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Posts Tagged ‘U.S. veterans’
Friday, April 13th, 2012
The long awaited merger between the medical records systems of the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has begun its transitional phase.
During the first phase of the transition, the 2 electronic systems will be merged onto a new framework, a process that has been simple for some of the legacy components but difficult for other parts. Karen Guice, the acting chief information officer for the Military Health System (MHS), says that her departments goal is to eliminate the old systems completely and phase out redundant components.
A structural change is also coming along with the technological processes, with a new Defense Health Agency, being developed within the DoD. This agency will take over administration of the Tricare, clinical and business processes of the MHS. Part of their new duties will be to begin monitoring the military health care systems in the Washington area.
When any changes to government systems are made, there may be risks that some information could be lost or become inaccurate. Disabled veterans are especially dependent on their medical record accuracy to help them during the veterans’ disability benefits claim process. A disability rating is determined through medical history, which could be compromised during any sort of system maintenance.
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: U.S. veterans, veteran medical records
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Monday, January 23rd, 2012
Camp Pendleton’s 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment unit suffered some of the highest causalities due to heavy combat in Afghanistan, including 25 deaths, more than 150 injuries, and over a dozen traumatic amputation. Instead of bringing the unit back and releasing the members to fend for themselves, the Marine Corps required the remaining soldiers to remain at Camp Pendleton for 90 days for mental health evaluation and to help ease their transition back into civilian society.
In the 90-day “decompression” program, the soldiers were given the opportunity to hold a memorial for their fallen comrades, participate in social events, like barbeques and banquets, and learn how to communicate about their war experiences. The veterans will be monitored to see if the program has helped improve their mental health and prevent many of the problems faced by veterans coping with conditions like PTSD or anxiety disorders.
As more veterans have had to file for veterans’ disability due to PTSD and other mental health conditions related to combat experience, the military has increased its efforts to help soldiers both active and retired with psychological health care. If a veteran still suffers from these conditions, veterans disability benefits may be available to help.
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: mental health treatment, U.S. veterans, Veterans Mental Health
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Thursday, January 5th, 2012
Several U.S. veterans are claiming they were forced to dump hundreds of gallons of Agent Orange into a trench in Camp Carroll, South Korea, in 1978; however, according to a joint U.S.-South Korean team of investigators, there is no Agent Orange in Camp Carroll, as was recently reported in an article on Defense.gov.
The investigation into the veterans’ claims of dumping Agent Orange into the trench lasted 8 months. Not only was no Agent Orange discovered during the extensive investigation, researchers also found there was no existing health risk to the public on the U.S. Army post. Overall, the investigators interviewed more than 170 former civilian employees from Korea and U.S soldiers. The task required the involvement of more than 30 distinct government agencies.
Based on a document assessment, 380 barrels of Agent Orange were imported to South Korea in 1968, which were also deployed by the Republic of Korea Amy that same year.
Additionally, the investigative team performed a survey of the geological landscape. Utilizing “ground-penetrating radar, electrical resistivity and magnetometers,” the researchers were able to get a fairly in-depth reading of the water and soil surrounding the region where the Agent Orange was supposedly buried and found no trace of the toxin to pose any hazardous health concern.
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: Agent Orange, Camp Carroll, U.S. veterans
Posted in General | No Comments »
Wednesday, December 21st, 2011
A recent report from the Huffington Post states that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) plans on spending $100 million to prevent homelessness among U.S. veterans. More specifically, the VA is granting the money to local and community organizations that can help veterans stop from becoming homeless in the first place.
Local and community organizations will be able to apply for a share of the $100 million so they can get involved and help U.S. veterans before they lose their home. The VA believes prevention is the key to eliminating homelessness among veterans. It’s much easier, and takes less effort, to prevent veterans from becoming homeless than it does to establish housing once the homelessness has occurred.
VA Sec. Eric Shinseki hopes to help 35,000 veterans and their families with this grant program. The grant money will be used to offer the necessary services to prevent homelessness, such as education, counseling, and training.
There are over 100,000 homeless veterans, and the VA has already stated that by 2015 they plan on lowering that number to zero. Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will need help on many levels from many different organizations. While some needs may be much more severe than others, no veteran should return to this country and not have a roof over his or her head.
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, homeless veterans, U.S. veterans, Veterans disability, veterans prevention programs
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, VA News, Vet Groups & Networking, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Monday, December 19th, 2011
According to an article in The Navy Times, in an attempt to secure some solid answers about the general condition of the war area in the Middle East, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is going to study the “medical records and stored tissue samples” collected from 450 military dogs that were deployed to that region. This study is part of the continued effort of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force to identify sicknesses in U.S. veterans and troops.
Researchers will create a database of information and then use it to locate “trends in canine diseases.” They will then compare those results with human diseases and look for common elements that could be due to the local environment, such as toxic dust.
The canines will serve as the proverbial canaries in the coal mines, but in a more retroactive sense. Researchers hope to be able to use the information from the canines’ tissues to determine if there are any future health problems expected in veterans.
