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Archive for May, 2011
Tuesday, May 31st, 2011
The United States sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange over jungles in Vietnam. It was used to destroy vegetation so American troops could locate their enemies. Unfortunately for those exposed to the herbicide, it is likely the cause of multiple cancers, diseases, birth defects, and and nerve disorders. Now veterans are claiming to have buried Agent Orange outside a military base in the 1970s.
Following those claims, the U.S. military command in South Korea launched their own investigation. The veterans claim they were ordered to dig a ditch about as long as a city block outside Camp Carroll, South Korea.
In that ditch these veterans claim they were ordered to place approximately 250 55-gallon drums. The barrels were various colors, and some were labeled as containing “Compound Orange.”
Further, the veterans making the claims about burying the drums also declared the barrels were leaking. Those leaking barrels poured out all over their hands and they inhaled the fumes as they were “disposing” of the barrels.
The immediate concern is for those Koreans and Americans still living and working at and around Camp Carroll. Of course, assurances are being made to properly dispose of anything harmful that may be discovered. Soil and water samples will be collected and tested. The veterans’ reports have been corroborated by other veterans.
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: Agent Orange, Camp Carroll, Veterans disability, Vietnam veterans
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General | No Comments »
Friday, May 27th, 2011
Vietnam veterans have high rates of cancer related to Agent Orange (dioxin) exposure. Further, they are not getting the service-related benefits they deserve, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), has failed to continuously report the numbers reflecting how many veterans have specific cancers. This has made it impossible to follow cancer rates in Vietnam veterans.
The rate at which veterans exposed to dioxin suffer from various forms of cancer is shocking. Veterans have contracted brain and pancreatic cancer at rates “5-7 times higher than the civilian populations.” Those same veterans test positive for lung cancer twice as much as other veterans who served in country.
There are no cancer registries specific to veterans, even with the VA. The VA is not required to report such instances of cancer to the national registry, and they do not report such numbers. This makes it impossible to accurately follow what types of cancer Vietnam veterans are developing, and which ones are related to Agent Orange exposure. Further, when the VA does report to the registry, those reports are often miscoded.
According to the VA, the miscoding as well as the underreporting are done to protect the privacy of the veteran-patients. The veterans are the ones suffering, however, as the VA’s actions likely end up preventing veterans from receiving their earned, service-related benefits.
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: Agent Orange, Cancer, Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), VA Health Care System, Veterans disability, Vietnam veterans
Posted in Veterans' Disability | 1 Comment »
Thursday, May 26th, 2011
It was recently suggested the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee freeze Post-9/11 GI Bill living stipends for all beneficiaries. The freeze was to be used to protect and stabilize the rates of tuition for those veterans attending private universities and colleges. Freezing the stipends is no longer being considered as a possibility.
Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla) suggested a new solution, HR 1383. This bill would alter the home loan origination fees charged on VA home loans. This change would only be imposed on those veterans who are already in receipt of a VA-backed loan and are once again attempting to use the program. It is hoped by doing this, the $50 million cost of preventing tuition and fee cuts for approximately 30,000 veteran-students would be covered.
There are 7 states using the Post-9/11 GI Bill for veterans attending private schools. The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) placed a $17,500 cap on payments for private school tuition, and this cap starts Aug. 1, 2011. This means for those veterans attending private schools in these states, their tuition payments would be higher than the amount of educational benefits they received from the GI Bill’s cap.
HR 1383, if passed, will continue to pay students their current tuition and fee rates at the private schools. The $17,500 cap for the veterans using Post-9/11 GI Bill, then, would only be imposed on students who first enroll in schools after the bill is signed into law. It is important to note HR 1383 does not attempt to impose a fee hike. Rather, it operates to limit the amount of reduction in fees set to happen on Oct. 1, 2011.
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: House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, HR 1383, Post-9/11 GI Bill, Veterans disability
Posted in US Military Legislation, Veterans' Resources | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) launched a plan in 2008 to upgrade the wireless networks at 236 VA hospitals and clinics across the nation. During that process, they ran into a multiple delays, and it stalled out all their intended progress.
The original plan was to use the upgraded networks to support real-time triangulation of equipment so it can be tracked. The networks were also going to be used to support the VA’s administration program. This program operates by using Wi-Fi bar code scanners so that bar codes on prescriptions matches the bar codes on patients’ wrist bands to ensure the proper medicine is administered.
