers who died while on active duty since September 11, 2001 are now entitled to have their college tuition paid under the Fry Scholarship. The VA is now accepting applications for the scholarship which will be retroactive to August 1, 2009. Starting on their 18th birthdays, recipients have 15 years to use their benefits. According to VA estimates, almost 1500 soldiers’ children will be entitled for the scholarship in 2010.
2nd District Congressman Mike Michaud (Maine) is on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and chairs the Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health. Along with many other people, Michaud believes this scholarship and access to education is the very least Congress can do to help those families of soldiers killed in the line of duty.
The Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship is named after a veteran who died in Iraq in 2006 attempting to disarm an explosive. Sergeant Fry left three children behind and inspired the development of this scholarship.
Benefits being offered to veterans are always being improved. It is a fairly new but important trend to expand the benefits being offered to the veterans’ families. This scholarship is the latest step in ensuring those soldiers paying the ultimate price for this country do so knowing their families will be taken care of in their absence.
Learn more about educational benefits for children of fallen soldiers.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: education benefits for veterans, survivor benefits, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, Veterans' Dependents | No Comments »
Thursday, May 6th, 2010
Out of the 23 million veterans in the United States, only approximately 8 million take advantage of their owed Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits. While not every military veteran needs VA services or benefits, many more than 8 million do need them. One big issue in getting help for veterans is making sure veterans know the services are available in the first place.
The last two decades have seen Congressional expanded veteran benefits while at the same time lowering the standards for eligibility. This is crucial. For those veterans enduring undiagnosed service-connected illnesses, it means the difference between continued suffering and treatment. For others it may mean the difference between a level of financial security and a life of wanting.
There are 8 fundamental benefit programs of which every veteran should be aware. While not every veteran will need or qualify for every program, those veterans in need will probably be able to find a program to help them. These 8 programs are:
- Disability compensation;
- War veteran pensions;
- VA Health care;
- In-home care;
- Assisted living;
- Prescription drug plans;
- Nursing Home Care; and
- VA-guaranteed mortgages.
This country has an obligation to take care of our veterans. The VA offers many programs to help veterans in many aspects of their lives. In order to take advantage of these programs, however, veterans must know the programs exist in the first place.
Learn more about 8 essential programs of which every veteran should be aware.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: Disabled Veterans, mental health treatment, VA Benefits, VA healthcare, veteran programs, Veterans' Resources
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 5th, 2010
Those Mercer County, New Jersey veterans and their spouses dealing with terminal illnesses will now receive help. The Hamilton Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Chapter 41 subsidized a new Samaritan Vets Helping Vets program (SVHV) with a $150,000 grant. Every year 40 veterans die in Mercer County. The goal of the SVHV program is to help as many veterans spend their last moments in their homes, near their loved ones.
This is just the latest example of what seems to be a rapidly expanding and very positive trend: veterans helping veterans. The DAV’s $150,000 grant will be spent evenly over 5 years. It will be used to fill in the gaps in the hospice care not covered by the veteran’s insurance.
Essentially, the grant will pay for extra hours of hospice care on top of what is already being provided by the VA or the veteran’s insurance. All DAV Chapter 41 veterans and their spouses will be provided with not only in-home care, but support and respite for that care.
The Samaritan Hospice will offer standard hospice services to those veterans in need. The hospice workers are certified home health aides and will provide aid in:
- Bathing;
- Dressing;
- Assistance with feeding;
- Light housekeeping;
- Meal preparation;
- Respite for caregivers; and
- Emotional support for caregivers.
The only person that truly understands the needs of a veteran is another veteran. When veterans reach out to help other veterans, then, it makes it that much more satisfying when the help provided is so worthwhile. Providing care for veterans in the last minutes of their lives is very personal and very appreciated.
Learn more about local hospice care helps veterans and supplements their insurance.
Tags: Disabled Veterans, VA healthcare, Veteran Hospice
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Veterans' Benefits | 3 Comments »
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is constantly working to improve conditions for female veterans. Female veterans require not only different health care, they require different perspectives from their health care providers.
The VA operates Operation Home Front for the benefit of female soldiers. Approximately 14% of active duty soldiers and 17% of reservists and the National Guards are female. 139,000 female veterans live in Florida alone. Because the VA’s support programs have been traditionally geared towards men, it is a great relief to see the VA focusing so much on caring for their female veterans.
In an effort to close the gap between the traditional male-oriented VA services and what is needed to care for female veterans, the VA and Florida’s Department of Children and Families combined to fund and create Operation Home Front. Operation Home Front is a transitional housing facility located in Cocoa, Florida and will open next spring. 28 female veterans and their children will be able to reside in the facility while the veterans participate in:
- Substance abuse programs; and
- Mental health programs.
Operation Home Front is the only facility in Florida, and one of very few in the nation, allowing female veterans to participate in rehabilitation programs while living along side their children. Children are a critical element of the program.
Counselors have found women in treatment programs such as these are easier to treat when they are with their children – children keep the women in treatment. Children don’t just offer motivation for the veterans, their presence allows the bonding process to continue with mother and child throughout the program.
Every female veteran staying at Operation Home Front has a program customized specifically for her needs. Treatment can last from 60 days to over a year and can include:
- Specialist counseling;
- Rehabilitation services;
- Health and psychological support.
Many of the transitions back to the civilian world that female veterans are facing are unique to them. The VA has recognized this fact and is providing more services every day to help.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: female veterans, Veterans Health Care, veterans transitional housing, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Dependents | 2 Comments »
Monday, May 3rd, 2010
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has a reputation for being a very difficult system to navigate. The VA’s backlog of disability claims has been well documented. So when a veteran actually gets a hearing on his claim, is denied, and then has no more recourse available because of a broken appeals process, the need for correction becomes very obvious.
Congressman Gary Ackerman (D-Bayside/Long Island) has introduced legislation (The Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act) in hopes to repair this broken appeals process. 200 veterans are currently being denied their chance to appeal final decisions made in regard to their benefits claims. These veterans all missed their deadline for filing for their benefits.
If passed, the Act will force the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans’ Claims (the Veterans’ Court) to hear those appeals stemming from administrative decisions that deny veterans’ benefits. These appeals, however, are limited to those decisions denying veterans’ claims due to veterans missing their deadlines for filing their appeals. The deadlines, however, are often missed due to circumstances out of their control, e.g., because of their service-related disabilities.
Further, the bill will compel the Veterans Court to restore appeals previously dismissed due to the veteran’s failure to file their timely appeal as long as the veteran can show good cause.
Both this Act and the similar bill Senator Arlen Spector (D-Pennsylvania) introduced into the Senate, were triggered by a Veterans’ Court decision denying a veteran an appeal for a missed deadline. A deadline the veteran missed due to his disability.
Given the sacrifices veterans make, it is unconscionable they would be treated in such a fashion. Veterans are owed the absolute very best treatment this country can provide and should not be denied benefits because the very illnesses and disabilities they are seeking benefits for prevented them from filing an appeal within the limited time frame provided.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, contact LaVan & Neidenberg. You may be entitled to certain programs and benefits so contact our veterans disability rights firm today.
Tags: appeal deadlines, Disabled Veterans, Fair Access to Veterans Benefits Act, veterans court, Veterans' appeals
Posted in US Military Legislation, VA News, Veterans' Disability | 1 Comment »
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