Modern day soldiers are being exposed to “a host of environmental health hazards,” which can and has included low levels of toxic chemicals, as was reported in an earlier VA report, just as Gulf War veterans were in the early 1990s.
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: gulf war veterans, Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses Task Force, military dogs, U.S. veterans, Veterans disability, Veterans Health
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Events | 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 »
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
Every soldier deployed looks forward to the day when they can come home; however, for many, that homecoming is short-lived and many U.S. veterans find themselves and their families facing homelessness. A recent article on Tampa Bay Online highlighted a new program in the Tampa area helping veterans find transitional housing to transition back into civilian life.
The Veterans Housing Complex (VHC) program is hoping to help the local area with the surge of veterans that will return stateside within the next 3-4 months. As of right now, veterans can find temporary housing at the Vista Inn and Suites, which is located on Bearss Avenue.
It is important to know that the VHC program is not only available to Iraq and Afghanistan veterans either. Every war veteran is welcome in the VHC program as there are still many Vietnam veterans and others attempting to get on their feet. This program is known to provide “adequate, safe inexpensive housing.”
The VHC program is for veterans who are neither seeking nor receiving government assistance. In conjunction with non-profit organizations, the VHC also offers limited medical assistance, which will expand once a permanent home base is established.
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: homeless veterans, U.S. veterans, Veterans disability, Veterans Housing Complex program, war veteran
Posted in General, Iraq-Afghanistan War, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | 1 Comment »
Friday, December 9th, 2011
As injured soldiers roll into a hospital following attacks, there are a million things going through their minds. The majority of them, however, have a single question they ask, and that is if their genitals are still attached and functioning, according to an article on Stars and Stripes. Although traumatic brain injuries outnumber all other injuries U.S. veterans and soldiers report suffering from the Iraq and Afghanistan War, they pale in comparison to the worry placed on the possibility of a genital injury.
Over the last couple years the increased use of improvised explosive devices and roadside bombs has left more soldiers with injuries to their “reproductive and urinary organs.” The number of these types of injuries has increased so much that the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) group life insurance plan will now cover them as traumatic injuries.
The traumatic injury benefit will make a single payment to soldiers and veterans with qualifying genital injuries ranging from $25,000 and $50,000, depending on the injury. Although there has been an increase in the number of soldiers with these types of injuries, genital injuries are not a new phenomenon. Therefore, the payment will apply to any such injuries sustained after Oct. 11, 2001.
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: Genital Injury, traumatic injury, U.S. veterans, VA insurance, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, VA News, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 6th, 2011
According to an article in ABC2News, many U.S. veterans are finding a new healing process through guitar music.
Guitar For Vets is a program focused on helping veterans with disabilities and depleted spirits. It is one of the newest alternative therapy programs for veterans who feel they have nothing more to live for and are having a hard time battling their depressing emotions. Guitar For Vets uses music to put across the message that healing is possible.
Over 1200 veterans in the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers have been reached by the nationwide program. Music allows people to connect, which is why it is such a useful tool in therapy. It is also trans-generational, so regardless of factors such as age, gender, or economic status, it is something with which everyone can identify on some level.
For many participants in the alternative therapy program, guitars allow them to release many inner feelings, demons, and otherwise unspeakable emotions. Participants find playing their guitars through the rough times in their lives helps them survive, and prevents them from using other methods of handling those raw emotions, such as possibly drug and alcohol abuse.
The program also allows participants to build their self-esteem while giving them something to focus on aside from their problems. Shifting that focus is what is so inherently vital to many veterans’ recoveries.
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: Alternative Therapy, Guitars For Vets, U.S. veterans
Posted in General, Vet Groups & Networking, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Thursday, December 1st, 2011
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) testified at a recent hearing and stated immediate action must be taken to correct current deficiencies in the Department of Veterans Affairs health care provided to U.S. veterans suffering from mental health conditions, according to an article in Market Watch.
The WWP testified the VA isn’t meeting its goals in providing mental health care to veterans in need, based on a recent WWP survey. Out of the survey’s respondents who sought mental health care from the VA, 2 in 5 found that care was “difficult” to receive. Approximately 40% of respondents stated because of that difficulty they never received treatment.
According to the WWP testimony, the VA must correct their actions immediately. Their survey found multiple common issues across different VA locations, which are interfering with effective mental health care, such as:
- not staffing enough mental health providers;
- not being able to see the same therapist twice;
- inflexible scheduling to accommodate veterans’ work schedules; and
- remote locations of VA clinics.
In order to provide efficient mental health care, the WWP suggests the VA must:
- “better utilize” the veteran centers around the country, which includes providing them with more resources;
- implement a better peer-to-peer support system; and
- pay for private-sector care if the VA is unable to provide the necessary care within a reasonable amount of time.
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: Mental Health Care, Senate Committee On Veterans Affairs, U.S. veterans, VA health care, Veterans disability, Wounded Warrior Project (WWP)
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, Veterans' Disability | 1 Comment »
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