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Posts Tagged ‘VA health care’
Wednesday, February 13th, 2013
A February 11 announcement from the Department of Veterans Affairs revealed that the agency is closing in on its goal of hiring 1,600 new mental clinicians and 300 mental health support staff. Since President Obama’s executive order in August 2012, the VA has hired 1,058 mental health clinical providers and 223 administrative support staff members.
These additional positions are helping improve the mental health care available to veterans across the U.S. The Veterans Crisis Line (VCL) is also being expanded under the executive order, with more staff being hired and trained to respond to veterans’ calls. At the end of 2012, the VCL reported that it had handled over 747,000 calls, 83,000 online chats, and 5,000 texts to help save more than 26,000 veterans in imminent danger.
Mental Health Care is Available to All Veterans
The VA health care system provides free mental health care to any veteran in need of assistance. The VA mental health care system is one of the largest workforces in the nation. Veterans are able to obtain care from mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, social workers, marriage and family therapists, and addictions therapists.
Some veterans may suffer from mental health disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and some may develop addictions to alcohol, drugs or prescription medications after the traumas of war. The VA can offer counseling, support and treatment for these and other mental health disorders.
If you are suffering from mental health disorders that cause disability in your daily life, you may be eligible for veterans’ disability benefits. The veterans disability attorneys at the Law Offices of LaVan & Neidenberg, P.A. can help you apply for veterans’ disability benefits. Contact us at 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Mental Health Care, VA health care, Veterans Mental Health
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Resources | No Comments »
Wednesday, February 29th, 2012
Many Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and facilities across the globe are using animals to help reduce the stress and anxiety that can come with receiving medical evaluations and treatment. Soldiers who are already on edge from coming off the battlefield with injuries or are suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) take comfort in a 4-legged presence during psychological and medical sessions.
Using pet therapy, some of the branches of Red Cross in Germany have helped the U.S. soldiers take comfort in their evaluations and therapy sessions by providing a familiar scenario close to home. Many soldiers remember their own pets they left back in the states and relax more when an animal is around to provide comfort and companionship.
Stateside, other VA medical centers are looking more toward animals to help reduce anxiety and depression associated with PTSD and other mental disabilities. Therapists have noticed a reduced time for getting patients to relax and open up during sessions when they have an animal to interact with and ease some of the tension.
There are many steps being taken to help reduce stress and bring about a better patient-clinic rapport in VA hospitals. Obtaining quality care for disabling conditions is a necessity for many disabled veterans with serious conditions or injuries. By applying for and being approved to receive veterans disability benefits, you can access many of these resources for your own health and well being.
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, pet therapy, VA facilities, VA health care
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Disability, Veterans' Resources | 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 »
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 »
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
According to an article in The Associated Press , in May of 2011, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals described the decisions made by the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) in running its health care as being governed by “unchecked incompetence,” and ordered the VA to completely renovate their health care system; however, the court is now reconsidering its ruling, which could have incredible ramifications for veterans with disabilities.
The courts’ previous decision came at the hands of a 3-judge panel, when 2 veterans groups, Veterans for Common Sense and Veterans United for Truth, claimed the VA was ignoring serious health care issues, one of which was a dramatic increase in the number of veterans committing suicide. The claim also addressed the long delays in processing disability claims, which can take about 4 years.
In a 2-1 decision, the 3-judge panel found the VA wasn’t providing health care with the proper attention to detail and ordered the VA to develop a brand new approach to how they’ll administer mental health care to veterans, suicidal patients, and process denied benefit claims.
However, the court recently determined that decision to be invalid based on the limitations Congress has on VA decisions and ordered the re-hearing of the appeal. The date for the re-hearing has yet to be determined, which could have veterans waiting even longer to receive benefits and immediate health care.
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: 9th U.S. Circuit Court Of Appeals, Department of Veterans Affairs, mental health, VA health care, Veterans disability
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Thursday, November 17th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has been lobbied, by the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network (SLDN), to make changes to how it cares for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) veterans, according to an article in The San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. These suggestions weren’t limited to veterans with disabilities, but instead focused on overall improvements in care.
The repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell changed the military environment and by extension the VA’s environment as well. There were concerns that the VA wasn’t prepared to deal with the number of veterans who may now be openly LGBT and seeking VA assistance. In fact, multiple reports of mistreatment of LGBT veterans were cited.
While the concern stays open, the SLDN discussed multiple areas in which the VA should improve, which include some of the following:
- issuing generalized directives establishing uniform treatment of veterans regardless of sexual orientation;
- re-wording all VA publications to ensure neutral wording is used regarding sexual orientation;
- ensuring LGBT partners are given identical visitation rights as straight partners during hospital stays; and
- ensuring LGBT partners are given the identical privileges and benefits that are extended to veteran spouses as “permitted by the Defense of Marriage Act.”
There was no advocating for special treatment. Indeed, it was stressed LGBT veterans and their families shouldn’t be treated any differently than traditional veterans and their families as far as receiving veterans benefits and recognition.