Given the Wi- Fi’s limited ability to broadcast at more than 200 milliwatts, their effective range indoors is about 120 feet and outdoors is about 300 feet. The VA medical centers, like many buildings, feature many concrete walls. Those concrete walls limit the Wi-Fi’s limited range even further.
The unforeseen problem is set to the tune of $91.4 million to date. In testimony to the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, VA CIO Roger Baker explained because of the thickness of the concrete, the VA must install more access points to reach their goal of 100% coverage.
The VA’s Office of the Inspector General (OIG) criticized the VA for not performing a full site survey, which was required by the installation contract. The OIG also noted the severity with which the VA underestimated the square footage, resulting in the need for an extraordinary amount of additional access points.
Just how many new access points will be required is unknown and is going to vary by location. The installation contract is “on hold,” and will likely negotiate a new contract in light of these developments.
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 Veterans Affairs (VA), Office of the Inspector General (OIG), Veterans disability
Posted in VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 24th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) attempted to design and build a new system in hopes of helping veterans and their families receive their disability compensation faster than under the currently existing system. Unfortunately for everyone involved, the efficiency goals set for the system were not met.
The result was a further delay in delivering benefits to veterans. For some, those delays lasted more than a year. That delay forced some veterans to reject job offers or put off enrolling in college because they have no set date for discharge from the military.
The Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES) was launched in 2007 as a pilot program. Since then, it has been implemented in about 80 military installations, and should reach about 140 this fall. The system consolidates all required medical exams and their results. This prevents soldiers from undergoing the disability claims process in the military as well as the VA.
The current goal for the system is to process claims within 9 months. According to the processing times in March, that goal was not met with any great accuracy. For active duty soldiers, that goal was only met 15% of the time; 28% of the time for Reservists; and 40% of the time for National Guard members.
Claims continue to spend too much time idle in the VA’s claims system, which results in soldiers being overlooked. The IDES system needs to be improved before any further expansion is added to the already problematic system.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), disability claims processing, Integrated Disability Evaluation System (IDES), Veterans disability
Posted in Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Friday, May 20th, 2011
Although the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is facing more problems with sterilization, the threat is originating from a different source. Approximately 25% of all VA medical centers across the nation, as well as the VA’s outpatient mail-order pharmacy, were using alcohol prep pads and other products, which are believed to have been the cause of multiple infections and deaths.
Naturally, US Senator Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo) has some questions for VA officials. First and foremost, he questioned how many veterans were affected by these products and wipes, and to what extent. The infected and recalled products the VA was using number in the hundreds, and the recall is based on the threat of bacterial contamination.
Investigators discovered the recalled pads and products in 38 of the 152 veterans medical centers spanning 30 states. Additionally, approximately 1,500 boxes of recalled products were removed from the Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy’s inventory. That mail-order pharmacy alone fills 97.4 million prescriptions a year.
The good news is no veterans have reported infections to date. This is surprising as many veterans have been using the alcohol prep pads at home for years from the mail-order pharmacy. Since the original recall was announced in January, it has been updated 40 times.
There are questions, however, about how long the VA waited to warn veterans of the potential threat of the products and the issues recalls. Many report not receiving any warning for months after the initial recall notice. In the meantime, they continued to use the infected products and wipes.
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 Veterans Affairs (VA), VA Medical Centers, Veterans disability
Posted in VA News | No Comments »
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Thursday saw the announcement from the House Appropriations Committee regarding the budget for military construction and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The Committee decided to cut $1.2 billion from $73.7 billion that was requested.
The budget reduction is the House Republicans’ latest attempt to downgrade and cut federal spending. According to Rep. John Culberson (R-Texas), this is the first time in the history of the subcommittee on military construction and veterans affairs this spending bill has been reduced or cut.
Following the bill’s reduction, it will be $615 million less than what was finally allocated in the 2011 budget. The committee stated they expected to have to subsidize fewer “base realignments and closures.” The vast majority of the actual cuts the committee made were in the cost of construction.
Although the committee has made cuts in the bill, the budget continues to fund quality of life programs vital to veterans and their families. The money the military needs to support their missions abroad and at home will still be made available in the spending bill.
The committee found it necessary, however, to cut spending where it could be cut and remain fiscally responsible. At the same time, they wanted to ensure there was proper oversight in place to make sure every dollar spent is being used as effectively as possible.
