The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently announced a new series of grants intended to improve access to adaptive sports programs. These programs are a kind of rehabilitation effort that helps improve people physically and psychologically by getting them active in sports. They are part of a broader ongoing effort to involve community groups in assisting disabled veterans in reintegrating into everyday society. Continue reading “New Adaptive Sports Grants for Disabled Veterans”
Category: Veterans Disability Law
Veterans Fleeing Domestic Violence to Receive Support and Housing
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and unfortunately, veterans suffer the effects of domestic violence the same as anyone else. If anything, veterans, and particularly disabled veterans, can be particularly vulnerable to domestic violence, often feeling trapped in an abusive relationship because they’re uncertain where to go. Fortunately, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recognized this problem and has stepped up to help. Continue reading “Veterans Fleeing Domestic Violence to Receive Support and Housing”
New Program to Update VA Records Systems is Introduced
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently introduced a new program intended to take advantage of its new electronic records system, to better address the problems presented by the transition from paper to electronic records. Electronic health record modernization (EHRM) remains a consistent problem for the VA as it has tried to transfer its old paper records to a digital filing system for years. The hope is that this new program will help facilitate that process. Continue reading “New Program to Update VA Records Systems is Introduced”
New Telehealth Program for Veterans Brings Healthcare Home
As technology advances, so too do the tools available for providing healthcare to veterans. One potential leap forward in this so-called “telehealth” is the increased use of tablets. Tablets make it easier for people who have difficulty getting out of the house, including many disabled veterans, to speak face-to-face with their doctors. With this new initiative, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hopes to bring VA healthcare closer to home. Continue reading “New Telehealth Program for Veterans Brings Healthcare Home”
VA Urges Congress to Pass New Suicide Prevention Bill
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is commemorating the occasion by seeking new ways to reduce suicide among veterans. In that vein, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie has called upon Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to allow a vote for the “IMPROVE Well-Being for Veterans Act.” The proposed legislation would grant funding to community groups to help support veterans at risk of suicide or self-harm. Continue reading “VA Urges Congress to Pass New Suicide Prevention Bill”
VA Urges Congress to Pass New Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill
September is Suicide Prevention Month, and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is commemorating the occasion by seeking new ways to reduce suicide among veterans. In that vein, VA Secretary Robert Wilkie has called upon Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to allow a vote for the “IMPROVE Well-Being for Veterans Act.” The proposed legislation would grant funding to community groups to help support veterans at risk of suicide or self-harm. Continue reading “VA Urges Congress to Pass New Veteran Suicide Prevention Bill”
VA Updates Disability Rating Schedule For Certain Diseases
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has recently updated its disability rating schedule for certain infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders, and nutritional deficiencies. This change in the schedule is meant to bring the disability ratings for these diseases in line with the current understanding of medical science. As a result, it could affect the disability ratings of many veterans who either are currently receiving disability benefits, or who are looking to receive those benefits. Continue reading “VA Updates Disability Rating Schedule For Certain Diseases”
What Does It Mean to Be Legally Disabled?
According to the 2017 American Community Survey (ACS), more than 40 million Americans, or about one in eight people in the United States, suffers from some form of disability. However, only about 10 million people in the United States received Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits in that same year. Partly that’s due to variations in how disabilities are defined, but more importantly, it has to do with the difference between having a disability and being legally disabled. Continue reading “What Does It Mean to Be Legally Disabled?”
VA Extends Agent Orange Presumption to “Blue Water Navy” Veterans
The Veterans Administration recently announced that it would extend the presumption of Agent Orange exposure to “Blue Water Navy” veterans for the first time, according to a press release on the Department of Veterans Affairs website. These veterans include those who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, no more than twelve nautical miles seaward of demarcation line between Vietnam and Cambodia. This new ruling is estimated to affect between 420,000 and 560,000 Vietnam-era veterans. Continue reading “VA Extends Agent Orange Presumption to “Blue Water Navy” Veterans”
New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Erase Student Loans for Disabled Vets
According to the Military Times, a new law currently being considered in Congress (called the Federally Requiring Earned Education-Debt Discharges for Veterans Act (FREED Vets) Act) would discharge the student debt of veterans determined to be at 100% disability who had not yet paid back their student loans. The bill follows a proposal made the Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs last year and would affect an estimated 42,000 veterans in the United States. Continue reading “New Bipartisan Bill Seeks to Erase Student Loans for Disabled Vets”