If you are a disabled veteran who has been unfairly treated, 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: LGBT veterans, VA health care, Veterans disability, Veterans' Benefits
Posted in General, Veterans' Benefits | No Comments »
Friday, November 11th, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has plans to work toward building a fully integrated electronic health record (EHR) with the Department of Defense (DoD). According to an article in Health Care IT News, The VA recently determined to share its information with the DoD so more veterans with disabilities can be able to receive more comprehensive care.
With the VA not sharing information with the DoD, it restricted progression of understanding and treatments for veterans with specific disabilities or conditions. It also created a serious threat for veterans receiving negative drug interactions.
Specifically, it refused to share any records on veterans being treated for:
- sickle cell anemia;
- alcoholism or alcohol abuse;
- drug abuse; and
- HIV.
By updating the VA’s regulation and removing the restrictive provision, the VA can be able to work in much closer collaboration with the DoD. In the end, it means veterans can now receive better, more informed, and timelier services, treatments, and benefits.
The only way to provide the best possible, and highest quality health care is with all available updated information and the restrictive provision the VA had in place interfered with the ultimate goal of EHRs, and served as an impediment, according to VA Sec. Eric Shinseki.
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, electronic health record, VA health care, Veterans disability, Veterans Health Care
Posted in Disabled Veterans, General, VA News, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Friday, November 4th, 2011
According to an article in The Air Force Times, however, there are still a significant amount of veterans not receiving the necessary care because of barriers preventing that care. For those veterans with disabilities not receiving care, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) stresses the importance of getting help.
Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operating Enduring Freedom have produced about 2.6 million veterans. The Government Accountability Office recently released a report stating that just over 8% of veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan looked to the VA for help with mental health issues between 2006 and 2010.
Many veterans refuse to seek help because they have privacy concerns. For others, it’s a lack of knowledge about the services’ existence, or the distance they have to travel to get help. For younger veterans, there may still be a perception about using VA services, i.e., they’re only for “older veterans.” These younger veterans are often also attempting to satisfy other priorities in their lives, and spending time at the VA isn’t the most pressing.
The VA has made changes in how it screens for mental health conditions, and those changes have resulted in the VA recognizing more mental health conditions. Between 2006 and 2010, the VA diagnosed 96,916 veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan with post-traumatic stress disorder. The types of injuries facing younger veterans are diagnosed and treated in different ways than in previous years and should get the needed 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 veterans disability rights firm today – 1-888-234-5758.
Tags: Mental Health Care, VA health care, Veterans disability
Posted in Disabled Veterans, Iraq-Afghanistan War, VA News, Veterans' Disability | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011
Of all the veterans requiring health care, those veterans suffering from substance abuse disorders and mental illnesses are a large and growing population, according to an article in MedPage Today. The majority of the veterans with disabilities requiring care for mental health conditions suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Researchers who examined medical records and administrative data, in 2007, found an average cost of $12,337 for every patient being treated in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers for a mental illness or substance abuse issue. The cost of care for veterans without those issues was $4,579 in the same year.
At the time, veterans with mental health problems amounted to about 15.4% of the entire veteran population receiving treatment in the VA health care system. Their treatment, however, totaled 33% of the VA’s total healthcare cost for the year. The largest mental health issue facing veterans at the time was PTSD, which can require complex and layered treatments over extended periods of time.
Those costs do not end with medical treatment, however. For many of these veterans, employment is not a possibility, leading to “wider economic consequences.” To avoid those consequences, the VA is always attempting to do more to treat many of these issues as early and effectively as possible. Doing so, however, requires extensive research, planning, and implementation, all of which cost money.
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: VA health care, Veterans disability, veterans mental conditions
Posted in General, VA News, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 21st, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) operates the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), which is the “largest integrated health care system in the country.” An article in Gant Daily, however, focuses on the rates at which VHA patients rebound, or return to the VA’s hospital for further health care, often for issues related to veterans disabilities.
Like Medicare, the VHA tries to eliminate patients being re-admitted, and thus cut down on health care costs and provide better health care to patients. Although the VHA staff believed differently, it appears their readmission rates are just as high as those of private hospitals.
According to a new study, the blame may not lie with the hospitals. They may, in fact, be fighting an uphill battle right from the start, according to findings from a recent study that evaluated more than 100 private and VA hospitals.
The VA has been “very focused on effective discharge planning” over the recent years, and is working toward setting a national standard in health care. As one researcher stated, however, “it makes you wonder how much hospitals can really control readmissions if a place like the VA cannot have dramatically lower rates.”
Generally VA healthcare is rated at least as good if not better than private health care in most areas. The cost for readmissions runs into the tens of billions of dollars a year for Medicare, so it is one area of care where improvement is mandated.
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: Medicare, VA health care, Veterans disability
Posted in VA News, Veterans' Disability | No Comments »
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