VA Disability Claims, 2021 COLA Rates, Sleep Deprivation, and a Heroes Story
December 12, 2020
Happy Holidays from your friends at Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC! Veterans Attorney Jim Fausone is taking a moment to discuss some relevant topics to keep in mind this week. We will discuss tips for beginning the process of filing a VA Disability claim; the recently released 2021 COLA Rates; a Veterans Radio Podcast episode with Dr. John Cordle no Sleep Deprivation; and a Heroes Story from our friends at Home of Heroes about Medal of Honor recipient Edward Byers.
VA Disability Claim Tips
We are approached by a significant amount of veterans wishing to file a disability claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs. The only issue with that being some of them do not currently have a medical diagnosis of their disability or service-related injury to be able to establish a service connection.
To be eligible for disability benefits from the VA, you must have a current diagnosis of an injury or disability. Once you do, then you can establish a connection between your injury/disability and an in-service incident. Often, we see disability claims denied due to the lack of a current medical diagnosis.
As you think about potentially adding another claim to your disability, first start with “do I have a diagnosis?” and “what do I have to do to receive a diagnosis?”. Ultimately, you will see the claim process go much smoother.
2021 COLA Rates
In recent news, the 2021 cost-of-living adjustment rates, or COLA, have been released. For 2021, we will see a 1.3x multiplier on COLA. The year prior, in 2020, the multiplier was 1.6x.
There’s a minor decrease in the cost-of-living adjustment, but if you are currently receiving a pension or disability benefits, you will see a slight increase as a result of that COLA.
Veterans Radio Podcasts – Capt. John Cordle on Sleep Deprivation
We always want to mention our involvement with Veterans Radio Podcasts. Legal Help For Veterans, PLLC is a premier sponsor of Veterans Radio America, we publish new episodes every Tuesday at 11 AM.
We recently released a podcast episode that we think many will find of interest. In an interview with 30-year Navy Captain John Cordle (ret.), we discussed sleep deprivation; the causes of it, possible solutions, and the interesting topic of how sleep disorders on naval ships can affect crew performance.
We had a very interesting conversation, Captain Cordle is quite an expert on this topic. He is an advisor to the Navy and assists them in helping service members not develop chronic sleep disorders because of their service.
Click here to stream Veterans Radio’s Sleep Deprivation Podcast with Capt. John Cordle
Edward Byers’ Heroes Story
As mentioned in our last 4 Minutes with LHFV: 12/22/2020, we mentioned the Heroes Story of Frank W. Fenno and his “Golden Voyage of the Trout”. This week, we found another interesting story from the Operating Enduring Freedom era.
Medal of Honor recipient Edward Byers, Jr., is a former Navy SEAL whose fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty during a hostage rescue saved the lives of several teammates and hostages while under attack.
Click here and search “Edward Byers” to view his Medal of Honor citation
Like always, continue to take care of yourself and each other during this difficult time. We will see you again in 2021 and will be ready to help you with your VA Disability Claim!
Claims Processing, Medical Issues / Disability, News and Press, Veterans Law