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Archive for the ‘Veterans' Benefits’ Category
Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012
The veteran soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan are showing a high number of common respiratory illnesses, including a rare disease that’s sparking some controversy.
While military veterans are able to seek treatment for respiratory conditions at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals, many of these facilities treat only the acute symptoms and don’t investigate the long-term disabilities that some veterans may be facing. A rare respiratory disease, constrictive bronchiolitis, is difficult to diagnose and incurable, making it difficult for many disabled veterans to get the medical assistance they need.
Diagnosing this rare condition involves an invasive lung biopsy, which many VA hospitals are reluctant to perform as it’s a costly procedure. This has lead to many veterans potentially suffering from this disabling condition to have to seek a diagnosis from a doctor outside the VA hospital network – meaning high out of pocket costs that their veterans’ disability benefits or VA health care may not cover.
Disabled veterans and their families are seeking to draw attention to the many respiratory illnesses and disabling conditions that have been connected to burn pit exposure and desert air quality. Soldiers that served in the Iraq and Afghanistan War may have been exposed to several airborne toxins and particles that can cause shortness of breath, chronic bronchitis, and even cancers of the respiratory system.
Respiratory illness is just one of the many conditions a veteran may suffer from due to their military service. If you or a loved one is experiencing medical conditions that may be related to their service in the military you may qualify for veterans’ disability benefits.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: constrivtive bronchiolitis, Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, respiratory conditions, Respiratory Illnesses, Veterans Disability Benefits
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 21st, 2012
The Post 9/11 G.I. Bill provides disabled veterans, service members, and some of their immediate family with many benefits, including funding for pursuing continuing education; however, many universities have been found to be targeting veterans to obtain the federal funding for their education without offering quality programs.
Lawmakers are looking at placing restrictions on schools that show a high enrollment of G.I. Bill students but low educational results and student satisfaction. Schools targeted in this evaluation may have the funding they receive from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) cut.
The newly proposed bill looks to change a federal law that prohibits schools from collecting more than 90% of their revenue from federal funding. While this currently applies to the grants and loans serviced by the Department of Education, it does not include the G.I. Bill funding that comes from the VA.
The goal of this legislation is to reduce the number of schools who may be abusing the funding incentives by attracting veterans to enroll, but not providing quality education in exchange.
There are many resources and benefits for veterans that are provided by the VA and through legislation like the G.I. Bill. If you are a veteran or disabled veteran you may qualify for veterans’ disability benefits such as these to obtain help with medical expenses, health care, education, and housing.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Post-9/11 GI Bill, veterans education, Veterans' Resources
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
When the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reviewed the current vacancy rates of the Port Hudson National Cemetery in Louisiana they estimated that the cemetery would be filled by 2015, prompting quick action to secure new burial sites for our fallen service members. The new site will be known as the Louisiana National Cemetery.
A dedication ceremony for the Louisiana National Cemetery site will be held on March 24 at 11 a.m. CST. When completed in April 2013, the site expects to give burial options to 293,000 veterans and their family members. The first phase will be a 17-acre project and provide 2,500 in-ground crypts and 1,128 regular gravesites as well as a formal entrance, roadways, utilities, and infrastructure.
The second phase will complete the project with an additional 12 acres containing 1,000 columbarium niches and 1,130 cremains sites, as well as the administrative building, maintenance complex, a committal service shelter, and a public assembly area. The water distribution system, landscaping, roads, signage, site furnishings, and utilities will also be completed.
The Port Hudson cemetery will be closed to most new burials starting in July, leaving its gates open only to casketed interments of those with previously buried family members. Interment in the Louisiana National Cemetery will follow general military cemetery guidelines, allowing honorably discharged veterans, their spouses, and qualified dependent children to be buried there. It is also open to active duty military personnel who die in the line of duty, and their spouses and eligible dependents.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: military cemetery, veterans and their families, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Events, Veterans' Resources
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Dependents, Veterans' Events, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Monday, February 13th, 2012
There are 2 bills presently up for consideration by lawmakers to establish a better military ID program for active soldiers and create a new photo ID card for all veterans.