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 Veterans Affairs, House Appropriations Committee, Military Construction, Veterans disability
Posted in General, US Military Legislation | No Comments »
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
Even though the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has sought an end to homelessness among veterans for years, it remains a serious issue for veterans around the country. That problem exists in every city, and Tampa is no different. Just how bad that problem has become, and how to address that problem is currently being addressed in Tampa by both local communities and federal agencies.
Many soldiers are returning to an economy with multiple problems. First, many soldiers are not able to find work, which is evidenced by the current unemployment rate among veterans. Second, the state of the economy is such that many soldiers are returning to spouses who are out of work.
The Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Project (VHPDP)–a pilot program that launched in March–was developed to help the entire family. The VHPDP, along with the Tampa Crossroads, provides a grant to soldiers’ families to allow them to move to a new home within their price range and prevent the family from being put on the streets.
One unfortunate characteristic for veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq is they are becoming homeless at a faster rate than veterans from other conflicts. Florida has particular problems with homelessness, however. Of all the homeless veterans in this country, 50% of them live in Florida, California, New York, and Texas.
There are eligibility requirements veterans must meet to qualify for the grant. Given the amount of homeless veterans in Tampa, the project should be able to provide help to numerous veterans and their families.
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: homeless veterans, Tampa Crossroads, The Veterans Homelessness Prevention Demonstration Project, Veterans disability
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, May 17th, 2011
According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, 18 veterans take their own lives every day. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in response to this horrific statistic has ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to make radical changes in its mental healthcare system.
The Court highlighted not only that the VA takes 4 years to provide veterans with the full extent of their earned benefits, but that the VA essentially shames itself in making suicidal veterans wait weeks for a first appointment.
The Court referred to the VA’s handling of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mental health claims as “unchecked incompetence.” They also declared their handling of such claims to be unconstitutional, which is a direct result of the government failing to perform its duties owed to veterans.
According to the Court, if the VA is going to offer mental healthcare to veterans, they cannot at the same time essentially deprive them of those benefits through seemingly endless and immutable delays.
The Court cited a report concluding 1 in 3 soldiers returning from Middle East deployments turned to the VA for mental health conditions, to include PTSD. The study went on to claim approximately 300,000 soldiers suffer from either PTSD or depression on a significant level.
In reviewing the VA’s overall actions toward veterans, the Court concluded the VA fails in its owed duty to the country’s veterans in providing appropriately timed mental healthcare.
According to the Court, those delays have only gotten worse in recent years. This at a most inopportune time as the amount of returning veterans in need of mental health help has increased significantly, overwhelming the VA system.
The Court spent much of their time focusing on the amount of time veterans in need must wait for their first appointment. Those delays turn out to be fatal for many veterans.
Finally, the Court sent the case back to the trial court with orders for the VA to work toward building a new mental healthcare plan, which will include a faster processing time for appointments and appeals.
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 Affairs (VA), Mental Health Care System, Veterans disability, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Iraq-Afghanistan War, VA News, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources | 2 Comments »
Friday, May 13th, 2011
Deploying to the middle east, soldiers would never expect one of the greatest threats to their health would come from sand. According to a Naval researcher, however, this is exactly the situation. This could be found to explain Gulf War Syndrome dating back to 1991, as well as other medical conditions plaguing soldiers who have been and/or are deployed to the Middle East.
The sand the soldiers are inhaling has been found to contain dust particles containing various metals, bacteria, and fungi, which combine to form toxic mixtures. Researchers collected dust particle samples from Iraq and Kuwait, and what they found was somewhat shocking.
The dust particles they collected contained up to 37 metals, including:
- aluminum;
- lead;
- manganese;
- strontium; and
- tin.
Some of the metals researchers uncovered in the dust particles are naturally occurring. Others, however, are the direct result of pollution. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has connected many of the metals discovered in the dust particles to multiple health disorders, which include:
- neurological disorders;
- cancers;
- respiratory problems;
- depression; and
- heart disease.
One researcher believes these discoveries are the “smoking gun.” Everything from the presence of specific metals in the dust, to the symptoms caused by exposure seem to fit as an explanation for the various illnesses affecting 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: Department of Veterans (VA), gulf war illness, toxic exposure, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
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