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Archive for the ‘Veterans' Dependents’ Category
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 »
Friday, February 10th, 2012
There are 2 medical malpractice claims in question regarding the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care sytem, which resulted in the death of Navy veteran Asenath German and the death of the newborn son of active duty military parents Jacqulin and Prather Price. Both of these claims are in the hands of U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard, part of the Middle District of Florida Jacksonville Division.
In the case of German, her husband, an active-duty Navy soldier, is filing the suit after doctors at the Naval Hospital in Jacksonville failed to diagnose a brain hemorrhage. German sought treatment in 2008 but was dismissed with minor treatment for a migraine. A few days later she was experiencing stroke-like symptoms, which brought her to being admitted to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.
The couple filed a lawsuit against the naval hospital and is now fighting against the Federal Tort Claims Act, which blocks lawsuits against the government by active-duty military personnel. German passed away in December 2010, but her husband is continuing the suit.
In the case of the Price family, the parents are alleging malpractice during their son Elijah’s birth that caused him to only survive an hour after delivery. The lawsuit alleges that the medical staff at the same naval hospital didn’t take into account Jacqulin’s difficulty with gestational diabetes and also Elijah’s large size prior to birth. The option for a cesarean section wasn’t allowed, ultimately resulting in Elijah death.
In the Price case, it’s again active duty military trying to file a lawsuit for malpractice against government-run hospitals. Lawmakers are arguing over whether VA hospitals and doctors should share the immunity of the FCTA or not.
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: active duty military personnel, Federal Tort Claims Act, medical malpractice, Military Legislation, VA Health Care System
Posted in General, US Military Legislation, VA News, Veterans' Dependents | 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 »
Wednesday, December 14th, 2011
According to an article on CBS News, the Air Force was responsible for incinerating the “partial remains” of at least 274 U.S. soldiers and then dumping the ashes in a landfill in Virginia, which was officially halted 3 years ago.
Military families had given previous consent to the military to dispose of the soldiers’ remains in a “dignified and respectful manner.” Consequently, the families were not told the remains were dumped into a landfill.
According to the Air Force, there are no future plans of notifying the families that are involved considering it would require an immense effort to entail individual searches of over 6,300 soldiers’ records. At the same time, Senior Air Force officials insist there was no active intention to deceive anyone about the secret practice.
Dover Air Force Base is the “main port of entry” for fallen soldiers as they return to the U.S. There is no way for the Air Force to determine just how many soldiers’ remains were shipped to the landfill, but it does acknowledge that there is no formal military authorization, policy, or regulation permitting such a practice. Unclaimed and unidentified soldiers’ remains are now cremated and buried at sea.
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: Dover Air Force Base, Military Families, U.S. veterans, Veterans' Dependents
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Dependents | No Comments »
Friday, November 18th, 2011
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Cemeteries are located all over the country, and most U.S veterans qualify for burial in those cemeteries. According to an article in The Washington Times, even veterans’ spouses, widows, dependents, and even unmarried, disabled adult children can qualify for burial in VA cemeteries.
In order to qualify, veterans have to meet a minimum level of active duty service and cannot have been discharged under dishonorable conditions. It is even possible to qualify children and spouses for burial in VA cemeteries if they die prior to the veteran.
The VA burial benefit is fairly comprehensive in what it provides. The only cost imposed upon the family is fees for the funeral director’s services. Outside of those, there are no costs to the deceased veterans’ families, and they receive the following:
- gravesite;
- U.S. flag;
- grave marker or headstone;
- Presidential Memorial Certificate;
- perpetual gravesite maintenance; and
- opening and closing of the grave.
Although VA national cemeteries are specifically for U.S. veterans, the gravesites cannot be reserve in advance. Veterans families can apply to the VA’s Veterans Benefits Administration to receive a “burial plot and allowance” to qualified veterans and should be prepared with their veteran’s discharge papers, casualty report, military rank, branch they served, birth and death certificate, and serial, Social Security, and VA claim numbers.
If you are a U.S. 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: U.S. veterans, VA Burial Benefit, VA National Cemetery
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Dependents | No Comments »
Thursday, August 4th, 2011
Homelessness affects not only veterans, but their families as well. The struggle for veterans to find work and prevent themselves and their families from becoming homeless is getting harder by the day, and the number of homeless veterans in the US is growing.
Although there is some temporary housing available in Palm Beach County, FL it isn’t always the best situation for a family. The West Palm Beach Housing Authority is taking part in a federal housing voucher program to provide more permanent housing for some of the 2,000 currently homeless veterans in West Palm Beach.
The U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs Supporting Housing Program (HUD-VASH) is providing the Housing Authority the vouchers. The program is nationwide and will supply $5 million in vouchers. Veterans taking part in the program will be responsible for paying approximately 30% of their rent, but that number will fluctuate based on their monthly income. Those vouchers will cover the difference in the rent.
Any veteran signed up with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system qualifies for the program. The vouchers given to Palm Beach veterans will provide housing for approximately 240 veterans and their families. Although resources are not available for every veteran in need, this is a step in the right direction.
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) Health Care System, homeless veterans, U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s Veterans Affairs Supporting Housing Program (HUD-VASH), Veterans disability
Posted in Veterans' Dependents, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, July 27th, 2011
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Sec. Eric Shinseki recently announced the launch of a new pilot program providing childcare for veterans. The program will provide drop-in child care free of charge to prevent both male and female veterans from missing doctor appointments.
Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash) sits on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and strongly supports this childcare program. Sen. Murray pushed for this program because of the unfortunate situation presented to many female veterans across the nation. Often female veterans return from deployment and are immediately put into roles caring for young children. Because of those demands, many forgo seeking out needed physical and mental health care.
The child care services were covered in the Omnibus Health Services Act of 2010, and will be provided in the VA medical facility.
The pilot program will initially launch in 3 locations:
- Buffalo, NY;
- Northport, NY; and
- Tacoma, WA.
Female veterans are approximately 10% of the total veteran population. On the whole, however, they use VA health care services at a much lower rate. It is hoped by making doctors and therapists more available, more female veterans will take advantage of their entitled 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: Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), female veterans, Veterans disability
Posted in Veterans' Dependents, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
The housing crisis this country is currently faces is affecting almost everyone in one way or another, including military families. For those military families who purchased their homes with a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) home loan, there is help to avoid foreclosure if they begin having trouble with their mortgage. The Homeowners Assistance Program was developed by the Department of Defense (DoD) to help service members facing closing bases and/or realignments. More specifically, it helps them sell their home, which has lost value because of these situations. This program has since been amended to include those DoD families whose solider was either injured or killed while deployed.
There are two options available under the program. The government may purchase the families’ home for 75% of either the original price of the home or whatever balance is left on the mortgage. The other option pays the difference between 95% of the home’s appraised value prior to the announcement of the base closing and either the home’s appraised value or sale price after the announcement.
There are also options available for those soldiers given orders for a permanent change of station who are suffering a home that has lost value because of this mortgage crisis. Of course, there are specific qualifications to qualify for such relief.
There were about 20,000 families with VA home loans who lost their homes to foreclosure last year. Approximately 12,000 DoD families applied to the Homeowners Assistance Program for help. A slowing in requests for help is not likely as foreclosures in zip codes rose 32% between 2008 and 2010, which is a full 11% above the national rate for foreclosure filings.
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 (DoD), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), home foreclosures, Homeowners Assistance Program, housing crisis, VA home loans
Posted in Veterans' Dependents, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Monday, February 14th, 2011
Total body health care is just that: total body care. Many health care providers, however, view some medical services as a waste of time and money. Chiropractic services tend to fall into this category. New legislation, however, will increase veterans’ and their dependants’ ability to access chiropractic services through the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) health care system and the Department of Defense (DoD) TRICARE system.
The bill is strongly supported by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) as well as the Association of Chiropractic Colleges (ACC). The Chiropractic Care to All Veterans Act (H.R. 329) has been reintroduced to the house and is strongly comparable to legislation the House passed in 2010. That legislation, however, was never considered by the Senate. If passed, the Chiropractic Care to All Veterans Act, will populate all chief VA medical centers with chiropractic physicians by 2014. Just as important, however, it would amend the VA Health Care Programs Enhancement Act of 2001, which would ensure veterans and their dependants could not have chiropractic health advantages denied.
Chiropractic care is currently available through 36 VA medical facilities, which leaves 100 main VA facilities without such care available. Prior Congressional action attempting to staff such facilities with chiropractic physicians has unfortunately fallen short. The Chiropractic Care to All Veterans Act will help many veterans with their recovery as over 50% of veterans returning from Southwest Asia and the Middle East seek treatment for musculoskeletal issues.
The Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act (H.R. 409) would allow military dependants to draw chiropractic care through the TRICARE program. Only active-duty soldiers are able to use chiropractic care as it is now. Taken with H.R. 329, this bill will provide very comprehensive care to veterans, active duty soldiers, and their dependants.
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: Military Chiropractic Care, The Chiropractic Care to All Veterans Act (H.R. 329), The Chiropractic Health Parity for Military Beneficiaries Act (H.R. 409), US Military Legislation, Veterans disability, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in US Military Legislation, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Dependents, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Tuesday, January 4th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed a new program to help veterans by educating their families on how to help the veteran at home. The Families At Ease program attempts to help veterans get the help they need through their family members and friends.
There are many reasons why veterans don’t receive the help they need. For starters, many of them don’t recognize they need help, so they don’t seek it out. Others know they need help, but refuse to seek treatment because of either the stigma attached to it, or their symptoms actually prevent them from being able to go out and get help. Enter the Families At Ease program.
When veterans are suffering, their family members are intimately familiar with their problems. Although family members want to be a positive influence for their veteran, often they do not know how to approach doing so. The Families At Ease initiative provides information on accessing VA programs and facilities to the veterans’ families so they can help connect their loved one with the services and treatments available through the VA.
Family members are a good intermediary between the VA and the veteran as far as motivating the veteran to go into the VA for help. The program also coaches family members on how to talk to their veterans and let them know help is available without coming across as forceful or threatening.
The program has seen positive results from the roughly 50 families and veterans involved so far. Now that the Families At Ease has proven to be a successful program locally, and will now be moved to the national stage.
Learn more about the VA’s Families At Ease program and how it is helping families help 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: Families At Ease, Mental Health Counseling, VA Health Care System, VA Programs, veteran support, veterans families, Veterans Mental Health
Posted in General, Veterans' Dependents, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
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