The first bill, the Veterans ID Card Act, was put before the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and Subcommittee on Oversight and Legislation in September 2011. It seeks to grant the Secretary of Veterans Affairs the ability to issue a veterans photo ID card to those who submit a request.
The second bill was put forth in November 2011 and is currently under review by the Committee on Armed Services. The Military Service Identification Card bill seeks to authorize the Secretary of Defense and Secretary of Homeland Security to issue a photo ID to all military service members.
Current veterans without a military photo ID have to rely on resources through their local state government to obtain special identifications on their drivers’ license. Proving your military connection can be difficult, but it is a necessary step to gain access to many of the perks for veterans, such as veterans disability benefits. Having a military ID program from the start of active duty could help negate these problems in the future, but for now you may need a veterans’ disability attorney to help you.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Military Legislation, military photo ID, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, US Military Legislation, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 8th, 2012
When a new veteran returns to the states and goes through one of the 61 demobilization sites across the U.S. they are given the opportunity to enroll in the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system. Up until now, this process could take as long as 10 days, but a new online form system is drastically reducing that time.
The first run at Camp Shelby in Mississippi saw the wait time for establishment in the VA health care system drop from 10 days to 3 days by use of the new online VA Form 1010EZ. With the success of this trial, the VA is working on getting the new digital form available at the other demobilization sites within the coming months.
By reducing the time it takes to grant veterans access to the VA health care system it can also potentially speed up the process of applying for veterans’ disability benefits. Once in the system, veterans are eligible for 5 years of cost-free care at any VA facility for conditions related to combat service.
Veterans’ disability benefits are designed to augment this care by providing additional compensation for ongoing treatment and special needs related to service-connected disabilities. The sooner a veteran or disabled veteran can get into the VA health care system, the sooner they can get a disability rating to establish their benefits claim.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: VA health care, VA Health Care System, Veterans Disability Benefits
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
New rule changes from the Obama Administration seek to minimize the risk of job and income loss for caregivers of disabled veterans.
Under the current Family and Medical Leave Act, benefits for leave time for a family caregiver of military personnel only apply to active duty service members in the National Guard. The new rule changes, announced in late January, seek to extend these benefits for up to 5 years for caregivers to take care of their wounded and/or disabled veteran who were medically discharged following active duty in any military branch.
Other policy changes include allowing up to 12 weeks of leave for a family member to help prepare for a short-notice deployment of an active duty household member. This will allow for military families to make arrangements for child care, attend military functions, and make financial and legal arrangements.
For injured soldiers or those who become ill during deployment, family members would now be allowed 26 weeks of leave to help care for them upon their return. It also expands the current 5-day allowance to 15 days for family members to rest and recuperate.
Supporting caregivers of disabled veterans is almost as important as supporting disabled veterans themselves. As the importance of family caregivers continues to become more apparent, the VA has been working to implement new benefits and resources to help keep these individuals active in supporting our wounded soldiers.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Disabled Veterans, veterans caregivers, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, US Military Legislation, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Dependents | No Comments »
Monday, February 6th, 2012
A recent count of veterans’ disability claims waiting in queue to be processed stood at 853,831 on January 27, while it was about 100,000 claims lower in 2011 and 500,000 claims lower in 2009. This number is only expected to rise in the coming months.
According to Rep. Jeff Miller, chairman of the House VA Affairs Committee, at least half of the disabled veterans, with claims already filed, wait at least 6 months just to get into the initial processing stage. This may be due to the mixed regulations for disability ratings seen in the Department of Defense (DoD) and VA’s application systems, and also the increased eligibility for Agent Orange cases. Furthermore, of the estimated 2.2 million troops from the Iraq and Aghanistan Wars, nearly 624,000 have filed veterans’ disability benefits claims and more are anticipated.
Current efforts to combat the increasing backlog focus heavily on budget increases and switching to a paperless system for claim processing. The system was recently tested in Utah and Rhode Island and is set for a national launch this summer through 2013. For 2012, the VA’s budget was increased 20% to nearly $2 billion to help fund claim processing efforts.
Considering the disability ratings systems hasn’t been modified since it was created, which was at the end of WWII, one of the biggest challenges faced is the discrepancies between disability ratings from the DoD or the VA.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: disability ratings system, VA Backlog, veterans disability claims, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, VA News, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 24th, 2012
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is offering complimentary credit monitoring for veterans affected by the 2011 privacy breach.
In March of 2011, the VA received a request for personal records, including social security numbers, of deceased veterans. This request was made by the genealogy website Ancestry.com to help improve their family history databases. While the VA was obligated to release this information under the Freedom of Information Act, an error occurred where the information of 2,200 living veterans was also included among the records.
When the information went live in December of that year, the error was brought to the attention of the VA, which immediately launched an investigation into the problem. Meanwhile, efforts have been made to notify all living veterans whose information was released about the mistake and what they were doing to minimize the impact.
Currently, those veterans whose information was compromised can obtain a free year of credit monitoring from any of the 3 main credit bureaus by calling 1-877-322-8228. So far no misconduct has been reported and veterans’ disability benefits have not been affected.
Protecting veterans privacy is important to protecting a soldiers’ rights to benefits. Many programs exist to help disabled veterans manage their affairs and finances if their disability impairs them from doing so on their own.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs, VA privacy breach, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Wednesday, January 18th, 2012
The Disabled Veterans National Foundation’s (DVNF) scholarship program is offering several veterans the chance to receive $1000 to further their education.
This year, the DVNF will award 50 $1,000 scholarships to veterans to attend an accredited college, university, or trade school. The response to the scholarship program has been so overwhelming that the DVNF has announced the extension of the application deadline from February 1 to March 1, 2012 to give more veterans the opportunity to apply.
Interested veterans must complete the following for consideration:
- DVNF Scholarship application;
- State-certified Veterans DD-214 form;
- 3-4 minute video or 500-750 word essay (topic provided in the application); and
- a letter of recommendation from a non-relative.
The DVNF will make their decisions in March and notify the winners at the beginning of April. Scholarships will be sent to the recipient’s school by the end of May.
Precilla Wilkewitz, president of the DVNF, said that her organization is highly aware that many veterans aren’t entitled to every part of the GI Bill benefits. The DVNF strives to fill the gaps many veterans have in their benefits by providing scholarships for continuing education.
Programs like the DVNF can help provide additional benefits and resources when a veteran doesn’t qualify for full disability benefits through the VA. If you’ve only received partial benefits or a low disability rating, you may need to talk to a veterans’ disability attorney to review your case.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Disabled Veterans National Foundation, veteran-students, veterans assistance, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Resources
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) continues its service to our veterans around the D.C. area with a career fair and expo targeted at connecting veterans to employment opportunities at several federal and private agencies.
The Veteran Career Fair and Expo will be held at the Washington D.C. Convention Center on Wednesday, January 18 from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. This event offers veterans with proof of military service the opportunity to meet with recruiters and participate in workshops.
Participating employers include the following:
- The Department of Defense;
- National Cemetery Administration;
- Veterans Benefits Administration;
- Veterans Health Administration; and
- many other federal agencies and private sector employers.
The event is open to all veterans but mainly targets those in the D.C., Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and West Virginia areas, as many of the employers are located in these states. Aside from job recruitment there will be workshops on resume building, interviewing skills, education opportunities, and benefits for veteran health care and education.
The VA offers many programs and resources to support all veterans, especially disabled veterans. Many national and local veterans’ advocacy groups also exist to provide more local resources to those who have served our country and need the proper care to adjust back into civilian life.
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 veteran’s disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Benefits, veterans assistance, Veterans Employment, Veterans' Resources
Posted in General, Vet Groups & Networking, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Events, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
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